STEM Teaching Tools, developed as part of the National Science Foundation-funded Research+Practice Collaboratory, features a new genre of professional learning tools called "practice briefs." The briefs are bite-size tools designed to help practitioners understand a specific problem of educational practice, reflect on it, and access resources and instructional tools that will enable them to teach more effectively. 

The first practice briefs to be posted on the website cover issues such as sequencing scientific practices to support students in unfolding investigations, engaging learners in authentic STEM practices outside the classroom, and using different instructional methods to effectively teach STEM subjects. Additional pieces are regularly added to stemteachingtools.org, including links to helpful instructional resources, case studies of effective STEM classroom practices, videos of exemplary classroom practice, and instructional materials such as assignments and discussion tools. Read this article for more about how they are developed and used in the field.