ReportWire

Tag: Learning

  • 4 ways to transform your classroom through playful gamification 

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    Key points:

    Every educator hopes to instill a lifelong love of learning within their students. We strive to make each lesson engaging, while igniting a sense of curiosity, wonder, and discovery in every child.

    Unfortunately, we don’t always succeed, and recent reports suggest that today’s students are struggling to connect with the material they’re taught in school–particularly when it comes to STEM. While there are many potential culprits behind these numbers (shortened attention spans, the presence of phones, dependency on AI, etc.), educators should still take a moment to reflect and strategize when preparing a new lesson for their class. If we truly want to foster a growth mindset within our students, we need to provide lessons that invite them to embrace the learning process itself.

    One way to accomplish this is through gamification. Gamification brings the motivational elements of games into your everyday lessons. It increases student engagement, builds perseverance, and promotes a growth mindset. When used strategically, it helps learners take ownership of their progress and encourages creativity and collaboration without sacrificing academic rigor.

    Here are just 4 ways that educators can transform their classroom through playful gamification:

    1. Introduce points and badges: Modern video games like Pokémon and Minecraft frequently use achievements to guide new players through the gaming process. Teachers can do the same by assigning points to different activities that students can acquire throughout the week. These experience points can also double as currency that students can exchange for small rewards, such as extra free time or an end-of-year pizza party.
    2. Create choice boards: Choice boards provide students with a range of task options, each with a point value or challenge level. You can assign themes or badges for completing tasks in a certain sequence (e.g., “complete a column” or “complete one of each difficulty level”). This allows students to take ownership of their learning path and pace, while still hitting key learning targets.
    3. Host a digital breakout: Virtual escape rooms and digital breakouts are great for fostering engagement and getting students to think outside the box. By challenging students to solve content-based puzzles to unlock “locks” or progress through scenarios, they’re encouraged to think creatively while also collaborating with their peers. They’re the ideal activity for reviewing classwork and reinforcing key concepts across subjects.
    4. Boss battle assessments: This gamified review activity has students “battle” a fictional character by answering questions or completing tasks. Each correct response helps them defeat the boss, which can be tracked with points, health bars, or progress meters. This engaging format turns practice into a collaborative challenge, building excitement and reinforcing content mastery.

    When implemented correctly, gamification can be incredibly fun and rewarding for our students. With the fall semester drawing closer, there has never been a better time to prepare lessons that will spark student curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.

    We can show our students that STEM learning is not a chore, but a gateway to discovery and excitement. So, get your pencils ready, and let the games begin.

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    Cory Kavanagh, Van Andel Institute for Education

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  • Learning Solidity – A Flipping Journey – Dragos Roua

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    Somewhere between one weekend and a couple of years later, I learned Solidity.

    It didn’t start as a big goal. Not even like a 30-day challenge. It started small, with a tiny square. A 4×4 puzzle matrix, to be precise. I just wanted to pick a new weekend project — something playful. Something that felt like a game but also opened the opportunity to learn something new. I didn’t know I’d end up with something called Proof of Attention.

    All I thought was: let’s do something really simple. Like — what if you could flip some tiles, remember their colors, and slowly uncover a pattern? How can I do this?

    That was the beginning of Flippando.

    Curiosity Was the Way Forward

    I had built apps before. I’m not new to code, nor to launching stuff. But smart contracts? Solidity? EVM?

    They were… foreign. Abstract. Like trying to speak Latin at a party where everyone’s speaking Klingon.

    So I started small. First, I built a local game board in JavaScript. It had all the features, and it was visual enough to keep me hooked — weekend after weekend. Then I built a very simple backend in Solidity. Just one smart contract. Extremely basic. The MVP of an MVP.

    Then — curiosity kicked in. And I started to brainstorm:
    What if this board could be minted as an on-chain NFT?
    Whoa. That sounded cool.
    What if every solved puzzle held a token, somehow locked inside?
    And that token — unlocked by putting together those boards into a living artifact.
    Built with Proof of Attention.

    And all this… in Solidity.

    I dived in.

    Hackathon 1: The Confirmation

    The first hackathon I won with Flippando was absolutely amazing. At that time, I was visiting South Korea, part of a bigger plan to understand Asia — and maybe move there (which eventually happened, though not in South Korea).

    While in Seoul, I joined a few local crypto meetups and learned there was a hackathon coming up. I registered. To my surprise, I realized I was the only foreigner among 100 local Korean hackers. We grinded together for 48 hours in a superb facility called Hana Financial Town, in Incheon.

    I didn’t expect to win.
    But I did.

    Flippando won the Polygon track. That whole experience probably deserves its own blog post (but that’s, again, for another story).

    Hackathon 2: Deeper Into the Rabbit Hole

    Winning the first hackathon gave me confidence. So I joined another one — in a new, emerging ecosystem called Saga. I won a small prize, but the real reward was direction.

    I refined the contracts.
    I abstracted logic.
    I made a ton of improvements to the visuals.

    People liked it.

    More importantly — I liked it.

    Every new Solidity pattern I learned wasn’t just a technical upgrade. It was a metaphor.
    Interfaces felt like unspoken contracts between people.
    Modifiers reminded me of personal boundaries.
    And events — the way blockchain sends back rich information — reminded me of how our actions ripple outward.

    The Grant and the Multichain Leap

    At some point, the game stopped being just mine.

    I received a grant.
    Flippando became the first beneficiary of the Gno.land grant program.
    And I ported the entire game to Gno.

    That changed the tempo a bit. For a while, it felt like a detour. I hadn’t launched the game on EVM yet. But here I was — building it in another language.

    And it paid off.
    I could now clearly observe different coding patterns.
    It’s one thing to build on a very limited virtual machine like the EVM.
    And it’s something else entirely to build a realm in Gno — where everything feels incredibly more fluid.

    That experience only amplified my craving for prime time.

    A couple of months later, I refined (for the sixth time, at least) and audited the Solidity code — and deployed.

    To make things spicier, I went multichain:
    Base. Polygon. Saga. Sonic. Berachain.

    Each chain had its quirks — different RPCs, gas limits, deployment scripts.
    I wrote wrappers, orchestrated deployments, and built fallback logic.

    Suddenly, Solidity was no longer a barrier.
    It was just the playground.

    Lessons from the Flipping Journey

    Learning Solidity wasn’t just about learning a language. It was about unlearning rigidity.

    You don’t need to understand everything to build something meaningful.
    You just need to start — to flip that first tile.

    Flippando is still evolving.
    What began as a weekend project is now a cross-chain memory machine, a tokenized art engine, and a growing community playground.

    And I —
    I’m still flipping.
    Still remembering.
    Still learning.

    If you’re curious about the game — or if you want to feel what it’s like to flip tiles on a blockchain — check out Flippando on your favorite chain.
    And leave some feedback. I read all of it.

    Seriously, I do.

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    dragos@dragosroua.com (Dragos Roua)

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  • Best of 2024: Top Self-Improvement Articles, Worksheets, and Highlights

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    Celebrate 15 years at The Emotion Machine with our ‘Best of 2024’ roundup, featuring top articles and worksheets on psychology, personal growth, relationships, and philosophy — then get excited for another year of self-improvement!

    2024 marks the fifteenth year of self-improvement at The Emotion Machine, making it one of the oldest and largest independent psychology websites on the internet – with zero plans to stop or slow down anytime soon.

    If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that no matter the ups and downs we face over the year, a steady commitment to growth always pays off on a long enough timeline. Over the past 15 years, I’ve had many rewarding highs and devastating lows, but at the end of the day, I’m better off today than I was before — and that’s the truest measure of growth. It’s the benchmark I’ll continue to use as I move forward in life.

    This year, as always, we’ve explored a huge range of topics related to psychology and self-improvement: from practical tips for emotional regulation to in-depth movie reviews to social analyses about the current state of the world. A quick look at the list below shows that The Emotion Machine is far more than just your everyday self-help blog, it’s a vast resource dedicated to education and knowledge in all its forms.

    Without further ado, here are our best articles and worksheets of 2024!

    Articles

    Our best articles of the year, broken down by category.

    Psychology and Mental Health

    Emotions Are Weakness: 5 Maladaptive Beliefs That Lead to Emotional Dysfunction

    Why the belief that “emotions are weakness” leads to suppression and dysfunction — and why accepting and embracing emotions plays an important role in happiness, health, and well-being.

    Rumination vs. Savoring: The Neural Dynamics Between Positive and Negative Thinking

    The same brain regions handle both rumination (negative replay) and savoring (positive replay) — here’s how to use this part of your brain in a new and healthier way.

    6 Common Factors Behind All Successful Therapy

    What makes therapy effective? These universal factors are the foundation for success, no matter the approach.

    Good Will Hunting: A Masterclass in Therapy and Emotional Growth

    An in-depth, session-by-session breakdown of Good Will Hunting – widely regarded as one of the best depictions of therapy in film.

    Positive Psychology Tools Are Most Effective For Those Who Practice Long-Term

    New research highlights the importance of consistent practice for maximizing the benefits of psychology tools.

    How Aesthetic Chills Boost Feelings of Acceptance, Inspiration, and Meaning

    Discover the power of “aesthetic chills” (or “goosebumps”) and how this unique sensation enhances awe, inspiration, and personal growth.

    The Worldbuilding of Inside Out 2: New Emotions, Belief System, and a Sense of Self

    A closer look at how the sequel deepens its exploration of emotions, identity, and belief systems.

    2024 World Happiness Rankings: USA Falls Out of Top 20, Youngest Hit Hardest

    What this year’s happiness rankings reveal about global trends—and why young Americans are struggling most.

    Motivation and Personal Growth

    The Will to Improve: Bridging the Gap Between “Talk” and “Action”

    How to overcome inertia and turn intention into meaningful action.

    The Pebble In Your Shoe: Tiny Frustrations That Can Ruin Your Day

    Why small, unresolved annoyances can derail your entire mood. Here’s why it’s best to fix them now rather than later.

    Deathbed Motivation: The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying

    Lessons from those at life’s end, inspiring you to live without regrets.

    What If: The Power of Hypotheticals and Counterfactual Thinking

    How exploring “what if” scenarios sharpens your thinking and decision-making.

    50+ Destructive Patterns That Scream Low Confidence and Insecurity

    A comprehensive guide to identifying common patterns of self-doubt.

    The Domino Effect of Overcoming Your Fears One At A Time

    Tackling fears incrementally to build unstoppable momentum.

    50+ Motivational Latin Proverbs to Elevate Your Thinking to New Levels

    Ancient wisdom to inspire modern self-improvement.

    My Biggest Goal of 2024

    Written at the start of the year, this piece explores the ambition, mindset, and strategy behind setting my biggest goal for 2024.

    Intermittent Fasting: The Mind-Body Benefits of Conscious Calorie Restriction

    Exploring the science and mental clarity behind intentional fasting.

    Relationships and Communication

    The Art of Rejection and Saying No: One of the Most Underrated Social Skills

    Master the delicate but essential skill of turning others down with grace and confidence.

    The Compliment Sandwich: How to Give Constructive Feedback That Sticks

    Deliver feedback that resonates by balancing honesty with encouragement.

    Social Bonding Through Movies: The Emotional Magic Behind Watching Films Together

    Why sharing films with others can forge deep emotional connections.

    The Power of Sincerity – And How to Stop Hiding Behind Sarcasm and Irony

    Unlock the strength of genuine communication by breaking free from sarcasm and pretense.

    Finding Meaning in Virtual Worlds: How Online Gaming and Digital Communities Can Transform Lives

    Discover how online spaces can cultivate real-life growth, meaning, and connection, as shown in the documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin.

    Third Spaces: The Building Blocks of A Healthy Community and Social Life

    Explore the social hubs that enrich our lives and strengthen our communities, outside of home and work.

    The Many Faces of Deception: Understanding the Different Types of Lying

    Learn how to recognize and identify the diverse ways people bend the truth.

    14 Powerful Genre-Bending Films That Explore Love in Unconventional Ways

    Films that redefine love and challenge how we think about relationships.

    The Narcissistic Culture of “Image” and Excessive Self-Monitoring

    How excessive self-monitoring is eroding confidence and authenticity in our social lives.

    Philosophy and Meaning

    A Lifelong Project: Staying True to Your Mission in a Quick Fix World

    The power of commitment is a rare resource in a culture obsessed with instant gratification.

    One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy: Finding Meaning in Eternal Struggle

    An existential perspective on life’s inherent challenges and the quest to find meaning in them.

    Paradigm Shifts: A Complete Change in Worldview

    When you need to rethink everything you believe and let go of old ways of looking at the world.

    The Immovable Mind: Schopenhauer’s Daily Routine For 27 Years

    A case study on the unique and disciplined routine of the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer.

    The Beggar’s Gift: An Opportunity to Be Good

    From a Buddhist perspective, begging monks perform a powerful service by allowing everyday people to do something good and accumulate positive karma.

    Trader vs. Hero Mindset: Why A Healthy Society Needs Both

    Understand the balance between self-interest and selflessness for a thriving community.

    Information Pollution: The Tragedy of the Commons and Well-Poisoning on the Internet

    How the overload of misinformation on the internet is eroding trust, intelligence, and sanity.

    Worksheets

    At the start of 2024, I pledged to create at least one new worksheet every month. By year’s end, I exceeded that goal, creating a total of 16 new worksheets, including:

    Relationships and Social Connection

    Social Support Database

    Past Relationships

    Social Anxiety Hierarchy

    Thank You Letter

    Relationship Reigniter

    Focus: Tools to improve relationships, enhance social skills, and build stronger connections with others.

    Emotional Mastery and Self-Reflection

    Master Your Negative Emotions

    Burn Away Negative Beliefs

    Failure Analyzer

    Positive vs. Negative Self: A Dialogue

    The Five Whys Exercise

    Focus: These worksheets are designed to help users process emotions, challenge limiting beliefs, and reflect deeply on their thoughts and actions.

    Goals, Habits, and Productivity

    Daily Routine

    Monthly Review Worksheet

    Mid-Year Reset Worksheet

    Mental Rehearsal

    Healthy Life Checklist

    Future Self Worksheet

    Focus: These worksheets help users structure their daily lives, track progress, and maintain a focus on long-term goals and habits.

    An Evergrowing Resource for Self-Improvement

    We now offer a total of 29 self-improvement worksheets, cementing our long-term commitment to providing practical, actionable advice. These worksheets are exclusively available to members — join today to gain full access to these transformative tools.


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    Steven Handel

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  • Baked-in bias or sweet equity: AI’s role in motivation and deep learning

    Baked-in bias or sweet equity: AI’s role in motivation and deep learning

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    Key points:

    In the quickly evolving landscape of AI, education stands at the forefront. New AI tools are emerging daily for educators and students; from AI tutors to curriculum creators, the AI education market is surging.

    However, the long-term impact of AI use on students is unknown. As educational AI research tries to keep up with AI development, questions remain surrounding the impact of AI use on student motivation and overall learning. These questions are particularly significant for students of color, who consistently encounter more systemic barriers than their white peers (Frausto et al., 2024).

    Emerging in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and related declines in student learning and motivation, AI refers to a broad range of technologies, including tools such as ChatGPT, that use vast data repositories to make decisions and problem-solve. Because the tool can assist with assignments like generating essays from prompts, students quickly integrated these technologies into the classroom. Although educators and administrators were slower to adopt these technologies, they have started using AI both to manage unregulated student usage and to streamline their work with AI-powered grading tools. While the use of AI in education remains controversial, it is clear that it is here to stay and, if anything, is rapidly evolving. The question remains: Can AI enhance students’ motivation and learning?

    A recent rapid review of research concluded that students’ motivation is impacted by their experiences in and out of the classroom. The review highlights how student motivation is shaped by more than just individual attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, and traits, but it does not comprehensively address the effects of AI on student motivation (Frausto et al., 2024).

    To understand how AI may impact the motivation and learning of students of color, we need to examine the nature of AI itself. AI learns and develops based on preexisting datasets, which often reflect societal biases and racism. This reliance on biased data can lead to skewed and potentially harmful outputs. For example, AI-generated images are prone to perpetuating stereotypes and cliches, such as exclusively generating images of leaders as white men in suits. Similarly, if we were to use AI to generate a leadership curriculum, it would be prone to create content that aligns with this stereotype. Not only does this further enforce the stereotype and subject students to it, but it can create unrelatable content leading students of color to disengage from learning and lose motivation in the course altogether (Frausto et al., 2024).

    This is not to say that AI is a unique potential detractor. Discrimination is a persistent factor in the real world that affects students’ motivational and learning experiences, and similar bias has previously been seen in non-AI learning and motivation tools that have been created based on research centering predominantly white, middle-class students (Frausto et al., 2024). If anything, AI only serves as a reflection of the biases that exist within the broader world and education sphere; AI learns from real data, and the biases it perpetuates reflect societal trends. The biases of AI are not mystical; they are very much a mirror of our own. For example, teachers also demonstrate comparable levels of bias to the world around them.

    When we think about current AI use in education, these baked-in biases can already be cause for concern. On the student use end, AIs have demonstrated subtle racism in the form of a dialect prejudice: students using African American Vernacular English (AAVE) may find that the AIs they communicate with offer them less favorable recommendations than their peers. For teachers, similar bias may impact the grades AI-powered programs assign students, preferring the phrasing and cultural perspectives used in white students’ essays over those of students of color. These are just a few examples of the biases present in current AI use in education, but they already raise alarms. Similar human-to-human instances of discrimination, such as from teachers and peers, have been linked to decreased motivation and learning in students of color (Frausto et al., 2024). In this way, it seems AI and its biases may be situated to serve as another obstacle that students of color are required to face; AI learning tools and supports that have been designed for and tested on white students to a positive effect may negatively affect students of color due to inbuilt biases. 

    For humans, we recommend anti-bias practices to overcome these perceptions. With AI, we may yet have an opportunity to incorporate similar bias awareness and anti-discriminatory practices. Such training for AI has been a prominent point in the conversation around responsible AI creation and use for several years, with companies such as Google releasing AI guidelines with an emphasis on addressing bias in AI systems development. Approaching the issue of AI bias with intentionality can help to circumvent discriminative outputs, such as by intentionally selecting large and diverse datasets to train AI from and rigorously testing them with diverse populations to ensure equitable outcomes. However, even after these efforts, AI systems may remain biased toward certain cultures and contexts. Even good intentions to support student learning and motivation with AI may lead to unintended outcomes for underrepresented groups.

    While AI-education integration is already occurring rapidly, there is an opportunity to address and understand the potential for bias and discrimination from the outset. Although we cannot be certain of AI’s impact on the motivational and educational outcomes for students of color, research sets a precedent for bias as a detractor. By approaching the implementation of AI in education with intentionality and inclusivity of perspectives, as well as awareness of potential harm, we can try to circumvent the inevitable and instead create an AI-powered learning environment that enhances the learning experiences of all students.

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    Eliana Whitehouse, EduDream

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  • IXL Approved by Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a State-Approved Supplemental Literacy Solution for Grades K-5

    IXL Approved by Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a State-Approved Supplemental Literacy Solution for Grades K-5

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    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. /PRNewswire/ —  IXL, the award-winning personalized learning platform used by 16 million students, has been named a High Quality Evidence-Based Instructional Material for Early Literacy by the   Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Adding   IXL Language Arts to the list ensures that eligible local education agencies across the state can request reimbursement for purchasing the platform to enhance early literacy instruction. IXL is currently used by 20 percent of students in Missouri, accounting for more than 210,000 students. 

    Cover every concept with effective literacy instruction
    Literacy rates among the nation’s youngest learners remain below pre-pandemic levels, and limited instructional time and larger class sizes make it difficult for educators to boost achievement. To close knowledge gaps and support every student, IXL equips Missouri educators with its award-winning PK-5 ELA curriculum, which personalizes learning and is grounded in the Science of Reading methodology.

    IXL covers all the areas needed to teach language arts, containing more than 2,400 skills spanning reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and more. The platform’s curriculum for grades PK-2 is  designed according to research-based best practices for effective early literacy instruction and focuses on systematic, structured phonemic awareness and phonics instruction. It guides students from simple to complex skills, adapting to individual student needs and offering explicit instruction with real-time feedback. Schools can also leverage  IXL’s Learn to Read and  Reading Intervention skill plans that align perfectly to popular textbooks so educators can steadily and methodically narrow reading gaps.

    Build student confidence with embedded supports
    A wealth of instructional resources supports students and encourages them to self-remediate during independent or small-group practice. More than 2,800  video tutorials match one-to-one with each IXL skill, guiding learners through the building blocks of reading, writing and grammar. These videos make it easy to incorporate the Science of Reading’s methodology into instruction so children learn the relationships between written letters and spoken sounds. Additionally, students receive immediate corrective feedback after every missed question, enabling them to quickly understand their mistakes and progress.

    Get reliable data to meet reading goals
    Early elementary school years are crucial for building foundational skills that shape a child’s education. To support this development, teachers need insights to see exactly where learning gaps exist, targeted resources to close them and tools to help students tackle new challenges. Supported by years of validity research, the nationally-normed  IXL Diagnostic is a precise indicator of student achievement and a strong predictor of performance on standardized assessments. The adaptive assessment pinpoints each learner’s proficiency to the nearest tenth of a grade along the entire ELA spectrum, showing educators exactly what students know and what they can do to improve. It then generates personalized action plans that help students eliminate their trouble spots, and grow their reading and writing skills. Action plans link to specific language arts and reading skills, and give teachers a simple way to differentiate instruction and fill knowledge gaps.

    An award-winning platform backed by evidence
    Educators deserve the gold-standard of educational technology that is proven by research and data to enable the highest performance from every student. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)  Tier 1 and Tier 2 research shows undisputed favorable outcomes for schools implementing IXL. Additionally, studies across 70,000 schools in 49 states show that  IXL leads to higher test scores, with schools scoring as much as 17 percentile points higher on language arts on state assessments.

    Recognized for its quality and rigor, IXL holds the Digital Promise Research-Based Design Product Certification and has twice been honored by the SIIA CODiE Awards as the Best Solution for Foundational (K-8) English Language Arts.

    About IXL
    Currently used by 16 million students and in 96 of the top 100 U.S. school districts, IXL is an all-inclusive educational platform that provides a comprehensive PK-12 curriculum and instructional resources, actionable analytics and a state-of-the-art assessment suite. Available in 57 languages, IXL’s end-to-end teaching and learning solution supports personalized instruction in math, English language arts, science, social studies and Spanish. With more than 150 billion questions asked and answered around the world, IXL is helping schools and parents successfully boost student achievement. The IXL Learning  family of products also includes  Rosetta Stone,  Dictionary.com,  Thesaurus.com,  TPT,  SpanishDictionary.com,  inglés.com,  FrenchDictionary.com,  Wyzant,  Vocabulary.com,  ABCya,  Education.com and  Carson Dellosa Education. To learn more about IXL, visit  www.ixl.com,  facebook.com/IXL and  x.com/IXLLearning.

    eSchool News Staff
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  • Haworth & MiEN Announce Partnership

    Haworth & MiEN Announce Partnership

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    Haworth and  MiEN are announcing a partnership to grow both companies’ presence in the education market. MiEN will join Haworth as a  partner brand, offering specialized solutions that build on Haworth’s comprehensive suite of products for higher education and K-12 learning environments. 

    “Both Haworth and MiEN understand the landscape of innovative education spaces, how to support schools and how to create environments to drive more success for students. At our core, MiEN specializes in K-12 with products that seamlessly transition into higher education. With the Haworth partnership, we now have a stronger trajectory for those higher education environments.” Remco Bergsma, MiEN Founder and CEO.

    “Haworth and our dealership network are already serving the higher education market and having access to MiEN products will allow us to expand our solution set for those clients. We can now provide more robust solutions that meet the needs of the ever-changing K-12 market,” said Jack Cottrell, Haworth’s Vice President of Channel & Dealer Development. “It’s a mutually beneficial relationship based on a similar go-to-market position and organizational cultures.”

    This partnership allows each company, individually and collectively, to provide more complete solutions for students, faculty and staff. As Haworth continues to sharpen its focus on providing great spaces for learning, wherever they may be, expanding its presence especially within the K-12 segment is an obvious next step.

    Haworth and MiEN culturally align through core values – solving customer needs to create more effective spaces. Both partners have a deep desire to study and understand how to create learning environments that make a difference to students and faculty. It is also beneficial that Haworth and MiEN are both located in West Michigan, allowing for joint developments and operational efficiencies.

    About Haworth

    Haworth believes great spaces empower people to thrive and work their best. As a leading global furniture maker, the company partners with customers, dealers and influencers to create spaces that result in effective people and efficient real estate. Haworth’s customer-first approach comes from an entrepreneurial spirit, design-forward thinking and multicultural perspectives. Founded in 1948, Haworth is a privately-owned company operating in more than 150 countries through a global network of 400 dealers and 8,000 employees. Headquartered in Holland, Michigan, U.S.A., the company has sales of $2.57 billion USD.

    About MiEN 

    MiEN is a global company serving the education industry with innovative furniture products and services that promote and support active and interactive learning environments in engaging and functional ways. An American company with a strong European influence, its products and services represent the ideas and collaborative efforts of an expert team of suppliers, designers and engineers. Built strong and durable using eco-friendly, sustainable materials, its products rank high in the industry in meeting the demands of creating dynamic and collaborative learning environments.

    eSchool News Staff
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    ESchool News Staff

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  • HMH Launches New Generative AI-Powered Classroom Engagement Tool to Support Whole Class Instruction

    HMH Launches New Generative AI-Powered Classroom Engagement Tool to Support Whole Class Instruction

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    BOSTON/PRNewswire/ —  Adaptive learning company  HMH today announced HMH Classcraft’s ™ AI Summarization tool, which allows teachers to quickly understand student comprehension and adapt instruction in the moment. This innovative tool, powered by generative AI, analyzes open text responses from students working in small groups or individually and provides educators with a quick and insightful summary of how the class is doing, followed by helpful feedback recommendations.

    This new functionality makes it easier for educators to  use proven instructional strategies like “turn and talk,” a common teaching method where peers discuss relevant classroom content with one another. Classcraft allows students to submit written comments during turn and talk conversations, which are then intelligently summarized by the GenAI and shared with the educator.

    Although teachers are adept at reading the faces and body language of their students, it can be difficult to gauge understanding in real-time when 15 pairs of students are having conversations simultaneously. With Classcraft‘s summarization functionality, teachers have a window into peer-to-peer discussions that would otherwise not be possible.

    For instance, as students discuss natural wonders of the world and submit their observations, the tool might summarize comments into a few succinct bullets:

    • “Students displayed creativity and personal engagement with the topic, showing varied interest in Earth’s natural wonders through imaginative comparisons and personal anecdotes”
    • “They understood the uniqueness and excitement of natural wonders, appreciating their physical characteristics and the rare phenomena they represent”
    • “Some students struggled to grasp the broader significance of why these places are considered wonders, focusing instead on personal or less scientifically relevant aspects, like comparing wonders to their backyards or questioning the global rarity of phenomena”

    These helpful summaries enable educators to quickly identify key themes and concepts from student conversations, improving their ability to provide personalized, effective support in real time and increasing student engagement during whole class instruction.

    “At HMH, we are listening to educators, and we know where the pain points lie with whole-class instruction. We are committed to offering tools that address the most pressing challenges for educators,” said Shawn Young, SVP of Product Management and Strategy at HMH. “We know saving them time and helping them engage students is key. Classcraft’s new GenAI-powered summarization tool does both.”

    The development of the AI Summarization tool combines best-in-class AI models, pedagogical expertise, and feedback from teachers to improve the day-to-day teaching and learning experience.

    Classcraft facilitates immersive and dynamic learning experiences that help educators deliver engaging, standards-aligned, high-impact and responsive instruction in real time. Districts and schools across the US have been using Classcraft, and now the AI Summarization tool, and have reported initial successes and great potential. Classcraft will be releasing exciting new features and functionality throughout the school year. Learn more about Classcraft  here.

    About HMH
    HMH is an adaptive learning company that helps educators create growth for every student. Our integrated curriculum, assessment and professional learning solutions use data to paint a full picture of every learner and recommend how to best support their needs. By partnering with educators, we create lasting momentum so that all students can reach their full potential. HMH serves more than 50 million students and 4 million educators in 150 countries. For more information, visit  www.hmhco.com.

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  • Students want more career-connected learning

    Students want more career-connected learning

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    Key points:

    Fifty-nine percent of students say they would like more opportunities for career-connected learning, according to a new report from the New Hampshire Learning Initiative and Gallup.

    The report, Voices of New Hampshire Students: Career-Connected Learning’s Role in Building Bright Futures, examines the impact of career-connected learning on the more than 8,500 New Hampshire students in grades 5-12.

    About half of students say while at school, they learned about a job or career they previously did not know about. Students who have a mentor who supports their development are more likely to be engaged at school (36 percent) than their peers (16 percent).

    Fifty-nine percent of surveyed students would like more career-related learning opportunities–especially if those opportunities align with their specific interests in jobs and careers. Just under half (48 percent) of high school students and only 25 percent of middle school students report their school’s career-connected learning offerings include the careers they are interested in.

    Career-connected learning opportunities can include elective classes, units taught in core classes, career fairs, job shadowing opportunities, internships, and volunteering. Around one-third of students (34 percent) say their career-connected learning experiences have helped them formulate plans for life after high school. What’s more, at least half of students who have held an internship or externship (57 percent), completed a registered apprenticeship (54 percent), participated in job shadowing (51 percent), or taken a volunteer opportunity for a job- or career-related position (51 percent) say such activities helped inform their post-high-school trajectory.

    Student engagement also increases with career-related learning opportunities. Fifteen percent of students who did not participate in any career-connected activity are engaged in learning, compared to 26 percent of those who have participated in at least one career-linked learning opportunity. Greater participation in career-related activities leads to even higher levels of engagement–45 percent of students who participated in 10 or more activities are engaged, compared to 22 percent among those who have participated in one to four.

    “The NHLI-Gallup survey has been a game-changer for districts, providing data that underscores how important career-connected learning is to student engagement and mindset about the future. The data could not have come at a better time,” NHLI’s Executive Director Ellen Hume-Howard said in the report.

    Laura Ascione
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  • SEL implementation soars across U.S.

    SEL implementation soars across U.S.

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    Key findings:

    A national survey of educators and principals shows a record number of K-12 schools reporting social and emotional learning (SEL) implementation, according to new research from CASEL and RAND.

    By the 2023-24 school year, 83 percent of school principals reported that their schools used an SEL curriculum. That number marks a steady increase from 76 percent in the 2021-22 school year and 46 percent in the 2017-2018 school year.

    Data from Social and Emotional Learning in U.S. Schools: Findings from CASEL’s Nationwide Policy Scan and the American Teacher Panel and American School Leader Panel Surveys show that 49 states and the District of Columbia have at least one supportive policy or condition that actively promotes SEL in schools. Educators working in states with more supportive SEL policies and conditions said that they are more likely to report SEL implementation in their own schools.

    “These findings show that educators and leaders nationwide are prioritizing SEL as a critical part of long-term academic recovery, and are undeterred by funding shifts or political divides,” said Dr. Alexandra Skoog-Hoffman, CASEL Senior Director of Research & Learning. “At a time when the nation faces teacher shortages, safety concerns, and attendance crisis, these data suggest that the focus on SEL is making an impact. Our data reinforces decades of evidence that show SEL can contribute to more positive school climates and increase student interest in learning, while supporting educators themselves.”

    School leaders’ investment in SEL also has a positive impact on teachers. Report data show that while educators cite funding and lack of support as consistent barriers, greater investment in SEL correlates with teachers feeling like they have the time, professional learning, and community support to implement SEL strategies that benefit students’ learning.

    The report also identifies specific state and local policy solutions to ensure educators and school leaders have the support to do their jobs effectively for their students. State policies have an outsized impact on the success of SEL initiatives. In states with supportive SEL policies–such as standalone K-12 SEL standards and integration of SEL into academic content areas–schools report fewer barriers to implementation, more community support, and greater professional learning opportunities for educators.

    Based on these latest findings and existing evidence, CASEL calls on policymakers at every level to make SEL a central part of the educational experience for all students.

    For more than a decade, CASEL has partnered with districts nationwide to study and scale high-quality SEL. The SEL Fellows Academy is an opportunity to support more leaders in addressing the social and emotional development of their students and educators and scale high-quality practice in their districts across the country.

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  • Maybe it’s time to change up high school to improve student attendance 

    Maybe it’s time to change up high school to improve student attendance 

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    Key points:

    In 2015, as head of a small N-12 school in upstate New York, I learned that Gen Z was predicted to be the first generation of U.S. students who wouldn’t see college as the automatic next step after high school. This insight sparked a year-long project to redesign our high school model. Yet, when I presented my plan for more personalized, applied learning pathways to my faculty, they balked at departing from the ‘tried and true.’

    Fast forward to today, and we’re facing a crisis far more urgent than I could have imagined. Students aren’t just questioning the value of college–they’re questioning the value of showing up to high school at all.

    Students are casting a silent vote against the current high school model

    Recent data from YouthTruth paints a stark picture: During the 2022-23 school year, over a quarter of students were chronically absent across 41 states, with high schools reporting an average 31 percent chronic absence rate. This isn’t just a number–it’s a silent referendum. Our students are voting with their feet, and voting “no” to the current high school experience.

    The consequences of student disengagement and chronic absenteeism are far-reaching:

    • Lower academic performance and decreased likelihood of graduation
    • Reduced future earning potential
    • Increased risk of involvement in the criminal justice system

    Even more concerning is what YouthTruth calls the “support gap.” While 48 percent of students in 2022-23 cited depression, stress, or anxiety as obstacles to learning (up from 39 percent in spring 2020), only 41 percent reported having an adult at school they could talk to about these issues (down from 46 percent pre-pandemic).

    This gap persists despite significant attention to youth mental health issues. It’s a stark reminder that awareness alone is not enough–we need action.

    These big picture changes will transform our high schools.

    When I couldn’t get my colleagues on board with reinventing high school in 2015, it was because the change felt too big and too radical. Today’s data emphasizes that we no longer have the luxury of incremental change. Here are the key areas where we need to focus our long-term efforts:

    1. Student-led redesign: Establish task forces that give students real power to audit current school practices and propose changes.
    2. Data-driven engagement: Implement systems to track not just attendance, but also participation and enthusiasm in classes, using this data to inform school policies and practices.
    3. Family-school partnerships: Create dedicated teams to build and maintain strong, ongoing relationships between schools and families through two-way school-home communication.
    4. Flexible learning models: Redesign school schedules to allow for later start times, block scheduling, or other flexible arrangements that better accommodate student needs and learning styles.
    5. Integrated real-world learning: Develop comprehensive programs that partner with local businesses and organizations to offer internships, apprenticeships, and project-based learning opportunities.
    6. Restorative justice culture: Implement school-wide restorative practices to replace punitive discipline systems, fostering a more supportive and equitable school community.

    As Jonah Schenker, superintendent of Ulster BOCES in New York, wisely notes, “We have a responsibility–because of the nature of BOCES and the flexibility we have–to create a bit of an incubator for some of the areas where we know education needs to change so that we can show by example, point them to other systems making those changes, or create offerings that bring that change in.”

    These small steps will kick-start engagement right away.

    While systemic change is crucial, we can’t wait for perfect conditions to start improving student engagement. Here are five simple yet impactful actions schools can implement right away to begin moving the needle in positive ways:

    1. Start every day with a check-in: Begin each school day with a brief, structured check-in session. This could be during homeroom or first period. Use this time for students to share how they’re feeling, what they’re looking forward to, or any concerns they have. This simple practice can significantly boost students’ sense of belonging and connection to the school community.
    2. Implement “Feedback Fridays”: Set aside time every Friday for students to provide feedback on their learning experiences that week. This could be through a quick survey, a class discussion, or written reflections. Use this feedback to make real-time adjustments to teaching methods and school policies. This shows students that their voices matter and can lead to tangible changes.
    3. Create a “passion project” hour: Dedicate one hour per week where students can work on self-directed projects related to their personal interests or career aspirations. This gives students autonomy over their learning and helps them see the relevance of school to their lives and futures.
    4. Establish a peer mentoring program: Pair older students with younger ones for weekly mentoring sessions. This can help build community across grade levels, provide leadership opportunities for older students, and give younger students additional support and guidance.
    5. Invite local professionals for lunch-and-learn sessions: Once a month, invite professionals from various fields to have lunch with students and share about their careers. This can be done virtually if necessary. These sessions can help students see the connection between their education and future career possibilities and may spark new interests.

    These steps don’t require a complete overhaul of the school system, but they can start to shift the culture towards one of greater engagement, relevance, and student voice. They lay the groundwork for more comprehensive changes and send a clear message to students that their school is committed to evolving to meet their needs. Importantly, schools should regularly share the progress and outcomes of these initiatives with families, fostering a sense of partnership and shared commitment to student success.

    Remember, the goal is progress, not perfection. Every step towards greater student engagement is a step in the right direction.

    The writing is on the wall–or rather, in the empty seats of our classrooms. Our students are telling us through their absences that the current system isn’t working. It’s time we listen and act. By engaging students, families, and communities in reimagining the high school experience, we can create schools that students not only attend but actively choose to be part of. The future of our education system–and the success of an entire generation–depends on our willingness to make this change.

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  • Lingvano Sign Language Learning App Reaches 2.5 Million Learners Milestone

    Lingvano Sign Language Learning App Reaches 2.5 Million Learners Milestone

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    VIENNA, AUSTRIA –  Lingvano, a start-up sign language learning app, is thrilled to announce they have reached 2.5 million learners. The platform offers an engaging method to learn sign languages, enhancing communication between Deaf and hearing communities. 

    “This milestone is especially meaningful,” said Gabriel Kwakyi, Lingvano’s CEO. “It’s important to bring attention to the fact that there are many people who struggle to communicate with their own family, friends, and neighbors. Reaching 2.5 million registered learners represents a big win in breaking down these communication barriers. We’re very excited about this milestone and incredibly proud of our learners’ dedication to gaining knowledge, applying it, and making the world more inclusive.”

    With an estimated 11 million individuals in the United States identifying as Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Lingvano provides a way to help build connections. The majority of Lingvano learners are not Deaf, but rather hearing people that are interested in sign languages. While many aim to communicate with Deaf community members, over half of learners don’t know anyone who is Deaf. They are motivated to learn out of curiosity or a desire to be more inclusive. Some key features of Lingvano’s learning platform include: 

    • Expertise: All lessons are taught by passionate teachers who are Deaf and fluent in the sign languages they teach. 
    • Offerings: There are hundreds of different sign languages, but Lingvano currently focuses on teaching American Sign Language (ASL), British Sign Language (BSL) and Austrian Sign Language (OEGS).
    • Structure: Lessons are designed as bite-sized units that can be completed from anywhere in approximately 10 minutes. 
    • Gamification: Features, such as “streaks”, are used to boost motivation and encourage habit formation. 
    • Resources: A subscription gives access to an online dictionary that can be used to improve vocabulary. 

    Lingvano GmbH was founded in 2018 and is entirely self-funded. They generate income from a subscription-based business model, enabling them to deliver lessons without interruptions from ads. In 2022, Lingvano had only 500,000 learners, illustrating its rapid growth and the increasing popularity of sign language learning. Today, their international team is composed of hearing, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf employees, reflecting a commitment to diversity. 

    With plans to add live learning formats and diversify their sign language offerings, Lingvano continues to innovate and expand its impact. The company aims to reach more learners, furthering its mission of creating a world in which Deaf and hearing people can communicate without barriers. 

    To try learning sign language with Lingvano, visit: https://www.lingvano.com/asl/

    About Lingvano GmbH

    Lingvano GmbH is a Vienna-based startup dedicated to bridging communication gaps between Deaf and hearing people through its innovative sign language learning platform, available as a mobile app or online. Founded in 2018, Lingvano provides an accessible, engaging, and effective way to learn sign languages, fostering inclusivity and understanding across diverse communities. 

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  • Partnership provides mental health first aid training to 9th graders

    Partnership provides mental health first aid training to 9th graders

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    A new program meant to certify all Gloucester High ninth-graders in Teen Mental Health First Aid was kicked off Monday.

    The program is a new partnership among Gloucester Public Schools, the city’s Health Department, the Cape Ann YMCA and the Justice Resource Institute.

    Powering implementation of the program is funding from The Tower Foundation awarded to the Health Department, according to Amy Kamm, the school department’s director of mental health and social-emotional learning.

    Teen Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based training that teaches teens to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges in their friends and peers. The training is designed to provide teens with the skills for supportive conversations with their friends and emphasizes the importance of getting help from a responsible and trusted adult, according to a statement from the partnership.

    “Last year this program was piloted with 10th graders in homerooms,” Gloucester High Principal James Cook said. “To ensure a more comprehensive implementation this year it will be embedded into our standard ninth-grade health and wellness curriculum.”

    “Certified trainers,” he said, “will present to five classes a week for six weeks and topics include mental health challenges and their impact, effective treatments, helping a friend in crisis, where and how to get the help of a trusted adult, and recovery and resiliency.”

    At issue, teens tend to turn to each other when stressed or upset and try to help, sometimes taking on too much. Teen Mental Health First Aid teaches teens they don’t have to take on these problems alone.

    “By offering the Teen Mental Health First Aid program,” Kamm said, “Gloucester High School and the Gloucester Health Department aim to promote help-seeking behavior; improve a young person’s ability to identify resources of support; and to increase mental health literacy including improved ability to identify mental health struggles in themselves and their peers and when needed, to connect to a trusted adult.”

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  • Lingokids Launches New Animated Learning Series “Baby Bot’s Backyard Tales”

    Lingokids Launches New Animated Learning Series “Baby Bot’s Backyard Tales”

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    LOS ANGELES (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lingokids, the top early learning app for children, today announced the launch of its new animated series, “Baby Bot’s Backyard Tales”. The latest video series from the award-winning learning company invites viewers to join beloved character Baby Bot and his friends on magical adventures in the backyard. Each mini-episode is crafted to engage children in humor and play while imparting important lessons about kindness, compassion, creativity, and honesty.

    “We’re thrilled to welcome ‘Baby Bot’s Backyard Tales’ to the Lingokids family. This engaging co-viewing show offers families a delightful way to bond while learning together,” said Cristobal Viedma, founder and CEO at Lingokids. “This new series underscores our dedication to creating educational entertainment that nurtures crucial social-emotional skills, empowering children to thrive both now and well into the future.”

    The series kicks off with three captivating episodes designed to address common social-emotional topics and life lessons:

    1. The Mysterious Magic Stick: A tale of honesty and respecting others’ belongings.
    2. The Best Nest in the World: An exploration of empathy and appreciating differences.
    3. Bee-YOU-tiful!: A heartwarming story about body positivity and self-acceptance.

    “Baby Bot’s Backyard Tales” is now available on the Lingokids app, where users can enjoy an exclusive 1-week anticipated premiere of new episodes before they get aired on the company’s YouTube channel.

    About Lingokids

    Lingokids is an educational tech and media company dedicated to transforming the way children learn traditional and modern life skills. Through its unique Playlearning™ approach, Lingokids provides engaging, interactive learning experiences, empowering children to lead their own educational journeys. Launched in 2015, Lingokids has become a trusted platform for over 95 million families worldwide, offering the award-winning Lingokids app, podcasts, videos, and more.

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  • From Danvers to Ghana: Local teacher travels for global learning experience

    From Danvers to Ghana: Local teacher travels for global learning experience

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    For Danvers teacher John Hodsdon, summer break was by no means a vacation from learning.

    Hodsdon, a sixth-grade science teacher at Holten Richmond Middle School, spent more than two weeks in Ghana through the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program.

    The fully funded program is a yearlong professional learning opportunity and short-term exchange for elementary, middle and high school educators from the U.S. to develop skills to prepare students for a competitive global economy. The program equips educators to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad and global collaboration.

    “One of the goals is to help prepare kids for a global world,” said Hodsdon. “How do we communicate with different cultures? How do we show empathy? How do we create a sustainable future by working together?”

    Hodsdon is in his 30th year in Danvers. As a science teacher, he enjoys helping students learn about the environment and feel empowered to effect change. When he found out about the Fulbright opportunity, he was immediately interested, and applied.

    “Danvers is becoming a more diverse community of students,” he said. “I wanted to increase my own cultural understanding and my knowledge of global education.”

    Prior to the trip abroad, participants completed a semester-long online course focused on best practices in global education and gathered for an in-person professional development workshop in Washington, D.C. Finally, they traveled to immerse themselves in another country’s culture and education system. Participating countries and territories included Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Senegal and Uruguay.

    Hodsdon was in Ghana from July 13 to July 29 with 17 other participants in the program. Ghana, the second-most populous country in West Africa, is dominated by agriculture. Hodsdon and his group spent the first few days in the capital city of Accra for an orientation period.

    “We met with government officials, and they’re going through education reform right now, so it was interesting to see that process,” he said.

    Next, they went to Yendi, a small town in northern Ghana, and visited Yendi Senior High School. Hodsdon had a chance to observe, co-teach some lessons and put on presentations.

    “We shared ideas about making curriculum student-centered,” he said. “There are some really great teachers over there, so we learned a lot as well. And in working with the kids, they had so much joy in learning, in spite of the fact that they don’t have a lot of the conveniences that we have here.”

    Hodsdon said it was interesting to see how connected the students in Ghana were to their own environment and natural resources.

    “There’s more of a disconnect to the environment here, like if you were to ask, ‘where does your water come from?’” said Hodsdon. “In Ghana, they’re gathering their own water from a well.”

    Hodsdon said he and his host teacher in Yendi will continue to work together and hopefully collaborate on some projects throughout the year. At the start of the school year, Holten Richmond seventh-graders wrote to students in Yendi and sent them school supplies. Next, Hodsdon’s students are raising money to help the students there buy trees to plant, to help with climate change.

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  • Edthena Introduces VC3, the Next Evolution of Video Coaching for Educators

    Edthena Introduces VC3, the Next Evolution of Video Coaching for Educators

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    SAN FRANCISCO – Edthena is transforming the video coaching process for educators with the launch of VC3, the next evolution of the company’s award-winning video coaching platform. VC3 features new coaching tools that empower teachers and instructional coaches to collaborate more efficiently, gain deeper insights into instructional practice, and engage in more meaningful professional learning.

    “Educators have one of the hardest jobs in the world and they deserve access to the most innovative solutions possible to support their work,” said Adam Geller, founder and CEO of Edthena. “With VC3, educators can more effectively reflect on their practice and access the high-quality coaching needed to ensure their success—and, ultimately, the success of their students—in the classroom.”

    The reimagined video coaching platform draws upon Edthena’s 14 years of experience helping educators add more than two million comments to nearly seven million minutes of classroom video.

    The core of the coaching experience happens within the video conversation page. This is where educators add timestamped feedback to videos of classroom teaching. Not only does the updated conversation page in VC3 make it easier to leave comments, but it also encourages teachers and coaches to deepen their reflections. One example of this emphasis is the Insights tab which helps jumpstart the video analysis process for both coaches and teachers.

    The Insights tab includes several tools: open-ended questions that help inspire the observer for what to look for in the video; a student-to-teacher talk time graph to support a deep-dive into student engagement, language development, and confidence; and, a visual representation of the most frequently used words within the lesson to get a sense for the presence of academic language.

    “With the help of Edthena, we are harnessing the power of video and innovative AI tools to level up our coaching practices,” said Amanda Maceo, professional development implementation strategist for Alief Independent School District. “We love the automatic summaries and closed captioning—they provide us with valuable insights. Plus, the talk time graph makes it easy to set clear and measurable goals for improvement.”

    The VC3 experience is available to all new and existing users. This includes schools, districts, and teacher education programs from more than 20 states and multiple countries that use Edthena to make video observation an integral part of teacher induction, teacher mentoring, professional learning communities (PLCs), and peer observation.

    “Video reflection and facilitative coaching play a pivotal role in the professional development process for teacher residents,” said Halley Maza, an instructor in the University at Buffalo Teacher Residency program. “By leveraging Edthena’s VC3 platform, our program empowers teacher residents to analyze and refine their instructional strategies, fostering self-efficacy through critical reflection and collaborative learning. This approach aligns with our goal of improving student outcomes and preparing educators to meet the diverse needs of their students.”

    To learn more about VC3, visit https://www.edthena.com/vc3.

    About Edthena

    Edthena provides innovative technologies to support educator professional learning by streamlining feedback to teachers. The companyoffers the AI Coach platform, an artificial intelligence-driven solution to guide teachers through coaching cycles; VC3, the classroom observation and collaboration platform for video coaching; and Edthena Organization Libraries, a platform for schools and districts to curate and share best-practice teaching videos. Edthena is the recipient of numerous awards from organizations such as SIIA, District Administration, and Tech & Learning. For more information, visit www.edthena.com. For more news about Edthena, visit www.edthena.com/blog/.

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  • ORIGO Education Introduces ORIGO Intervention Essentials: A Game-Changer for Math Fluency

    ORIGO Education Introduces ORIGO Intervention Essentials: A Game-Changer for Math Fluency

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    Earth City, MO. — ORIGO Education, a leading provider of elementary math solutions from Pre-K to Grade 6, is thrilled to announce the launch of ORIGO Intervention Essentials, an innovative program designed to enhance math fluency for Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention students in Grades 3-8. By merging effective math strategies with robust professional learning, ORIGO Intervention Essentials offers a transformative approach to tackle math anxiety and build student confidence.

    Many students in Grades 3-8 experience significant math anxiety, leading to a detrimental cycle of avoidance and declining skills. ORIGO Intervention Essentials equips students not only with the tools to “do” math but also to truly understand it. This holistic approach empowers students to tackle challenges with confidence and develop essential problem-solving skills.

    Case studies reveal remarkable outcomes: more than 80% of Tier 3 students utilizing ORIGO Intervention Essentials demonstrated improved fluency, with nearly 50% achieving full mastery. These results underline the effectiveness of ORIGO’s evidence-based strategies.

    ORIGO Intervention Essentials is designed for easy integration into existing schedules. It can be effectively implemented in just 15 minutes daily or divided into two sessions of 30-40 minutes. This flexibility allows schools to tailor the program to fit their specific needs without disrupting existing instructional time. And that flexibility extends to implementation as well; the product can be implemented by teachers, coaches, and paraeducators, eliminating the need for additional staffing or pulling someone from their current duties. This streamlined approach maximizes resources while maintaining the educational continuity so important in intervention.

    With built-in progress monitoring tools, educators can ensure that students are consistently advancing, allowing for timely interventions when needed. Dr. Sara Delano Moore, vice president of content & research at ORIGO Education, said, “ORIGO Intervention Essentials not only addresses the immediate needs of struggling students but also fosters a long-term love for math. Our program is designed to empower educators and students alike.”

    For more information on ORIGO Intervention Essentials, reach out to s_calcott@origomath.com.  

    About ORIGO Education
    ORIGO Education is a leading provider of elementary math solutions from Pre-K to Grade 6. Created by educators for educators, the organization is committed to helping make learning mathematics meaningful, enjoyable, and accessible to all students and their teachers. ORIGO uses a unique spaced learning approach to help students retain content. Covering all facets of elementary mathematics education, from traditional printed products to digital interactive resources and professional learning throughout the world, ORIGO currently supports elementary teachers across 14 countries. To learn more, visit https://www.origoeducation.com/.

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  • The future of edtech depends on edtech evangelists

    The future of edtech depends on edtech evangelists

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    Key points:

    Educational technology has transformative powers, connecting students to personalized learning experiences and helping teachers make data-informed decision to tailor instruction to student needs.

    When the right digital solutions are implemented, every classroom becomes a new world of opportunity. But reaching this new world depends on edtech evangelists–pioneers who are ready, willing, and eager to create the school of the future.

    Join us to discover what it means to become an edtech evangelist, explore how edtech impacts student success, and meet the cutting-edge technology manufacturers equipped to help your school move forward.

    Register below for this informative (and transformative) webinar — attend live or watch on demand.

    EdTech Evangelists and the Future of Education
    Webinar: Tuesday, October 1 | 2:00 PM ET

    You’ll discover how:

    • Cutting-edge technology creates individualized learning and collaboration opportunities for students
    • The future of education relies on intentional learning goals as we embrace new technologies
    • Embracing AI means acknowledging the development of more tools for success
    Laura Ascione
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  • Big Deals—Pearson Expands Online Learning Programs

    Big Deals—Pearson Expands Online Learning Programs

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    Pearson and its Connections Academy, the fully online public school program serving K-12 students, announced last week the expansion of their college and early career program into more than 20 schools. The program, now in over half of the Connections Academy-supported schools in the country provides tens of thousands of middle and high school students with opportunities to earn college credits and industry certifications, giving them a head start on their higher education and career journeys.

    Recognizing the demand for job-focused, skill-building and career exposure, Pearson understood the need to tailor opportunities to middle and high school students and launched the Connections Academy college and early career readiness offerings in 2023.

    The program’s tri-credit approach enables students to receive high school credit, industry-recognized micro-credentials, and eligibility for college credit toward U.S. bachelor’s degree programs. Initially supported by curriculum and credential partnerships with Coursera, Acadeum, and Pearson’s Credly, students are now benefitting from new partnerships with professional organizations, including the Future Business Leaders of America, The Home Depot, HOSA-Future Health Professionals and the SEMI Foundation, which provide them with experiences in careers across industries.

    “Nearly 70% of students start thinking about their careers before 11th grade, and 14% begin considering their options in kindergarten – sixth grade,” said Lorin Thomas-Tavel, managing director, Pearson virtual schools, referencing original Pearson research. “Considering young people’s mindsets and the shifting focus of students, colleges and employers toward skills-based learning and recruiting, it is imperative we prepare them for successful early careers by addressing barriers such as cost and providing them with direction, confidence and connections.”

    In addition to micro-credentials, and high school and college credit, these type of student needs are met through the program providing access to career assessments and lessons, developing post-secondary plans, selecting specific careers, writing in career journals, watching career videos, connecting with career coaches and earning badges.

    Programming for the fall also includes engagement with professionals in science, technology, engineering, math, film and creative careers.

    Students in more than half of Connections Academy schools now have access to college and early career programming, which will continue expanding to Connections Academy-supported schools in the coming years.

    Kevin Hogan
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  • 5 ways to use crafts to drive deeper learning  

    5 ways to use crafts to drive deeper learning  

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    Key points:

    Who doesn’t love arts and crafts? From the early days of kindergarten, teachers have used crafts as a way to foster students’ curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills. This type of hands-on learning is often more fun than sitting at a desk and taking notes. It can even boost student communication and collaboration when they work in groups.

    Still, classroom crafts have the potential to be something much greater. By adhering to five simple strategies, teachers can elevate the role of crafts in our classrooms, transforming them from simple, aesthetic activities into powerful learning experiences that drive deeper understanding and engagement.

    Let’s dive into the five key strategies that will help foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and the application of knowledge in ways that truly resonate with our students:

    1. Optimize: This first strategy is all about taking a simple craft and measuring how it performs. Instead of just making a model, push students to optimize their designs. For instance, rather than students creating a flower out of different materials, teachers could challenge them to design a hand-crafted pollinator that can transfer pollen as effectively as possible from one flower to another. Give the class specific criteria for success, as well as constraints under which they need to operate. This encourages creative thinking and helps students understand the value of efficiency.  
    2. Iterate: In engineering, iteration is everything. We want our students to embrace the process of designing, building, testing, and refining their projects. One common strategy is to have students build the tallest tower they can that will also survive a shake table’s earthquake. Students design a tower, calculate the cost of materials, record its height, and then evaluate how well it performs. Once the test has concluded, they go back and see if they can make the tower even better! It shows students that learning isn’t about getting it right the first time–it’s about learning through the process.    
    3. Explain: It’s crucial that students can articulate their reasoning and understanding behind their creations. When they design something, they should be able to explain why it works and how it relates to the concepts they’re learning. This involves teaching students to think like scientists–make a claim, provide evidence, and explain their reasoning. This process can be used in a variety of activities, from having students share why their tower survived the shake table, to why their artificial pollinator is the most effective. What matters is that it supports the development of strong communication skills and a deeper grasp of the subject matter. 
    4. Evaluate: Critical thinking comes into play when students evaluate their work and the work of their peers. By assessing their designs against specific criteria, they learn to think critically about what makes a project successful and how it can be improved. Like iteration, evaluation and self-evaluation give students an opportunity to refine their work and explore new ideas. The best thing a student can do is to always ask, “Why?”
    5. Impact: Finally, we want our students to think beyond the classroom and consider the real-world impact of their work. There are numerous examples of young people around the world who created astounding inventions to benefit their local community. By sharing these examples in class, students can learn that their knowledge is applicable to their own backyard. Whether it’s designing a solar-powered water heater or a braille printer from LEGO Mindstorms, students should understand how their innovations can make a difference. This strategy also encourages socially and environmentally responsible thinking.

    While there’s nothing wrong with traditional crafts, teachers can leverage these activities and develop the skills our students need to succeed in the 21st century. Now is the time to transform our classrooms with meaningful, hands-on activities that promote deeper learning through creative and thoughtful teaching practices. Let’s make every craft count!

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    Ben Talsma, Van Andel Institute for Education

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  • How we use robots and art to make meeting computer science standards fun

    How we use robots and art to make meeting computer science standards fun

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    Key points:

    After the state of New Jersey revised its computer science standards in 2020, I was part of a professional learning community tasked with helping educators in all subjects understand the computer science standards and incorporate them into their classrooms.

    Our group came from all over the state, representing different grades and subjects, and our mission was to create an online guide to help teachers break apart each standard, then provide a video tutorial or example of a lesson to address the standard, which we wrote as a team. The project, a collaboration between the state of New Jersey and Montclair State University to create a multi-year Computer Science Education Hub, provided funding for me to buy KIBO robots, which have become the focus of my school’s STEAM program.

    Igniting young students’ wonder through STEAM

    This grant wasn’t just about acquiring cool, new gadgets–it was about making computer science standards accessible to educators beyond the traditional science and engineering departments. By doing so, we’ve been able to teach coding not in isolation, but as an integral part of our larger curriculum. This approach has allowed us to create interdisciplinary lessons that spark curiosity, imagination, and engagement.

    With KIBO, a hands-on coding robot designed specifically for young learners, we have a screen-free way to introduce robotics and coding to elementary school students. We’re able to combine coding with art and show students the parallel between programming and storytelling. A prime example of this interdisciplinary approach was the lesson plan I wrote for our 2nd-grade students.

    The synergy of science and storytelling

    The book Balloons Over Broadway tells the true story of the master puppeteer who invented the first balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Using the book as inspiration, I created a prompt guiding students to transform their KIBO robots into floats and recreate the parade by coding them to navigate the route down “Broadway.” During library media classes, students coded the parade performance using the wooden programming building blocks, and the computer science assisted with green screen filming and editing to recreate the New York City backdrop depicted in the book. Our art teacher introduced the students to Jeff Koons, instructing them to take artistic inspiration from the artist’s iconic balloon dog.

    For the final product, we produced a video that showcased the students’ programmed KIBO robots navigating a parade route through a virtual New York City. The lesson merged creative storytelling and art with technology, robotics, and engineering. Watching my students’ faces light up as they saw their creations come to life was a powerful reminder of the impact of hands-on, integrated STEAM projects like this one.

    Nursery rhymes with a technology twist

    The success of my Balloons over Broadway lesson inspired me to take a similar approach for our 1st-graders, using nursery rhymes as the jumping-off point. This particular lesson plan was mapped to a story-retelling literacy standard that uses the “first, next, then, last” structure, which is similar to patterns that students use in programming. By integrating this retelling format into the lesson, I was able to create a natural connection to the coding component. The students were able to collaboratively construct coding sequences that mirrored the familiar story structure, creating a better understanding of the technology, while also problem-solving by exploring which KIBO programming blocks they felt were necessary to tell the story of the nursery rhyme to the audience.

    I presented the class with several classic nursery rhymes to retell, including Itsy Bitsy Spider, Humpty Dumpty, Little Bo Peep, and Hey Diddle Diddle. After creating their coding sequences, students used KIBO’s wooden programming blocks to guide their robots in retelling the stories. They brainstormed and collaborated on what sounds and actions best matched the action in the nursery rhymes, then programmed their robots accordingly. The project ended with groups presenting four different characters they designed on a tissue box and placed on KIBO’s art platform, so that each of the students in each group could have their own character.

    It was remarkable to witness their creative problem-solving, and I had never seen them so calm and supportive of each other. Everybody applauded!

    To prepare for the new school year, I have received a few extensions for KIBO, including the Marker Extension Set and the Free Throw Extension Set. My plan for the upcoming fall class is to ask the students to devise their own lesson plans using these new tools. I can’t wait to see what the students come up with–the way our first graders were troubleshooting their projects during the nursery rhyme retelling lesson makes me confident that the students are ready to build upon their previous work and take it to the next level.   

    These lessons give my students learning scenarios that prepare them for the interconnected challenges of the real world, especially when it comes to technology and creative problem-solving. By creating lesson plans that not only meet current computer science standards but also anticipate future challenges, I’m equipping my young students with the diverse skillset they need to thrive in our ever-evolving world. 

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    Erin Wicklund, Hillsdale Public Schools

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