Those of you who have been following my blog know I am super excited that I have many students who are practicing on ScootPad and showing concept mastery. Remi is one of those students. As I also wrote about in another post, I discovered some hidden challenges for Remi when looking at his ability by concept... Continue Reading →
Hybrid Classes Out-learn Traditional Classes
More than nine out of ten schools using a hybrid learning program reported higher academic performance on standardized tests compared to traditional classrooms in the same school district or state benchmarks (Hybrid Learning Program Results, Hybrid Learning Institute, Dellicker Strategies, 2013-2014). What are hybrid classrooms doing so differently anyway? Many base their learning model on the... Continue Reading →
Rewarding my Over-Achievers
In my classroom I run a gamification platform. It’s not that we play games all the time, it’s just the framework I use with kids to help motivate them. In my classes they are not given a grade. And they don’t get homework. So how do I keep them wanting to advance and put in... Continue Reading →
Seeming Struggle or a Need for More Challenge?
Sometimes, I focus my teaching brainpower on a single student. Trying to problem solve a tricky kid can make my job a lot easier if the student can change the dynamic in the class or help a group be more productive. Also, when I think about a single student, it can sometimes change the way... Continue Reading →
3 Ways to Use ScootPad in the Classroom
For many people, ScootPad is an at-home platform to extend learning in school. I use it this way at our house, with my own children. My son has been doing ScootPad for years, when none of his teachers even knew about it! Since I’ve returned to the classroom, I’ve brought the power of ScootPad with me.... Continue Reading →
Ready or Not, BYOD is Here to Stay
Not too far in the future, students will be bringing in their own devices to school. They will have the option to pull out their own tablets (or other devices) and log on to learning platforms at any place and any time. Sound familiar? That's the ScootPad mantra! We recognize the need for students to have personalized learning... Continue Reading →
5 Ways to Improve US Education
What does the future of US education look like to you? How about a potential plan of action, including costs and benefits of a better, more cost effective system? Forbes organized this very scenario, planning out an investment in US education to see how it would affect the nation's GDP. With an initial investment of $6.2 trillion over... Continue Reading →
Assessment Enhancements
We're happy to announce that we have made some exciting changes to our Math and ELA assessments! Teachers and parents can now preview concepts, review assessment reports (and send these to parents), measure growth between assessments, review individual student responses, and assign concept improvement practice! Concept Preview Want to see the types of questions students will... Continue Reading →
Are You Psyched for Summer?
Like most schools, we are in wind down mode, getting ready to finish off the year. It’s also a time of reflection and planning, as we look ahead to planning for next fall (“Already?” you may ask...yep, already). Knowing the year is coming to a close, I know how important it is for my students... Continue Reading →
Enhance Learning by Making Concepts Visual
Our second graders, like most around the nation, are building their framework of understanding around place value. Each day they have math class, where we use the Everyday Math program. They do Math Boxes and homework sheets. And if you ask them if they understand place value, they will tell you they do. Until they... Continue Reading →