Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

4 Essential Game-Based Learning Questions

Asking the right questions can help games make a positive impact in the classroom

game-learningYou’d have to live under a rock to be unfamiliar with the rise of game-based learning in classrooms across the nation in recent years. Integrating a game into an instructional unit may seem daunting, but four key implementation questions should help educators use games to support teaching and learning and help drive student engagement.

Games offer opportunities for collaboration and inquiry-based, self-directed learning. They also support skill development that students need under Common Core math and Next Generation Science Standards.

It’s first important to define what is not a learning game, said Susannah Gordon-Messer, curriculum and professional development specialist at the MIT Education Arcade, during an edWeb webinar on gaming implementation strategies.…Read More

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TenMarks revamps website for Common Core math practice

Redesigned from the ground up, TenMarks’ new library of 20,000-plus math problems aligns with the Common Core State Standards.

TenMarksA website for independent math practice, instruction, and assessment, TenMarks was just acquired by Amazon this fall.

The newly redesigned version includes more than 20,000 questions created specifically around the Common Core standards, including conceptual and procedural questions that vary in answer type and difficulty and that engage learners at different depths of knowledge.

To guide students during their math practice, TenMarks provides hints and video lessons. The hints offer scaffolded conceptual context and explanation, and they also explore problem-solving methods and processes, TenMarks says.…Read More

New online tool helps measure Common Core math readiness

Online assessment company Naiku has released a free tool to help educators measure their students’ readiness for the new Common Core math exams.

Called “Benchmark Now!,” the service contains ready-to-use assessments using questions from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and delivered through Naiku’s cloud-based assessment engine, giving teachers immediate, standards-aligned reporting on student and class performance.

“We recognize the importance for teachers to provide benchmark assessments to understand student knowledge at any time,” said Greg Wright, chief executive officer for Naiku, in a statement. “We’ve designed Benchmark Now! so teachers can quickly and easily assess their students’ knowledge of the Common Core Math Standards using any web-enabled device.”…Read More