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.

Twenty new curriculum software products for schools

Here are some of the curriculum software products showcased during the 2013 ISTE conference.

At the 2013 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in San Antonio last month, a number of ed-tech companies introduced new curriculum software products, or enhancements to existing curriculum software. Here are some of the highlights.

Benesse America announced that schools can sign up for free, three-month pilot licenses of its StraightAce supplementary eLearning system for middle school math and language arts (grades 6-8). The curriculum can be used on virtually any device, the company says—including computers, tablets, and even smart phones—and Benesse claims that 15 minutes of use per day can lead to higher test scores.

The software can be used with teacher-led instruction, or students can work on it from home or wherever they have internet access. The teacher version includes a dashboard for tracking students’ growth and assigning specific content to certain individuals, allowing for more personalized instruction.…Read More

New ed-tech products target classroom instruction

Classroom instruction was the focus of many new products introduced at recent ed-tech conferences.

Software designed for touch-screen tablets, and new programs for teaching reading and math, were among the many products unveiled at recent ed-tech conferences. Some providers of curriculum software also highlighted new research to support the efficacy of their products.

New tablet-based products

Capitalizing on the growing use of iPads and other tablet computers in education, the California-based nonprofit MIND Research Institute released ST Math Touch, a version of its ST Math visual learning software for students in grades K-5 that is optimized for use with touch-based tablets.…Read More

New curriculum products for schools

Here’s a roundup of some of the latest ed-tech curriculum products for schools.

An all-digital science textbook, a multiplayer online “social learning” math game, and software for honing students’ math and reading skills that comes bundled on low-cost mobile devices are among the latest curriculum software products available to schools this fall.

Here’s a roundup of some of the latest ed-tech curriculum products for schools.

STEM education…Read More

Free online curriculum expanding to middle grades

SAS Curriculum Pathways offers inquiry-based activities in English, math, science, social studies, and Spanish.
SAS Curriculum Pathways offers inquiry-based activities in English, math, science, social studies, and Spanish.

An online instructional resource for students in grades 8-12 that has been available to schools free of charge since December 2008 soon will include content for sixth and seventh graders as well.

SAS Curriculum Pathways, from North Carolina-based SAS Institute, a leading maker of business analytics software, provides web-based lessons and activities in the core subjects of English, math, social studies, science, and Spanish.

Lessons take an inquiry-based approach that is intended to develop students’ higher-order thinking skills. The educational software has won a CODiE Award from the Software and Information Industry Association for best K-12 instructional solution overall in 2008 and best instructional solution for English in 2009, and it’s a CODiE Award finalist this year in math.…Read More