Curriculum Associates’ New Blog Provides Solution-Focused Content to Support Teachers and Leaders

Curriculum Associates has launched a blog to help support teachers and building-level leaders navigate today’s educational environment. The blog, which can be found at CurriculumAssociates.com/Blog, features original, informative, and actionable resources, best practices, research, and educator stories. New content, written by educators and industry experts, will be added multiple times per week.

“We are always looking for new ways to connect with and help educators, especially in today’s complex and fast-changing teaching environment,” said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. “Our blog delivers insights from incredible experts—both from our own team and practitioners in the field—and will be a valuable resource for any educator looking for practical and relevant guidance, strategies, and tips to inspire their practice and help solve challenges.”

Posts are authored by a range of voices, including Curriculum Associates national directors, Extraordinary Educators, education researchers, teachers, administrators, and respected thought leaders.…Read More

Columbus City Schools Adopts Curriculum Associates’ Ready Classroom Mathematics

Columbus City Schools in Columbus, Ohio has adopted Curriculum Associates’ Ready Classroom Mathematics to support students’ growth and achievement in mathematics. The rigorous, standards-aligned core curriculum, which emphasizes modeling and discourse, will be implemented with all of the District’s 25,000-plus students in Grades K–5 starting in fall 2020. The District will additionally continue its use of Curriculum Associates’ online i-Ready program to support both mathematics and reading instruction across all of K–8.

“Our responsibility is to ensure that students are learning and developing proficiency,” said Dr. Talisa Dixon, superintendent/CEO at Columbus City Schools. “This new curriculum will provide rich, robust, high-quality instruction for all students to reach mastery and have deep meaningful learning experiences online and eventually in the classroom.”

Ready Classroom Mathematics helps teachers deliver discourse-based instruction while empowering students to think mathematically and discuss mathematical ideas. Its printed and online resources work cohesively to support the teaching and learning process. The program uses multiple-day lessons and instructional routines to help students understand important mathematical concepts, make connections between multiple mathematical strategies, and deepen their conceptual understanding by leading the majority of the classroom discussion. There are also frequent opportunities for practice and assessment to ensure that students understand concepts and to help teachers make instructional decisions.…Read More

Assessing at Home i-Ready Diagnostic Kit Helps Educators Administer Diagnostics

After the extended period of distance learning this past spring, it is more important than ever that educators know students’ strengths and areas for growth as they enter the new school year. Beginning the year with an assessment like the i-Ready Diagnostic is critical to this effort. While assessing at home is challenging regardless of the test or provider, many schools successfully tested remotely this past spring. To support school reopening plans that may require educators to administer the i-Ready Diagnostic remotely, Curriculum Associates has created the Assessing at Home i-Ready Diagnostic Kit. The online kit includes a collection of turnkey tools for district leaders, school leaders, teachers, and families.

“As schools resume either in person or virtually, it’s critical that teachers know what each child knows and what they need to learn after months of lost learning,” said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. “To support students beginning the year at home, teachers need tools and guidance to help families proctor the i-Ready Diagnostic so they can get the most accurate data to support their students.”

Drawing from lessons learned and tips from schools that successfully administered the i-Ready Diagnostic at home in the spring, the kit gives teachers resources to get their classes ready to assess at home. Teachers can access a checklist and calendar tool for planning key assessing at home activities. Additional resources include tips on proctoring assessments remotely, tools for communicating with families, and resources to motivate and celebrate students. District and school leaders have access to similar resources, specific to their own roles.…Read More

Carolina Biological Launches Remote Learning Add-Ons to Award Winning K-8 Science Curriculum Kits with Teacher Planning Features

Leading school science supplier Carolina Biological launched three new sets of K-8 digital resources for remote teaching this fall: Smithsonian Science for the Classroom™@HOME, Smithsonian Science and Technology Concepts™ Middle School@HOME, and Building Blocks of Science™ 3D@HOME. Carolina updated its award-winning K-8 science programs to support essential remote instruction in elementary and middle schools this fall. All programs are available now and were designed to provide high-quality, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) science instruction. Carolina enhanced Smithsonian curriculum and Building Blocks of Science 3D products with simplified digital teacher-planning features for robust remote science instruction, as well as a variety of live and online on-demand professional development called Get Ready! Professional Learning. Whether educators are teaching students from their classrooms or at home, they can maintain a high-quality science program, engage students online in three-dimensional learning, and continue to support English language arts and math.

Teachers can access these new digital components and share digital resources in English and Spanish with students online from home or anywhere they have Internet access. The new add-ons for remote learning cover all Smithsonian curriculum and Building Blocks of Science™ 3D programs, to complement the classroom teacher’s instruction. These new features are free and live in their accounts on Carolina Science Online®, the online portal where teachers can access digital components of all programs for schools that already own Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, Smithsonian Science Technology Concepts Middle School (STCMS) or Building Blocks of Science 3D. The new digital @HOME and Get Ready! professional development features are included automatically for new customers at no additional charge. The programs include access to a wealth of digital resources, including instructional videos, demonstrations and simulations.

Carolina created a lesson plan for every lesson in the @HOME programs, which includes a one-page summary with five steps to help teachers use it for a remote learning environment, as many will be doing when school begins this fall. Each summary includes a list of the included digital resources they need to share with students for the lesson. Each of the steps can be done in just five or 10 minutes. If teachers are not able to have live class time or video conferences, they can also create their own content through @HOME by recording videos of themselves talking to introduce and personalize the lessons. Being able to see their own teachers will help students to feel better connected with them.…Read More

Aver launches advanced AI auto tracking distance learning camera

AVer Information Inc., the award-winning provider of video collaboration solutions and education technology solutions, announced today the launch of the ground-breaking TR310 AI Auto Tracking Distance Learning Camera. Designed specifically for the evolving K-12 distance learning classroom, the TR310 boasts advanced Artificial Intelligence to automatically detect the teacher’s movement in the classroom, allowing them to focus on delivering their curriculum instead of worrying about staying within the camera’s view.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms of the TR310 drive two auto tracking modes including Presenter Tracking or Zone Tracking with no need for a camera operator. Presenter Tracking allows the camera to automatically follow the presenter with either full body or half body, or manually track any other specific presenter with a simple click. Since the AI technology focuses on the body rather than simply the face, the camera recognizes and follows the presenter even if he or she is wearing a PPE mask. Zone Tracking allows automatic and seamless tracking between multiple preset zones to support different learning stations in the classroom.  Completely hands-free, the TR310 provides the flexibility for the teacher or presenter to move freely about the room and let the camera do the work. The 10X optical zoom provides a clear and concise image of the teacher regardless of how far he or she is from the camera, allowing remote students to remain engaged with the instructor. The optical zoom is important as it provides better quality video from a further distance than cameras featuring only digital zoom that can greatly reduce the resolution of the image.

The included free software allows for video recording, image capture and live streaming, while administrative features allow for the easy maintenance, control and management of hundreds of cameras from a single location. Compatible with all major video conferencing platforms used for distance learning such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangout, the TR310 will integrate with whichever solution the school is using. Connecting a document camera allows the teacher to display physical objects and material simultaneously during a lesson.…Read More

Remote Science Instruction in High School Biology and Chemistry

Leading school science supplier Carolina Biological Supply Company introduced a new product line to help high schools provide high-quality, hands-on science instruction during COVID-19 disruptions. The solution includes all of the digital and physical components that individual students need to complete science investigations for the entire school year from anywhere, boxed and ready to take home. Carolina Kits | 3D® FLEX programs for remote learning are available now and are a full-year lab program for either high school biology or chemistry, intended to complement the classroom teacher’s curriculum and instruction. The FLEX product is a box of hands-on supplies that contains everything a student needs to complete take-home science labs and assignments from their teachers; from safety goggles to plastic ware to safe, home-friendly chemicals to perform 16 different science investigations. The program includes access to over 120 digital resources, including instructional videos and digital labs, and is also available in an all-digital FLEX Lite version.

Every student is provided with their own materials that can travel with them, so they can do the same hands-on labs, no matter the circumstances or location. If they are working individually in the school due to social distancing guidelines or at home in their kitchen, they can safely perform hands-on Next Generation Science Standards* (NGSS) investigations.

Teachers are vital to the student’s success and FLEX provides teachers with extensive resources to be successful with remote learning. From detailed lesson plans to background materials to student worksheets – everything is also included for the teacher. The teacher controls the digital resources and assigns them as suggested in the lesson plans or as students progress. The program is designed for both synchronous and asynchronous learning.…Read More

Actively Learn Digital Platform Offers Content Area Products

Actively Learn, Achieve3000’s research-based, standards-aligned curriculum platform, announces the release of new sequenced curricular units: Actively Learn ELA, Actively Learn Social Studies, and Actively Learn Science. Educators can now purchase these singular units instead of having to pay for access content they may not need. These subject area products make it possible to make tight budgets go further while addressing the specific needs of core content area teachers and facilitating an enhanced search experience.

“This new focus enables Actively Learn to better address the distinct needs of ELA, social studies, and science teachers. They can create interactive, multi-media assignments in each content area providing engagement and focus where needed.” said Jay Goyal, President at Actively Learn.

For each core content area, Actively Learn provides a full year of sequenced curricular units that leverage the breadth and depth of its catalog and allow for deeper knowledge in each subject.…Read More

PebbleGo Health, Offers Special Educator Preview in June

Capstone, innovative publisher of children’s educational content for schools and home, announces the release of PebbleGo™ Health, a curricular content module focused on fundamental health, wellness, safety, and social-emotional learning concepts for K-3 students. PebbleGo Health features 156 age-appropriate articles aligned with state and national curriculum standards supporting health education, as well as a range of topics to build positive social emotional skills in support of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework.

From body systems and safety to self-awareness and relationships, PebbleGo Health helps students learn functional health information and develop foundational health skills. During this launch month, Capstone is offering a special Educator Preview to all educators who want to explore the new resource for free.

The module’s robust content promotes personal, family, and community health, exploring a wide-range of topics, such as: Feelings and Emotions, Health Care Visits, Health Care Workers, Healthy Habits, If You Need Help, Illnesses and Conditions, My World and My Health, Nutrition, Relationships and Friendships, Safety, Self-Awareness, and the Human Body. The module includes three extended learning exercises in each article, including a related activity and critical thinking prompts in “Share What You Know” and “Questions for Understanding.”…Read More

Support the Nation’s School Leaders Navigate 2020-2021

mindSpark Learning, a Denver-based national nonprofit dedicated to empowering educators with industry-oriented professional learning experiences, announced today the launch of reSOLVE, a three-part series designed to help district and school leaders across the U.S. mitigate the new paradigm of teaching and learning in uncertain times.

School districts across the nation are evaluating mixed in-person and remote learning teaching strategies for the 2020-2021 school year and must be prepared to pivot quickly depending on the course of COVID-19. reSOLVE brings together district superintendents, assistant superintendents, curriculum directors, principals, assistant principals and deans to develop or fine-tune their contingency plans for the upcoming school year with the support of industry experts.

reSOLVE is free for all participants. The series leverages mindSpark Learning’s robust equity-centered design thinking process to ensure participants engage empathetically with their stakeholders in their decision making and develop responsive blueprints. Its collaborative structure connects leaders with other school districts and provides a way to network with others across the country. In three sessions, reSOLVE participants will:…Read More

10 ways administrators can collaborate with librarians–even remotely

Whether a principal, superintendent, head of technology, or head of curriculum, there is likely a gem of a resource among your staff who could push your Future Ready agenda forward–school librarians.

Even now, as students are learning at home and with fall openings uncertain, school librarians play an important role in helping students develop important critical thinking and digital citizenship skills–skills they’ll need more than ever in an increasingly online world with unvetted sources of information shared far and wide.

Related content: School librarians facilitate meaningful learning despite massive closures…Read More

Digital Skills Playlist – a free resource for K-8 students

Learning.com is offering the Digital Skills Playlist – a free resource for K-8 students. It consists of grade-specific digital literacy lessons that students and parents can easily access and launch at home without any setup or district subscription required.

With this tool, your students, and at no cost, dive into the interactive digital lessons and hands-on projects available in a Learning.com curriculum subscription.

The tool is available here: https://info.learning.com/digital-skills-playlist…Read More

School librarians facilitate meaningful learning despite massive school closures

School buildings may have closed as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the country, but teaching and learning didn’t stop—they just moved in new directions. Administrators, teachers, and staff transitioned quickly to take learning online, a move that provided new opportunities even as it brought consistent challenges.

As teachers work to share curriculum in new ways, school librarians face a similar challenge: how best to reach students? A visit to the school library is a highlight of many students’ weeks, but delivering those resources to students who are no longer on campus calls for creative thinking and an adept use of technology—two things school librarians have in spades.

From great change comes great opportunity…Read More