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.

Why we love our math software

Math gets a bad reputation for no good reason. After all, it’s a universal language and it applies to so many areas of life. Learning math can be challenging, and teaching it can be equally challenging. But tools like math software can help educators make the topic more palatable and relatable for students.

We asked five educators to share their favorite math software with you. If you’re looking for something to change up your math instruction, check out what these educators have to say.

Math software picks

“My students absolutely love working with DreamBox. There is complete silence when they are on the program! It is amazing how it adapts to the exact level each of my students need. Students can work on DreamBox individually at their own pace and level while I am working with small groups on our current content. It is truly filling in the missing gaps for some students and stretching others beyond what I can do in the classroom! It’s almost as if there is another teacher providing individualized instruction! It’s a fantastic program.”
—Dani Kremer, 4th-grade teacher, Center Point Urbana Primary School (IA)…Read More

This city’s blended learning program has led to a big culture shift

Key takeaways:

  • A blended learning program in D.C. began in 2012 is freeing up time for more project-based learning by pairing ELA and math software with individualized lessons.
  • Both national and local grants are providing much of the funding.
  • A training program is helping teachers rethink lessons for blended learning.
  • One school has seen an 11-point increase in its math proficiency rate and a 4.5-point increase in reading.
  • “We’ve seen a real culture shift here and I suspect that we’ll see continued changes and a lot of success,” said one district ed-tech leader.

For the past two years, the Washington, D.C. Public School District (DCPS) has earned a sort of celebrity status with lawmakers, superintendents, and think tank heads filing in to see what, and especially how, students are learning. They have a good reason to visit. In a district that has been plagued with low test scores and student performance, several D.C. schools have seen student proficiency levels jump in math and reading in recent years.

Part of their success has hinged on the way teachers are using blended learning in the classroom.

“Blended learning definitely has been an important factor in the changes we’ve seen in our students, our teachers, and in our schools,” says David Rose, deputy chief in the district’s Dept. of Educational Technology and Library Programs.…Read More

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New technologies for schools: September 2012

Here are some of the latest ed-tech tools featured in the Sept. 2012 edition of eSchool News.

A new way to measure the color brightness of projectors, a messaging service that could boost parent engagement in their children’s lessons, and math software that targets “perceptual learning” are among the latest ed-tech tools described in the September 2012 edition of eSchool News.

Our September edition is now available in digital format on our website. You can browse the full publication here, or click on any of the headlines below to read these highlights:

New developments in AV technology come into focus…Read More