CoderZ Launches Initiative to Engage Students in STEM with the Amazon Cyber Robotics Challenge

DERRY, N.H. – Aug. 18, 2021 – Starting August 1, CoderZ will once again bring a real-world industry perspective to computer science classrooms through the Amazon Cyber Robotics Challenge. In this free, three-hour virtual learning experience, students develop basic computer science skills while discovering the ways that goods are delivered at Amazon. This year’s #StepintoSTEM challenge provides teachers access to resources that make instruction simple for them, regardless of their computer science background.

The Amazon Cyber Robotics Challenge transports students to a virtual Amazon warehouse where they practice coding, computational thinking, and computer science. Students collaborate with their friends through hands-on, gamified, and mission-based activities, which involve coding an Amazon Hercules robot. In addition, they meet students interning at Amazon as well as real engineers who are using STEM and computer science skills every day. Participants who share the activity on social media will be sent a teacher goodie bag.

“Last year, 120,000 students received access to the program. The feedback from teachers was exemplary, so we want to see that number grow during these essential back-to-school months,” said CEO of CoderZ, Ido Yerushalmi. “Our mission this year is to introduce 200,000 more students to the interdisciplinary skills that STEM develops, including future-ready skills, SEL, and more. As always, we recommend the challenge for grades four and above.”…Read More

Classworks® Progress Monitoring receives Top ratings from NCII

DULUTH, GA. — AUGUST 12, 2021 — Classworks®, best-in-class online intervention solution, received the highest ratings in validity and reliability from the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) for progress monitoring in both reading and math. Classworks Progress Monitoring assessments join the Classworks Universal Screener reading and math assessments in the company’s NCII-validated offerings.

“We are excited to see Classworks Progress Monitoring added to our portfolio of NCII-validated intervention resources. Progress monitoring is a crucial component of an effective MTSS process, but is often a labor intensive process for teachers. We set out to provide an evidence-based tool that is user friendly for both teachers and students. Teachers can confidently make decisions about students’ interventions knowing that Classworks Progress Monitoring data is accurate and reliable,” Melissa Sinunu, Classworks President & COO.

Classworks Progress Monitoring tracks the overall effectiveness of a student’s intervention using easy-to-administer Curriculum-based Measurement (CBM) probes. The probes are brief and assess the student at their grade level in areas beyond basic fluency. Teachers have immediate access to scoring and automated skills analyses, including rate of improvement graphing and recommendations.…Read More

Gale Helps Manassas City Public Schools Provide Mental Health and Wellness Resources to Students

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. and MANASSAS, Va.  – August 12, 2021 – With the kickoff of the 2021-2022 school year, Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) in northern Virginia is making student mental health a priority as it eases back into in-person classroom settings. The district has partnered with Gale, a Cengage company to help expand its social emotional learning (SEL) awareness program with the purchase of Cameron’s Collection and Cameron’s Camp for Wellness on the Gale eBooks platform. These new digital resources help students better understand their mental health and provide guidance to strengthen their SEL skills, enabling MCPS to further support student well-being.

MCPS’ investment in Cameron’s Collection and Cameron’s Camp for Wellness is part of the district’s initiative to use innovative approaches to promote positive student mental health and wellness. Both collections are a starting point for dialogue and behavior modifications for students who are experiencing mental health challenges or working to improve their overall wellness concerns. They also are a supportive tool that educators and parents can leverage to help students who are struggling. The collections add to SEL programs the district has previously implemented and support its mission to provide a safe and innovative learning environment that inspires, engages and challenges all students.

Nearly 8,000 students across the district’s nine schools can privately and anonymously access the digital collections from the MCPS website, 24/7 from any location or device. School staff, including counselors, can also access the resources to assist students and their family members.…Read More

USF and BloomBoard Announce New Partnership to Address Pandemic Recovery while Offering Teachers Graduate-level Credit via Micro-Credentials

JOILET, Ill. (August 4, 2021)- Today, the University of St. Francis and BloomBoard announced a partnership to help Illinois schools and districts support teachers this fall following significant disruptions to learning over the past two years. Illinois teachers will be able to get a headstart on their graduate degrees from the university while honing their skills in critical areas such as student well-being and academic recovery. These courses also qualify for federal stimulus funding, enabling school districts to pay for the training, as they seek to leverage remaining resources before expiration.

This partnership allows teachers to develop skills through an on-the-job, learning-and-proving-by-doing process that is directly relevant to their classroom practice. Micro-credential-based programs are a flexible alternative to earning traditional graduate course credit towards a master’s degree. They provide an innovative approach to professional learning while promoting educators’ professional and compensation advancement opportunities. 

“Micro-credentials are an attractive option for teachers who want to develop evidence-based practices that are directly related to student learning, and build the practical skills that are needed in Illinois schools right now,” said Dr. John Gambro, Dean of the College of Education at the University of St. Francis. “This partnership with BloomBoard is a big step forward in our continual effort to meet the needs of educators in innovative ways. It’s truly a win-win for advancing K-12 education.”…Read More

How the 4 Cs prepare students for the real world

As our world continues to become more connected through technology, today’s students have boundless access to a wealth of information. But, to effectively leverage these resources, students need to be able to make meaning of them.

According to educator Thomas Hoerr, the very notion of intelligence has changed. We no longer rely on the limits of our single mind to access the information resources we need to solve problems. Problem solving has always involved teamwork and cooperation. Today, however, open source programs, wikis, blogs, and other Web 2.0 technologies enable total strangers divided by space and time to collaborate.

Successful problem solving in the 21st century requires us to work effectively and creatively with computers, with vast amounts of information, with ambiguous situations, and with other people from a variety of backgrounds.…Read More

5 sites to lighten the lesson planning load

Teachers’ jobs involve much more than teaching in the classroom or online. Putting together the right materials and resources for student learning is critical–and that’s where the right lesson planning tool can be invaluable.

Customized resources, small group activities, and resource organization are all made a bit easier with a little help from lesson planning tools, leaving teachers to spend more active time teaching, giving real-time feedback, and supporting students on an individual basis.

Lesson planning doesn’t have to be daunting. In fact, it can be downright fun with these resources.…Read More

5 learning apps for students with special needs

Millions of students transitioned to online and hybrid learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. While that transition was relatively easy for some students, many–including students with special needs–found it difficult or impossible to access in-school services and therapies.

While many schools returned to full in-person learning or hybrid learning, COVID-related learning loss is still a concern. There are a number of apps and online tools that can help parents and caregivers of students with special needs fill the gaps as much as possible during the summer months.

These apps can be especially helpful for parents looking for easy-to-access resources even after in-person learning resumes in the fall.…Read More

5 easy tools that support project-based learning

Educators know project-based learning (PBL) isn’t simply another teaching strategy. Project-based learning gives students deeper learning experiences, and as they apply their knowledge, they develop soft skills such as critical thinking and team work–skills they’ll carry through to college and the workforce.

But it’s often a great undertaking to locate and vet resources and tools for project-based learning, and educators don’t have an abundance of time.

Below, we’ve gathered a handful of “add-on” tools for project-based learning. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but we hope these resources help as you search for PBL examples and strategies.…Read More

5 ways peer networks lead to better student support systems

Student support services didn’t live up to their potential during the global health pandemic, economic ups and downs, political turmoil, and more upheaval, according to a report from the Clayton Christensen Institute.

As a result, many students turned to each other to gain support as they navigated challenging issues.

Students often turned to social media–and, by default, used their own social capital–to learn about emergency aid, support networks, and available resources. Social capital refers to “access to, and ability to mobilize, relationships that help further an individual’s potential and goals. Just like skills and knowledge, relationships offer resources that drive access to opportunity,” writes author Chelsea Waite, a research fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute and the leader of the Canopy project.…Read More

7 under-the-radar digital learning tools to try this fall

During pandemic learning, educators have seen a plethora of digital learning tools and resources, and they’re figuring out what does and doesn’t work for their instructional methods.

There are some well-known and much-loved digital learning tools that are part of every educator’s must-try list, but why not throw some new resources into the mix?

Here’s a small collection of digital learning tools and resources you may not know about. Give them a look during a much-deserved summer break and see if one, two, or more of them fit into your teaching strategy and academic goals for your students.…Read More

gener8tor and ECMC Group’s Inaugural OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator Cohort Addresses Learning & Labor Challenges with Creative, Tech-first Solutions

Each Startup in the Accelerator Will Receive a $100K Cash Investment, Three-month Coaching Program & Other Resources

June 17, 2021 — MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA — gener8tor, a concierge startup accelerator program, and ECMC Group, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization with a mission to help students succeed,  have selected five startups to participate in the inaugural OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator. The 2021 cohort includes BeeReaders, ChalkTalk, Paragon One, SimiDigi and SkillCat.

“We’ve seen a robust influx of new startups and leaders in education and workforce industries that have introduced solutions to make resources more accessible, streamlined, tech-enabled, and cost-effective,” said Eddie Olson, Managing Director of the OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator at gener8tor. “Our new cohort showcases a class of visionary founders who have leveraged their industry knowledge and built customized technology to help tool and match trade companies with skilled workers, offer customized curriculums to aid busy teachers, empower a new generation of Spanish-speaking students and improve employment accessibility, among other impressive tools.”…Read More