Blog Post # 8

Find some 21st Century Learning and Communicating Tools? Tell us about them. Tell us where we can find them. Give a thorough review of at least one of them.



There are many different programs that are purchased for schools each year. One that I have found very beneficial is a program called IXL Math. This tool allows children who have internet at home to log into their account and work toward mastery of the Common Core math standards for their particular grade. This program may also be used for remediation and enrichment, as all grade levels are secured on this site. The student will move through whichever subject they want or the teacher and parent may suggest individual concepts. As the goals are met the student will earn rewards and trophies. There is a visual representation; a picture of a treasure chest, to show all skills completed and what the child is working to attain in the future. A percentage is shown on the page to allow instant access to current grade point percentage. This feature allows the child to gage where their performance level is at presently and where they should make improvements. This tool can be utilized as a whole group lesson on the Smart Board or a class may be taken to the computer lab to hone their skills. The children are working to master objectives aligned with Common Core in a fun and relatively simple way using this convenient program. The last point for consideration is a very effective log system which sends the teacher a report for every skill practiced, the problems attempted and time on task for each individual student. A teacher may then encourage those who have not practiced certain skills to try and complete those standards before moving on to the next. I think this is a program that will become very popular within the educational system, much like the current reading programs used to promote reading.