As July comes to a close, it is time for many to start planning for Back to School. After attending school online for the better part of a year, this year’s highly anticipated back to school holds more importance than ever before.
Both parents and kids are excited to return to in-person learning, but for teachers, the year ahead is filled with many unknowns as they assess learning loss and finding the right lesson plans to repair the damage done.
In California a massive majority, 86% of adults and 83% of public-school parents, say children are behind academically because of the pandemic. This sentiment tracks the same all over the country in all school districts.
Middle and low-income families in Title I schools face a more uphill battle with academic recovery than upper-income families who had an easier time filling the learning gap while being out of school.
Falling behind while distance learning hasn’t just been an academic issue. It’s also been an emotional one for the students and their families that place a large emphasis on socializing, friends, and wanting things to go back to normal. For teachers and school facilities, the emotional rollercoaster has led to innovation and creativity.
We learned so much during the last year and one main outcome was the emotional toll it took on kids to be out of school, away from friends, and how that affected learning. With many school districts offering in-person classes this August, districts are facing the question of how to not only keep kids safe in the classroom, but how to find the balance of emotional support while getting students back on track and engaged.
It has become clear that school is fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being.
We also learned that we have to be open to new ways to teach and learn. Kids need to feel engaged and independent while learning the basics. And for some, that means technology is the answer.
Although the transition to remote learning was unexpected and difficult to prepare for, a recent survey done by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that the value of technology in classrooms meant everyone could stay connected and learn in different ways. Student engagement was one of the leading metrics used to determine student success and students in K-6 were more adaptable to new learning environments. This surprising result means kids are more open to hybrid learning. However, it’s going to take a lot of work to ensure teachers and students have equitable access to the resources they need to continue learning and succeeding together.
We now have an expectation that using technology to personalize instruction, gauge student mastery, and address learning needs is the future of education.
This is what led XtraMath to make fundamental changes to its math program so it can be more adaptable to the evolution of education. Our Subscription gives a school district full access to materials that can easily be implemented in the classroom and augment the current curriculum. It gives kids the tools to learn independently and at their own pace when success can occur.
Our new Premium program includes professional development for teachers with online program training. Included in our Subscription program is XtraSTEM! This program includes fun projects for students that can be done at school or home. Also, our platform provides seamless integration with Google Classroom.
We know many K6 schools have yet to spend their allocation and with a new school year fast approaching, we encourage school districts and teachers to use your funding to purchase XtraMath’s Subscription program.
For more information about our Premium Program, professional development for teachers and our super fun XtraSTEM activities, please contact us at sales@xtramath.org
