Immersive Learning | �Ǹ��

4 Classroom Activities for Earth Day: Small Steps, Big Impact

Dr. Sharon Jones, Ed.D — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:44:42 +0000

Key takeaways

Earth Day learning does not require a full unit or complex materials. Short, intentional classroom activities can spark curiosity, critical thinking, and meaningful conversations about sustainability in just minutes.
Hands-on activities help students see themselves as environmental problem solvers. When students explore waste, innovation, ecosystems, and real‑world challenges, they begin to understand how their everyday choices connect to larger environmental solutions.
Earth Day works best as a starting point, not a one‑day lesson. Classroom-ready resources and ongoing student activities help extend learning beyond April 22 and build lasting habits of environmental stewardship.

Earth Day in Action: Small Steps, Big Impact in the Classroom

On April 22, classrooms across the country pause to celebrate Earth Day, a moment to reflect on our responsibility to care for the planet and empower the next generation to do the same. What began in 1970 as a national teach-in about environmental issues quickly became a global movement that highlighted the importance of environmental education in building environmentally responsible communities. Earth Day continues to serve as a reminder that meaningful change often starts with awareness, curiosity, and small daily actions.

Earth Day is an opportunity to engage students in real-world problem solving. Environmental education helps students strengthen critical thinking, build essential life skills, and recognize how their daily choices influence the world around them. When students begin to see themselves as stewards of their environment, they naturally connect science, innovation, and community responsibility in meaningful and lasting ways.

The good news? You don’t need elaborate materials or a full unit plan to begin. Sometimes the most impactful learning starts with a simple, energizing classroom activity.

Classroom Activity 1: “Trash or Treasure?” (Earth Day Warm‑Up)

Time: 10–15 minutes

Grade Levels: 3–8 (easily adaptable)

Materials:

A small collection of everyday items (plastic bottle, cardboard box, aluminum can, food wrapper, paper towel roll, etc.)
Chart paper or whiteboard

Directions:

Place items on a table or display them to the class.
Ask students to quickly sort each item into one of three categories:
- Reuse
- Recycle
- Reduce
Invite students to justify their choices.

Conclude by asking:

What happens to these items after we throw them away?
How could we redesign them to reduce waste?
Why does reducing waste matter?

Why this works:
This quick activity introduces the concept of responsible consumption and waste reduction while sparking curiosity. It also builds a natural bridge to the idea of a circular economy, where products are designed to be reused, repaired, or recycled rather than discarded.

Classroom Activity 2: Explore the Circular Economy Through Innovation

Once students begin thinking about waste and sustainability, it’s the perfect time to introduce the concept of innovation. The circular economy encourages us to rethink how products are made and used, focusing on reducing waste, conserving resources, and designing smarter systems for the future.

A powerful way to extend this learning is through the Generation Innovation: Circular Economy resource from the �Ǹ�� Environmental Education Initiative.

This resource helps students:

Understand how everyday products impact the environment
Explore innovative solutions to reduce waste
Develop problem-solving and design-thinking skills
See how science and creativity can work together to protect the planet

You can access the lesson and classroom materials here:

These materials are designed to be standards-aligned and classroom-ready, making them an easy addition to Earth Day lessons or STEM units focused on sustainability.

Explore K-12 Environmental Education Resources

Classroom Activity 3: Student‑Led Environmental Challenges and Projects

Earth Day should be a starting point, not a one-day event. Ongoing environmental learning helps students build habits that last a lifetime. Fortunately, there are many ready-to-use activities that make it simple to integrate environmental topics into daily instruction.

The Student Activities collection from the �Ǹ�� Environmental Education Initiative provides engaging options such as:

Hands-on experiments
Data collection and observation activities
Environmental challenges and projects
Collaborative problem-solving tasks

These activities support inquiry-based learning and encourage students to explore real environmental issues while developing communication and teamwork skills.

You can browse the full collection here:

Classroom Activity 4: Explore Ecosystems Across America

One of the most exciting ways to build environmental awareness is by helping students understand how ecosystems vary across regions. The Excursion Across America series introduces students to environmental topics through engaging videos and interactive lessons that highlight regional differences in climate, resources, and sustainability practices.

These experiences allow students to:

Explore forests, waterways, and ecosystems across the United States
Learn how communities protect natural resources
Understand the connection between local actions and global impact

The program includes animated videos and ready-to-use classroom activities that show how students can make a positive difference in their own communities.

You can explore the series here:

Corporate Insights by ours Partners Nucor & Itron

Nucor

For more than 50 years, Nucor, North America’s largest recycler, has been quietly leading the way in showing what sustainability can look like in action. At the heart of their work is the idea of a circular economy—keeping materials in use instead of throwing them away. Items like old cars, appliances, and even buildings can be recycled into new steel, which is then used to build bridges, schools, and vehicles. And when those products reach the end of their life, the steel can be recycled again, creating a cycle that reduces waste and keeps materials out of landfills. Beyond their operations, Nucor teammates partner with local schools and collaborate with �Ǹ�� to help students understand sustainability through hands-on activities like can drives and classroom learning experiences showing young people that small, everyday actions can be part of a much bigger solution for our planet

Blakelee Dunkelberg, Corporate Communications Specialist and Luke Johnson, Sustainability Supervisor, Nucor

Designer

Itron

At Itron, the focus is on helping utilities and cities make smarter decisions about how energy and water are used—two resources that are deeply connected to the health of our communities and our planet. In celebration of Earth Day 2026, Itron is offering the Resourcefulness Digital Badge, a free, self-paced learning opportunity developed by global energy expert Michael E. Webber and supported by University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs. Through this online experience, learners build a deeper understanding of the energy-water connection and explore practical solutions to today’s resource challenges, while earning a recognized credential they can add to resumes, college applications, or professional profiles, empowering them to take meaningful steps toward a more sustainable future.

Callie Bendickson, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Itron

Designer

Bringing It All Together: From Awareness to Action

Earth Day reminds us that environmental stewardship begins with education, and education begins with engagement. A simple classroom activity can spark curiosity. A hands-on challenge can build understanding. And the right resources can help students turn ideas into action.

This Earth Day, start small.
Start with a conversation.
Start with curiosity.

Because the future of our planet may begin with one classroom, one idea, and one student ready to make a difference.

Discover great Earth Day materials by visiting the Environmental Education Initiative or logging into �Ǹ�� Experience and bookmarking the Earth Day channel.

Earth Day FAQs:

When is Earth Day?

Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22.

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day is a global movement that began in 1970 as a national teach-in focused on environmental issues. It serves as a time to reflect on our responsibility to protect the planet and to empower students through environmental education.

When was the first Earth Day?

The first Earth Day was held in 1970.

The post 4 Classroom Activities for Earth Day: Small Steps, Big Impact appeared first on �Ǹ��.

Engage K–12 Webinar: The All-New K–5 Science Techbook

David Bryan — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:58:17 +0000

Key takeaways

Science Techbook is a phenomena-driven, 3D elementary science curriculum built on the 5E inquiry model and aligned to the NGSS
Lessons come in ready-to-teach, editable slideshow format with embedded teacher guidance at point of use, reducing prep time while allowing easy customization
Literacy and math skills are intentionally included in science instruction: students read, write, analyze data, and communicate while doing real science
Flexible pacing and pathways help districts and teachers fit rigorous science into packed schedules without sacrificing instructional quality or coherence

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

The fourth session of our Engage K–12 webinar series introduced the brand new Science Techbook, which is due to launch in the 2026–2027 school year! It’s a three-dimensional elementary science curriculum that engages students through phenomena-driven inquiry and incorporates literacy and math instruction as well. Lance Rougeux, SVP Curriculum Instruction & Student Engagement at �Ǹ��, explained that educator and leader input on their must-haves helped shape its development. Requests included:

Alignment to standards based on the Framework for K–12 Science Education
Helping students do real science in hands-on experiences
Embedded teacher guidance
Connections across disciplines that don’t require extra work from teachers

Designed for Today’s Science Classroom

The new Science Techbook reflects the current demands on science instruction, in which students are expected to investigate, explain, model, and make sense of the world. Districts are expected to demonstrate impact on students, accelerate academic recovery, and make smart curriculum decisions. Any technology involved must be intentional to prevent digital fatigue, integrate literacy and math development, and align tightly to standards and assessments while fitting into packed instructional schedules.

Jennifer Elliott, Senior Director of Product Management, pointed out that �Ǹ��’s challenge was to make three-dimensional science clear, practical, and sustainable for elementary classrooms. This happens through:

Phenomena-driven storylines that pique interest and keep students curious and invested as their understanding grows
Requiring learners to read and write, communicate, model, and analyze data while doing science, which serves to reinforce core skills with meaningful context
Slideshow format lessons that are editable and include guidance at point of use to reduce prep time, keep pacing clear, and increase consistency

With Science Techbook, districts get effective instructional materials that they can scale to meet their needs and teachers get greater confidence and clarity.

The Vision of Science Techbook

The elementary science experience is fundamentally different now versus what we might remember from our time as students. Rather than sitting through isolated lessons, students return to a real-world phenomenon repeatedly throughout each concept.

Hailey Adams, Director, Curriculum, Instruction & Student Engagement, explained, “Each investigation, discussion, and model adds another layer of understanding, so students aren’t just learning what happens, they’re trying to figure out why it happens.” With Science Techbook, learners ask questions and make predictions, collect and analyze data, build and revise models, make evidence-supported claims, and refine their thinking via peer communication—just like real scientists! Science isn’t a spectator activity but is instead sense-making.

Educator Support

Educators get instructional support at point of use that allows them to focus on listening to their students, responding to their ideas, and pushing their learning forward. Science Techbook lessons are in ready-to-teach slideshow format accompanied by clear instructional purposes. Teachers also get:

Suggested pacing and time estimates
Talk prompts and discussion cues
Guidance for facilitating hands-on investigations
Indicators and reminders about where critical three-dimensional learning is taking place

Because lessons are editable, educators can easily adapt them to student needs or their own instructional style without losing standard alignment or coherence. Plus, flexible pathways within Teacher Resources ensure that districts and teachers can make science fit their schedule without sacrificing instructional integrity.

Building Core Skills Through Science

Since students using Science Techbook get to act like real scientists, they actively strengthen literacy and math skills as they progress through lessons. Examples include reading complex texts after hands-on experiences, writing scientific explanations of phenomena, collecting data, and creating graphs or other models.

An Inside Look at Science Techbook

Moving from vision to reality, Science Subject Matter Expert Jennifer Fine noted, “We’re going to take a look at what teachers see, what students experience, and how this supports 3D instruction in both usable and teacher-friendly ways.” Each grade level offers four units organized into concepts, which are aligned to the NGSS. Each concept is built on the 5E inquiry model, so there are Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate lessons. And throughout each concept, students stop to reflect, explain, and revise their thinking.

Engage Lessons

These introduce a real-world phenomenon that students will return to throughout the concept, giving them a purpose for learning and investigating. They can experience the phenomenon through an image, dataset, hands-on activity, or video.

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

Explore Lessons

Students begin exploring a phenomenon through hands-on activity, interactive, video, or literacy lessons. Exploring involves making observations, testing ideas, and collecting evidence to support explanations of what they observe—step one of sense-making.

Explain Lessons

Two different Explain lessons built into the flow of instruction give educators real-time insight into what students are thinking and ways to help them in their sense-making as their understanding evolves. One lesson asks students to explain the phenomenon, and another asks students to explain the science ideas using a claim, evidence, and reasoning protocol.

Elaborate Lessons

These lessons help students build upon the science ideas they’ve been learning as they explore a STEAM career role and complete an engaging, hands-on STEAM project.

Evaluate Lessons

Next, students move to lessons that sum up the learning and let them demonstrate understanding of core ideas using assessments chosen by the teacher. One option is the Concept Summative Assessment, a tech-enhanced assessment that feeds directly into the Dashboard, and the other is Record It, Perform It, Find It, which allows students to choose how they deliver their answer.

Formative Assessments

Built‑in formative assessment prompts throughout Explore and Elaborate lessons and the two Explain lessons themselves help teachers quickly check understanding and adjust instruction.

Integrated Literacy and Science

Literacy development is intentional and seamless with Science Techbook. For example, students set purposes for reading and make connections to their prior knowledge. They also benefit from activities that draw from the Science of Reading to build comprehension, vocabulary, word analysis, and more. This means they’re not simply reading in isolation.

Interactive Glossary

Science Techbook’s interactive glossary supports vocabulary development using visuals, animations, and videos to deepen understanding, so students aren’t just memorizing the definitions of scientific terms.

Immersive Reader

Get language and literacy support for differentiation directly within core instruction and translate lessons into over 100 different languages with the Immersive Reader.

Teacher Guidance and Options

Ms. Fine noted a huge benefit to using Science Techbook over other programs: Instead of needing to flip between teacher editions, lesson plans, and slides, teachers can find instructional support exactly where it needs to be, at point of use. When opening a lesson, they’ll see it’s fully built out with teacher notes on each slide. Teacher notes contain tips on supporting a variety of learners and teaching three-dimensionally. Video and reading lessons provide before, during, and after reading strategies. And because lessons are fully editable, they can be easily adapted to student needs or local context.

Conclusion

Mr. Rougeux closed out the presentation by stressing that the new Science Techbook is about making high-quality science instruction “easier, clearer, and more impactful from day one,” not adding more to teachers’ plates. To summarize, you get:

Three-dimensional learning that’s practical to implement
Phenomena-driven instruction that truly engages students
Integrated literacy and math to make every instructional minute count
Ready-to-teach lessons that save teachers time

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

�Ǹ�� Host and Presenters

Lance Rougeux, SVP Curriculum Instruction & Student Engagement

Jennifer Elliott, Senior Director of Product Management

Hailey Adams, Director, Curriculum, Instruction & Student Engagement

Jennifer Fine, Science Subject Matter Expert

The post Engage K–12 Webinar: The All-New K–5 Science Techbook appeared first on �Ǹ��.

Coming Soon for 2026:��Science��Techbook

David Bryan — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:22:22 +0000

Key takeaways

Approachable Tier 1 instruction motivates students to keep learning
Lessons build foundational math and literacy skills along with science and critical-thinking skills
Teachers benefit from an intuitive interface, slideshow format lessons, and a range of time-saving tools and supports

What’s New for 2026

�Ǹ�� is constantly working to improve our programs so that teachers can be even more effective and students can make greater progress. Science Techbook is no exception! During the 2026–2027 school year, we’re launching a brand new program based on feedback from educators and leaders like you. We’ve heard that you want:

Ways to engage and motivate students each day
Help building foundational math and literacy skills
Reduced teacher workload and more instructional impact

How will the new Science Techbook address these priorities? Let’s look at three areas we’re especially excited about: motivating students with approachable Tier 1 instruction, strengthening critical-thinking and core skills, and empowering every educator.

Motivate Students with Approachable Tier 1 Instruction

When learning is engaging, relevant, and developmentally appropriate, that’s a recipe for capturing student interest and motivating them to continue exploring. Science Techbook provides phenomena-driven storylines with hands-on activities and interactives that��ask students to take on the role of scientist or engineer. They get to make discoveries by asking questions, investigating, analyzing, and collaborating. These types of authentic, yet accessible, experiences with science content help learners better understand and retain concepts—plus, they’re fun!

Strengthen Critical-Thinking and Core Skills

Phenomena-based instruction in Science Techbook asks students to solve real-world problems, during which they develop their critical-thinking skills. Teachers can extend learning by incorporating STEAM Project and STEAM Careers activities, which help students grasp the how and why behind STEAM and engineering topics (and don’t require extra work from teachers!).

That’s not all phenomena-based instruction can do. It also puts math and literacy practice into context to help students understand and remember. And since Science Techbook lessons naturally incorporate math/ELA standards, teachers can reinforce multiple skills at one time. Here are some examples:

Authentic, Applicable Math

Students collect and analyze data as they conduct hands-on and virtual investigations. They also learn to use mathematical models to explain scientific phenomena.

Lifelong Literacy Skills

Learners complete readings after hands-on experiences that introduce phenomena, so they have context for what they’re reading about. They also have accessible ways to improve their literacy skills with lessons presented in slideshow format and tools such as interactive glossaries and the Immersive Reader. With before, during, and after literacy strategies, teachers can focus on vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and phonics.

Empower Every Educator

Regardless of their background or experience,��educators can make an instant impact��ɾ��ٳ� Science Techbook’s classroom-ready lessons offering implementation guidance. Slideshow format lessons with hands-on activities and an intuitive interface translate into less time needed for planning and prepping! What’s more, clear time estimates, lesson sequencing, and built-in scaffolds help teachers stay on track and meet instructional goals.

Incorporate Three-Dimensional Learning

Three-dimensional learning aligned to the NGSS is built into Science Techbook: you’ll find science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas in embedded, point-of-use notes and prompts. Plus, discussion prompts throughout lessons offer helpful ideas for getting students to talk about the science they’re doing with peers.

We’ve got an interactive overview of our new program that you can check out.

Would you like to get a more in-depth look at the new Science Techbook?��Watch our on-demand Engage K-12 webinar!��

Watch Now

The post Coming Soon for 2026:��Science��Techbook appeared first on �Ǹ��.

Engage K–12 Webinar: DreamBox Math

David Bryan — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 20:00:19 +0000

Key takeaways

New Focused Adaptive Pathways use the Intelligent Adaptive Learning engine to align DreamBox Math to a district’s highest priorities for standards mastery
Leaders can boost teacher impact and save time with DreamBox Math
The new in-lesson vocabulary tool expands student access to learning math with clear definitions, audio, and Frayer models for key terms

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

Session three of �Ǹ��’s K–12 Series of webinars focused on DreamBox Math. Travis Barrs, Chief Strategy and Information Officer at �Ǹ��, identified three themes that characterize how �Ǹ�� helps educators take the great work that they’re already doing to new heights:

Filling gaps for districts and delivering positive learning outcomes
Promoting student thinking through engaging and meaningful learning experiences
Adding efficiency and recouping teachers’ time so they can deepen connections with students

Mr. Barrs noted that the latest updates to DreamBox Math all relate to those themes and that this webinar will explain how DreamBox Math is the instructional partner that supports a cohesive curriculum and enables stronger connections with students.

Align and Focus Instruction

Melanie Lugo, Senior Director, Product Management, brought up an exciting district-oriented update to DreamBox Math: Focused Adaptive Pathways. These pathways use the Intelligent Adaptive Learning engine to align DreamBox Math to a district’s highest priorities using either State-Assessment Focus or Priority-Standards Focus.

State-Assessment Focus

This is for districts in states that prioritize specific standards for end-of-year assessments. DreamBox Math will steer students down a pathway toward those standards first while still ensuring they build foundational skills.

Priority-Standards Focus

This is for districts with their own focus standards or math initiatives. District administrators choose the standards across all grade levels that they want to emphasize.

Either way, intelligent adaptivity is the driving power behind a personalized learning experience for each student. And Ms. Lugo pointed out that “DreamBox Math remains fully prerequisite aware. If a student needs foundational skills before progressing to a priority standard, DreamBox Math fills those gaps first, then moves them forward.” Check the Standards Report to see proficiency cluster around priority standards as students spend more time where it matters most. The result is multifaceted: easy implementation, focused instruction, deep personalization, and improved outcomes.

Engage and Activate Thinking

David Woods, Senior Director, Curriculum & Assessments at �Ǹ��, went over what “powered by student thinking” means with DreamBox Math. He talked about how every student gets a unique pathway for learning through the built-in Intelligent Adaptivity. As learners indicate their thinking by using virtual manipulatives to build models, DreamBox Math responds instantly to the strategies they’re using, not just right and wrong answers.��

Immediate feedback and just-in-time scaffolds address misconceptions, and intentional numbers build on prior knowledge and continuously adjust as students struggle purposefully—leading to more “aha” moments!

Explore and register for additional Engage K-12 webinar sessions!

Empower Great Teaching at Scale

Sara Scarbrough, Director, Curriculum & Instruction at �Ǹ��, noted that Intelligent-Adaptivity-driven differentiated learning fuels continuous formative assessment, so student thinking gets turned into evidence of understanding. Ms. Scarbrough explained, “While students complete lessons, DreamBox captures their strategies, struggles, and the progress they make, translating it into ongoing data by domain and grade-level proficiency by your state standard.” This way, teachers gain instant, consistent insights that can inform targeted support for each student throughout the school year.

Vocabulary Support

DreamBox Math provides much more than just vocabulary memorization. Ms. Scarbrough explained that students “need support that helps them understand what a term means right in the context of the problem they’re solving.” To that end, DreamBox Math will offer a new in-lesson vocabulary tool that provides immediate support as learners see key mathematical terms, deepening understanding and giving access to all learners, including multilingual learners and developing readers. Embedded vocabulary provides clear definitions and optional audio, so students can hear a term, use it in context, and then explain it themselves. This is an important step in building academic language and enabling learners to engage in mathematical discourse. In addition, the vocabulary tool strengthens prior knowledge with Frayer models for the key terms.

AI Assistance

How is AI going to help educators who use DreamBox Math? Ms. Lugo noted that �Ǹ�� is beta testing an AI classroom assistant that’s fully integrated into the DreamBox educator experience. They can start with prepopulated prompts to identify the most important student learning insights that can guide instructional decisions. The AI assistant can also:

Recommend students who have recently struggled developing the same skill for small-group support together
Flag students who haven’t started or are struggling with their assignments
Identify those with lesson completion patterns that are low
Detect when students may be rapidly guessing and rushing through lessons

There is no extra setup or additional training for teachers to use the AI assistant.

Closing

DreamBox Math is more than a learning program—it’s a teaching partner. It helps students become confident learners, teachers make clear instructional decisions, and leaders gain insight into what really matters. Districts can rely on its personalized, intelligently adaptive learning pathways; embedded instructor tools; and professional learning to support consistent teacher usage and the student outcomes they care about.

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

�Ǹ�� Host and Presenters

Travis Barrs, Chief Strategy and Information Officer

Melanie Lugo, Senior Director, Product Management

David Woods, Senior Director, Curriculum & Assessments

Sara Scarbrough, Director, Curriculum & Instruction

The post Engage K–12 Webinar: DreamBox Math appeared first on �Ǹ��.

4 Easy Ways to Bring �Ǹ�� Experience to Students

Brandi Bergeron — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:53:53 +0000

To me, �Ǹ�� Experience is more than just another educational technology platform. It’s my professional treasure chest. Whenever a teacher reaches out to me for help with unit planning, I immediately turn to �Ǹ�� as my ultimate thought partner. The treasures within are plentiful, providing a steady stream of curated, high-quality content, along with supplements and innovative ideas that never let me down.

�Ǹ�� Experience makes it easy to bring their resources to the classroom through interactives, SOS strategies, career connections, and ready-to-use activities.�� These jewels from the Experience treasure chest keep the lessons current and applicable, meeting both standards and student needs.

Uncovering the Magic

Spotlight on Strategies (SOS)

The true magic of �Ǹ�� Experience isn’t just having the resources available; it is how easy they seamlessly integrate with the classroom and align with instructional goals. The SOS (Spotlight on Strategies) is the perfect way to take a lesson from average to immersive.��

SOS Strategies are research-based instructional strategies specifically designed to integrate digital media into the classroom in ways that demand interaction. They’re the perfect way to take a lesson from average to immersive.��

One example would be using a strategy like “Pause, Play, Proceed.” In this lesson, students are given a specific task to “look for” or “listen for”�� before the video begins. The students move from being spectators to investigators, hunting for evidence. The lesson now requires the student to actively participate by using this simple strategy. This is just one example of the many strategies hidden within the SOS channel.��

Career Connect

Career Connect is certainly a jewel to discover within the �Ǹ�� Experience. How often does an educator teach a lesson only to hear, “How will I use this in life?” With Career Connect, there are answers to this question! This digital platform connects classrooms with real-world industry professionals through virtual visits, helping students explore careers and understand how classroom learning links to future opportunities. The inquiries are now a launchpad for more discovery and immersive learning.��

A great example of this is a concept lesson, such as water filtration.�� Students not only learn about the concept but also deepen their understanding by connecting with a professional who explains why this work is important and how it may look in a real-world application.��

Immersive Resources

�Ǹ�� Experience‘s immersive resources are a suite of next‑generation digital learning tools, such as augmented reality apps, narrative-driven adventures, gamified learning experiences, and interactive simulations, that are designed to deeply engage students by placing them inside realistic, sensory-rich environments where they can explore, problem‑solve, and experience content as if they were “there.”

For example, you can take the agricultural concept, which can be hard for students to understand in certain situations, and apply it to a gamified simulation. Within the Cooperative Minds resources, you’ll find a 3D gamified learning experience where students step into the role of a co‑op farmer. Students analyze soil, choose crops and fertilizer, decide when to harvest, and even operate a combine in the simulation.

Using a real simulation allows students to step into an environment where they can put their knowledge into practice. This allows students to “see” the direct consequences of their actions.

Virtual Field Trips

A �Ǹ�� Virtual Field Trip is a curated, multimedia learning event that features video tours, expert interviews, and interactive resources. They’re designed to connect classroom instruction to authentic, real‑world environments and experiences through digital technology. Following up on any lesson with a Virtual Field Trip further solidifies understanding of the concept. These hidden treasures within Career Connect and STEM Coalition level up instruction and active learning, and ignite students’ interest. A simple concept lesson can be elevated to spark genuine curiosity in a student’s chosen field.

Every time I open �Ǹ�� Experience, I uncover something new – another gem that transforms learning.�� From research-backed SOS strategies to the real-world magic of Virtual Field Trips and Career Connections, these jewels are an easy way to turn an average lesson into one that sparkles and shines, sparking curiosity and igniting discovery.��

Brandi Bergeron

Brandi is the Academic Technology Coordinator for the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge in Louisiana.

Learn More About �Ǹ�� Experience and Discover How it Engages Every Student

Learn More

The post 4 Easy Ways to Bring �Ǹ�� Experience to Students appeared first on �Ǹ��.

Engage K–12 Webinar: �Ǹ��Experience��

David Bryan — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 18:08:20 +0000

Key takeaways

Experience helps educators deliver Tier 1 instruction that’s engaging and relevant—a key to making learning stick.
Expanded Curriculum-Aligned Resources, Curated Content Collections, and high-interest, high-quality content support intentionality when planning and delivering instruction.
Career-connected learning that builds future-ready skills continues to be a focus with new and updated resources to capture student interest.

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

The second session of the K–12 webinar series focused on how �Ǹ�� Experience helps educators power student progress every day. Lance Rougeux, SVP, Curriculum Instruction & Student Engagement at �Ǹ��, kicked things off by mentioning two big themes for 2026: 1) ensuring Tier 1 instruction is supported well with resources that are intentional about saving teachers time, and 2) keeping learning engaging with relevance and connections to students’ lives.

Strengthen Back to School 2026 with Experience

Kyle Schutt, Senior Director, Instructional Design at �Ǹ��, took over to talk about what’s new in Experience for Back to School 2026. He led by pointing out that Experience strengthens what matters most in classrooms: daily instruction. It helps teachers engage students by activating thinking, building background knowledge, and giving opportunities for extension and connecting learning to the real world.

Improve Tier 1 Instruction with Curriculum Aligned Resources

For example, the new Curriculum Aligned Resources align ��Գ��’s supplemental resources to widely used core curriculum programs. Mr. Schutt said, “They help save your teachers time when they’re looking for ideas to spark that extra little bit of engagement in the classroom and get students interested, or when they’re trying to augment and supplement what your program has and bring a lesson or activity grounded in high-quality media directly into their instruction.” He noted that �Ǹ�� will continue to expand Curriculum Aligned Resources throughout 2026 and spoke briefly about resource options like videos, activities, and reading passages.

Meet a Variety of Student Needs with Curated Content Collections

Now Experience is introducing curated content collections of age-appropriate, standards-aligned videos, activities, and resources—all grouped by topic. Teachers can use them to build background knowledge, support small-group instruction, and assign extension activities without needing to filter search results. Curated content collections are especially suited for differentiation, giving teachers an easy way to provide content to meet individual needs while staying connected to the day’s instructional goals. Mr. Schutt said, “We’d encourage you to think about these as learning playlists.”

Support Learning That Sticks with High-Quality, High-Interest Content

Throughout 2026, �Ǹ�� will continue to add more high-quality, high-interest content in Experience to support educators’ lesson cycles. The goal is always intentionality, whether for activating thinking at the beginning of a unit or providing extra practice for students who are struggling.

Move from Planning to Teaching More Easily

Mr. Schutt noted that �Ǹ�� strives to ensure technology simplifies and personalizes the work that goes into teaching. Based on educator requests, the team has made the search interface faster and cleaner in addition to streamlining the process of navigating Experience. Here the goal is to provide more context for how content is integrated into teacher lessons. Mr. Schutt closed with a request for continued feedback from educators that Discovery’s team can use to inform future updates and better meet planning and teaching needs.

Explore and register for additional Engage K-12 webinar sessions!

Drive Career-Connected Learning

Joanne da Luz, Senior Product Manager, stepped in to look at how Experience continues to help students make meaningful connections between what they’re learning and why it matters outside the classroom, which also makes learning stick.��

Ms. da Luz stated, “We know how important future-ready skills are, especially as districts tell us how important those skills are for navigating a world powered by AI. We are focusing on making these connections across math, ELA, science, and social studies.” Experience gives teachers intentional resources related to careers for students of all ages.

Deliver Hands-on Learning with Mini Career Quests

DE’s new Mini Career Quests are short, interactive explorations for elementary students that let them explore real-world roles and complete related hands-on challenges. These types of experiences connect classroom skills to jobs like junior field scientist or data analyst. What’s more, educators will love that they are flexible and an easy lift.

Explore Career Pathways in Daily Instruction

Even the youngest students can start building future-ready skills like communication and curiosity with Super Skills Story Cards: short, illustrated stories that also offer guidance and standards alignment for teachers.��

Elementary students can now use Career Finder to discover potential careers based on their individual interests. Teachers have a fun, interactive way to help learners imagine who they might become.��

Target secondary students with the Career Conversation Collection, a curated set of ready‑to‑use resources that support internship preparation, capstone projects, and career‑focused seminar courses. It offers prompts and activities that let students practice workplace skills, such as asking questions, reflecting on strengths, or preparing for an interview.

Get Input from Workplace Professionals

Live guest speakers from many different industries can virtually visit classrooms with DE’s regularly updated Career Connect. It’s faster than ever for teachers to find speakers: they simply choose a theme based on their curriculum and then submit a request—Career Connect handles the rest.

In conclusion, Ms. da Luz said it’s easier than ever to “build a cohesive, K–12 pathway for career-connected learning” with the updates to Experience.

Closing

Mr. Rougeux took over to bring the webinar to an end, reiterating �Ǹ��’s commitment to supporting great teaching and meaningful learning. Specifically, by helping educators strengthen Tier 1 instruction, deepen student engagement, and connect classroom learning to the real world. He also pointed out that all of the updates covered were shaped by feedback from leaders and teachers and that DE is grateful for the continuing partnership with educators that makes greater impact on students’ lives possible.

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

�Ǹ�� Host and Presenters

Lance Rougeux, SVP, Curriculum Instruction & Student Engagement

Kyle Schutt, Senior Director, Instructional Design

Joanne da Luz, Senior Product Manager

The post Engage K–12 Webinar: �Ǹ��Experience�� appeared first on �Ǹ��.

How to Integrate EdTech into Curriculum

David Bryan — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:14:57 +0000

Key takeaways

Start EdTech integration into curriculum by clarifying what you already have, then anchoring every digital activity to a standard and clear definition of student success.
Place EdTech into the right instructional moment to support instructional adjustments that yield the greatest student impact.
Combine repeatable routines, “one lesson, three paths” differentiation, and reflection and reuse for sustainable integration with less planning time.

EdTech may be essential for teaching in the classroom, but are you making the most of what you’re currently using? Or are you struggling to make sense of district-approved digital programs and resources? Whether you’re a new teacher who’s still figuring out exactly how their classroom will work, or you’re ready to maximize student impact, a little guidance can go a long way. Let’s look at one specific aspect of teaching with technology, integrating EdTech into curriculum, and identify ways to do so that boost student progress and reduce your workload.

1. Assess What You Have on Hand

Before you explore EdTech program and resource integration possibilities, you’ll need a general understanding of what each one is. For example, core or supplemental curriculum, content, assessments, progress monitoring, etc. If some of the programs or resources overlap, then you may need to give each a trial, but the overall process will be the same.

2. Start with the Standard and Define Success

Integrating EdTech into curriculum isn’t about using technology for its own sake, so keep standards proficiency for students as your main goal. Core and supplemental EdTech curricula should have standards alignment noted throughout units, lessons, and activities to guide you. Content may be only accessible through lessons and activities, but if it is stand-alone, it should have indications of what standards it aligns to.��

Also, consider how your students will demonstrate proficiency on the standards you’re teaching. Can you see evidence of learning using EdTech? If so, does the program present this automatically, or will you need to conduct checks yourself? Using a program’s built-in system can certainly be a time saver.��

�Ǹ�� and Standards

Every �Ǹ�� program is aligned to state standards across the U.S., and it’s easy to see which standards are covered in units, lessons, activities, and multimedia content. Depending on the program, students may demonstrate what they’ve learned through continuous formative assessment or separate assessments. For example,��DreamBox Math lessons use continuous formative assessment, with the program adjusting in real time as students make decisions.��Experience��and Science Techbook offer customizable assessments through an Assessment Builder.

3. Choose the Best Instructional Time for EdTech

When does it make sense to incorporate EdTech into your planned lessons? You may find opportunities to use a program or resource for any or all of the following objectives:��

Launch or Engage: Capture student interest with engaging content and activate prior knowledge.��
Teach or Model: Provide direct instruction (whole class, small group, individual) and show examples of the subject.��
Practice: Offer guided or independent opportunities to build skills.��
Apply: Give students ways to turn general or theoretical knowledge into real-world projects.��
Assess: Conduct quick checks for understanding or determine proficiency levels at defined times.��
Extend: Help learners who need extra support or challenge those who are ready for advanced work.��

Tip: If this seems like too much to consider addressing all at once, start with practice and assessment objectives, which will have the highest impact on students at the minimum cost in time and effort on your part.��

�Ǹ�� and Instructional Timing

You can integrate �Ǹ�� programs into your instructional routines at any point during the day. Captivate students with��curated videos and activities that bring real-world connections to topics��across reading/ELA, math, science, and social studies with Experience. Inspire learners to make discoveries by acting like scientists and engineers to solve inquiry-based problems using Science Techbook. Give struggling students a fun, gamified way to develop math skills at home by assigning lessons in DreamBox Math.

4. Plan the Learning Task, Then Match the Tool

Define the student task in one sentence using a simple formula like “Students will [verb] [content] to demonstrate [skill].” Then choose the EdTech program or resource that will support this with the right feature, such as interactive exploration, reading or video with prompts, writing or discussion, adaptive practice, lab or simulation, or other task-based learning.��

Tip: Once you’ve built a reusable task bank of 3–5 task types per unit, you can rotate them and save yourself the effort of constant task creation.��

�Ǹ�� and Student Tasks

Add immersive experiences to your lessons with TimePod Adventures, Sandbox, and 3D Virtual Field Trips in Experience. Provide math skills practice at just the right level with automatic adaptation within lessons in DreamBox Math. Get students actively exploring, recording data, and analyzing results with��hands-on activities and labs in Science Techbook.

5. Differentiate

Since differentiation is a proven way to ensure all students can learn, it’s critical that you find ways to do this in your classroom. One approach that reduces the amount of prep necessary is the “one lesson, three paths” approach in which you build three parallel pathways: on level, support, and extend. One of the best reasons to integrate EdTech into curriculum is that many programs and resources include either automatic differentiation or a variety of content modalities to choose from, like video, text with supports, or interactive activities.

Tip: Differentiate inputs like text level and scaffolding from outputs like how students demonstrate learning, rather than creating three different lesson plans.

�Ǹ�� and Differentiation

Finding the right curriculum-aligned resources and content in Experience is easy with the help of Explore and Search tools, plus you’ll find suggestions in the Curated for You section.�� responds in real time to a student’s mathematical decisions, providing scaffolding when needed and adjusting the learning pathway in between lessons.

6. Teach with Tight Routines

Since students respond well to consistency, you can reduce possible resistance to using EdTech with daily and weekly routines. The general daily routine would be to define an objective, start the task using EdTech, check understanding with a quick output, and adjust instruction or move to group work. Depending on the grade level you’re teaching, you could use one of these models:��

Elementary School: stations/rotation model��
Middle School: workshop model (mini-lesson → independent work → conference)��
High School: blended model (brief direct instruction → independent lab or task)��

�Ǹ�� and Routines

DreamBox Math gives teachers flexibility to use it for rotations or for independent work, in school or at home. Science Techbook is perfect for delivering brief direct instruction followed by independent virtual investigations.

7. Check Learning and Respond

Another great reason to integrate EdTech into curriculum is for easy, potentially customizable ways to perform quick checks for understanding right after a lesson. This may be something you assign within a program or manually run, but often this is part of built-in instructional routines. Review your options while you’re planning your lessons and lean on automaticity as much as possible, which will help you respond quickly with the appropriate approach (reteach, practice, or extension).

�Ǹ�� and Learning Checks

�Ǹ�� programs significantly decrease the time and effort required to monitor and respond to student learning. In fact, DreamBox Math’s continuous formative assessment and resulting adaptive instruction happen automatically. With ��Գ��’s Quiz tool, you can create, assign, and grade quizzes that check for understanding in low-pressure, fun ways.��

8. Reflect, Save, and Reuse

After delivering a lesson, reflect on it by answering three questions:��

What worked?��
What didn’t?��
What will I tweak next time?��

Then save your best prompt, student exemplar, and differentiation step for later reuse as a lesson shell. One or more may come from an EdTech program or resource that you were testing or experienced with already.��

If a particular technology isn’t supporting student learning or easing your workload as anticipated, then you might want to pursue program-specific training or implementation-oriented professional learning. Remember that you can start small, with one unit, one routine, and one tool.

�Ǹ�� and Long-Term Success

Our programs are proven to��power progress��ɾ��ٳ� engaging content and personalized paths to learning for students and research-backed instructional design, high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), timely insights into individual and class performance, and easily accessible supports for educators.

Explore more of what �Ǹ�� offers to students, educators, and administrators starting with our Resources for Educators.

The post How to Integrate EdTech into Curriculum appeared first on �Ǹ��.

Project Based Learning: What It Is, How It Works, & Examples

Samantha Cleaver — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:34:46 +0000

Key takeaways

Project-based learning is an approach to learning academic and 21st-century skills that strengthens student engagement through authentic, real-world application.
Students who learn through project-based learning develop a deep understanding of academics while building important critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills.
Students can engage in PBL as early as kindergarten.

Students in a first-grade classroom are learning about plants and measurement. Instead of providing worksheets with scenarios, their teacher poses a question: How can we grow plants and take care of them in our classroom garden? The students work in groups to measure and plan a garden plot. After their garden is complete, they invite their parents to share what they planted and present what they learned throughout the project. These students are learning through project-based learning, an approach to teaching and learning that involves engaging students in completing complex, real-world projects. This approach allows students to formulate questions that challenge them to delve deeply into a subject and to use 21st-century skills to generate their answers. And, projects must culminate in a presentation to an authentic audience.��

Schools around the world are using project-based learning to shift from traditional education to student-driven inquiry, preparing students to succeed in a complex world where the skills and knowledge needed are ever-changing.

The Principles of Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning is built on core concepts and design principles that set it apart from other educational methods. The core concepts of project-based learning are:��

Authenticity: The problems students address are real-world, complex, and relevant to them. Instead of building a project from a textbook question, students generate a question in response to a community problem and work to find the solution.��
Extended time: Students work on projects for weeks or months.��
Inquiry-based: Teachers and students work together to ask questions and research solutions, making the process part of the product.��
Public product: The end result of a project is a product or presentation that can be shared with a broader audience, not just the teacher or even parents. A class may focus on solving a community problem and present it to the city council. Or, they may explore a topic and share their research with a local expert.��
Teacher as coach: In project-based learning, the teacher steps out of the traditional role and into a coaching role. They are there to guide students and learn alongside, rather than direct student learning.��

Strong projects–that drive student learning and create authentic change–involve the key elements of project-based learning:��

A driving question that gives a project meaning.��
A relevant final product that students create and share.��
Collaboration with community experts.��
Time to share the work with a relevant audience outside of the classroom.��
Assessment and feedback are built into the project so students know how they are improving and what they are learning.��
Reflection on the project and process.��

PBL is an innovative approach to developing student skills and offers significant benefits for today’s students.

Benefits of Project-Based Learning

The world that students will graduate into hasn’t been created yet–a reality that has come into sharp focus with the invention and development of A.I. Educators know this, and know that teaching students reading, writing, and math just isn’t enough anymore. That’s where project-based learning comes in. The benefits of rigorous PBL (project-based learning) go beyond learning standards and moving through a curriculum. Students who learn through projects:��

Gain deeper learning as concepts are connected to real-world scenarios.��
Are more engaged in learning and find learning more relevant.��
Demonstrate independence and persistence in learning.��

In fact, found that students who learned through project-based learning demonstrated stronger academic achievement and thinking skills, compared with students who engaged in traditional learning models. Furthermore, the apply to all students, particularly those in low-income schools.

Skills Developed Through Project-Based Learning

In addition to the academic skills students develop through project-based learning, students also develop 21st-century skills, including critical thinking and communication. 21st-century skills are the skills students will need regardless of what happens to technology and the economy.��

Through project-based learning, students are taught and required to use collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. It’s not about assigning a project and letting students figure it out for themselves; instead, students are taught the skills they need to succeed at the project they are working on.

For example, the school principal comes to the 4th-grade class and informs them that a spot on the playground is available for new playground equipment. The principal asks the students to identify how they could use that piece of land and gives them a budget. The class works together to measure the land, identify options, survey their classmates, and present their final project to the principal. The teacher leads lessons on measurement, data collection, collaboration, and presentation. The final decision is made, and the students’ suggested playground equipment is added. This project is real-world, relevant to students, and involves authentic collaboration, problem-solving, communication, and academic skills in math and presentation. It takes students’ learning much farther than a word problem that asks them to measure the area of a plot of land, read graphs, or calculate a budget.

In addition, project-based learning develops other skills, including:��

Inquiry and research to understand their question,
Analysis and evaluation as students review information, compare ideas, evaluate sources, and make decisions,
Metacognition as students reflect on their experience and how they completed their project, and
Various forms of communication (oral presentations, informal debate, formal reports, informal note-taking).

Explore K-12 Instruction & Pedagogy Resources

See how �Ǹ�� can support educators.

Browse Resources

Leadership and Instructional Design Considerations

It is the leader’s job to ensure their staff understands why scaffolding is important and, more importantly, how it improves teaching. The first step is giving them time to collaborate as a team about what works, share strategies, and learn from one another. Making scaffolding a regular part of team discussions shows a commitment to the practice. With consistency, it is easier for teachers to see its value in everyday practice.

Communication is key. Leaders can impact how teachers view scaffolding through their own communication. Clear messages about the importance of scaffolding and the high expectations around planning with scaffolding in mind let teachers know that it is a priority. When scaffolding is framed as a strength, teachers are more likely to use it confidently.

How to Implement Project-Based Learning

All projects will follow a similar pathway, from identifying learning goals to reflection. What students produce and how they engage in the work will change, but the structure is the same.��

Imagine a 7th-grade class that is learning about sustainability, urban life, and architecture. The students have completed background reading on sustainability in cities, including how their own city addresses issues such as managing heat, garbage collection, and water. The teacher designs a project that students will complete on this topic. First, the teacher identifies the content standards and 21st-century skills that they want students to develop. In this case, the teacher collaborates with other teachers so students are working on data analysis in math, resources and human impact in science, and research and argumentative writing in ELA.��

Then, the teacher presents an open-ended question. In this case, how can we design a city that meets residents’ needs while protecting the environment and using resources wisely? This question is open-ended and doesn’t have a clear right or wrong answer.��

The teacher launches the project with a trip to the local city planning office. Students get a tour of the office and learn about the current concerns the engineers and city planners are working to address. They get the chance to generate questions that will drive their research.��

Back at school, students take a day to create their work plan, including a timeline and checkpoints. Their ultimate goal is to create a presentation to the city planning office, so they set dates when they will have drafts completed for review and assign tasks to their group members.

�� As students work, the teacher provides guidance and ideas as students research, discuss, and focus their ideas. They provide access to additional educational resources. The teacher regularly gives feedback and provides opportunities for students to provide each other with feedback.��

When students have finished their presentations, they present them to the city planning office. They may record their presentations, host the city planners at the school, or return to the city planning office, depending on what is possible. The point is to present their learning and receive feedback from experts in the field.��

Finally, the teacher provides assessment feedback using a rubric for the project, and students complete a reflection about their learning and how their academic and thinking skills developed.��

A project can take a few weeks to multiple months, depending on the scope. Projects are most successful when students and teachers have time to engage in each step:��

Identify the content standards and skills.
Create an open-ended, engaging, real-life question.��
Launch the project.��
Break the project into manageable steps.��
Provide time for students to work with regular feedback.��
Create a demonstration of learning to share with a real audience.��
Assess and reflect.

Project-Based Learning Best Practices

In addition to generating project-based learning ideas, teachers should incorporate these best practices when designing and leading projects:��

Student voice and choice: Students should have input in project-based learning ideas and questions, when possible.��
Sustained inquiry: Each project should involve research and thinking over time. Great projects allow time and space for students to change course, decide that one hypothesis is incorrect, and try another.��
Cross-curricular: Projects provide opportunities for teachers to collaborate in unique ways.��
Feedback: As students develop their skills, feedback helps them improve in real time. Students should receive feedback from their teacher, peers, and real-world experts.��

Celebrations of learning: When PBL occurs across a school or even just a grade level, regular celebrations of learning or presentations of projects showcase what students are learning.

The post Project Based Learning: What It Is, How It Works, & Examples appeared first on �Ǹ��.

Interactive Learning: Benefits, Tools & Implementation

Samantha Cleaver — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:20:08 +0000

Key takeaways

Interactive learning is a student-centered approach to teaching and learning that involves students in hands-on, collaborative activities.
Students who learn through interactive learning demonstrate higher engagement, better skill retention, and the development of 21st century skills.
While technology can play an important part in interactive learning, teachers can use a variety of low and high-tech tools to engage students.

In a math classroom, students circulate through centers with various manipulatives, task cards, and activities. One center involves students progressing through an online math simulation. Another requires students to use math tiles to solve a problem and post their solutions for feedback. The teacher circulates and asks students questions that deepen their thinking or provides feedback to correct errors. The centers, which happen after a short teacher-delivered lesson, are provided to enhance students’ engagement with the concept. This method of interactive learning passes the learning to students in a way that teacher-led instruction or guided practice does not.��

Interactive learning is a student-centered approach to teaching and learning that incorporates hands-on activities, collaboration, discussion, and technology support. The key is that students are actively interacting with the skill they are learning. When teachers use interactive learning, students are working and doing rather than observing a lab or listening to a lecture. The role of the teacher is to provide immediate feedback that supports students’ learning and practice and addresses any misconceptions that students have. When students learn through interactive methods, engagement is high, they use critical thinking skills as they work through problems and collaborate with peers. When students are highly engaged, they retain what they learn.

What Is Interactive Learning?

In a 6th-grade classroom, a teacher distributes novels to small groups of students. The students review the books, set their calendar for how many pages they will read each day, assign roles (summarizer, time keeper), and prepare to read and discuss their novel over the course of a month. The teacher checks in on their progress, listens to the discussion, provides additional questions to push student thinking, and corrects misunderstandings when they arise. When the students are halfway through their novel, the teacher creates an online discussion board for the groups to share their ideas. Now, various groups are discussing the novel, bringing their ideas from discussion to the online boards.��

Collaborative discussions, such as literature circles, think-pair-share, centers, project-based learning, game simulations, and debates, are all interactive learning. Essentially, interactive learning is any activity that puts students in the driver’s seat; they do the work and persist through challenges. Strong interactive learning activities include:

Students who are active and collaborative: Students work in groups to complete a task, solve a problem, or engage in a simulation. This means that students must work together to build knowledge and persist through difficult tasks.
Teachers providing feedback: Teachers provide feedback to address misunderstandings, so students are practicing correctly and provide probing questions and resources to push students’ thinking. For example, if a group is reading a novel about the Revolutionary War, the teacher may provide a series of videos that address background knowledge or offer an expert explanation to answer a student’s question.��

Integration of technology: Digital tools such as online programs, simulations, and other interactive technologies enhance the learning experience. Technology should deepen the interactive element; it is one component of interactive learning, not the entire purpose.

Pros and Cons of Interactive Learning

Pros of Interactive Learning

Students who learn using interactive learning engagement, and satisfaction with learning. This method of learning also replicates the collaboration that students will use in future careers, and supports 21st century skills, like creativity and critical thinking. Furthermore, it’s an approach that can be used across content areas, from English language arts to science and math courses.��

Additional benefits of using interactive learning include:��

Retention and skill transfer: Students retain more information and can transfer skills from one task to another.��
Accommodates a range of learners: Interactive learning methods benefit all students, particularly those at risk or with different learning styles or needs.��
Builds confidence: As students complete tasks themselves, they develop self-efficacy and confidence.��
Real-world alignment: Particularly through project-based learning and simulation, students understand how their learning directly impacts real-world scenarios.

Potential Downsides of Interactive Learning

While interactive learning is powerful, teachers must consider several challenges when implementing this teaching method. For example, if interactive learning is new to students, they may resist taking risks, struggling through challenges, and persisting when the answer is not obvious. Teachers can get ahead of any resistance by teaching the prerequisite skills students need, such as collaborative problem-solving, before assigning interactive learning tasks.��

Other considerations include:��

Additional preparation: Teachers may need to set aside additional time and resources to plan interactive learning experiences.��
Classroom management: It may be difficult to manage larger groups and ensure accountability when students are working in groups or on interactive tasks.��
Technology considerations: When interactive learning relies on technology, concerns about students’ skills and equipment can arise.��

At times, the best way to present information may be through a lecture or direct instruction. For example, when students are learning a new skill, teacher modeling may be necessary to ensure that all students have the prerequisite knowledge needed. But once students have the knowledge and foundation they need, interactive experiences can make learning relevant and sharpen those 21st century skills. The idea is not to use interactive learning as the only tool, but to embed it within the student experience so that, once they have the knowledge and skills, they use them in meaningful, collaborative ways.

Explore K-12 Instruction & Pedagogy Resources

See how �Ǹ�� can support educators.

Browse Resources

Technology and Tools for Interactive Learning

Interactive learning experiences use a variety of tools, from no-tech to high-tech. For example, in kindergarten, a teacher may put out community helper tools and costumes for students to engage in pretend play. Later, in 5th grade, students may use dress-up clothes from home and home-made accessories to recreate historical town meetings or other simulations that involve debate and decision-making from a historical time period.��

Technology can enhance interactive learning, particularly regarding personalized learning, immediate feedback, and opportunities for a variety of experiences. For example:��

A simple online document is a collaborative workspace when multiple students work on the same document toward the same goal.��
A K-12 online learning platform provides cross-curricular experiences for students and ways for teachers to collaborate across areas, enhancing student learning.��
A tool like �Ǹ�� Experience provides online resources designed to engage students in interactive learning or enhance classroom experiences.��
Interactive whiteboards allow students and teachers to create and manipulate content collaboratively.��
Interactive presentation tools enable real-time polling and feedback.��
Students can use video discussion tools to increase engagement and interaction.��

The most high-tech, virtual reality tools immerse students in virtual field trips, or science or historical simulations. For example, to learn about cooperative business models, students may complete HARVEST: From Seed to Success, a gamified learning experience that teaches about agriculture.

Leadership and Instructional Design Considerations

How to Implement Interactive Learning in the Classroom

Implementing interactive learning means shifting the classroom from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach. Interactive experiences can be a short quiz or poll, or a weeks-long project. Either way, teachers can apply these principles to incorporate interactive experiences into their lessons:��

Know the starting point: Use pre-assessments to understand where students start. Use pre-test information to plan groups (pair students with a lot of knowledge with students who have less knowledge on a topic). Or, reflect and set a goal. If a class has minimal knowledge about a topic, what questions do they want to answer? How do they want to use the skills they will learn during a unit? Then, plan how to teach so that students acquire the foundation of knowledge they need to be successful at the interactive learning experiences.��
Build in student voice and choice: Students should be involved in decision-making about their learning. For example, for a final project, a teacher provides a choice board with various project formats to choose from. Or, at the start of a project, a teacher can solicit questions about the topics students want to study within a broader unit.��
Get to know students: Understanding students’ skills and what motivates them will help teachers design effective interactive experiences. Are students highly motivated by competition? Interactive polls and debates may engage that group. Another group that is less motivated by competition but more by collaboration may be engaged in projects that require them to work together to achieve a goal.��
Use online tools strategically. Online tools can personalize student experiences.
Use rubrics: Collaborative, project-based learning is difficult to assess using a checklist or simple grading scale. Rubrics allow for a more nuanced progression of skills across a unit or even a school year. They also provide students with opportunities to reflect on their learning by completing the same rubric over time.��
Take the role of coach: A teacher’s role shifts during interactive learning; rather than a driver, teachers are coaches and mentors. This means that teachers must plan how students may progress through an experience, and how to use questions and resources to support student learning. Or, how to use feedback and explanation to address misunderstandings.��

When done well, interactive learning is a powerful way to engage teachers and students in learning, creating memorable experiences along the way.

The post Interactive Learning: Benefits, Tools & Implementation appeared first on �Ǹ��.

5 Biggest K–12 Education Trends for 2026

Michael Healey — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:17:39 +0000

Key takeaways

The top tier trends in school education for 2026 are about balance—managing innovation, expectations, and budgets without losing focus on quality instruction.
Current trends in education show that AI and technology add value only when used intentionally and aligned with classroom needs.
Across all trends in education, student engagement is the clearest driver of learning and must guide decisions in 2026 and beyond.

As schools look toward 2026,education continues to shift in meaningful ways. Districts are navigating rapid technological advancements, challenges related to student engagement, and increasing pressure to deliver meaningful outcomes with limited resources. These trends in education are not isolated issues—they are connected to how teaching and learning happen every day in classrooms.

The top tier trends in school education for 2026 reflect the reality that many districts are facing: balancing innovation with day-to-day realities, meeting students where they are while maintaining high expectations, and navigating tighter budgets without sacrificing instructional quality. At the center of these conversations are AI, teacher workload, student engagement, fiscal realities, and the evolving role of classroom technology.

Insights from Education Insights 2025–2026: Fueling Learning Through Engagement reveals perspectives from superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and students across the country. One clear theme emerges: engagement, relevance, and support matter more than ever for student success.

AI in Education

AI is one of the most visible trends in education today, and it continues to prompt important questions for school leaders.

AI tools are increasingly being used to support personalized learning, lesson creation, and instructional planning. Students report that AI helps them organize ideas, clarify concepts, and learn more efficiently. Educators are exploring AI to assist with tasks such as lesson planning, content preparation, and data analysis, creating opportunities to focus more time on instruction and building relationships.

Across schools, interest in AI continues to grow. Nearly all superintendents express excitement about AI’s potential to support teaching and learning, according to the 2025-2026 Education Insights Report. This optimism reflects a growing belief that AI may help address long-standing challenges related to differentiation and instructional demands.

At the same time, there are risks to consider. A concerning number of students acknowledge using AI on assignments without permission, while many teachers report catching students doing so. These concerns raise important questions around academic integrity, assessment design, and equitable access.

Views on AI differ across roles. While district leaders may see AI as an opportunity, classroom teachers—who manage distraction, plagiarism, and unclear policies every day—often approach it with more caution. Moving forward, success will depend on clear expectations, professional development, and consistent guidance. AI in schools is no longer optional; how it is used will determine whether it adds value or creates a distraction.

Teacher Burnout

Teacher burnout continues to shape some of the most important trends in education heading into 2026.

Educators consistently report being stretched thin by instructional demands, administrative responsibilities, and the growing need to individualize instruction. The issue is not a lack of commitment—it is a lack of time. Teachers overwhelmingly identify limited time for planning, professional growth, and collaboration as a major barrier to delivering engaging instruction.

The ��2025-2026 Education Insights Report makes one thing very clear: many teachers don’t feel they have the time needed to improve their practice, even though they know what engages students. That gap creates real challenges for long-term sustainability.

Burnout impacts instructional quality, student relationships, and staff retention. When teachers are overwhelmed, innovation slows—and even promising tools like AI can feel like additional burdens rather than supports. As districts plan for 2026, addressing teacher workload and day-to-day demands will be as important as introducing new initiatives.

Cell Phone Use

Student cell phone use has become one of the most visible classroom challenges and a significant current trend in education.

Teachers report a sharp increase in phone use during instruction, especially at the secondary level. At the same time, many students acknowledge that phones disrupt their ability to stay focused.

According to the 2025-2026 Education Insights Report more than half of high school students admit to using their phones during class, while nearly 80 percent of teachers say they regularly compete with phones and social media for students’ attention.

As a result, many districts – including mine – have implemented stricter phone policies. While clear expectations are important, I’ve also realized that these policies alone are not enough. When lessons don’t capture students’ interest, they will always find a way to disconnect.

Research and classroom experience show us that students disengage less when instruction feels relevant, challenging, and meaningful. In many cases, phones are a symptom of disengagement – not the actual cause.

Schools seeing the greatest success are combining clear boundaries with classroom approaches that emphasize student engagement and real-world connections.

Budget Pressures

Financial pressure continues to influence nearly every decision districts make, making budgeting one of the most pressing top tier trends in school education.

Increasing operational costs, staffing shortages, and competing priorities have forced districts to be more selective than ever. Health care costs alone have risen at double-digit rates year after year in many districts, consuming a growing share of operating budgets and limiting what districts can spend in classrooms. As a result, superintendents consistently cite limited classroom resources as a major barrier to student engagement.

The Education Insights report shows strong agreement across all stakeholder groups—students, parents, teachers, principals, and superintendents—that limited resources make it harder to support engagement and learning. This shared view shows why spending decisions matter more than ever.

Looking ahead, districts will need to be more selective about what they purchase, focusing on tools that save time and support student engagement. Rather than adding new programs, the focus will need to be on strengthening what schools already have.

New Technology

Beyond AI, instructional technology continues to play a growing role in trends in education.

Interactive content, real-world simulations, and digital resources are being used more often to make learning more engaging and relevant. These tools align with one of the central findings of the ��Education Insights Report: students tend to work harder when lessons feel meaningful and connected to real life.

Technology works best when it supports engagement. A K-12 online learning platform can help teachers save time while making learning more interactive and relevant. Tools that align with curriculum goals—rather than adding extra steps—are most effective in supporting teachers and student learning.

Technology alone does not drive engagement. When poorly implemented, it can distract from learning. The most successful districts focus on alignment—making sure technology supports instructional goals, classroom priorities, and long-term needs.

Preparing Schools for 2026: Finding the Right Balance

As schools prepare for 2026, the most influential current trends in education are less about adopting every new idea and more about prioritizing what matters most.

Using AI in our classrooms has real potential, but only with clear guidance and support. Teacher burnout is a profession-wide problem and can’t be addressed by adding more initiatives. Cell phone usage points to the need for more engaging instruction and student opportunities. Budget pressures require careful spending. And technology should always support learning, not distract from it.

The findings in the Education Insights Report reinforce a critical message: student engagement matters the most and must guide our decisions in 2026 and beyond.

Districts that stay focused on these priorities will be better prepared for the next phase of K–12 education, while continuing to keep students at the center of their decisions.

Discover the Latest Education Data

Get your free copy of the 2025-2026 Education Insights Report: Engagement Fuels Learning

Download Now

The post 5 Biggest K–12 Education Trends for 2026 appeared first on �Ǹ��.

Immersive Learning | �Ǹ����

4 Classroom Activities for Earth Day: Small Steps, Big Impact

Key takeaways

Earth Day learning does not require a full unit or complex materials. Short, intentional classroom activities can spark curiosity, critical thinking, and meaningful conversations about sustainability in just minutes.

Hands-on activities help students see themselves as environmental problem solvers. When students explore waste, innovation, ecosystems, and real‑world challenges, they begin to understand how their everyday choices connect to larger environmental solutions.

Earth Day works best as a starting point, not a one‑day lesson. Classroom-ready resources and ongoing student activities help extend learning beyond April 22 and build lasting habits of environmental stewardship.

Earth Day in Action: Small Steps, Big Impact in the Classroom

Classroom Activity 1: “Trash or Treasure?” (Earth Day Warm‑Up)

Classroom Activity 2: Explore the Circular Economy Through Innovation

Explore K-12 Environmental Education Resources

Classroom Activity 3: Student‑Led Environmental Challenges and Projects

Classroom Activity 4: Explore Ecosystems Across America

Corporate Insights by ours Partners Nucor & Itron

Nucor

Itron

Bringing It All Together: From Awareness to Action

Earth Day FAQs:

Engage K–12 Webinar: The All-New K–5 Science Techbook

Key takeaways

Science Techbook is a phenomena-driven, 3D elementary science curriculum built on the 5E inquiry model and aligned to the NGSS

Lessons come in ready-to-teach, editable slideshow format with embedded teacher guidance at point of use, reducing prep time while allowing easy customization

Literacy and math skills are intentionally included in science instruction: students read, write, analyze data, and communicate while doing real science

Flexible pacing and pathways help districts and teachers fit rigorous science into packed schedules without sacrificing instructional quality or coherence

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

Designed for Today’s Science Classroom

The Vision of Science Techbook

Educator Support

Building Core Skills Through Science

An Inside Look at Science Techbook

Engage Lessons

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

Explore Lessons

Explain Lessons

Elaborate Lessons

Evaluate Lessons

Formative Assessments

Integrated Literacy and Science

Interactive Glossary

Immersive Reader

Teacher Guidance and Options

Conclusion

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

�Ǹ���� Host and Presenters

Coming Soon for 2026:��Science��Techbook

Key takeaways

Approachable Tier 1 instruction motivates students to keep learning

Lessons build foundational math and literacy skills along with science and critical-thinking skills

Teachers benefit from an intuitive interface, slideshow format lessons, and a range of time-saving tools and supports

What’s New for 2026

Motivate Students with Approachable Tier 1 Instruction

Strengthen Critical-Thinking and Core Skills

Authentic, Applicable Math

Lifelong Literacy Skills

Empower Every Educator

Incorporate Three-Dimensional Learning

Engage K–12 Webinar: DreamBox Math

Key takeaways

New Focused Adaptive Pathways use the Intelligent Adaptive Learning engine to align DreamBox Math to a district’s highest priorities for standards mastery

Leaders can boost teacher impact and save time with DreamBox Math

The new in-lesson vocabulary tool expands student access to learning math with clear definitions, audio, and Frayer models for key terms

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

Align and Focus Instruction

State-Assessment Focus

Priority-Standards Focus

Engage and Activate Thinking

Explore and register for additional Engage K-12 webinar sessions!

Empower Great Teaching at Scale

Vocabulary Support

AI Assistance

Closing

Access all on-demand Engage K–12 sessions.

�Ǹ���� Host and Presenters

4 Easy Ways to Bring �Ǹ���� Experience to Students

Uncovering the Magic

Brandi Bergeron

Learn More About �Ǹ���� Experience and Discover How it Engages Every Student

Engage K–12 Webinar: �Ǹ������Experience��

Key takeaways

Experience helps educators deliver Tier 1 instruction that’s engaging and relevant—a key to making learning stick.

Expanded Curriculum-Aligned Resources, Curated Content Collections, and high-interest, high-quality content support intentionality when planning and delivering instruction.

Immersive Learning | �Ǹ��

�Ǹ�� Host and Presenters

�Ǹ�� Host and Presenters

4 Easy Ways to Bring �Ǹ�� Experience to Students

Learn More About �Ǹ�� Experience and Discover How it Engages Every Student

Engage K–12 Webinar: �Ǹ��Experience��

�Ǹ�� Host and Presenters

�Ǹ�� and Standards

�Ǹ�� and Instructional Timing

�Ǹ�� and Student Tasks

�Ǹ�� and Differentiation

�Ǹ�� and Routines

�Ǹ�� and Learning Checks

�Ǹ�� and Long-Term Success