A Computer Teacher’s Thoughts on Learning.com

As a company, we are always on the lookout for interesting products and technologies that we feel can make a positive impact on student learning. This fall, we were introduced to a company called Learning.com and were immediately intrigued by the solutions they offer. ET Team Member Cathy Frank and I were lucky enough to be invited to Portland, Oregon for a full week in January to be a part of the 2015 Learning.Com Sales Summit. What an experience!

A Computer Teacher’s Wish List

As a computer teacher, I created our computer curriculum myself and consistently struggled to find quality content to use in my own classroom. Assessing my students has proven to be equally as difficult and often occurs through observance of skills or class discussions, making it nearly impossible to accurately track need/growth areas. Learning.com offers a variety of solutions for easily implementing digital literacy curriculum so that any teacher could do it, even those you might be uncomfortable with technology themselves. Something so easy and well structured might well be at the top of any computer teacher’s wish list!

Learning.com offers a range of solutions for both experienced technology educators as well as teachers that might be “a little green” but still understand the importance of integrating technology into their classrooms. For those teachers who may even be a little unnerved by their lack of technology know-how in the classroom, Learning.com offers the Wayfind teacher technology assessment as well as lessons to help teachers achieve technology proficiency.

Learning.com’s EasyTech curriculum provides a consistent delivery across the district over topics such as keyboarding (near and dear to my computer-teaching heart), online safety and digital citizenship, next generation assessment skills, and technology skills that meet the ISTE-S standards. In addition, they offer technology assessments for both students and teachers to really allow me to objectively assess the 21st Century Skills of my students.

Don’t Kids Already Know This Stuff?

It has always astonished me that in a world so completely centered around the digital age, this area of education is often overlooked and many times it is just assumed that “kids already know this stuff”. I can assure you that is not the case. If we want our students to be thoughtful, creative and responsible digital citizens, we need to give them quality tools to achieve this expectation.

In addition to developing technology skills with the EasyTech curriculum, Learning.com’s Inquiry program also is a great start to implementing project-based learning in the classroom, providing 8 projects that cover English, math, science, and social studies. A pre-test at the beginning of every project addresses the necessary technology skills needed to effectively complete the project, thereby blending technology instruction into the core curriculum.

I have begun to use both EasyTech and Inquiry by Learning.com in my own school and am thrilled with the ease of implementation, and you should see how much my kiddos love it!

Excited Is An Understatement

Cathy and me on the Providence Park professional soccer field in Portland, the venue for the Learning.com meetings. You can already tell we are excited about Learning.com, can’t you?

To say we’re excited about Learning.Com is an understatement. After spending time in Portland with the entire company, I am even more convinced that this will be a fantastic partnership for Engaging Technologies. It was very apparent that this is a company that operates as a family, with the same ultimate goal that we have – to ensure that our teachers and students have the tools that they need to succeed in high school, college, and the workplace.

I would highly encourage you to check out Learning.com. We would love to have a conversation with you about what they offer and get you headed in the right direction in improving digital literacy and preparing students for high school, college, and the workplace!

For more information on Learning.com and how it might make a difference in your district, contact us.