Learning List has reviewed W. W. Norton’s Give Me Liberty! An American History, 5th Edition. This comprehensive product supports instruction in Advanced Placement (AP) United States History courses. Content is available in print, eBook, and digital (i.e., USB, CD-ROM) formats. Authored by historian Eric Foner, the text presents a traditional approach to U.S. history, including political and economic developments and international relations. The course’s extensive ancillary materials help shape content to meet the College Board’s thematic design for instruction. [Read more…]
Online Materials
Posts about Learning List’s reviews of online/digital instructional materials and apps
New Product Review: Vocabulary.com
Vocabulary.com is a supplemental online product that supports the development of academic vocabulary across core subject areas in grades 5-12. Content is fully online and some resources, such as vocabulary lists, may be printed. Instruction is adaptive. The program adjusts the level of difficulty based on individual student responses. [Read more…]
New Product Review: Edmentum’s Study Island English I and English II
Edmentum’s Study Island is a supplemental online product that helps students in grades K-12 master standards. Learning List recently reviewed resources for high school English I and English II. Instruction emphasizes preparation for standardized tests. Content supports teacher-guided instruction and independent study. Teachers may create their own lessons and assessments using online tools. [Read more…]
New Product Review: Pathways 2 Greatness SmartPrep Database
Pathways 2 Greatness’ SmartPrep Database is a test preparation product that supports students in grades 3 through Algebra I in preparing for Texas’ STAAR exams in mathematics. Test bank items are available online and must be printed for student use. Resources allow teachers to create customized assessments that address specific Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) at each grade level. [Read more…]
New Product Review: Edmentum Courseware™
Edmentum’s Courseware™ is an online program that supports instruction in self-paced, remediation, and credit recovery programs. Courseware provides comprehensive instruction in each of the core subjects, as well as in other content areas (e.g., world languages). Learning List recently reviewed resources for the Texas Algebra I and Texas Algebra II courses. Instruction is provided online and includes printable materials. [Read more…]
New Product Review: Scientific Minds Science Sidekicks
Learning List has reviewed Scientific Minds’ Science Sidekicks, which is a supplemental product that supports science instruction in grades 3-5. Content is web-based and includes some printable components. Instruction focuses on “chunking” standards into small, manageable amounts of content that are easy for students to understand. Lessons are presented using interactive slideshows that include opportunities for teacher-led whole group instruction, small group work, and independent study. [Read more…]
New Product Review: myON
myON is a supplemental online product that supports cross-curricular reading instruction in grades K-12. Content is formatted as a digital library of authentic texts organized by theme and reading level. Most texts are non-fiction and informational. The library is searchable by keyword and a variety of filters, including standards. Resources enable independent student reading and group instruction using interactive whiteboards. Learning List conducted and editorial review for myON’s K-12 library. We did not conduct an alignment review because myON is a library focused on developing students’ reading skills; it does not teach state standards. [Read me…]
New Curriculum Review: UTeach Computer Science Principles
Learning List has reviewed UTeach Computer Science (CS) Principles. This comprehensive product supports instruction in Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles courses. Content is available in a web-based format and may be downloaded as a PDF. Instruction is project-based and emphasizes collaborative learning activities that develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Student materials are available at no cost. [Read more…]
Frequently Asked Questions About Learning List
As the school year shifts into high gear, we are getting a lot of questions about our service. Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions.
What is Learning List?
Learning List is a subscription-based
We created Learning List in 2013 to help districts become better informed consumers of instructional materials. Initially, districts used our reviews to facilitate their selection of materials. Over time, subscribers began telling us that our reviews also helped them identify the best parts of their existing materials to use to teach each standard. As one instructional coach explained, “We use your alignment reports as a GPS through our materials to ensure that we’re using the pages that teach each standard fully.”
What types of materials do you review?
We have reviewed over 2500 of the most widely used instructional materials, including:
- Materials in the four core subjects, 12 Advanced Placement courses, Tech Apps and 85 CTE courses;
- Comprehensive and supplemental materials, including RtI, testprep, criterion-referenced test banks, and professional development resources;
- Publisher produced and free open educational resources (OERs);
- State-adopted and non-adopted materials (i.e., materials that were not submitted for state adoption); and
- English and Spanish versions of materials.
Subscribing districts get access to all published reviews and may request reviews of additional materials as part of the subscription. That’s why Learning List is a service, not just a website. [Read more…]
New Curriculum Review: Glynlyon Odysseyware Mathematics 300-500 and Language Arts 300-500 Series
Learning List has reviewed Glynlyon’s Odysseyware products for mathematics and English language arts (ELA) for grades 3-5. Although neither product was created to address the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) specifically, Learning List has conducted TEKS alignment verifications for each product at each grade level. Mathematics 300, 400, and 500 and Language Arts 300, 400, and 500 are year-long courses for students in grades 3, 4, and 5, respectively. [Read more…]