If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you know I love sharing news and updates from EdTech companies. So when I sat down with the Renaissance team at the ISTE Conference this year, I was excited to hear what they had to say. This spring Renaissance announced the acquisition of Freckle Education to expand their offerings for differentiated instruction in all subject areas.
Renaissance’s award-winning Star Math assessment already gives educators powerful insight into students’ math achievement and growth, showing mastery of math skills and subskills. With Freckle now in Renaissance’s line-up, educators can put that data into action with differentiated activities and lessons. Freckle gives teachers access to a differentiation platform so students can access learning materials at their level. They have instructional resources and practice activities for students in PreK through high school in four core subject areas: math, social studies, science, and English language arts. Since Freckle is free for teachers, you can jump in right away to see what it looks like in action.
Differentiated Instruction for Students
In the video below, you can get a feel for what differentiated instruction can look like in the classroom. Freckle helps teachers differentiate the what and the how of classroom learning. They are mindful of the time it takes to collect and curate resources for students. Freckle adapts to students as they respond to questions to give them “just right” resources.
Beyond the academic level of students, I like how Freckle Education takes into account student interests and the way they interact with content. Since the platform adapts to students, it can react to their progress and provide access to everything they need.
As you can see in the graphic below, the math and ELA categories include benchmark assessments as well as practice materials that adapt to the needs of students. There are videos and inquiry-based learning resources for students too.
Keeping Track of Progress
Within Freckle, teachers can monitor the progress of their students at the individual or class level. This includes data on the questions each student has answered and the time spent within the program. Depending on the way you monitor standard-aligned instruction, you might also appreciate the fact that Freckle indicates which standards were addressed through student practice activities.
The upgraded plan allows administrators to keep track of student progress and access student data, too. They can also view trends at a school and district level. This is in addition to seeing data as it related to individual students and individual classes.
Although the acquisition of Freckle Education is definitely big news, Renaissance offers lots of options for educators. They give teachers access to a variety of assessment and student practice solutions. With more than one-third of schools in the United States using Renaissance solutions, millions of students interact with their tools each school year.
Learn more about Freckle Education and Renaissance by heading over to their websites. If differentiated instruction is a priority this school year, you’ll want to check out these powerful resources!
