December 6, 2024 4:21 pm
Published by: The Philadelphia Tribune
The success of the Thomas Mifflin School does not just rely on the students’ academic excellence and personal growth. The teachers, parents and staff also play a pivotal role by providing students with endless opportunities they might not receive anywhere else.
May include subscriber-only content
Learn about Pearl Harbor’s location significance in the Explainer video.
A Day of Infamy
Genre: Speech | Creator: Franklin D. Roosevelt | Date: 1941
Background
One day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered this speech to a joint session of Congress. In describing the actions of the Japanese military, Roosevelt hoped to convince Congress to declare war against Japan and usher American troops into World War II.
Transcript:
Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Excerpted from “President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ‘Day of Infamy’ Speech.”
Have students identify one phrase from A Day of Infamy they particularly noticed. Have them use this line to write a Lift-a-Line poem. Students should
Partner students to share their poems and discuss similarities, differences, surprises, and takeaways.
Call on several students to share how writing or discussing their poems shaped their understanding of the source or chapter.
Use this additional sourcing information to further contextualize the source in order to deepen students’ analysis and evaluation.
This is the first part of the famous speech from President Roosevelt to a joint session of Congress the day after the Pearl Harbor attack. In the speech, he informs the public about the bombing.
The purpose of the speech was to persuade both Congress and the American people that war was the only way to respond to the Japanese attack.
The audience was Congress, the American people listening on the radio, and the broader international audience of Japanese leaders and U.S. allies.
Roosevelt had long wanted the United States to become involved in World War II, and the bombing of Pearl Harbor was the tipping point. The speech was aired live on the radio. Roosevelt concludes the speech by asking Congress to declare war. They did so 30 minutes later.
The power of this speech, combined with the shock of the attack, persuaded Congress to quickly declare war, and it won the assent of the American populace. Ask students to reflect on the rhetoric Roosevelt uses.
Vocabulary that may challenge students includes infamy and solicitation. Be sure students are aware that Guam, the Philippines, Wake Island, Midway Island, and Hawaii were U.S. territories at the time of World War II.
To extend discussions, consider asking the following questions.
December 2, 2024 10:00 am
Strategic Acquisition Accelerates Imagine Learning’s Efforts to Create Impactful, Curriculum-Informed AI™ for Schools
Tempe, Arizona — December 2, 2024 — Imagine Learning, the nation’s largest provider of digital-first curriculum solutions, today announced the acquisition of Pango Education, a UK-based generative AI platform tailored for educational purposes. This strategic move enhances Imagine Learning’s capacity to deliver innovative, AI-driven solutions that empower educators and create impactful learning experiences.
Imagine Learning’s acquisition of Pango Education accelerates the development of its proprietary Curriculum-Informed AI™ tools, designed to address the growing need for personalized, standards-aligned educational solutions. With Pango’s innovative technology, Imagine Learning will enhance its ability to support educators in creating custom lesson plans and assessments, streamlining workflows, and responding quickly to evolving curriculum standards nationwide. This integration ensures that Imagine Learning’s solutions not only save teachers time but also deliver more engaging and effective learning experiences for students, meeting the diverse needs of today’s classrooms.
Elevating Education with Curriculum-Informed AI™
Imagine Learning’s Curriculum-Informed AI™ represents a new paradigm in education technology, providing a safe, reliable, and curriculum-aligned foundation for AI-powered tools. Unlike solutions trained on broad internet data or static textbooks, Imagine Learning’s AI operates within its research-based curriculum to ensure every interaction meets the highest educational standards.
“We are excited to integrate Pango Education’s innovative AI technology into Imagine Learning’s robust curriculum portfolio, setting the stage for transformative advancements in personalized learning,” said Jonathan Grayer, Chairman and CEO of Imagine Learning. “This acquisition amplifies our ability to customize lesson plans, adapt to evolving state standards, and create seamless, impactful learning experiences for the 18 million K–12 students we serve.”
Pango was founded in London, England, in 2018 by former math educator Adam Still and software engineer Richard Still. Their platform was developed to help teachers save time by streamlining access to diverse educational resources. By bringing Pango’s technology into its portfolio, Imagine Learning will expand its ability to offer educators practical, customized tools that address classroom needs more efficiently and effectively.
“Integrating Pango’s AI capabilities allows us to provide teachers with more control and flexibility in creating lesson plans and assessments,” said Jason Fournier, VP of Product Management, AI Initiatives at Imagine Learning. “This alignment with our rigorous content standards ensures that educators can meet the unique needs of their students while adapting quickly to curriculum and standards changes. The result is a set of tools that keeps pace with the demands of today’s classrooms.”
Imagine Learning reinforces its commitment to empowering educators with tools that address real-world challenges in the classroom by integrating Pango’s technology. Combining curriculum-aligned innovation with practical solutions advances Imagine Learning’s mission to support teachers and enhance student learning outcomes. This acquisition marks another step forward as Imagine Learning provide resources to meet the evolving demands of K–12 education.
About Imagine Learning
Every classroom, every student is bursting with potential. That’s why we pursue relentless innovation at the intersection of technology, people, and curricula. Imagine Learning creates K–12 digital-first solutions, working alongside teachers to support 18 million students in over half of the districts nationwide. Our core portfolio includes Imagine IM, Imagine Learning EL Education, Twig® Science, and Traverse. Our robust supplemental and intervention suite equips learners with personalized instruction for English and Spanish literacy, math, coding, and more. Imagine Edgenuity® and Imagine EdgeEX offer innovative courseware solutions, complemented by Imagine School Services’ Certified Teachers. Imagine Learning. Empower potential. Learn more: imaginelearning.com.
November, 2024
Educators can now create custom course splits. They can organize a course into trimesters, quarters, or modules to align with their grading/marking periods.
November 2024
Have you had a chance to use the new Cumulative Standards Proficiency Report yet? Using student performance data from lesson mastery checks, this report provides a comprehensive view of students’ mastery of grade-level state standards to help you to easily identify skill gaps, tailor instruction, and support student learning.
The report is available at the student-, class-, and now school- and district-levels. Read more about this helpful report and how to use it.
November 2024
Additional functionality has been added to the new rostering experience for Imagine Language & Literacy, Imagine Español, Imagine Galileo K–12, Imagine MyPath, Imagine Science Corner, and Imagine Purpose. Educators can now print student login cards for classes or individual students.
These cards also contain a QR code that can be scanned with the device’s camera to log in without a username and password. We recommend sending family letters home with login cards so parents and caregivers understand how to help students use these programs outside of school. Learn more.
November, 2024
The closed and media captions for elementary digital interactives are now available in both English and Spanish. This includes all speech and sound effects (e.g., “Happy Music Plays” or “A lion roars! Rawwwr!”). This update allows us to further inclusivity and accessibility for all science learners.
November, 2024
As the first and longest-standing premium IM-certified partner, Imagine Learning is thrilled to share that the new IM v.360 high school courses for Imagine IM are currently in development and will be available for back to school 2025. These courses — Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Integrated 1, 2, and 3 — will bring the power of problem-based learning to your classrooms, fostering critical thinking and deep mathematical understanding. With this innovative approach, your high school students will engage with real-world problems and collaborative learning experiences that help them develop essential math skills for the future.
As a premier partner of Illustrative Mathematics, we’re excited to offer the full K-12 suite of IM v.360 content, providing comprehensive, high-quality math instruction to meet your students’ needs across all grade levels.
Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to launching these exciting new offerings and click here to explore samples of the Imagine IM high school courses.
November 18, 2024 7:00 am
Academic integrity is one of the biggest challenges educators face in today’s digital classrooms. Imagine Learning’s recent webinar explored how widespread cheating has become, why students resort to it, and the cutting-edge strategies available to address it.
Maintaining academic honesty is essential to fostering a productive learning environment, but as more learning takes place online, the avenues for academic dishonesty have increased. Imagine Learning’s recent webinar, “Navigating Academic Integrity in Online Learning,” featured insights from Deborah Rayow, VP of Product Management, and Cindy Rojas, Product Management Director. Together, they addressed the current scope of academic dishonesty, how digital tools have complicated the landscape, and what educators and districts can do to create an environment of integrity.
“Cheating has certainly been an issue in education for as long as there’s been secondary school and colleges,” shared Deborah Rayow, reflecting on the persistence of this challenge. Cheating rates have grown alarmingly over the decades. In the 1940s, only 20% of college students admitted to cheating. Today, that number has surged, with studies showing that anywhere from 75% to 98% of college students admit to some form of dishonesty. Even at the high school level, around 95% of students admit to cheating.
Why the sharp rise? Rayow suggested it may come down to perception: “The vast majority of students who cheat report believing they won’t be caught.” When students feel disconnected from the learning process or doubt they’ll be held accountable, they may be more inclined to engage in dishonest behavior.
Districts should consider adopting clear policies on academic integrity, making expectations and consequences known. By providing training and resources that align with these policies, districts can support teachers and create a consistent approach across schools.
In today’s digital classrooms, students have access to a variety of tools that make cheating easier and more sophisticated. From scripts and bots that can automate tasks to answer-sharing platforms, students can leverage technology to bypass traditional learning efforts. “Our data tells us that students feel empowered by these tools because they feel the risk of being caught is low,” explained Rayow.
Educators can reduce opportunities for dishonesty by diversifying their assessment strategies. Consider options such as:
These methods do more than deter cheating — they allow students to demonstrate their understanding in meaningful ways.
Upholding academic integrity is not solely the teacher’s responsibility; it requires support at all levels, especially from district administrators. By establishing district-wide guidelines on integrity, school systems can empower teachers to maintain these standards in their classrooms.
The webinar highlighted how teachers can set clear expectations, provide consistent reinforcement, and design assessments that discourage dishonesty. While teachers play a frontline role in fostering honesty, districts can support this mission with broader policies and resources.
Districts should consider adopting clear policies on academic integrity, making expectations and consequences known. By providing training and resources that align with these policies, districts can support teachers and create a consistent approach across schools.
One of the exciting highlights from the webinar was Imagine Learning’s upcoming Lockdown Browser, a tool designed to create a secure and fair testing environment by limiting access to other tabs, applications, or resources during online assessments. “Our goal is to support teachers with tools that create fair testing environments,” said Cindy Rojas. The Lockdown Browser, as well as other easy-to-use academic integrity tools, not only makes it more challenging for students to cheat, but also helps teachers focus on what truly matters — their students’ learning.
When reliable tools are in place, teachers can concentrate on student progress without the constant need to double-check for signs of dishonesty. By reducing the temptation to cheat, tools like the Lockdown Browser support a more straightforward assessment process, where teachers can confidently assess students’ work and provide constructive feedback. This shift allows educators to prioritize meaningful interactions and focus on advancing each student’s understanding, rather than second-guessing the authenticity of their responses.
Stay informed on user-friendly technologies that reinforce academic integrity. Implementing secure, accessible assessment tools helps create a culture of honesty, giving students the structure to approach their studies authentically and allowing teachers to devote their energy to supporting each learner’s academic journey.
Academic integrity is a complex issue in online learning, but educators have powerful tools and strategies at their disposal. By fostering a classroom culture that values honesty, utilizing varied assessment types, and embracing new tools, educators and districts can build an online environment where integrity thrives.
November 17, 2024 8:04 am
Discover how AI is reshaping education through personalized learning, improved efficiency, and increased teacher engagement. Explore the latest insights from educators on AI adoption, professional development needs, and the importance of ethical use and data privacy.
Imagine stepping into a classroom where every student’s unique needs are met, where teachers have more time to engage with their students, and where the latest technology supports every aspect of learning. This isn’t a distant dream — it’s happening now, thanks to the power of artificial intelligence (AI). The 2024 Educator AI Report, conducted by Michael Hallowell, Market Research Manager at Imagine Learning, gives us a glimpse into how educators see this exciting transformation.
total participants in the 2024 Educator AI Survey
Educators are expressing increased optimism regarding AI’s positive impact. Teachers are beginning to see AI not as a replacement for their roles but as a powerful tool that can enhance their teaching. AI can take over routine tasks, such as grading and attendance, allowing teachers to focus more on personalized instruction and student engagement. This shift enables educators to spend more time on what truly matters — fostering a deeper connection with their students and addressing individual learning needs. By automating administrative tasks, AI helps teachers manage their time more effectively and dedicate more attention to high-impact teaching activities.
50%
of participants who use generative AI in the classroom find it makes their job easier.
Despite the many benefits, the integration of AI in education highlights the need for professional development and support. Teachers express the necessity for ongoing training to effectively utilize AI tools and integrate them into their teaching practices. Schools and districts must invest in professional development programs that equip educators with the knowledge and skills needed to leverage AI technology. Providing access to resources, workshops, and continuous support can help teachers feel more confident and competent in using AI, ensuring its successful implementation in the classroom.
38%
of participants report satisfaction with AI implementation. A major source of dissatisfaction is insufficient training.
84%
of participants view training sessions as most valuable in supporting generative AI implementation.
Teachers’ familiarity with AI in the classroom is on the rise, and so is their adoption and acceptance of it. From the 2023 to the 2024 report, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of educators who are not only aware of AI tools but are also actively integrating them into their teaching practices. This growing familiarity is accompanied by a shift in perception — from skepticism to optimism about the potential benefits of AI. As more teachers explore AI’s capabilities, they discover new ways to enhance their teaching methods and improve student outcomes. The increasing adoption and acceptance of AI reflect its potential to transform education and support teachers in their mission to help every student reach their full potential.
86%
of participants are familiar with AI in education, a significant increase from 75% in Fall 2023.
50%
report increased AI usage among teachers and students since Fall 2023.