January 2025
We’ve made it simpler than ever for educators to report issues while previewing content in Imagine EdgeEX. This update enhances our commitment to providing exceptional service by streamlining the support process.
January 2025
When customizing a course, section, or enrollment, educators will now see that their actions automatically save and they can resume their customizations at a later time.
January 2025
Starting in spring of 2025, Intelli-Sync will expand its middle school offerings to support 6th grade math and ELA and middle school physical science. This expansion provides schools with an effective solution for filling teacher vacancies in these high-demand subjects.
With these additions, districts can meet their instructional needs with expert certified teachers of record in high school subjects and middle school math, ELA, and physical science.
Learn more about the Intelli-Sync service and discover why blending synchronous and asynchronous instruction is so effective.
January 7, 2025 8:00 am
Learn how to design an effective K–12 summer program that gives each student a chance to meet their personal learning goals.
Updated from original 1/25/22 publication.
Thinking about summer school in the middle of winter with the cozy season upon us and beeping phones giving weather advisories can feel like a distant dream. Yet, planning an effective summer learning program that works district-wide takes time. From kindergarten students who might need extra support with foundational skills to soon-to-be high school seniors who need credits recovered, districts have a lot to plan for.
While we cannot possibly predict every student’s unique needs, a few simple steps can help you make the most of the coming summer minutes and allow each student to say yes to summer learning with a personalized pathway to academic success.
Summer is sweet but short, and with a small amount of time, it’s best to set specific, tangible goals for your students now. That way, you know how to staff, what programs you’ll need in place, and teachers will know how to best prepare for a successful summer. Are there too many students at risk of not graduating on time? Is math performance down district-wide? Look at your data but don’t focus on the negative. Instead, take those needs and turn them into positive goals, such as: cut the percentage of at-risk students in half or increase math fact fluency in grades 3–5, so students are algebra ready — the more specific the goal, the better.
Involving students in goal setting is motivating, too. So, consider announcing your goals for students in a way that makes them visible, understandable, and motivating.
Not sure where the biggest learning needs are for your students? Consider investing in a comprehensive assessment system.
Once you know your unique learning goals, it’s time to dive into the planning. It’s easy for educators at this point to spend hours and hours on the internet googling, “how to set up a virtual summer school,” or “how to write a summer learning unit,” or, worse, downloading questionably sourced worksheets. If you catch yourself doing the same: please stop.
There’s no need to design your own program when curriculum designers have taken the time to create research-backed curricula for you. Save yourself some time and select a reputable provider who does the heavy lift. Students get better results, and you get more time by the pool. It’s a win-win situation.
Learning Goal: improve graduation rates
Pathway: an online (or hybrid) 6–12 summer school that allows students to recover credits in an adaptive environment that focuses on what they need, not what they already know
Learning Goal: math and reading skill concept recovery
Pathway: a personalized, adaptive, all-in-one intervention program that creates an individual pathway to grade level for each student and suggests targeted reteaching lessons
Learning Goal: enrich learning and prepare for the next grade level
Pathway: a supplemental program suite that creates more confident learners while also improving reading, language development, and math skills
Learning Goal: increase language proficiency for ELLs
Pathway: a personalized learning program that accelerates both literacy skills and English language development with specialized activities for multilingual students
“Set it and forget it!” with your summer learning programs sounds tempting, but we know how critical formative assessment is from September to June. We can’t forget that even during the summer, while we’re daydreaming about hitting the beach over the weekend. Work with your summer staff and curriculum providers to check for progress midway through the summer semester.
If you’re a virtual high school teacher, you can schedule one-on-one check-ins with students or virtual office hours. Be sure to explore your virtual program’s teacher data dashboard to see where students are struggling.
If you’re in elementary, be sure to build in opportunities for those one-on-one and small group reteaching opportunities that can make a big difference — a blended learning station rotation model works well for this!
Summer learning pressure to “close gaps” and recover credits can feel overwhelming — but don’t let that anxiety drive your program. Students did their best for nine months and often crave a change of rhythm, just like we do. Try creating a fun theme with incentives that coordinate with your learning goals (Blast off to Summer Math Facts Space Camp, anyone?). Most of all, allow the student-teacher relationship to take priority. When students know that staff care, see them, and believe in them, they’re more likely to work harder (especially when that summer sun is calling).
Learn about Washington’s inauguration in this Traverse 360.
Washington’s First Inaugural Address
Genre: Speech | Creator: George Washington | Date: 1789
Background
George Washington delivered his first inaugural address to a joint session of Congress on April 30, 1789, in New York City, the temporary seat of the U.S. government. Originally, the inauguration had been planned for the beginning of March, but because of bad weather, the electoral vote could not be tallied until April 6, 1789. Washington won unanimously.
Fellow-Citizens of the Senate and of the House of Representatives:
By the article establishing the Executive Department, it is made the duty of the President “to recommend to your consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
The circumstances under which I now meet you, will acquit me from entering into that subject, farther than to refer to the Great Constitutional Charter under which you are assembled; and which, in defining your powers, designates the objects to which your attention is to be given . . . Since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained: and since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally, staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American People.
Excerpted from George Washington’s First Inaugural Address, 1789.
After students complete the lesson, pose the following question to students:
What is the president’s role in creating major change?
Go around the room and have each student share aloud a short, quick response to the question. After all students have responded, ask:
Use this additional sourcing information to further contextualize the source in order to deepen students’ analysis and evaluation.
This was Washington’s first speech as U.S. president, addressed to Congress to express his hopes for a successful start to the new national government.
This speech introduced Washington’s goals and intentions as president.
The immediate audience for Washington’s speech was members of the Senate and House of Representatives.
This source conveys information about the ideals of government that Washington highly valued, such as “the eternal rules of order and right” and “the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty,” but this excerpt presents general statements without giving specifics.
Remind students that this text is an excerpt from what was originally delivered as a speech. Have students reflect on how reading a speech differs from hearing it.
Washington uses long sentences and unfamiliar words. Encourage students to annotate to practice the reading comprehension strategy of summarizing as they read.
To extend discussions, consider asking the following questions.
December 2024
Get to what you need in the Launchpad faster! Educators can now use filters in each widget to view the specific enrollments they wish to act on — saving them time.
December 2024
We are thrilled to share Imagine IM’s latest enhancement: text-to-speech.
With text-to-speech, students can hear their assignments read out loud, making it easier to connect with the content. As the words are spoken, they’re highlighted on the screen, improving focus and supporting literacy development.
Teachers have full control of the text-to-speech feature in class settings. You can adjust it for the entire class or turn it on for specific students, making it adaptable to your classroom’s unique needs.
December 2024
The Imagine MyPath grades 6–12 lessons are getting updated! While the video scripts, Mastery Checks, worksheets, and other resources you are familiar with will stay largely the same, updates to the visuals and audio will make the lessons more dynamic and engaging for your students. With approximately 40 lessons currently complete, you can expect to see the refreshed versions of all the lessons release on a rolling basis between now and September 2025. Keep an eye on the updated lesson video list in Imagine MyPath in the Help Center for the most up-to-date list of newly refreshed lessons.
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.