Summit Math 6
[K12, Inc. (866) YOUR-K12] - (Website)

         Summit Math 6 is a well-designed online math course that addresses the needs of individual students. Diagnostic assessments place students on an appropriate path, and there is support for those who need extra help, modules for English Language Learners, and challenging activities for advanced learners.
         Written by master teachers, cognitive scientists, technology experts, interactive designers, and researchers, Summit Math 6 is designed in sequential stages: Get Ready, Learn, Practice, and Review (see below). This instructional model provides rich, interactive experiences and mastery-based assessments that reflect the format of standardized tests.
         Get Ready contains (i) Lesson Introduction (ii) 60-Second Math, an engaging video with real-life applications (iii) Quick Check, an informal review. Learn utilizes (i) MathCast, an animated guided tutorial of key concepts (ii) A Closer Look - direct instruction covering core learning objectives (iii) Real-World Math (problems with fully-stepped-through examples) (iv) Summary (v) ELL content. Practice provides interactive activities such as Apply it, Worked Examples, On Your Own, and enrichment opportunities. Review gives additional and alternate material to help students review and prepare for assessment; and Assess is a Concept Quiz that checks student understanding.
         Special features make this program ideal for children in need of remediation: There is a gentle reminder - There was more to do; go back - if a unit is incomplete when the 'next' arrow is invoked. Instant scoring and the ability to immediately check answers reinforce learning, and a visual aid reminds the child of the module or unit being worked on. Graphics are age-appropriate, and a typical animation might show a school-age boy mulling through choices related to his savings account, with accompanying exercises using addition, subtraction, multiplication and decimals to calculate the account balance.
         Content and assessments are aligned with state standards, and the program offers a mobile, flexible curriculum. The K12 website offers a free trial and sample lessons,  and educators may request information on Tuition-Free Online Public Schools, as well as Online Private Schools.
           
NYC English Conversation
[NYC English, LLC (646) 705-8051] - (Website)

         Learning to speak English as a second language is hard.  English breaks its own rules, can never seem to decide how to pronounce words that should sound similar but don't (think of words that end in ough--enough, slough, dough, bough, cough, etc.), and changes drastically depending on locale (Jamaica, Australia, Yorkshire, Brooklyn…).
         Trying to design a method of teaching English to students for whom English is not their native language has been the subject of much research and discussion among experts and educators alike. Many computer-based and Internet-based efforts have been impressive but, perhaps, none more so than NYC English Conversation. New to the field (and to the BESSIES, where it won High School ESL/ELL Website for 2017), NYC English brings a definitive 21^st Century approach to teaching ELL/ESL.
         NYC English consists of three levels: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced, and each level offers 30 contemporary life themes.  The themes are divided into sub-units and begin with a young mentor who introduces each topic and encourages active participation. Writing prompts are added as students advance to higher levels, and all student work is recorded and displayed in both student and teacher dashboards.
         While similar to other English language learning programs, the differences are startling:  High-definition seamless videos, sleek graphics, high-quality sound, and a clean user-friendly interface are the most obvious.  NYC English provides many opportunities for students to practice targeted words and phrases - key vocabulary; line-by-line reading, which can instantly be translated into the learner's native language (currently ten languages are offered with six more coming soon); and analysis of pronunciation after recording and playback. NYC English can be used on any device, at any time.
         The goal of NYC English is to accelerate learning of conversational English and we believe that, as the designers add to and refine the program, it will truly do just that.  We look forward to seeing what the staff at NYC English can accomplish in the future.