MobyMax 
[MobyMax (888) 793-8331] - Website

         MobyMax's extensive online e-curriculum is designed to promote differentiated learning, critical thinking skills, and help students learn twice as fast. It offers stimulating, interactive lessons for K-8 students (adaptable for homeschooling ) which are aligned with the Common Core and State Standards. Students can earn badges, game time, and contest points when lessons are completed.
         The program finds and fixes learning gaps using Personalized Learning in all K-8 subjects such as math, reading, language, writing, science, and social studies. Pinpoint Assessments, a recent addition,  pinpoints gaps and identifies mastery utilizing two advanced modules:  Skill Checker (easily create tests and assign lessons) and Benchmarker (accurately measure student progress and assign lessons within a grade level). Interactive Classroom engages students with Whiteboard Activities and Student Response System utilizing problems and manipulatives.
         The Home page offers quick access to topics in Math, Fact Fluency, Numbers, Reading Level Assessment, Reading Stories, Reading Skills Literature/Informational, Language, Vocabulary, Spelling List, Writing Workshop/Assignments, Science, Social Studies, Test Prep, Phonics and Spelling Rules, Alphabet, Phonics Sounds-Blending-Spelling, Foundational Reading, Early Reading Trio and Sight Words - all preceded by a placement test.
         Children will love the colorful and easy-to-use interface accompanied by audio guidance. Lessons are scaffolded, and a Science unit on Cells teaches meaningful concepts such as, "Cells: The Building Blocks of Life" employing 41 problems/drills. A quiz follows; grading is instant; and an audio review reinforces the lesson learned. A charming feature is the gentle reminder that 'there is more to do' if the child tries to advance before completing a lesson.
          In Moby Reading Stories, literary stories and informational articles are paired with similar topics to encourage deep reading and promote critical thinking. Each grade has three reading levels, with 10 lessons for each. Every lesson has at least one literature text and two informational texts. All stories and articles engage students at all levels of reading. To ensure that the student is working at an independent level, the reading level adjusts if the comprehension questions are too difficult. Integrated quizzes and progress monitoring support balanced literacy models, as well as common core and state standards.
          Among the many useful tools for teacher administration and classroom management are: Roster, Curriculum Settings, Failed Lessons, Announcements & Tasks, Notifications, Assign Lessons, Data and Reporting, Add/Edit Students, Assign Lessons and Monitor Progress.
         MobyMax is recipient of multiple awards in this year's BESSIES. We recommend taking advantage of the free registration offered on the website.

UpSmart
[Edgenuity (480) 675-7284] - Website

          Studies have shown that middle school students who fall behind are at risk of not graduating on time - or at all. This is particularly true when those subjects are Math and English/Language Arts (ELA). Helping teachers to remedy that problem has been a struggle for many school districts, and finding a solution has been tricky.
          Edgenuity UpSmart addresses this with elegance and urgency - what we've come to expect from Edgenuity! A supplemental solution, UpSmart combines techniques that reinforce classroom skills with standards-based performance data for teachers. Performance data include targeted assessments, adaptive practice and instruction, 'just in time' intervention, motivation and rewards.
          UpSmart enables teachers to catch students who are struggling with the subject matter, and then offers tools to diagnose academic strengths and weaknesses as well as prescribe targeted learning opportunities. Teachers receive year-round information on each student and can personalize the practice needed to master grade level skills for success on high-stakes exams.
          Students experience UpSmart through a map interface: ELA includes Media Literacy, Nonfiction, Fiction, and Reading for Meaning. Math includes Rational Numbers, Geometry, Statistics, Ratios and Rates, Expressions and Equations. The exercises include a pretest, questions, and if the student begins to struggle, a detailed instruction screen with videos demonstrates the skill and remediation needed. When there is success in one subject subset, the student earns badges.
          UpSmart is invaluable for struggling middle school students and prepares them for success in the high school years.

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