LearnBop (Website)
[FuelEducation (866) 912-8588; grades k-12]
   
            LearnBop is an intuitive math problem-solving program which students will enjoy as they learn critical math concepts. It offers more than 4,500 interactive tutorials with video support, and is aligned with CCSSM, Texas TEKS, and various state standards.
            The Student Dashboard is simple to navigate, providing useful information so students are aware, at all times, of the status of their assignments, assessments and progress. At the heart of the program are the 'Bops,' dynamic problems that respond immediately to student input - best described by the company: "LearnBop uses Socratic dialogue to model mathematical thinking, guiding students step-by-step to help them find the answers to math problems on their own."
             Math questions are accompanied by illustrations, and the student must choose from multiple choice answers. In the lesson on Classifying 2-D Shapes, a number of Bops must be completed to demonstrate mastery of a topic. Progress reporting is immediate and detailed, showing whether the answer was correct on the first attempt or with step-by-step help. The student has the opportunity to return and retry the problem after viewing the tutorial.
             Teachers will find it seamless to use features like Setup Class, Add Students, and Assign Concept (here, options are available to "Search for a concept" or "Browse our Content Suite"); and mouse-over information balloons are abundant. Without much ado, a potentially tedious task is completed and one arrives at the Assign Concept and Finish! button. Best yet, in-depth data reports are available at the end of each session to give teachers insight into the knowledge gaps holding students back - including those from prerequisite concepts. Teachers can then assign targeted interventions to help students close those gaps. The program also facilitates differentiated instruction for individual student needs.
              LearnBop offers a comprehensive curriculum which ranges from Kindergarten Counting and Cardinality to High School Statistics and Probability. Well done, FuelEducation.

Middle/High School eBook Collection (Website)
[Infobase (800) 322-8755]

          With more and more eBooks available through Amazon.com, retail stores, and just about everywhere else, it is refreshing to find an extensive online collection tailored to the academic needs of middle and high school students.  And what a collection Middle/High School eBook Collection is - thousands of titles in 25 subject areas, from Art to Zoology and everything in between.
          Primarily non-fiction, but with a strong literature category (over 800 titles are full text), the content is comprehensive and well-thought-out.  Featuring publishers such as Facts On File, Chelsea House, Project Gutenberg, Ferguson's, and Bloom's, teachers and librarians can rely on the selections. An added bonus are the EPUB books which can be translated into any of dozens of languages from Afrikaans to Zulu (who knew Zulu was even a written language…).
          Search functions are critical to successful research, and a general search for Virginia Woolf turned up 1584 results!  Middle/High School eBook Collection also offers extensive help and training, such as Getting Started, Training and Tutorials, How To Tips, and archived webinars.
          Middle/High School eBook Collection is winner of this year's EDDIE for Multi-Level: Online eBook Collection, and deserves a place in every school library.