As schools prepare to re-open, most struggle to support some form of digital learning— whether blended or fully online. Spring school closures highlighted that many teachers lack expertise teaching remotely and many districts do not have the digital learning programs in place to support high quality remote instruction. The Successful Practices Network (SPN) and Penda Learning have partnered to provide member districts with a powerful combination of professional development in remote instruction best practices and a digital, game-based platform to deliver rigorous online science instruction to students grade 3–10.
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“Blended learning will be essential to supporting student success in the 2020-21 academic year,” said Brad Baird, President of Learning 2020, the parent company of Penda Learning. “Penda Learning is proven to support at-home, independent learning of core science concepts. Our partnership with SPN ensures that educators have the knowledge, skills and confidence to teach effectively remotely using Penda Learning and other digital learning platforms.”
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Districts where Penda Learning was in use prior to school closures were able to transition to remote science instruction easily using the platform. In Duval County Public Schools (DCPS), a large district in Florida with more than 130,000 students, engagement in science instruction actually increased rather than students experiencing learning loss. Pre- and post-pandemic, DCPS:
- Realized a 192% increase in active students, as teachers leveraged Penda Learning for core science instruction delivery
- Documented that students logged 2x more usage (hours), doubling science instruction time and independent practice compared to previous academic years
- Saw a 137% increase in the number of activities assigned to students compared to previous academic years as teachers turned to Penda Learning to transition to distance learning
DCPS has used Penda Learning since 2017 to supplement, enrich and differentiate science instruction. Built on an interactive gaming platform, Penda Learning’s standards-aligned activities motivate students to learn independently yet support teachers in monitoring progress and providing interventions remotely. Matthew Campese, Executive Director of Natural and Social Sciences for DCPS, shared: “DCPS’ transition to distance learning has been an all-hands-on-deck process. Our four-year partnership with Penda Learning has proven to be paramount in facilitating the ‘switch’ from classroom use of Penda to distance learning use. Penda Learning has been invaluable in helping teachers maintain instruction and helping students learn in a fun and engaging way.”
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