Resources

Whether in-person, virtual, or hybrid, teachers have been superstars at helping their students develop strong work habits. A 6th-grade science educator, Perla Rodriguez, AKA The Glitter Atom, nurtures these work habits with students through her weekly classroom routines. With a goal of encouraging students to build valuable review skills, The Glitter Atom uses Legends of Learning as a weekly reinforcement tool: “I usually assign a Legends of Learning [assignment] weekly. We will take notes at the beginning of the week, do activities, and when they have free time, they…play Legends of Learning. This usually has [helped] my students [stay] on top of their work.”

The Glitter Atom uses her charming powers to weave student engagement into her science curriculum. She recognizes that enabling students to see learning as an enjoyable process can boost student achievement. To enable students to accomplish this goal, she uses Legends of Learning:  “The students are excited to learn because they know that it means they get a chance to play Legends of Learning. They are learning while playing games, and they do not even realize it.” Perla notes, “[although] it is a lot easier to see the students learning and having fun in-person, they are always asking if they can play at home.” 

Thank you Glitter Atom for creating a stimulating classroom environment for your students!

“Do what’s best for kids!” is positioned at the bottom of every one of Katelyn Leitner’s emails, and that is exactly what she aims to do as the Supervisor of Science Instruction for Suffolk Public Schools!

Science instruction in the age of the coronavirus presents a big problem: how can students complete lab work and experience hands-on, inquiry-based learning without access to a science lab? With cues from her teachers and students, Katelyn, aka Captain Engagement, turned to the Legends of Learning team to help solve this very problem: “With virtual learning, I wanted to ensure our teachers and students had an aligned resource that increased engagement and allowed for hands-on and inquiry-based learning to still take place.” Today, Suffolk’s students are thinking like scientists and through interactive engagement with the Legends of Learning platform. 

Teaming with Legends of Learning has teachers and students alike excited: “Our teachers are thrilled to have a science resource to use to assist with asynchronous learning!” As far as her students, Katelyn loved seeing the excitement in their eyes as they learned about this new resource: “The ‘hook’ is the gaming platform; students love video games!” Strong usage data across the district confirms that Suffolk teachers and students are enjoying the platform while also mastering science and math skills. 

Suffolk students “are not only intrigued by these educational games and making large gains in science, but the research indicates that video games can improve problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking skills”. Additionally, Katelyn recognizes how Legends of Learning supports district initiatives; for example, “it has allowed Suffolk students to check their understanding of content while engaged in the 5C’s”.  

Yes, Suffolk Public School students have “LOVED” creating their own superhero avatars on the Legends platform. However, we know that Katelyn is the true superhero here, doing “what’s best for kids” and providing a standards-aligned resource that “hooks” students into science learning. She has truly earned her superhero name, Captain Engagement! 

Back To Administrator Testimonials & Use Cases

Despite the hybrid learning environment, Brandon Thomas, aka “Mr. Magic”, maintains high expectations for his students. Day in and day out, he remains committed to providing his students with the high level of support needed to help them master the skills and content introduced in his course. Legends of Learning has provided Mr. Magic with a needed tool that promotes a classroom culture in which students can succeed: “I use Legends of Learning with my students not only as a learning instrument but [also] a reinforcement instrument. This is a guide for students whether virtual or in person.”

One superpower Mr. Magic greatly values is building student confidence through practice. Realizing the pivotal role that a student’s self-esteem plays in their learning outcomes, Mr. Magic strives to cultivate a sense of self-achievement among his students. Mr. Magic uses Legends of Learning to help his students increase their self-confidence, not only in the classroom but also in their application of course material outside of the classroom: “Legends of Learning is that accomplishment students feel when they have grasped a concept and are able to apply that concept to the real world. Legends of Learning is a great way for students to express what they know through a fun platform.”

Mr. Magic, we are so happy to see how you are empowering your students! Keep up the great work!

Recognizing that some of her students struggle with challenging math concepts, Chelsea Wright, aka “Professor Productive”, created a strategy to drive student success in her class. After teaching a course topic, she helps her students to revisit difficult concepts and skills in meaningful ways. How does Professor Productive do this? With Legends of Learning! “I use Legends of Learning to enhance my lessons. If we are going over something very tricky for my third graders, such as equivalent fractions, then I make sure that my lessons set aside time for my students to play one of the standards-aligned games. This way, my students are getting to practice these skills in a more enjoyable way.”

Professor Productive goes above and beyond for her students. She strives to meet their diverse needs by understanding individual areas of growth and figuring out ways to adequately address them. Legends of Learning has empowered Professor Productive to accomplish her daily mission of meeting students’ academic needs: “I have a student who is very bright, but hates anything to do with school and homework. I was having a difficult time assessing his learning because he was not turning in his work. I was able to assign a game from Legends of Learning after a math lesson, which he played. He then thanked me for letting him do something so fun, and we were able to find a common ground to discuss the skill and the issues he was having with the concept.”

Thank you, Professor Productive, for continually using your powers to create a positive, student-centered learning environment!

This school year, teachers have become superstars at adapting their lessons for remote learning.  However, there are still many challenges that persist, one of which is student engagement. With so many digital distractions, teachers have encountered difficulties in capturing and maintaining students’ focus. This challenge has led many educators to seek out learning resources that can supplement their curriculum. 

Georgina Asfour, AKA Hey Hey Ms. A, knew exactly what resource to rely on to boost student motivation and provide additional support for her students – Legends of Learning: “Using Legends of Learning has helped me engage students with fun activities that I can assign to all students. I have also used Legends of Learning to assign activities to certain small groups that need extra support in certain topics.”

This year more than ever, students are struggling to get excited about learning new course material. To triumph over this obstacle, Hey Hey Ms. A uses Legends of Learning to provide an enriching and engaging learning experience for her students: “Legends of Learning has brought a joy factor into my classroom that has been hard to obtain with virtual learning [and] gives my students something to look forward to at the end of lessons to solidify their learning.” 

Thank you Hey Hey Ms. A for finding ways to increase student motivation!

Creating lesson plans, especially during remote and hybrid learning, has become increasingly complicated. With students in various different learning environments, many educators have struggled to develop course material that can meet all of their students’ needs. Understanding the unique challenges brought on by distance learning, Amy, AKA Lady Ear-Theia, relies on Legends of Learning to help alleviate the stress of lesson planning: “Legends of Learning [lesson] plans can often be adjusted for remote teaching. I appreciate that they are both 5E and flexible enough to be adjusted for a virtual environment.”

Despite a change in where students are learning, Lady Ear-Theia still has high expectations for her students. One of those expectations includes having students critically think and analyze course topics to understand how those topics may apply to their own lives. Legends of Learning has empowered Lady Ear-Theia’s students “by giving [them] the opportunity to delve deeper into the topics introduced in class in-between synchronous sessions.” For example, her students were “particularly drawn to Journey to the Sea, which is a maze style game that teaches about the properties of matter.” After students played this game, Lady Ear-Theia’s students became engaged in meaningful discussion “about game design and environmental factors that [were] both unexpected and wonderfully aligned with [my] science/technology-based curriculum.”

Lady Ear-Theia, we are excited to see you equipping your students with the tools needed to practice their critical thinking skills.