iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

This week testing season officially begins. Edtech products can play an important role in students’ preparation for exams, as well as supporting extending learning beyond the classroom throughout the year. Here are 11 edtech products helping to ease the pressure on students and teachers at what can be a stressful time of year.

Decades of research show that homework has some benefits, especially for students in middle and high school—but there are risks to assigning too much.

In decades past, students needed little more than paper, pencils, and time to get their schoolwork done. For the vast majority of students, that's no longer the case. Most schoolwork these days necessitates a computer and an internet connection, and that includes work to be done at home. One federal survey found that 70 percent of American teachers  assign homework that needs to be done online; 90 percent of high schoolers say they have to do internet-based homework at least a few times a month. Nearly half of all students say they get such assignments daily or almost daily.

Social studies homework can be boring when it only consists of reading a textbook. It can also be boring and long when students are required to research or memorize geography. For these reasons, many students claim that they don’t enjoy the social studies. But, geography, history, civics, sociology, and political science can be very enjoyable when made interactive.

Many teachers are taking advantage of interactive assignments, activities, and documentaries in the classroom. Now, students can continue that interactive learning and studying at home while completing homework.