When teachers consider how to incorporate Castle Learning Online into daily learning activities, they often plan to utilize it primarily in a computer lab setting with their students, but increasingly teachers are integrating Castle Learning Online with other available classroom techn ology. Computer labs tend to fill up quickly in schools. 

Many resourceful and creative teachers have discovered that combining an LCD projector or an Interactive White Board with Castle Learning Online has allowed students to become more engaged learners right in their own classrooms.

Using Castle Learning assignments in the classroom setting makes an engaging presentation. When all students can view the same assignment at the same time. Here are some possibilities for engaging students:

• Use the assignment as a warm-up at the beginning of class
• Take an assessment using bubble answer sheets then uploading the offline answers into Castle Learning Online
• Partner/group students to complete the assignment
• Create a game-like scenario where students pair up and keep score

In the game-like scenario, students can go to the white board and "touch" their answer choice. Alternatively, students can use individual dry erase boards or color-coded index cards to hold up their answer or represent the group's answer choice. Teachers report that using these techniques tends to engage students a bit more than completing a traditional assignment using paper and pencil.

When using Castle Learning Online in conjunction with an LCD projector or Interactive White Board, teachers may start with a previous assignment or create an assignment to use as a whole class instructional tool. Instead of assigning it to students, click the "Self Assign" tab and the "Assign to myself" link. Then access the assignment through the Teacher's Student Home Page. Click your bold blue name and follow the links to start the assignment.

Share Your Tips

Schools are evaluating the value of the products and services purchased throughout the academic year with a watchful eye on the bottom line. Dealing with budget cuts challenges schools to be more flexible and efficient in determining their annual spending. 

But here's some good news: Quality education doesn't have to suffer because of less money.  It does mean that each dollar should be spent wisely and maximized to its potential.  The structure of Castle Learning actually helps school administrators reduce costs by simply analyzing their purchases and determining whether the same benefits can be obtained from one product already purchased.  The added values offered by Castle Learning can actually reduce expenses. 

  Castle Learning stretches dollars in ways other products can't! 

Here's more money-savings features:

 Does your school or district need an ESL/ELL tool?  Castle Learning now features a new ESL component, again at No Additional Charge.

Contact your Castle Learning Territory Manager to schedule a cost analysis of the benefits this tool can offer and how it can save money on your budget. 

For many students, math is a dreaded word, let alone subject. Students with weak basic math skills tend to experience tension, anxiety and even apprehension as they enter the math classroom. Some feel pressured by their peers and even teachers when they can't figure out how to work a problem. Castle Learning Online can help students start to build a stronger foundation in math by utilizing several features found on the Student Home Page. 

For some students, using technology to help build those basic skills can help remove preconceived barriers, ultimately leading to a less stressful environment. Students can work at their own pace, select skills they feel comfortable with and build from there.

Castle Learning Online allows students to access content from grades 3-12 in all subjects by means of the four drop-down course menus found on the Student Home Page. Select either the Elementary Math or Intermediate Math course and click the GO button. This takes you to the course Activities Page. Unique to these two courses is the Skill Review activity that allows students to select a particular skill (one at a time) to practice at their own pace. Students can also select the difficulty level at which they would like to work:  basic, intermediate or advanced. Castle Learning Online will then create a series of short questions for students to answer. The Skill Review activity keeps a running score while the student is working on a particular skill and level. Once the student hits the BACK button, the session is over. It is not permanently graded like regular assignments. This takes the pressure off students who miss some problems or do not fully understand certain concepts.

Also from the Activities Page, students can also create their own Short Answer Review assignments that mix more than one concept on a particular assignment. Students can complete these assignments just like the ones that they get from their teachers. That is, Castle Learning Online will provide students with instant feedback in the form of hints, vocabulary, and reasons when answering questions. These sessions are graded and can be viewed by teachers. Many teachers encourage use of these self-generated short answer assignments for extra credit.

Vocabulary can also be a barrier for students who are not familiar with particular math terms. Castle Learning Online allows students to look up vocabulary terms by using the Vocabulary Review link located on the course Activities Page.

A strong math foundation is key for students to succeed. When students start to build confidence in math, it is amazing to watch their scores and attitudes improve!  Castle Learning Online can help close the gaps for students who are struggling in math!

I assigned one of my assignments to students, but when I went to the Student Home Page, I didn't see anything.  Will my students be able to see my assignment?

What an excellent question!  The best way to think of your Student Home Page is as a preview portal.  It does not mirror your students' pages, but rather gives you a place to preview an assignment through the eyes of a student or work interactively on an assignment in class.

When you assign work to your students, they will see it as an incomplete assignment the next time they login.  The way to view the assignment on your Student Home Page is by following these steps:

1. From the Teacher Home Page click Assignment
2. Locate the assignment you wish to assign to yourself
3. Click the Assign/Monitor Students icon
4. Near the top of the page click the Self Assign tab
5. Click the Assign To Myself link
6. Once you assign the assignment to yourself, click the Home link at the top right of the page.  This will take you back to the Teacher Home Page
7. Click the Student Home Page link near the bottom of the page
8. Click your name, highlighted in blue, under Your Classes
9. Click the Activity you wish to access, also highlighted in blue
10. Begin taking the assignment as if you were a student

Answer

In order to maintain the integrity of student data for reporting purposes, assignment data cannot be cleared for a student.  The best way to allow students to take an assignment again is to use the Duplicate feature.  The Duplicate feature allows teachers to recreate, with just a few clicks, an exact replica of an original assignment. The duplicated assignment can then be assigned to your students as a Retake. To prevent a student from accessing and obtaining the answers from the original assignment, you will need to change the mode on the original assignments to Lock. It is recommended that you change the mode to Lock for ALL students who were previously assigned the original assignment in order to prevent the sharing of answers.  See the steps below.

To duplicate an assignment, follow these steps:

 To lock a previously assigned assignment:

Have Comments or Suggestions?

Email us at support@castlelearning.com