Learn with Socrates! Get started before the year ends
This post is sponsored by Socrates. All opinions are my own.
When implementing technology into our classrooms, it’s important to consider our purpose when deciding which tool to try. Our goal should be to leverage technology in a way that helps to empower students, promote personalized and student-driven learning, and amplify their learning potential.
As the school year winds down, I think we have a great opportunity to provide some new, authentic learning experiences for our students. We can use these last few weeks of school to do some really cool things. If you notice that students are kind of drained or their motivation or engagement seems to be lacking, then I think it’s the perfect opportunity to try something that you’ve had on your mind but never quite found the time, or to try something new that you recently learned about. Either way, in my own experience, I have seen improvements in these areas by providing access to different digital tools for students to choose from and that meet their needs and interests. Of course, finding something that enables students to have fun while learning is never a bad thing. I recently found something that will definitely help: Socrates
Why Socrates?
Socrates provides a unique game-based learning platform for differentiating instruction for students. Using Socrates, teachers have access to a wealth of resources and ways to better engage students in learning, helping them to build their skills in content areas such as Math and English through the use of games. Using artificial intelligence, it adjusts to student needs by creating an individualized learning path in real-time, which makes Socrates stand out from other learning platforms. It is easy for teachers to track student progress and quickly identify where students are on their learning journey. It enables students to progress at a pace that meets their individual needs and provides them with the right supplemental resources they need when they need them.
Getting started with Socrates is easy!
Finding time is always a challenge with so much to do in our school days and prepping throughout the week. However, with Socrates, teachers can quickly set up an account, add students to classes and start assigning free practice, homework, and tests in no time at all. The Teacher and School Command Center Modules in Socrates provide a powerful teacher assistant that informs teachers when and where each student needs help. Being able to act on that information quickly is key for teachers, and this is where the AI makes an impact on student learning and growth. Get started today! (link)
Worried about having devices that are compatible with? No worries as Socrates can be used on a PC, Mac, Chromebooks, Android, and iOS devices. Students can work in class or on their own schedule wherever they have access to a device.
How to get students started
To add new students, simply follow these steps:
- Go to your teacher Dashboard and select “Manage.”
2. Click the student icon to add a new student.
3. Enter student first and last name.
4. Add a student ID (at least 4 digits).
5. Select the grade level for the student.
6. Click “Create a student account and add to the roster.”
Making changes to student account information is easy using the Command Center. Teachers can specify a grade level, an active area of study, learning style, and gameplay (ranging from High gameplay to No games). Assessing student progress and making changes to their learning profile is easy to do within the Command Center.
Free practice, homework, and tests
It is easy to find the right activities for students and to start a class or set up activities for students to work on at a later time.
To get started:
- On the dashboard, select “Assignments.”
- Once assignment opens, select the Area of Study (K through 5th) and the content area (Math or Language Arts)
- Select the topic, and continue making selections for the specific content material.
- On the Assignment details, change the name, the number of questions, add a start and end date if applicable.
- Choose to assign as Free Practice, Homework, or to Print.
- Once selected, the assignment is added to the student____________ and a box prompts you with “OK” to signify the assignment has been created.
First impressions
Before getting students logged in, we discussed artificial intelligence and how it was used in the Socrates platform. Students were excited to get started. I was impressed by how quickly I could create accounts for my students and get them logged in. They were able to navigate the platform without my assistance and enjoyed having so many choices in which games to try first. Being able to track their progress and make adjustments so quickly is definitely a benefit of the Socrates platform.
If you have not yet tried it, I recommend getting started here. Socrates offers a 30-day free trial, and I encourage you to try it out for the rest of the school year and see what students think and reflect on how it benefits their learning now and through the summer. For more information, see the blog, be sure to share your feedback and also follow Socrates on Twitter: @learnwithsocra1
