By Jorea Marple, Ed.D.
Ten-year-old Luke Maynus is used to hearing his mom, Lou, talk about math in public schools. After all, she’s the mathematics coordinator for the West Virginia Department of Education. Often, he tunes her out, but one evening when she was talking about new resources posted on the Learn21 Web site, his interest was piqued.
“I was so excited about things we had on Learn21,” Lou Maynus says. “I knew he was drawn to science so I started playing around with him on some of the science activities. The next week when he went to school at Ruffner Elementary in Charleston, he had some free time on the computer to explore educational sites. He asked his teacher if he could go to Learn21 and showed her the site. Eventually, he said every single kid in his class was on Learn21. He was so proud that he brought that information to the whole group.”
Learn21 is not a single course but a collection of learning tools that aids learning anytime and anywhere an Internet connection is available. The Web site offers students resources to get extra help in a subject or to explore new topics from preschool through 12th grade in subjects from math and science to the arts and foreign languages. The site allows students to take a more active role in their own education so that they become more engaged and eager to learn.
“Learn21 has all different kinds of games that you can play and all of them have different objectives so you can pick a game you really like the objective to and have fun playing it and learn at the same time,” says Ashley Blair, a freshman at Capital High School in Kanawha County.
Learn21 embraces the concept of learning through play. In reality, students have daily access to video games and interactive activities. The West Virginia Department of Education considered this reality and took actions to provide students with online opportunities that were both engaging and educational. All of the games on the Learn21 Web site have been vetted by West Virginia teachers to make sure they are directly correlated and aligned to the West Virginia Content Standards and Objectives.
The original goal of Learn21 was to provide after-school access to digital learning. Since its launch in 2010, Learn21 has also become a tool teachers use to supplement their lesson plans. On an average day this school year, there have been about 1,350 visits to the Web site. New resources are added regularly. “Lure of the Labyrinth,” a math game that helps students hone algebra skills, is a favorite among students at Horace Mann Middle School in Kanawha County.
“The fact that it is full of puzzles is what makes this game so educational,” says Emily Harrell, a former Horace Mann student who is now a high school freshman. “It’s hard to tell you are learning valuable math skills because you are having so much fun playing this game. That’s one reason I think it is great for kids and that’s why it’s great on Learn21.”
From preschool to high school seniors, Learn21 has something for every student. Pre-kindergarten, first and second grade students may enjoy working with Curious George to determine the height of objects using nontraditional tools such as tires, tennis balls or teddy bears. A quick trip to Letter Songs video clips will introduce students to “Q without U” and “The Double O.” Perhaps Sid the Science Kid will be the highlight of the tour for the day as students fill, observe, compare and contrast objects they add to their collection jars.
Third, fourth and fifth graders may assist Deborah, an artist, as she calculates area to find the number of tiles needed to complete a mosaic, or determine to what degree different types of sunscreen protect sunbathers. They then may go to the Electoral College Map State Game to learn what they need to do to be elected president of the United States. Savings Quest will guide students through the process of saving for the things they want and paying for the things they need.
Students in middle grades may visit Cell Craft to build a cell, fight off viruses and save the platypus species or embark on a virtual archeological mystery adventure to Egypt as they join the Case of the Pharaoh’s Puzzle. Perhaps an electronic tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island or an in-depth exploration of the Underground Railroad will bring history alive for sixth, seventh or eighth graders.
Students in high school can select from hundreds of just-in-time videos to address questions regarding math assignments, ranging from simplifying expressions and determining the properties of similar polygons to completing proofs for the Pythagorean Theorem. Science activities guide students through determining the blood types of hospital patients, investigating DNA and learning about position, velocity and acceleration vectors with interactive simulations from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
“Luke will often spend time on Learn21 at night,” Lou Maynus says. “That’s the awesome thing. So many of the activities on Learn21 are like gaming, and he is an avid reader and gamer. So much of what a kid has to do cognitively in a game are the things we want our children to do academically. They have to figure things out on their own and take a risk. The good thing is the risk is low on Learn21. If they make a mistake, they fix it and move on. That’s an important lesson.”
For more information, visit www.learn21wv.com, or call the Office of Communication at 304-558-2699.
About the Author
Jorea Marple took over as West Virginia’s 27th state superintendent of schools in 2011. As superintendent, she oversees West Virginia’s 55 public school districts, serving about 282,000 students. Marple, who has a doctorate in education administration from West Virginia University, has more than 35 years of education experience. Nationally, she served as a leader with the National Urban and Suburban School Association. She was invited to participate in Columbia and Harvard universities’ superintendent academies and has worked with the U.S. Department of Education, Council of Chief State School Officers, the State Educational Technology Directors Association and other groups.
