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2020 was a year like no other. Between the global protests, the pandemic, and transitioning to remote learning, this year has presented challenges for children across the country. Istation wants to hear about your students’ experiences and how they were inspired this year. What did they learn about themselves? What important issues did they see, and what are their ideas on how to solve these challenges?

Istation’s middle school reading content is designed to focus on authentic learning experiences with diverse characters and stories. Read more about authentic learning for middle school students

Istation invited middle schoolers (students in grades 6-8) to share their perspective in Istation’s first annual national essay contest, Young Voices Make a Difference. Essays were accepted from November 16, 2020, to February 28, 2021. The submission window has now closed.  

Winners

Congratulations to the grand prize winner: Lucy Bench, New Canaan Public Schools, Grade 6  

Lucy’s essay focuses on the importance of reading and how much she loves it. "During the quarantine, books were my safe place and how I got away from my coronavirus-related anxiety.” 
Click here to read Lucy’s grand prize winning essay!


Congratulations to the regional winners:

Amelie Kentor, Austin Public Schools, Grade 8. Amelie’s essay focuses on working together to stop the spread of COVID-19. “Pandemics may mask faces, but they will never be able to mask the beauty of teamwork.”
Click here to read Amelie’s essay!


Josiah Belt, Atlanta Public Schools, Grade 7.  Josiah’s essay focuses on water and food inequity in the world. “There shouldn’t be people who aren’t able to get basic human necessities like water and food because of race, wealth, or where they live.”
Click here to read Josiah’s essay! 

 
Ashlyn Kim, Los Angeles Unified School District, Grade 6. Ashlyn’s essay focuses on the benefits of art and how it’s underappreciated. “Art can help relieve stress and carry you away on its wings to a world you have never seen before.”
Click here to read Ashlyn’s essay! 
 
 

Resources for Teachers

Get an engaging week of lessons to go along with Istation’s essay contest! 

Download the lesson for Day 1 here.

For more information and to get the rest of the lesson plans, please click here.

Building a Title I Intervention Strategy

While Hoover City Schools was successfully serving the needs of its Title I students, the central Alabama district wanted to streamline the process. To do so, they implemented Istation, an e-learning program that identifies learning gaps and provides engaging, interactive lessons and face-to-face teaching strategies to get students back on track.

Serving More Students with Istation

Being able to serve more students in one day leads to more student success, which leads to greater overall school success. See how one district managed to get more from Title I funding to help students succeed. Dr. Debra Walker Smith, Director of Federal Programs and Testing, explains how Istation’s formative assessments and adaptive curriculum helped Hoover City Schools in Alabama.

Blended Learning for Reading Intervention and Instruction

Free e-brochure shows how Istation differentiates instruction and personalizes learning.

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