To meet the demands of offering more student-centered learning, two districts in Texas have recently selected itslearning (www.itslearning.net) as their teaching and learning platform. The learning management system is becoming an integral part of 1:1 initiatives and blended learning models in Clear Creek and Huffman Independent School Districts (ISD).
itslearning is a cloud-based learning management system (LMS) that works through any device. As a student-centered learning environment, itslearning gives teachers, students and parents access, as appropriate, to course materials, assignments, communities for collaboration, professional development tools and student progress reports. The platform’s personalized dashboards give teachers a way to share instructional resources, assignments and activities, and assessments with students and parents.
Joining Houston ISD in implementing the personalized learning platform is Clear Creek ISD. Andrea Winters, the district’s director of learning technology, participated in the evaluation process. “I was immediately impressed with the platform’s interface, streamlined curriculum management functionality and its focus on proven, data-driven pedagogical strategies that drive student-centered learning seamlessly,” she said.
HISD selected the platform in 2014 to consolidate all its digital resources into one web-based, single sign-on resource. Rebranded the “PowerUp: HUB” or “the HUB” to fit in with the district’s overall initiative, the content-agnostic, open-sourced platform enables HISD to host a wide range of third-party digital content and different file format types that support active learning, flipped classrooms, project-based learning and other forms of learner-centered instruction. The HUB supports IMS open standards to eliminate the need for customized integration of various platforms.
“We have a remarkable partner in itslearning,” added Winters. “From the superintendent’s office to the students, we share a vision that education is about providing engaging learning practices that suit everyone’s needs. They are a very innovative company that takes both a professional and a personal approach when catering to a district’s needs and proposing a functional and flexible solution based on those needs.”
