Newsela Unveils Units, Vocabulary Instruction, Increased Elementary Content


Newsela, an instructional content platform, has announced three new features to be released in the fall of 2017. The announcement was made at the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) conference in San Antonio, TX.

The new features include Newsela Units, Power Words and Elementary Content. According to the company, it introduced these features in an effort "to help bridge the gap between how kids engage with modern digital content and how they engage with academic technology at school."

Newsela Units organizes Newsela articles by topic and sequences the articles within each topic. Each unit includes three sub-topics and a high-level guiding question. Each sub-topic is further broken down into "PRO Text Sets," which pair specific articles with classroom-ready teaching ideas. The first Newsela Units rolling out in fall 2017 will cover United States History.

Power Words is a vocabulary instruction feature. Newsela articles highlight high-frequency and high-utility words and allow students to read child-friendly definitions of those words as they are used in the article. At the end of each article, students can practice the words in a series of low-stakes activities. They can also add words and points to their personal Word Wall, and teachers can monitor individual and class progress toward goals.

Finally, Newsela plans to significantly expand its selection of content for elementary students, bringing the total number of new elementary articles per day to more than 10.

"We want to go beyond the textbook and help create an instructional content experience for the digital classroom era,” said Matthew Gross, founder and CEO of Newsela, in a prepared statement. “You’re also going to see a lot of new features layered on the texts themselves, making them more interactive… all beginning this fall."

Further information about Newsela is available on the company's site.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • digital learning resources including a document, video tutorial, quiz checklist, pie chart, and AI cloud icon

    Quizizz Rebrands as Wayground, Announces New AI Features

    Learning platform Quizizz has become Wayground, in a rebranding meant to reflect "the platform's evolution from a quiz tool into a more versatile supplemental learning platform that's supported by AI," according to a news announcement.

  • red brick school building with a large yellow "AI" sign above its main entrance

    New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

    In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.

  • stylized illustration of a desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone all displaying an orange AI icon

    Survey: AI Shifting from Cloud to PCs

    A recent Intel-commissioned report identifies a significant shift in AI adoption, moving away from the cloud and closer to the user. Businesses are increasingly turning to the specialized hardware of AI PCs, the survey found, recognizing their potential not just for productivity gains, but for revolutionizing IT efficiency, fortifying data security, and delivering a compelling return on investment by bringing AI capabilities directly to the edge.

  • Abstract AI circuit board pattern

    Nonprofit LawZero to Work Toward Safer, Truthful AI

    Turing Award-winning AI researcher Yoshua Bengio has launched LawZero, a nonprofit aimed at developing AI systems that prioritize safety and truthfulness over autonomy.