Science & Math | News

Arkansas Department of Ed Provides Statewide Access to STEM Activities

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 09/10/12

Students in Arkansas will have access to a Web-based tool to help them master math and science. The Arkansas Department of Education will be providing access to Penda Learning, a Web-based standards mastery resource for students in grades 4 through 10.

Penda uses avatars and competitions to engage students as they work through multiple activities, which are standards-aligned. Instructors can take advantage of the service's reporting features, which can report data by grade level, class, and student. That data can be imported by gradebooks and can show time spent on a given task as well as the activities and standards mastered.

"[Science, technology, engineering, and math] education is a key state priority and we are always on the lookout for innovative and proven STEM tools for the students of Arkansas," said Jim Boardman, an assistant commissioner with Arkansas' DOE Division of Research and Technology. "By giving our students access to Penda's engaging and standards-aligned math and science activities, we are supplementing our classroom teaching and helping teachers improve student proficiency."