Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Debuts Digital Language Arts Program for Middle and High School Students

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has unveiled Collections 2015, a new digital language arts program for students in grades 6-12.

Common Core-aligned and organized into six thematic groups, Collections includes multi-genre texts, flexible digital components, an interactive space for writing and editing, and personalized dashboards for users to monitor their progress and plan. Collections also includes a companion site, hmhfyi.com, with current and curated resources designed to complement key topics.

"Collections places instructional focus on analysis, drawing inferences and conclusions, and producing evidence-based writing," according to a company news release. "Complex anchor texts and performance tasks challenge students to analyze and synthesize fiction, literary nonfiction, informational texts, and other media, including extensive resources from History, Lifetime, A&E, and Bio. Additional audio-visual components, such as text recordings and 'screencasts' further sharpen research, writing, and discussion skills, while in-text annotation and audio tools support close reading."

Other features of the HTML5-based Collections include:

  • The Teacher and Student Digital Edition Dashboard allows teachers and students to communicate directly and allows users to annotate, monitor progress, submit assignments, and access assessment tools;
  • myWriteSmart is a collaborative writing and publishing platform that allows users to compose assignments, complete performance tasks, and participate in class discussions, among other activities;
  • mySmartPlanner provides lesson planning and organizational tools for instructors;
  • myNotebook, for note-taking and organizing ideas; and
  • Close Reader, texts designed for students to practice close reading techniques.

"Collections is designed for active participation and promotes meaningful use of technology with its intuitive fusion of digital and print components," said Mary Cullinane, chief content officer and executive vice president of corporate affairs, in a prepared statement. "The curriculum helps schools make the key instructional shifts related to [Common Core State Standards] and engages and inspires students in new ways as they analyze a variety of texts, collaborate with peers and teachers, and gain confidence in their voices."

Collections 2015 is currently being piloted in St. Vrain, CO and Salt Lake City, UT and is available to other schools and districts for sampling and evaluation. Visit hmhco.com/collections for more information.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • elementary school boy using a laptop with a glowing digital brain above his head and circuit lines extending outward

    The Brain Drain: How Overreliance on AI May Erode Creativity and Critical Thinking

    Just as sedentary lifestyles have reshaped our physical health, our dependence on AI, algorithms, and digital tools is reshaping how we think, and the effects aren't always positive.

  • robot brain with various technology and business icons

    Google Cloud Study: Early Agentic AI Adopters See Better ROI

    Google Cloud has released its second annual ROI of AI study, finding that 52% of enterprise organizations now deploy AI agents in production environments. The comprehensive survey of 3,466 senior leaders across 24 countries highlights the emergence of a distinct group of "agentic AI early adopters" who are achieving measurably higher returns on their AI investments.

  • tutor and student working together at a laptop

    You've Paid for Tutoring. Here's How to Make Sure It Works.

    As districts and states nationwide invest in tutoring, it remains one of the best tools in our educational toolkit, yielding positive impacts on student learning at scale. But to maximize return on investment, both financially and academically, we must focus on improving implementation.

  • blue and green network lines

    HPE Intros Agentic AI Enhancements to Mist Platform

    HPE recently introduced new capabilities for its Juniper Mist platform that leverage agentic AI to enable more autonomous, intelligent, and proactive network operations.