Tract is an educational platform that provides hands-on activities and project-based learning resources to help students ages 8+ to develop the skills required for 21st century classroom including creativity, self-directed learning, and critical thinking skills. Tract's pedagogical philosophy is informed by a student-centered peer-to-peer model where students create and share projects with their fellow students in a safe environment.
Using Tract, students get access to a wide variety of projects and activities covering different topics including music, technology, world culture, food, sports, nature, arts, and many more. As students work on challenges and complete missions they receive rewards in the form of coins ("an experience based currency that can be traded in for gifts of recognition to other learns on Tract").
As a teacher, you can open your Tract account for free using this promo code EDUCATORSTECHNOLOGY. Set up a class for your students and invite them using a generated code. Students log in to Tract using a username and password. Once logged in, students can take and create learning paths. According to Ari, co-founder of Tract, learning paths are "project-based, self-directed video courses". Students can browse through the collection of learning paths created by other students. Each learning path includes information about the student creator, supplies needed, difficulty levels corresponding to each project (e.g., easy, medium, and advanced), and an outline of the steps to complete the project.
Tract projects are meant to help students unleash their creative competencies and develop an active learning style. For instance, students are encouraged to use reflection questions in projects to share their thoughts and reflections. They can also interact directly with student creators, ask them questions about their projects, and learn from their expertise.
Tract's projects gallery is where students get to explore a wide array of projects created through various learning paths. They can check individual projects and interact with them by adding likes and comments. They can also create and share their own projects with Tract community.
In fact, Tract's reward system is one the best features you can find in a learning platform. It does not only provide students with incentives to learn but also help them develop social emotional learning skills. For instance, as they interact with projects and complete missions, students get awarded coins. They can use accumulated coins to reward other students or they can redeem them in Tract's shop for social impact. The shop features various causes aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals which students can take action against.
Another excellent feature from Tract is that it provides educators and teachers with real time insights about their students' learning. Using the educator dashboard, teachers "can track student progress, moderate class submissions, and coach and guide learners through project awards and feedback."
For those of you using the principle of Genius Hour in their classrooms, Tract has this interesting guide to help you supercharge your Genius Hour/20% time and help your students take control of their learning while engaging in a wide variety of self-direct and creative projects.
Head over to Tract and use the promo code EDUCATORSTECHNOLOGY to start setting up your class.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.
