Personalized Education
Focused on Better Results

User interface designers and developers. Teachers and technologists. Illustrators and software architects.

They’re all working together at McGraw-Hill Education’s Center for Digital Innovation (CDI), where the future of education is being shaped right now.

Based in Bothell, WA, CDI is a first-of-its-kind research and digital development center for pre-K–12 learning solutions. It’s a place, says Bill Oldsey, MHE executive vice president, that showcases our expertise in 21^st century learning and teaching. “We’re taking technology, communications and social media tools and combining them with the company’s century of education expertise,” says Mr. Oldsey. “It’s about getting and keeping kids engaged in learning by using the same technology that they love outside the classroom.”

A case in point: The CDI team is developing digital gaming technologies that instantly reward student success with awards and greater levels of challenge. This promotes sustained learning on a self-directed basis and builds problem-solving skills.

According to Mr. Oldsey, digital innovation has a huge role to play in “individualizing” education. This ensures that learning, teaching, assessment and remediation are paced and provided according to each student’s individual abilities.

CDI has already launched three offerings: Planet Turtle^™ (see sidebar); CINCH^™ Mathematics, a digital, K–6 math curriculum that uses the power of interactive whiteboards to engage students; and CINCH^™ Project, a collaborative learning tool for students in grades 6-12 that uses the latest Web 2.0 technologies.

Planet Turtle^™:
Serious Math, Intensely Fun

“We’ve seen an incredible amount of excitement,” says Dave Eisenmann, director of Instructional Technology and Media Services for Minnetonka Public Schools. “I have witnessed kids begging their teachers to let them take part…and heard cheering from classes that are told they will get to use the program. Teachers are also excited…”

What’s causing all the fuss among the 2,000 K–3 elementary students in this Minnesota school district?

It’s Planet Turtle™, McGraw-Hill Education’s virtual world for engaging, interactive math practice. Developed by the company’s Center for Digital Innovation, Planet Turtle™ is a serious educational offering using the same technologies that keep children glued to their video games at home. It rivets their attention through avatars, head-to-head multiplayer games and collaborative exploration while boosting their math education and their computational fluency. It makes learning fun… and it works.