Prodigy

This week we got the opportunity to explore coding and gamification in the classroom. We were able to explore several different sites as a way to integrate technology and education. A platform we explored, that particularly stood out to me was Prodigy.

Prodigy created a site that contains math and literacy educational games. The idea behind it was to create learning games that align with the curriculum that make learning fun! The prodigy site advertises their safe storage of data, personalized learning, supporting learning outcomes, and having a free version, ensuring it is accessible for all students. A huge benefit of gamifying a subject like math or literacy is that students can play the game, without feeling like they are ‘working’, which increases student engagement and outcomes! 

 The math game align with grade 1-8 learning outcomes, and the English games align with grades 1-6 learning standards. These learning standards include standards from both Canada, the United States, and other countries. 

How it can help teachers

Prodigy supports teachers classroom instruction in several different ways. Teachers can customize the content that their students receive, as well as receive real time data on their students engagement and success. Because it is fun for students, it increases classroom engagement and students get more time on task in the classroom. The site provides hints, feedback, and has a read-aloud feature so all students are able to navigate the games and questions independently. See the teacher dashboard tutorial below!

I think prodigy is a great tool to use as a part of math or literacy centers, as it can give teachers an opportunity for groups of students to work independently while teachers work with other small groups of students. This is something I am very excited to incorporate into my future classroom!

Pitfalls to be aware of

Math and literacy is only a part of the game, so students aren’t spending their entire time on the game learning and doing questions. This can both be a pro and a con, as it increases engagement, but students get less practice doing questions. 

Families can choose to purchase the premium version, which can create inequities of learning opportunities in the classroom. There should be an affordable option to get the premium package for the whole class, rather than some students families purchasing it and others not. 

The final concern that prodigy brings is: are students already having too much screen time daily? Is prodigy just giving students another opportunity to be behind a screen, are there better unplugged options that can have the same level of student engagement and interest?