Shaped

A community-driven blog supporting educators, building lifelong learners,
and shaping the future of education.* 

Latest Posts

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Using Data to Individualize Instruction

Find out ways to use data to individualize instruction for special education students.

Dr. Suzanne Jimenez
Director of Academic Planning and Data Analytics at HMH

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Technology and Personalized Learning

Discover the benefits of technology and personalized learning in the classroom—and digital tools that can automate the personalized learning process.

Aoife Dempsey
Senior Vice President Product Management, HMH

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Gamification in Education: The Fun of Learning

This article breaks down the question, what is gamification in education? Gamification of learning means that educators apply game design elements to an educational setting.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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Formative Reading Assessment & Usable Data

Formative reading assessments measure what students have learned so far—and the data help inform teachers’ instruction.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

Dr. Terry Salinger
Institute Fellow and Chief Scientist for Literacy Research, American Institutes for Research

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11 Education Trends to Watch in 2022

We asked ed leaders from across the country to weigh in on education trends for 2022. Here's what they had to say.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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Using Math 180 to Accelerate Math Learning for All

Math 180 is a math intervention program for students in grades 5 and up. Find out how to use the math program to accelerate math learning for all students.

Brenda Konicke
Director of Professional Learning at Math Solutions

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How to Find the Most Effective Digital Writing Program: 5 Considerations

Not all digital writing programs are created equally. Ask these questions when weighing your options.

Meghann Weis
Instructional Technology Coach, Patriot HS, VA

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Our Top 10 Ed Blogs of 2021: The Best of Shaped

Before we say goodbye to 2021, let’s highlight our most-read and favorite Shaped blogs.

Christine Condon
Shaped Editor-in-Chief

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Maximizing Instructional Time in the Classroom

Get strategies for maximizing instructional time in the classroom to meet your teaching goals and each student’s needs.

Jennifer Prescott
Shaped Contributor

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Research Insights: Online and Blended Coaching

Research suggests that online coaching has several strengths, including lowering costs while increasing scalability, which makes it overall effective.

Dr. Grant Atkins
Education Research Director, Professional Services

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The New Era of Education Is High-Tech and High-Touch

We can recover and transition into a new post-pandemic instructional model that fuses the power of technology with the tried-and-true social gathering of the classroom.

John "Jack" Lynch
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director, HMH

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Formative Assessment Using Technology

Dynamic formative assessment using technology helps guide teacher instruction and keep students on the right track.

Shaped Staff

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5 Challenges Teachers Will Face This Fall—and How to Address Them

In the new school year, teachers will face challenges surrounding social and emotional learning and potentially continued remote learning for some students.

Rachel Swartz
Sixth Grade Teacher, Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (MS/HS 141), Bronx, New York

Accelerated learning techniques for the classroom

Accelerated Learning Techniques for the Classroom

Need to catch kids up or move them forward? Try these research-backed accelerated learning techniques.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Virtual Academy

Creating a Virtual Academy in Your District? Here Are 6 Things to Consider

Some kids are benefitting from our experiment with online learning during the pandemic, and districts across the country are building virtual academies to meet their needs.

Dr. Robert Dillon
School Designer, Author, Educator

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Podcast: Creating Classroom Content Worth Watching with CJ Reynolds

Meet CJ Reynolds, a high school teacher in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By creating the teacher YouTube channel Real Rap with Reynolds, he has discovered that what might be ordinary for his classroom, may be someone else's extraordinary.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Education Trends 2021

8 Education Trends to Watch in 2021

We asked ed leaders from across the country to weigh in on education trends for 2021. Here's what they had to say.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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11 Most-Read Shaped Blogs of 2020

Before we say goodbye to 2020, we want to highlight the most-read Shaped blogs, written with you in mind as you navigated this most unusual year.

Christine Condon
Shaped Editor-in-Chief

*The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.