Instructure Integrates State and National STEM Standards into Canvas

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Instructure today announced it has integrated state and national STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) standards for K-12 students into its cloud-based Canvas learning platform. With the STEM standards preloaded into Canvas, K-12 teachers can more easily move toward outcomes-based education and infuse key STEM content into their curriculum.

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As Instructure's latest move to spur innovation within K-12, the new Canvas functionality is available to more than 3 million K-12 students and teachers and more than 150 school districts. To promote STEM education, Instructure has partnered with Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation's leading provider of STEM programs, which uses Canvas as its learning platform to deliver its STEM curriculum to more than 3,000 teachers and 5,000 elementary, middle and high schools nationwide.

"Together with our Project Lead The Way partnership, this integration makes it easier for teachers to enable outcomes-based education in a digital learning environment for K-12 students," said Brian Whitmer, co-founder and chief learning officer at Instructure. "Personalizing instruction for every student, every day is a management nightmare, and this feature will be a huge help in reducing administrative headaches and accelerating the development of STEM programs, in particular. We are thrilled to play an integral part in helping educators advance this curriculum initiative."

One example of an institution advancing outcomes-based education is the Science Leadership Academy (SLA), a progressive science and technology high school in Philadelphia. An inquiry-driven, project-based, one-to-one laptop school, the SLA views outcomes-based education as the future of teaching and learning in K-12 and is considered to be one of the pioneers of the School 2.0 movement nationally and internationally.

"As we become more sophisticated in our ability to give meaningful feedback to students, we leverage technology platforms like Canvas, which provides a framework that enables this progressive way of teaching and learning," said Chris Lehmann, founding principal of the SLA and a recognized industry leader in education reform.

Through its commitment to STEM education, Instructure is helping schools prepare students to succeed in the emerging STEM job market. The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that jobs in science, technology, engineering and math will grow 17 percent by 2018—nearly double the growth for non-STEM fields.

About Instructure

Instructure is a technology company committed to improving education. Instructure provides instructors and students modern tools and resources that empower and simplify the learning experience. Instructure offers Canvas, the open, easy-to-use, cloud-native learning management system, as well as Canvas Network, an index of open, online courses by educators everywhere, from Ivy League institutions to community colleges. To keep learning visit www.instructure.com.

Contacts

Devin Knighton, Director of Public Relations at Instructure
(801) 722-8187 | [email protected]
Twitter: @devinknighton | www.instructure.com

Brad Plothow, Method Communications
(801) 461-9777 | [email protected]

SOURCE Instructure