In keeping with our mission to provide a state-of-the-art learning environment at Somerset Elementary School, the Somerset Education Foundation recently approved a grant for an annual subscription for use of BrainPOP® and BrainPOP® Junior.
Founded in 1999, BrainPOP® creates animated, curricular content that engages students, supports educators, and bolsters achievement. BrainPOP® was conceived by Avraham Kadar, M.D., an immunologist and pediatrician, as a creative way to explain difficult concepts to his young patients. Today, it is used in almost 20 percent of U.S. Schools, and is growing internationally. You can learn more about BrainPOP® at http://www.brainpop.com/about/about/.
The Somerset teaching staff believes that use of this service in grades K-5 will increase student engagement and enrich STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. Many videos on the BrainPOP® site support the MCPS science and math curriculum with videos that correspond to MCPS grading indicators. For example, a science indicator for 3rd grade asks students to explain how technology impacts the natural environment and to recognize the relationship between natural resources and technology. The BrainPOP® video, “Dams,” provides important information to the students about how and why dams are built bolstering the classroom discussion.
The service will be used by students in grades K-5 within the classroom. Also, families with students in the school will have 24/7 access at home, making it easier for parents to reinforce what is being learned during the school day. The site is easy to navigate with videos sectioned off by topics and grades making it user-friendly. The Foundation is looking forward to having this resource enrich our children’s education.