Supporting Engaging, Effective Teaching in Pennsylvania Classrooms

Pennsylvania’s suburban Ridley School District set an ambitious vision for success when administrators partnered with eSpark in 2014. Over the past four years, the district has used eSpark to achieve impressive levels of academic achievement and student joy.

During a visit to Ridley, we sat down with teachers to learn how they’re using eSpark to accomplish the following goals:

• Differentiate learning every day in math and ELA classrooms
• Use data to inform small group instruction
• Increase student engagement in K-5 classrooms

Q: How does eSpark address students' unique learning needs?

“You can definitely see our high kids really being challenged in a way that sometimes even our curriculum doesn’t address. It’s putting our lower kids where they need to be without singling them out and embarrassing them.”

– Mr. Mike Terreri, 5th Grade Teacher

Q: How have you seen students grow while using eSpark?

“I believe differentiation really helps because students that need extra help on foundational skills are getting it while others are able to move on."

– Marianne Jeffris, Kindergarten Teacher

Q: What do your students like best about eSpark?

“Fifth graders don’t really admit to liking much, but I still hear kids giggling at videos all the the time with eSpark.”

– Mr. Mike Terreri, 5th Grade Teacher

Q: How has eSpark saved you time?

“I’ve been working with iPads for seven years now. When I first started, I had to find apps on my own, which took me at least 30 minutes a week if not more. I was testing apps, uploading apps, deciding if they were good, and if they were good filling out paperwork… Having eSpark do all that work for me saves me a massive amount of time.”

– Mr. Mike Terreri, 5th Grade Teacher

Q: Would you recommend eSpark to other teachers?

“I’ve been to iPad conferences, I’ve done the research myself, and I’ve been 1:1 for six years now, and I’ve never seen one program that reaches so many different levels and has the different formats. The combination of videos, questions, the apps, quizzes… I don’t think I’ve ever seen something (like eSpark) that has all those pieces tied into one.”

– Jessica Bowden, Teacher on Special Assignment