Two education foundations said Wednesday they are working to develop 24 new online reading and math courses that will be aligned with the common core national standards. The courses will be developed by the Pearson Foundation — associated with the major textbook company — and will include video, social media, games and other digital materials. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will provide $3 million for four of the courses to be offered free to schools. The initiative appears to be the most ambitious effort so far to align textbooks — online or otherwise — with the new standards and may position Pearson as a leader in the market.
Read about all the details in:
The New York Times Foundations Join to Offer Online Courses for Schools
MSNBC/The Associated Press Gates gives $20 million for digital learning; Video games, virtual schools among initiatives to try to catch kids’ attention
eSchool News: Gates gives $20M for digital learning, Common Core curriculum; Grants to aid schools in adopting common standards through online and game-based learning tools



