www.sublimelearning.com Retail price: Introductory price, $995–$700 per school; additional discounts for district-wide and multiple-year subscriptions
By MaryAnn Karre
Sublime Learning helps schools integrate existing technology— currently Kidspiration and Inspiration—into instruction to directly shape the reading, writing, math, and thinking skills of students in pre-K through eighth grade.
Quality and Effectivenes: Utilizing Kidspiration and Inspiration software, eTeachables for Visual Learning, the only eTeachables Library available at the time of this review, helps instructors transform teaching. The database includes 200 online video tutorials that model effective teaching strategies through the use of graphic organizers, as well as templates to be used in the classroom to quickly apply the strategies. These just-in-time professional-development modules cover reading, writing, math, and critical-thinking skills. Additionally, teachers can watch more than 200 oneto two-minute tutorials that introduce examples of different instruction for various learning styles.
Ease of Use: Searching the database is very straightforward. Teachers can browse the entire Library or search by keyword, then modify the search by subject and grade level, or search by standard. Sublime Learning offers two hours of online learning sessions to support the effective use of eTeachables, online and in-person seminars, professional community, classroom demonstrations, and personal support. Help buttons are not evident in the database itself, but the Library is clear-cut and easy to navigate.
Creative Use of Technology: Educators can easily search, use, save, and index their own learning resources, including templates, lessons, and video. While the current Library includes Inspiration products only, Sublime Learning plans to release an Electronic Whiteboards Library soon. Also on the drawing board are professional-learning Community Libraries, to which teachers will be able to add their own digital resources to share with colleagues.
Suitability for Use in a School Environment: Sublime Learning’s eTeachables can help teachers focus on meeting instructional goals, integrating technology, and engaging students in higher-order thinking skills. The video tutorials address standards-based topics, reading comprehension, writing frameworks, and often-tested topics such as Main Idea, Author’s Purpose, and Making Connections to Text. The eTeachables libraries can also be assigned to teachers, and teacher use is tracked and reported, making this an effective professional-development or mentoring tool. Any digital professional-learning resources can also be saved, searched, and assigned.
Top Features
¦ Districts that already have Kidspiration or Inspiration will find eTeachables valuable, as it quickly enables teachers to engage students and teach core curriculum skills with technology.
¦ Sublime Learning provides easy access to more than 200 video tutorials based on specific K–8 instructional goals.
¦ Tying teacher-instruction videos to templates for classroom use makes it simpler to integrate technology within core subject areas.
