Students Across the US Answer over 200,000 Questions in JogNog’s Digital Learning Day Competition
Lynnfield, MA (PRWEB) February 25, 2014 -- Norwell Middle School of Norwell, Massachusetts, was triumphant in JogNog's Digital Learning Day competition, answering 33,988 questions correctly in a neck and neck competition with over 200 schools across the country, from Florida to California. Glenbrook Middle School of Longwood, Massachusetts, reached second place with 30,068 answers, followed by Bellamy Middle School of Chicopee, Massachusetts, with 19,808 answers.
The school that answered the most questions correctly during the two-week contest was declared the winner, and the top three placing schools all won a trophy and a $100 Amazon gift card to use on teaching supplies. The top school, Norwell Middle School, won a JogNog subscription for every teacher in the school for a year, up to a $5,000 value.
1,000 middle-school students in 23 states competed in the contest by answering over 200,000 science questions in a race to see which school could answer the most questions correctly. The contest covered all aspects of science, from anatomy to zoology. Based on their scores, questions that students found most challenging to answer include:
• What is one way of producing mass amounts of a DNA chain?
• Which of these describes a gas turning directly into a solid, with no liquid stage in between?
• Why does the weather near the ocean not fluctuate in temperature as much as the weather inland?
• What forms of energy can be found inside a working computer?
“Norwell Middle School turned in an impressive performance,” said Stephen Smith, CEO and co-founder of JogNog.com. “They conquered topics a wide range of science topics, answering more questions correctly than any other school. The competition was a fun battle among the top five schools right up until the close of the contest.
“JogNog provided an opportunity for students to develop skills required for upcoming state tests, while using technology in a competitive way,” noted Tara Furkey, science teacher at Bellamy Middle School.
By combining friendly competition with high-quality content aligned with state standards, students utilized JogNog to make learning – a lot of learning – fun and challenging. While test-tasking is often criticized for serving as a tool for only memorizing facts, James Samuelson, a New York teacher, recently published an article in The Wall Street Journal contesting this idea, arguing: “Testing is good for the intellectual health of students… standardized tests are a critical thinker's dream. … Questions such as these are not based on a test-taker's ability to memorize facts—a major criticism invoked by test-taking opponents—but a student's analytical prowess.”
About JogNog
JogNog provides competitive learning games that motivate kids to learn in an engaging and fun way. Specifically designed to meet teachers’ needs, it delivers content matching state curriculum standards for grades 2 through 12. JogNog uses the latest in educational research to create competitive learning games that enhance the process. It is available on the web, iPad, iPhone, Android, Kindle Fire and Windows phone. For more information about JogNog, visit http://www.JogNog.com.
About Digital Learning Day
Digital Learning Day is a national campaign that celebrates teachers and shines a spotlight on successful instructional practice and effective use of technology in classrooms across the country. More information about Digital Learning Day can be found here: http://www.digitallearningday.org.
Paul Buta, JogNog, http://www.JogNog.com, +1 (312) 834-7285, [email protected]
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