I’ve got my Tract Membership… Now what?

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Last month I introduced you to the COOLEST new classroom tool that you NEED in your classroom called Tract Learning. You can check out the original blog post HERE for a quick overview! I hope that you all have been exploring this cool new tool, but if  you need a little boost to get started, I’m here to help! If you haven’t signed up yet - I encourage you to do so before reading the rest of this blog post. Simply go to teach.tract.app and use the access code MSSMITH to pilot Tract FREE in your classroom.


What is Tract?

Tract is a website created to empower students to develop the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century through project-based and peer-to-peer learning in a safe and moderated environment. Tract provides students ages 8 and up with the opportunity to explore new interests and deepen existing passions through classes in a self paced kid-friendly format. 


Why use Tract?

As educators, we often try to give our kiddos choice in the classroom. Tract is a PERFECT place for that. Students are able to explore and learn through tracts that interest them. Another reason you should give Tract a try this school year is that it brings more collaboration to your classroom and helps build social-emotional learning skills. It is easy to use and will give your students incredible and authentic learning experiences. 


I’ve created an account… Now what?
Step 1: Get your kiddos signed up: Once you’ve created your teacher account, it's SO simple to get your kiddos logged in too. Simply head to the “Teach” tab at the top of the screen and click the “Add students” button. A pop up box will provide you with a link you can add to Google Classroom or email your students so that they can get signed up. 


Step 2: Let your kiddos explore: One of my favorite things about Tract Learning is how simple it is for students to use and explore. The first time your students log in, they will see a welcome message with six steps to get started. This allows your students to “get their feet wet” with Tract Learning while also learning how to use the website. I encourage you to give your students some time to explore and get started. You might choose to talk through each of these six steps as class before giving students a chance to get started. 



Step 3: Set aside time for your students to work on their Tract each week: You might choose to give your students time each day to work, it might be an early finisher activity, or you might even choose to have a Genius Hour once each week. I encourage you to be consistent with the time you give your students so that they can immerse themselves in their tract and create content and earn prizes. As a teacher, you have the ability to see what your students are working on, how many Tracts they have completed, and what they have submitted.

As you can see, Tract Learning is easy to use for both teachers and students. Don’t be nervous about the technology side of this website - your students will find it easy to use and understand. Next month we will dive deeper into what is in each Tract and I’ll share some fun ideas of how you can encourage your students to use Tract over Christmas break. Keep your students engaged in learning while they are out and they won’t even realize they are still learning… the best! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I am happy to help!


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