By Larissa Martins -- LSI Communications Intern

CPALMS is an online learning platform that is freely available to Florida public school teachers and students and provides them with thousands of educational resources. CPALMS.org is primarily geared towards teachers and houses a variety of student, parent, and teacher resources. At the same time, FloridaStudents.org was designed for students to only showcase CPALMS’ student resources. Over 100,000 teachers in Florida already utilize materials on the CPALMS website. Students are also increasingly taking advantage of their access to FloridaStudents.org. The most popular resource on this student website is the Original Student Tutorials, which help students prepare for upcoming lessons, review before tests, or catch up on what they’ve missed if they were absent from class. These tutorials contain animated graphics, narration, and interactive questions that create an immersive learning experience that keeps students coming back for more.

New tutorials are constantly being uploaded on FloridaStudents.org, covering math, science, social studies, and English Language Arts topics. The educational content is designed to meet the needs of K-12 students. For example, the narration aspect helps kindergarteners and first graders because even if they cannot read, they can still access the material. Additionally, students taking advanced math and science classes benefit from the Student Tutorials because of the conceptual explanations regarding how and why a solution works.

The Student Tutorials provide students with a stress-free learning environment. Interactive questions are incorporated throughout the tutorials, giving students opportunities to practice without the risk of being penalized. In fact, students don’t have to worry about getting the question right on their first try because they receive another attempt when their answer is incorrect. They are also given guidance for their second attempt with clues and reminders that may help clarify their confusion. If their answer is wrong again, they gain feedback on how to solve the problem accurately next time. This aspect of the original tutorials is great for students who struggle under specific external pressures that are found at school, such as the grading system.

Students also benefit from utilizing CPALMS resources if they struggle to learn a particular concept in class and seek to hear the information explained differently. The Student Tutorials are designed by teachers from across Florida with input from content experts and expose students to diverse perspectives. The lessons take a step-by-step approach that breaks down complex ideas into smaller parts that are easier for students to remember. There are also instances where students can access two different tutorials for the same concept because each one uses a different method. This is no accident and is a result of FloridaStudents.org being intentionally designed to aid students in deepening their understanding by showing them multiple ways to solve problems.

Additionally, these tutorials are created to help students comprehend material on their own terms and at their own pace. Computers aren’t even necessary to obtain these resources since they are accessible through smartphones and tablets. Learning on a digital platform has its advantages, such as engaging graphics and videos that can’t be found in a traditional textbook. Another positive aspect of these tutorials is that their duration isn’t too time-consuming and is typically fifteen to twenty minutes long. The CPALMS team consistently receives positive feedback from middle and high schoolers who benefit from using FloridaStudents.org to study. Suggestions are always considered and used to improve the online learning platform.

It is clear why FloridaStudents.org has grown exponentially since its start in 2015. The supplemental education website is used by students in all grades across the state of Florida. If you are a K-12 public school student, ask your teacher about FloridaStudents.org. It is the best place to find free online tutorials that will truly help you learn.