Explorer^®

Two Ways to Discover Explorer^®

Explorer^® houses everything educators need to help learners get the most from their learning program. Learn how - with a full tour or features à la carte.

2. Explorer^® features, à la carte

Authentic Resources

Authentic resources always relate directly to unit themes and inspire communicative activities. In Explorer^®, these resources include video, audio, links to podcasts and news stations from around the world, and more.

• Reasons for Authentic Resources (9 min)
• Examples in EntreCulturas and EntreCultures (10 min)
• Webinar (1 hr+)

Activities

Tasks in Explorer^® support learners in acquiring or reinforcing vocabulary and grammar in context. Explorer^® offers tasks in all modes of communication, including additional interpersonal tasks via online writing and recorded speaking opportunities. Expansion activities can be assigned to your entire class or to specific learners, and the new Instructional Strategies Toolkit offers 100+ ideas that you can filter by learner styles, proficiency level, and more.

• Instructional Strategies Toolkit (1 min)
• Language in context examples from EntreCulturas and EntreCultures (5 min)

Assessment and Feedback

Performance-based assessments support learners in showing what they can do in the language, with extra support provided for educators including guides, rubrics, and more. And you can deliver feedback with the option to record or write comments.

• Guides (pdf): EntreCulturas and EntreCultures
• Assessments and Rubrics (video): EntreCulturas and EntreCultures
• Why Oral Feedback? (7 min)
• Why Performance Assessments? (8 min)
• Assessment and Feedback Webinar (1 hr+)

Gradebook

Use the online calendar to remind students of upcoming assignments and deadlines, assign tasks to specific learners or an entire class, and more. Explorer^® lets you know when your students complete their work and alerts students as soon as you’ve graded. Grade each quiz question response without opening each question in Explorer^®. Automatic grading is available where appropriate.

• Gradebook Overview (1min)
• Assigning Activities (3min)
• Filtering Activities (5min)
• Assignments for Students (12min)

Online Portfolios

Online student portfolios follow learners from unit to unit, level to level. Students can upload evidence of what they can do in the language, reflect on their progress related to Can-Do Statements, and set goals.

• Portfolio Guide (pdf)
• Portfolio Overview (2 min)
• Supporting Self-Assessment (6 min)
• Why Use Portfolios? (8 min)

Classroom Forum and Discussion Forums

This is a flexible feature that educators can use to pose lesson openers, polls, links to external resources, and more. Learners and teachers can use Classroom Forum anytime as their community "bulletin board." Teachers love posting lesson openers and more, and students can comment, exchange GIFS, upload audio/video/photos, etc.

In EntreCulturas and EntreCultures, Discussion Forum tasks are included in Explorer^® tasks themselves, providing educators an easy way to assign, monitor, and grade task-specific communications.

• Classroom Forum and Remote Teaching Webinar (1hr+ recording)
• Task Discussion Forums: How-To (12 min)

Explore Further

Visit our YouTube channel for more Explorer^® videos!