Author: icivics

iCivics awarded $400,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop new game, Supreme Justice

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iCivics is thrilled to announce a $400,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to develop a unique game-based experience—Supreme Justice—aimed at engaging younger learners ages 12–18. Unlike anything in iCivics’ suite of game-based education materials, Supreme Justice will be a multimedia experience, building on best practices in civic education, including simulations and role-playing, and complete with supports for English language learners.

The game, which will be co-developed with game design studio Gigantic Mechanic, will allow students to engage in a live-action multiplayer simulation via technology that combines videos, individualized student profiles, and real-time voting. The game will focus on freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and due process rights—all while simulating the deliberation process of Supreme Court Justices. Students must hear cases and determine whether the law, regulation, or action at issue is constitutional.

“We are incredibly grateful for this NEH funding that will enable us to offer a new, innovative Supreme Court digital simulation,” said iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé. “This grant makes possible the reimagining of one of our signature games that was close to the heart of our founder, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.” 

Supreme Justice will model deliberation and critical thinking in a civic setting, grounded in historical cases and relying heavily on the U.S. Constitution as evidence. The gaming experience will guide students to engage in face-to-face discussions, while working together to craft arguments and debate issues central to civic and government life. Once the game is developed, it will be available—for free—on iCivics’ website.

Learn more about the other grantees and how the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant programs support research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation.

iCivics featured in New PBS Documentary Preserving Democracy: Pursuing a More Perfect Union

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iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé is featured in a new PBS documentary, Preserving Democracy: Pursuing a More Perfect Union, discussing the role of civic education in engaging and fostering an informed citizenry. 

iCivics’ Educator Network member and middle school civics teacher Mary Ellen Wessels’ students at Gate City Charter School in Nashua, New Hampshire, are also featured in the segment exploring the need for and impact of preparing all young Americans for informed citizenry from an early age. Wessels and her students show how iCivics’ nonpartisan games and lessons are used to educate millions of students in classrooms across the country in a fun, engaging, and impactful way.

The documentary reflects on the historical context of the democratic system, progress and threats to democracy at home and abroad, and lessons learned from our nation’s origin to the present day. It also highlights the Civics Secures Democracy Act, currently supported by a bipartisan alliance of Congressional leaders to invest $1 billion in civics and history education, ensuring more and better civic learning for all students in the United States.

In her closing remarks in the documentary, Louise emphasizes:

Civic education is the bedrock for a strong economy. Civic education is a national imperative because it’s so deeply related to national security issues. There are serious consequences to our nation and we need to change that right now.

Now is the time to seize this unique momentum and affect real and lasting change for future generations. Our investment in our students and their in-depth understanding of civics is an essential path forward for our country. 

Preserving Democracy: Pursuing a More Perfect Union premieres on January 6, 2022 on local PBS affiliates. (Check local listings for air times.) You can also see an excerpt of the segment on civic education on last weekend’s episode of PBS NewsHour (beginning at 11:39) below.

For educators looking for resources on facilitating classroom conversations, visit: Teaching About January 6, 2021: Resources for Classroom Conversations Surrounding the Capitol Siege.

Unity & GSV Venture Select iCivics Among Top 5 Winners of EdTech Creator Challenge

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Today, iCivics was named one of the Top 5 winners of the Unity and GSV Ventures EdTech Creator Challenge, and one of the Challenge’s overall top 30 projects. 

The EdTech Creator Challenge celebrates creators who are leveraging 3D-powering immersive learning platforms and tools to advance the technical skills of the next generation and educational solutions to increase access to high-quality learning experiences.

Read the Official Announcement

iCivics was selected as a top 5 winner by a team of more than 60 internal and external judges, who reviewed and rated 250 submissions based on the following criteria:

  • People: Is the team inclusive, and what populations are supported by this organization? 
  • Product: Does this address a critical need and use real-time 3D technology in a unique way?
  • Potential: What is the traction and impact to date, and does this have global potential?
  • Predictability: What are the near-term milestones (financial and other), and are they achievable?
  • Purpose: What is the organization’s mission and what are the impact goals? 

“We are thrilled to receive this honor,” said iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé. “We remain committed to offering educators and students across the nation the kind of high-quality civic education necessary for the sustained strength of our constitutional democracy.” 

Along with each of the Top 5 winners, iCivics will receive $100,000 in funding from Unity and $10,000 worth of cloud computing credits from Amazon Web Services EdStart. Learn more about iCivics and the other winners that are empowering creators to change the landscape of education and support all learners.

Unity is the world’s leading platform for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) content. Creators, ranging from game developers to artists, architects, automotive designers, filmmakers, and others, use Unity to make their imaginations come to life. We believe creators are changemakers. 

iCivics currently utilizes Unity’s powerful and flexible platform to develop its award-winning games. 

GSV Ventures is the leading edtech investment firm, funding $7+ trillion in the education technology sector across “Pre-K to Gray.” With GSV and the EdTech Creator Challenge, we will empower creators to change the landscape of education to support all learners in expanding their professional and income-earning opportunities by accelerating the critical work of EdTech creators using Unity.

30 Students from Across the Country Join iCivics Equity in Civics Youth Fellowship

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Now in its third year, national youth fellowship has engaged students from across the country to build civic leadership skills and explore how civic education can become more relevant to all youth in the United States

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Thirty talented high school students from across the country recently formed the newest cohort of the iCivics Equity in Civics Youth Fellowship (ECYF). The fellows are selected on a competitive basis and must be nominated by a teacher to be considered. 

Now in its third year, the program works with students to research and explore how civic education can become more equitable for all students. Fellows utilize their own lived experiences to become ambassadors for better civic education and to shed light on how civic education can include student voices from every background. 

The program, which is funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, is part of a broader initiative to explore equity in civic education. Throughout the course of the 2021-22 school year, fellows will engage virtually in group discussions with their peers, as well as in workshops and lectures with experts in the field and in projects designed to strengthen listening and collaborative skills—all centered around ensuring that civic education is available and relevant to all students in the United States. 

“I am very excited for the ways in which this amazing group of students will lend their unique voices to the conversation surrounding equitable civic education through this Fellowship,” iCivics Youth Fellowship Community Lead Michael Reyes said. “They will all be learning from each other and engaging their ideas through various activities throughout the year. Most importantly, I look forward to seeing the ways these Fellows will take their experiences into lifelong civic engagement.”

iCivics is proud to announce this year’s Equity in Civics Youth Fellows:

  • Joshua Adegoke, 11th Grader, Challenge Early College High School, Texas
  • Joshua Anderson, 10th Grader, Leominster Center for Excellence, Massachusetts
  • Marley Best, 12th Grader, Redbank Valley High School, Pennsylvania
  • Georgia Bullard, 10th Grader, Sequim High School, Washington
  • Jasper Chavarria, 10th Grader, Junction City High School, Kansas
  • Elena Correa, 11th Grader, Central High School, Nebraska
  • Jemieka Findlay, 12th Grader, Bronx Collaborative High School, New York
  • Alani Sanchez-Flores, 11th Grader, Normal West Community High School, Illinois
  • Tasneem Ghadiali, 10th Grader, Lexington High School, Massachusetts
  • Stella Haag, 9th Grader, Sandpoint Highschool, Idaho
  • Tianna Hunt, 12th Grader, City Neighbors High School, Maryland
  • Howard Jongkyu, Kim 9th Grader, Conestoga High School, Pennsylvania 
  • Brendan Kaminski, 10th Grader, Baldwin High School, New York
  • Kimtee Kundu, 12th Grader, Bravo Medical Magnet High School, California 
  • Darren McQueen, 12th Grader, Christopher Columbus High School, Florida 
  • Dieudonne Mfaume, 12th Grader, Lindbergh High School, Missouri
  • Diamond Moore, 11th Grader, Jones Senior High School, North Carolina
  • Surya Panyam, 10th Grader, Jesuit High School, Oregon 
  • Tiffany Peck, 12th Grader, Alameda High School, Colorado
  • Pedro Pena, Jr., 12th Grade, Anne Community High School, Illinois 
  • Sarah Rivera Rivera, 11th Grader, South County Highschool, Virginia
  • Rowan Jackson Sanborn, 9th Grader, Orono High School, Maine
  • Sophia Schmidt, 12th Grader, Ocean Springs High School, Mississippi
  • Milan Shah, 9th Grader, Westview High School, California
  • Sean Shelbrock, 12th Grader, Hill McCloy High School, Michigan
  • Amylia Tra,10th Grader, Collingswood High School, New Jersey
  • Leo Veatch, 11th Grader, Agate High School, Colorado
  • Ishta Wabaunsee, 11th Grader, Seaman High School, Kansas
  • Joy Washington, 11th Grader, Florida Virtual School, Florida
  • Elfin Wiriyan, 11th Grader, James Madison Memorial High School, Wisconsin

Department of Defense and National Defense Education Program Move to Prioritize Civic Education With $2 Million Grant to iCivics

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The grant will fund the Civics, Service and Leadership program, designed to teach K–12 and JROTC students the foundational knowledge and skills needed to be engaged civic participants in a diverse United States.

Washington, DC — The Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Defense Education Program (NDEP) have awarded $2 million to iCivics, the country’s largest civic education provider, to build content and curriculum to teach civics to K–12 and Junior ROTC students. 

The grant will fund the development of iCivics’ Civics, Service and Leadership (CSL) program, a two-year pilot through which iCivics will build upon and refine its existing award-winning curricula to meet the specific needs of students in the military’s K–12 education system. It is the first grant awarded under the Enhanced Civic Education grant program developed by the DoD.

The initiative has the potential to ultimately reach the more than 60,000 students and 8,000 teachers—as well as the JROTC programs that operate in more than 1,700 public and private high schools, military outposts, and correctional centers throughout the United States and overseas.

The iCivics CSL program includes the development of new resources for elementary, middle and high school students, the creation of professional development for teachers designed specifically for NDEP, as well as the development of a technology portal for participating teachers and instructors. iCivics will also create a volunteer manual for military service members and families. All of the content will be aligned to state standards and benchmarks. iCivics will work with partners in this endeavor, including Blue Star Families, Makematic, National Council for the Social Studies, and a number of professional development providers. 

Section 234 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Department of Defense to implement a pilot program on enhanced civic education in collaboration with the DoDEA and/or JROTC. Enhanced Civics Education awardees will receive $4 million over two years to prepare the next generation to better understand the U.S. Government and their role as citizens in civic engagement.

This includes an expansion of the DoDEA and JROTC civic education programs, working to get military-affiliated youth more civically engaged and teaching critical civic knowledge and skills, such as voting, public service, collaboration, compromise, and media literacy. The DoD also awarded a civic education grant to the Education Development Center.

“iCivics couldn’t be more honored to be entrusted with this important work. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the military community and families for whom civic duty is already a central component of everyday life,” said iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé. “We are thankful for the opportunity this partnership with the Department of Defense and National Defense Education Program presents for iCivics to play its part in ensuring the highest quality civic education possible for these students tied in such a unique and meaningful way to the civic life of our country through their DoDEA or JROTC education.”

In iCivics, the DoD has found a partner that is trusted by schools across the country. Founded in 2009 by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics has more than 300 digital educational resources used by more than 145,000 teachers and 9 million students annually. iCivics resources, which teach the fundamentals of American constitutional democracy by engaging students in a first-person perspective of civic life, are nonpartisan and free to use at www.icivics.org. 

“Our military families and young people interested in serving in the armed forces deserve the best possible civic education, which will ensure a full understanding of the constitutional democracy service members pledge to protect,” said Rep. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04). “In Congress, we recognized the importance of K-12 civic learning by funding a Department of Defense grant to create a civic education program for the Department of Defense Education Activity. iCivics is the national leader in providing students the tools needed to learn the fundamentals of engaged citizenship, and I am proud to champion iCivics for this program.”

New Documentary Recounts the Life of iCivics Founder Sandra Day O’Connor

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September 20, 2021

Today—Sept. 21, 2021— marks the 40th anniversary of the unanimous confirmation of Sandra Day O’Connor as the first female Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States.

A new documentary just released by American Experience, “Sandra Day O’Connor: The First,” provides new insights into this pioneering woman, recounting a life that reflected and shaped an era. Justice O’Connor forged a legal career at a time when few women did, serving in all three branches of Arizona state government before becoming the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, where she spent nearly 25 years before retiring in 2006.

Her public service didn’t end after retirement, however. Over the course of her career, Justice O’Connor had become increasingly concerned about the growing lack of understanding regarding the system of government in the United States and disengagement from civic life.

“I’ve seen first-hand how vital it is for all citizens to understand our Constitution and unique system of government, and participate actively in their communities,” she wrote in a 2018 public letter announcing her stepping back from public life. “I made a commitment to myself, my family, and my country that I would use whatever years I had left to advance civic learning and engagement.”

So, in 2009, Justice O’Connor founded iCivics to ensure all Americans have the knowledge and will to participate in our unique experiment in self-government by transforming civic education with innovative, truly engaging games and resources. Of all her accomplishments, Justice O’Connor considers iCivics to be her most important work and greatest legacy.

“There is no more important work than deepening young people’s engagement in our nation.” – Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

Since its founding, iCivics has grown and evolved rapidly, becoming the nation’s premier nonprofit civic education provider of high-quality, nonpartisan, engaging, and free resources to more than 7.6 million students annually. We are proud to be a successful, high-impact, and scalable resource solution, as well as the sector leader driving systemic change, with the capacity and strategic ambition to fulfill and sustain Justice O’Connor’s ambitious vision. Day in and day out, we are guided by her wisdom, humor, and determination—all of which are showcased in the documentary.

Much has changed in our world since 1981, but the need for equitable, nonpartisan civic education may be even greater and more urgent today than when Justice O’Connor joined the highest court in the land. We are proud to continue fulfilling her most important work: to provide every student in the United States with high-quality civic education.

iCivics Joins Partnership for American Democracy to Support Transformative Change for the Renewal of Democracy

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iCivics is proud to join the Partnership for American Democracy, a new collective voice for change determined to renew democracy by unleashing the power of American ingenuity. Louise Dubé, Executive Director of iCivics, will serve as the Co-Chair of the Strengthening Civic Education Pillar of the Partnership for American Democracy.

American democracy is more fragile than ever. In this moment of division, the Partnership for American Democracy is bringing together American leaders capable of making transformative change for the renewal of American democracy. To launch the partnership, a cross-sector, cross-partisan array of leaders joined together on July 1 to discuss the next chapter of America’s future and bring the Partnership for American Democracy to life.

“The Partnership for American Democracy is an important network that will provide critical support to make civic education a priority for our country,” Dubé said. “We look forward to working with the Partnership to make that happen.”

The Partnership for American Democracy aims to foster a broad and inclusive vision of democracy renewal that synthesizes five core pillars:

  1. Strengthening civic education
  2. Expanding national service, civic engagement, and volunteerism
  3. Bridging cultural and political divides
  4. Advancing effective government and political reforms
  5. Combatting mis- and disinformation and strengthening local journalism

According to Stephen Heintz, President and CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Co-Chair of the Partnership for American Democracy National Leadership Council, the Partnership is necessary now because many Americans feel the country’s democracy is not working for them, but they want a common purpose and functioning system of democratic self-government.

Event speakers included: 

  • Diana Aviv, CEO of the Partnership for American Democracy 
  • Daniella Ballou-Aares, CEO & Co-Founder, Leadership Now Project; Senior Advisor, Dahlberg Advisors
  • Melody Barnes, Director for Policy and Public Affairs, Democracy Initiative; Former Director, White House Domestic Policy Council
  • John Bridgeland, Founder and CEO, Civic; Former Director, White House Domestic Policy Council
  • Barbara Comstock, Former Member of Congress (D-Va.)
  • Louise Dubé,Executive Director, iCivics
  • Dick Gephardt, Former House Majority Leader (D-Mo.)
  • Stephen Heintz, President and CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund; Co-Chair of the Partnership for American Democracy National Leadership Council
  • Alexandra Huynh, National Youth Poet Laureate
  • Doris Kearns Goodwin, Presidential Historian
  • Dirk Kempthorne, Former Governor (R-Idaho), Former Senator (R-Idaho), Former Secretary of the Interior
  • Eric Liu, Co-founder and CEO, Citizen University
  • Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Former Commander of the Joint Special Operations Command
  • Manu Meel, Co-Founder and CEO of Bridge USA
  • Cecilia Muñoz, Advisor, New America; Former White House Director of the Domestic Policy Council; Former White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
  • Janet Murguia, CEO of Unidos
  • Deval Patrick, Former Governor (D-Mass.)
  • Nick Penniman, Founder and CEO of Issue One
  • Bruce Reed, Deputy White House Chief of Staff
  • Condoleezza Rice, Director of the Hoover Institution; Former Secretary of State
  • Frank Sesno, Director of Strategic Initiatives of the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs; Former CNN Washington Bureau Chief
  • Tim Shriver, CEO, UNITE; Chairman, Special Olympics
  • Kent Thiry, Former Chairman & CEO, DaVita
  • Natalie Tran, Executive Director, CAA Foundation
  • Philan Tree, Two-time AmeriCorps Mentor and 2012 Corps Member of the Year
  • Alayna Treene, Congressional Reporter, Axios
  • Zach Wamp, Former Member of Congress (D-Tenn.)
  • Judy Woodruff, Managing Editor and Anchor, PBS NewsHour

MCCPA Uses iCivics to Connect with Community: Young Leaders and Adult Learners

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“The Youth Ambassador Program has allowed me to meet members of my community I would have never met before. By connecting over platforms (like iCivics) which encourage conversations around our civic duty, I have been exposed to new perspectives on issues relevant to my community. As a young adult living in this tumultuous time period, I feel hopeful about creating social change when I see other motivated and passionate adults and peers around me!” – Tasneem Ghadiali, 9th grade

iCivics and MCCPA Youth Ambassadors
Samantha Ruthazer, volunteer Director of Development at the Massachusetts Creating Community Power Association (MCCPA), organized a pilot Youth Ambassador leadership and civic education program where Boston-area young adults learn from community leaders and contribute to MCCPA projects and programs. Young adults in this program build their leadership skills through education and action surrounding increased civic engagement. As the vision for this program states: By accessing education and connections with local leaders, participants in the youth ambassador program will increase their understanding of how to increase their civic engagement and will partake in action that supports community growth. The Youth as Civic Experts Network from iCivics, teens from across the country, engage in virtual programming that closely models what our program aims to become; education and action that engages our leaders and creates change. 

Ruthazer connected with Amber Coleman-Mortley, Director of Social Engagement at iCivics, and arranged a meeting for the iCivics “Youth as Civic Experts” and MCCPA’s Youth Ambassadors to meet. At the heart of each program is the goal to connect, to create spaces that elevate youth voices, and to encourage active civic participation amongst young people. What was truly remarkable in the meeting of the two groups were the reflections on the action and growth they have experienced; students expressed their appreciation for a program and peers that pushed them to engage in further learning outside of their standard coursework, especially where civics curriculum has decreased or disappeared from the required academic curriculum in many states and schools. 

Using iCivics with Our Community
In an effort to bring fun and interactive methods for engaging with this work, MCCPA found that iCivics’ game-based learning approach was creative and effective. Whilst still in a pandemic, MCCPA has now hosted two virtual game nights using the iCivics platform. Youth Ambassadors facilitated groups of their peers and adult learners from across the Boston area, utilizing iCivics as an inclusive way to reach a variety of types of learners. Playing LawCraft, for example, has been a fan-favorite, and the feedback from the youth program and MCCPA community members has been exclusively positive. In small Zoom breakout rooms, players can discuss each decision as they play the game, while connecting the issues to Boston and thinking about what they would like their lawmakers to do in similar situations. 

About MCCPA
MCCPA, the Massachusetts Creating Community Power Association, was founded in June of 2020 as the United States was in a state of distress, with a global pandemic and civic unrest after the murder of George Floyd. Union Capital Boston members were interested in using the community they had cultivated to create action, and after a few months of Virtual Network Nights and meetings to heal collectively, MCCPA was born. 

MCCPA founding members Thomas Ruffen, Samantha Ruthazer, and Danielle Kalette recognized that there are hundreds of thousands of citizens not registered to vote, who do not exercise their right to vote, or are misunderstood about their civil rights and the way the American democratic system is set up. Their mission in creating this organization was to educate our community and find ways to prioritize marginalized identities, sharing power and voice, and using civic engagement as the mode of fighting racism and promoting racial justice in Boston and beyond. 

MCCPA is a developing program, and we hope to continue utilizing iCivics programming and collaborating with organizations in the Massachusetts area. We do not want to recreate the wheel, and by building on the strengths and offering of existing programs, we are truly creating our power, together. 

Written By Samantha Ruthazer

Samantha is a founding member of MCCPA. Follow MCCPA on Twitter at @MCCPA20.

We Owe Our Deepest Appreciation to Our Nation’s Civics and History Teachers

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As we approach the end of the 2020-2021 school year, we owe our nation’s civics and history teachers our deepest gratitude. This has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging school years in recent memory for all teachers, but amid cascading social and political crises, it has been particularly challenging for those who teach about our history and system of government. Civics and history teachers deserve special recognition and appreciation for a job well done through such uncertain times. 

Together, iCivics, Facing History and Ourselves, the Bill of Rights Institute, National Constitution Center, the Center for Civic Education, the Ashbrook Center, Generation Citizen, and Mikva Challenge want to send this message of gratitude to civics and history teachers across the nation.

Thank you for your perseverance this year. Thank you for prioritizing the well-being and growth of your students, for navigating complex and challenging, but meaningful conversations on current events, while still guiding your students through the core curriculum. Thank you for continuing to cultivate informed, engaged civic participants, especially when our civic and political climate was so tense. And thank you for continuing to build equitable and inclusive learning experiences for all students, especially when classroom learning was disrupted or moved fully online.

Your efforts have not gone unnoticed. We’ve been listening to you and watching with awe as you work—and we’ve been taking notes. Here is what we have learned from you this year:

  • We need to be steadfast in the support of our nation’s students and teachers, inside and outside of the classroom.
  • We need to be dedicated to lifting up and connecting with our colleagues both  within and outside of our fields.
  • We need to work to ensure that you are supported in your mission to teach about our history and our form of government, even when it’s thorny and controversial.
  • We need to continue to provide you with the resources that make your job easier and meet the needs of your evolving classrooms.  
  • We need to be relentless in our work of building a sustainable future of our constitutional democracy through the prioritization of civics and history in our nation’s classrooms. 
  • We need to continue to work with teachers and students who want to build equitable and inclusive classrooms for all students.
  • We need to continue to listen to you.

We promise you this: It did not go unnoticed that you rose above the challenges faced during an unprecedented school year. As always, your students learned so much from you, and so did we. Thank you for you for your service and dedication to your profession and to our constitutional democracy.

Signed with profound gratitude,

Making iCivics Lessons Accessible and English Learner (EL) Student-Friendly with Kami

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With many students still learning online and more classrooms integrating technology to aid instruction, the need for accessibility is greater than ever. Through our partnership with Kami, we’re prioritizing accessibility and, in particular, focusing on improving learning experiences for English and multilingual learners (ELs and MLs). Below, we’ve highlighted some key features from Kami that you can use with iCivics lesson plans to help ELs/MLs better access and engage with the class materials.

Dictionary

Do your ELs need help with challenging vocabulary terms? The dictionary function, (left side toolbar; second from the top), makes it easier for students to learn the meaning of new words. When they highlight a word in the document, the dictionary function automatically pops up a definition without taking attention away from the lesson at hand.

Text To Speech

Some students may prefer having text read aloud to them, instead of actively reading the document. With the Text-to-Speech tool, students can select text to be read to them. And there are many voice options to choose from (including some interesting accents!). When you view a document on Kami, you will find the Text To Speech feature on the left side toolbar. It’s the microphone icon (third from top).

This tool could be particularly useful to English learners who could benefit from assistance with reading or are working on their listening skills. If the reading speed is too fast, they also have the option to slow down the playback speed to ensure maximum comprehension.

Comment

The comment function, which comes in text, voice, video, or screen capture format, is a tool that can be used for a variety of purposes—particularly to communicate beyond the text and provide feedback. Some educators have found themselves using this function to customize reading assignments for their class and check for reading comprehension. But this function is also great for helping ELls interpret the text with the ability to comment in their native language. 

For students with some learning disabilities, the text, voice, and video comment options enable better communication. For example, with video commenting, instructors can interact with students beyond written text to provide more engaging face time or give feedback in sign language. 

Voice Typing (or Speech-to-Text input)

Does a student require assistance when it comes to typing or writing out their answers and notes on the document? They can utilize speech-to-text to input answers or to transcribe text directly into a text box. When adding a text comment, they can enable speech-to-text by clicking on the microphone icon (by selecting the comment icon and then clicking on the microphone icon below it). Or when typing directly onto a document, after creating a text box, the speech-to-text microphone can be found on the text formatting bar at the top of the screen.

The Drawing and Shapes Tools

For visual learners, the drawing tool and the shapes tool allow students to draw, make charts, or organize thoughts by creating a mind map or an outline. For written languages with a more complex typing system (like Chinese, Japanese, or Russian), students can jot down their thoughts in that language in the document with the drawing tool.

More from Kami

These are only some of the available features when using Kami with iCivics accounts. There are also other functions such as a dark mode that helps prevent eye strain. If you have a paid Kami account outside of iCivics, such as with your school or district, you can continue exploring these functions across other documents.

Learn more about Kami’s accessibility and ELL efforts. We also encourage educators to become a Kami Certified Educator and learn how to get the most out of Kami’s tools and improve learning outcomes for students.