By Chris Olsen Executive Summary As concerns grow about screen time and AI in education, schools are right to question how technology affects student attention, thinking, and social development. But the real issue is not screens alone. It is whether digital tools are being used to support strong teaching, meaningful »
Tammy Lujan teaches 4th grade Texas History and 5th grade American History at Fort Stockton ISD, where she is passionate about bringing history to life for her students. Through engaging, student-led learning experiences, Tammy helps students build a deep sense of pride in their state and country while strengthening their »
Kade Goodwin teaches 8th grade U.S. History at Liberty Middle School in Liberty, Texas, where he focuses on helping students build a strong foundation in constitutional principles, civic understanding, and historical thinking skills. In just his second year of teaching, Kade is already creating structured, student-centered lessons that connect »
Celebrating 10 Years of Supporting Texas Social Studies Teachers As we begin 2026, we’re excited to celebrate a major milestone: Exploros is entering our 10th year of supporting Texas Social Studies teachers. Built for Texas classrooms and continuously shaped by educator feedback, our mission has always been simple: Simplify »
James Duprie teaches 8th grade U.S. History and 6th grade World Cultures, where he focuses on helping students connect historical content to their own identity and heritage as citizens of the United States. Through the use of Exploros, James creates structured, engaging lessons that support diverse learning styles and »
Lori Sixtos, a passionate 4th grade Social Studies and Science teacher, is on a mission to bring the story of Texas to life for her students. Originally from Tennessee, Lori has fallen in love with Texas history—and her excitement is contagious in the classroom. After being introduced to Exploros »
At Exploros, we know that schools, educators, districts, and our publishing partners are placing their trust in us every single day—not only to support teaching and learning, but to do it safely and securely. That’s a responsibility we take seriously. That’s why we’re proud to share »
Katelyn Fegan, a dedicated World History teacher at Monterey High School in Lubbock ISD, is passionate about making history relevant and engaging for her high school students. By incorporating fun facts, real-world connections, and technology-driven instruction, she ensures her students see history as more than just the past—it’s »
As we settle into 2025, we are thrilled to reflect on an incredible 2024 filled with growth, collaboration, and innovation in the field of social studies education. This past year, we had the privilege of attending and sponsoring several impactful conferences: Texas Region 4 Social Studies Conference Texas Metroplex Social »
Perla Rodriguez, a dedicated 4th grade ELAR and Social Studies teacher at La Academia de Estrellas Charter School, has a passion for making Texas History both exciting and accessible for her students. By diving into the diverse cultures and human geography that shaped the state, Perla helps her students connect »
Brandon Jones, an experienced 8th grade American History teacher at Henderson ISD, has spent the past three years bringing history to life for his students. From teaching Andrew Jackson’s fascinating yet complex legacy to integrating the Exploros platform into his lessons, Brandon has a passion for helping students connect »
We hope your 2024-2025 school year is off to a fantastic start! It’s been a busy and exciting time at Exploros, with many developments as we prepare for the new school year. We onboarded thousands of teachers this month, with active users in more than 4,000 schools across »
At Exploros, we take pride in our dedicated team members who work tirelessly to support educators and students nationwide. One such team member is Laken Hensley, our School Partnership Representative. With a background in teaching and a passion for educational technology, Laken brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to »
In today’s digital age, educating high school students about drug prevention is more critical than ever. Edventi™, a leader in prevention education, has partnered with Exploros to deliver a robust, five-part online course designed specifically for the device-enabled classroom environment. This course aims to empower students with comprehensive knowledge »
Meet Mr. DeAreon Johnson, one of our highlighted educators in the 2023-2024 Exploros Educator Spotlight. He teaches 7th-grade Texas History with the enthusiasm and depth of knowledge of a seasoned historian. Mr. Johnson has a unique ability to make history come alive, deeply inspiring his students. His passion is evident »
"What I love most about what I do at Exploros is that it provides teachers with high-quality pedagogy and content." – Yoel Givol, Co-Founder and COO We're thrilled to feature Yoel Givol, our Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Exploros. With an impressive career starting in the mid-1980s as a pioneer »
Our latest Exploros Educator Spotlight is Matt Boedeker, who teaches 9th-grade World Geography at Monterey High School in Lubbock, TX. Matt emphasizes how Social Studies helps us understand the connections between people and places, highlighting the importance of these connections in our global community. By integrating technology like Exploros in »
table, th, td { border:1px solid black; padding:5px; vertical-align: top; } The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has listed Exploros as a Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) 3rd-Party Assessment Option for Social Studies. We have compiled a concise 2-minute video overview of the Social Studies Pre-Post Tests offered through Exploros. This video »
In our latest feature highlighting exceptional Social Studies educators, we're excited to present Christopher Blake Waller, more commonly known by his middle name, Blake. Blake brings a dynamic approach to teaching 8th-grade US History at Center ISD, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and the ability to draw connections from »
After an exciting weekend at the Houston Independent School District's (HISD) For Teachers, By Teachers Social Studies Conference, we at Exploros want to thank everyone who joined us. This year’s theme, "Cultivating Genius: Reimagining Social Studies Education," sparked lively discussions among educators, experts, and all of us passionate about »
In our ongoing series of interviews with outstanding Social Studies educators, we are thrilled to introduce Sarah Mahoney, a dedicated teacher who wears multiple hats for The University of Texas Charter School System. Sarah serves as the Social Studies, Math, and Special Education Lead teacher for students grades 5-11. Q1: »
We're thrilled to put the spotlight on Itamar Tabenkin, our Vice President of Operations. With a rich background in the tech industry and an extensive career path, Itamar has played a crucial role in shaping the success of Exploros. Let's dive into a conversation with Itamar as he shares insights »
What is SOC 2 Compliance? In short, SOC 2 is a voluntary compliance standard for technology companies with cloud-based products and specifies how an organization should manage customer data. The compliance guidelines set by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) ensure services are secure, available, and confidential and »
Women have always been key figures in shaping our world, and it's important to shine a light on their contributions, especially during Women's History Month. That's why Exploros, along with our partner XTRA Weekly, is excited to bring you some special lessons this month. Exploros is all about making learning »
We appreciate the opportunity to have participated in yet another exceptional conference hosted by the Region 4 Social Studies department. Held on January 27, 2024, at the Merrell Center in Katy ISD, the event stood out as a celebration of excellence, innovation, and collaboration. The resonating theme, "Social Studies for »
African Americans have had a significant impact on American History regardless of the month! But if your emphasizing contributions this February, we have assembled some experiences that may be of interest. Exploros empowers students to actively contribute in the classroom through social media-style postings. Each student's diverse background and real-life »
We are excited for you to meet Sue Reiss, our dedicated Director of Curriculum Development at Exploros. Delve into her professional journey and gain valuable insights as she shares her role in shaping our impactful Social Studies curriculum. How long have you been with Exploros? Since its founding in 2013. »
From evaluating historical events to examining different cultural perspectives, social studies plays a pivotal role in fostering critical thinking skills in students. By engaging with a wide range of topics, students are encouraged to analyze, question, and form informed opinions, thereby nurturing their ability to think critically. In today's ever-changing »
At the core of Exploros SOCIAL Social Studies lies a commitment to fostering meaningful conversations, placing every student's voice at the forefront. Facilitated by technology, this dynamic interaction shapes powerful standards-based learning experiences, creating a dynamic and inclusive social studies classroom. The chart below illustrates how Exploros excels in key »
In the ever-evolving realm of education, igniting student engagement remains an enduring challenge for educators. Enter Exploros, where we harness the transformative power of technology to bring to life SOCIAL Social Studies—yes, you read that right, it's not a typo! We are keenly aware of the pivotal role of »
We just returned from the vibrant city of Nashville, TN where the 103rd National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference unfolded at the Music City Center. We are still buzzing with the energy of educators, the rhythm of collaboration, and the harmonious theme that echoed throughout: "Social Studies: »
Increasing student voice in the classroom poses a challenge for educators, prompting us to explore effective strategies to amplify and foster active student participation. In a thought-provoking article by Shane Safir featured on the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) website, titled "Cultivating a Pedagogy of Student Voice," Safir »
The TXCSS Fall Conference 2023, which took place last week at the Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria in Houston, Texas, was a truly memorable event for all of us at Exploros. This annual gathering of educators, teachers, and organizations dedicated to the advancement of social studies education provided an invaluable opportunity »
BOSTON - Sept. 3, 2020 Exploros™, the K12 learning experience platform, has released a new American History course as part of the Exploros Social Studies Bundle of over 650 lessons. Exploros is a social instructional platform that assists teachers by staging powerful learning experiences in the face-to-face or remote device-enabled »
BOSTON, MA, May 21, 2020. Exploros, the teacher-guided, social learning experience platform for K12, announced that it was chosen as a finalist for the 2020 EdTech Trendsetter Award by EdTech Digest. This year's finalists and winners were narrowed from the larger field and judged based on various criteria, including: pedagogical »
Boston, MA, May 8, 2020. Exploros, the K12 learning experience platform, is excited to collaborate with Lenovo, a global leader in educational technology, as a classroom orchestration and remote learning solution for schools in North and South America. As a teacher-guided, social instructional platform, Exploros assists teachers in staging powerful »
29% State-Testing Gains for Nineteen Thousand Students in Texas with the Majority of Students Designated as At-Risk or Economically Disadvantaged Austin, TX, August 8, 2019. Exploros, the K12 learning experience platform, delivers remarkable impact for middle school campuses across Texas. In a recent case study based on publicly available campus-level »
Exploros is proud to announce that we now have users in half of the districts in Texas and students have shared their TEKS-based social studies posts within classrooms over 10 million times! (ELAR curriculum coming soon - see below). Last year, campuses that used our Social Studies consistently had an »
How does it work? Teachers teach 5E-model lessons using free Exploros Texas Social Studies learning experiences designed from the TEKS Students actively participate in the learning experiences using devices and social media skills – reading articles, developing graphic organizers and other responses, and answering assessments, while also engaging in classroom dialog. »
Texas educators review the major challenges facing social studies instruction today and the innovative Exploros approach. CHALLENGE: The amount of social studies content is impacting quality instruction When asked to identify the primary challenge facing social studies instruction in the state today, Texas educators consistently pointed to the depth and »
Exploros brings together educational technology and professional services to empower learners and educators through increased engagement and informed instructional practices. Our theory of action is based on the work of social psychologist Lev Vygotsky who identified a connection between social interactions and cognitive development. We posit that by expanding the »
Exploros Increases 8th Grade Social Studies STAAR Scores by 17% Across Multiple Districts Summary Campuses that systemically implemented Exploros for 3-9 months gained an average of 8.5 points on STAAR in 2017 (17.3% increase) whereas the state average was a decrease of 3 points (5%). Background During the »