News Releases

MCHENRY, IL – Follett has added a wide array of new Lightbox™ titles for elementary, middle, and high school, providing engaging new topics and additional ways of making digital classroom content accessible to all levels of learners. With these almost 200 new titles, Lightbox™ gives educators the variety of subjects to support classroom curriculum, and, for the first time, the Lightbox™ lineup now includes more than 50 Spanish elementary school titles.

Lightbox™, which debuted one year ago, is Follett’s award-winning, fully interactive solution designed to improve engagement and literacy skills. Lightbox was named a “Best of Show at ISTE 2016” winner by Tech & Learning; a “Top 10 K-12 Educational Technology Product of 2015” by K-12 Tech Decisions; and a finalist in both the 2016 SIIA CODiE Award and EdTech Digest Cool Tool Award competitions. It is currently a finalist in the education category of the Chicago Innovation Awards.

The newly announced Lightbox™ Literature Studies for high school explores many important literary works, including To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, Animal Farm, The Great Gatsby, and Macbeth. Designed as a teaching and learning supplement, the series gives students new ways of connecting to the time period, themes, symbolism and impact of the novel, setting the stage for engaging classroom discussion, extending learning, and developing a deeper connection to the content.

The new Lightbox™ U.S. History series takes students on a journey using primary source documents, biographies, speeches, and firsthand accounts to tell and show the country’s story. The pages and resources found in “Civil War and Reconstruction” illustrate precisely how learning U.S. History can be reinvented for today’s students.

“Educators tell us they are impressed with the ability of Lightbox™ to stimulate students’ interest and immersion in a topic that ultimately leads to deeper mastery of the subject,” said Nader Qaimari, President, Follett School Solutions. “As for the product’s uniqueness, national surveys show students spend an average of eight minutes with a traditional eBook; Lightbox districts are reporting their students are spending an average of 45 minutes in a Lightbox title.”

Qaimari added his company’s thorough research in the market led Follett to develop a tool that introduced students to key concepts such as theme, symbolism, setting and conflict, plus a place where they can understand the context of a novel based on the time period of its publishing, its author’s motivations, and the key perspectives it illuminated. The To Kill A Mockingbird Lightbox™ menu, for example, includes an interview with Gregory Peck, who earned an Academy Award for his portrayal of Atticus Finch in the film.

Designed with digital natives in mind, Lightbox™ supports instructors and offers varied approaches to teaching topics, while its built-in tools create an engaging, student-centered learning experience for students at all levels. Moreover, Lightbox™ is an exceptional value with an affordable pricing structure that varies according to grade level.