Elizabeth Forward School District has implemented a badging program for Kindergarten students since 2016. Instead of grades, students can earn over sixty different badges from a variety of different skills - reading sentences fluently, subtracting two-digit numbers, etc. To learn more about the history of the Kindergarten Badging Program at Elizabeth Forward, please access this article from EdSurge.

The digital component of the Kindgerten Badging Program would not be possible without the iPad. Students and parents are able to monitor their badge progress from any location and any time on their iPad. In addition, teachers and students are able to interact with different digital lessons on the iPad that assist with badge progression.

The success of Kindergarten Badging at Greenock Elementary has inspired teachers at Mt. Vernon to incorporate badging into their curriculum as well!  Mrs. Tiffany Loeffler, 4th grade Science teacher,  has created her own badging system! Using tools like Keynote, Mrs. Loeffler has created 30 different badges that her students can earn throughout the year. Students use creative tools on the iPad to create artifacts that demonstrate their learning in order to earn their badges. One of the best components of this badging system is that students have their very own lab coat where they can place their badges on to display what they have earned!

Another example of badging involves Ms. Catherine Reagan, a 5th grade Mathematics teacher at Mt. Vernon. Mrs. Reagan was looking for a way to motivate her students to practice their multiplication facts. Using the Multiplication Genius application on iPad, students can earn points and exchange these for badges!