Pine Lake Preparatory Case Study
Empowering educators with high-quality materials and building learner independence
Overview
Grace (special education teacher) and Shelly (principal) share about their experience using FirstWork to support independent learning and reduce the significant time spent on creating individualized instructional materials at PLP. The platform helped learners engage with academic goals more effectively and allowed staff to focus on instruction rather than prep.
1. Increasing Access to High-Quality Learning Materials
Problem:
Teachers were spending too much time creating materials for individualized instruction, leaving less time for planning and delivery.
Solution:
FirstWork provided instant access to a diverse library of learning materials aligned with targeted goals.
“FirstWork has a vast array of materials built into the program for use in the different activities. This helps alleviate the need to create materials which can be extremely time-consuming.”
“The time necessary to set up appropriate activities for the individual students is minimal when compared to creating these materials.”
Impact:
Materials were readily available for a range of learner needs.
Prep time was drastically reduced.
Teachers could shift more energy toward direct instruction.
2. Supporting Independent Learning for a Diverse Classroom
Problem:
Not all students were able to engage with technology independently, and teacher support was stretched thin.
Solution:
FirstWork was implemented as an independent iPad station, giving students the opportunity to engage in practice independently—with scaffolding as needed.
“FirstWork is being used in an independent iPad station… This has worked really well for the majority of learners within this classroom.”
“The process of the program… work first and then app access is very motivating to the learners and encourages them to stay on task.”
Impact:
The majority of learners could complete work without assistance.
Motivation increased through structured reinforcement.
Staff could circulate and support learners more efficiently.
3. Improving Use of Technology in the Classroom
Problem:
Before FirstWork, students struggled to use technology appropriately without constant adult support.
Solution:
By programming mastered skills into FirstWork, students could practice without becoming overwhelmed or discouraged.
“We have seen a huge improvement in the independent use of technology. Growth has also been seen in the students’ ability to work quicker on activities.”
Impact:
Students developed tech fluency while practicing functional skills.
Teachers reported more consistent and effective tech use.
The app supported student success across academic and life-skill areas.
4. Strong School-Level Support and Expansion Plans
Problem:
New tech tools often come with unclear support and limited capacity to scale across classrooms.
Solution:
The FirstWork team provided accessible, responsive support that enabled successful onboarding and implementation.
“We have been very pleased with the support that has been provided… The team is accessible and willing to help figure out things connected to the app.”
“We are in the process of implementing the use of it in other settings within the school system.”
Impact:
Educators felt supported and empowered to experiment.
The administration committed to broader adoption based on early success.
