Featured 5-1-2014: Pear Deck

Pear Deck makes it easy to plan and build interactive lessons that promote active learning in the classroom. Real-time data provides teachers the feedback needed to make on-the-fly adaptations.

 

Create a new Pear Deck from Google Drive then use the editor to quickly create any of four kinds of slides: static, multiple choice, Draggable™, or free response. You can also import slides from most presentation software, such as Powerpoint or Keynote, as a PDF.

 

 

Once your Pear Deck is built, launch a unique presentation session directly from the editor to your students using your Google Apps for Education domain. Pear Deck’s Google Chrome extension lets you launch the presentation on their devices with no cooperation required.

 

 

Students follow along on their devices and respond to the unique question types when prompted. As the teacher, your device can isolate individual or groups of answers to put on the interactive whiteboard for further discussion or review.

 

 See how to present a Pear Deck

 

Pear Deck is currently in limited beta. They are looking for schools that:

• Use Google Apps for Education
• Use or are evaluating Chromebooks
• Are driven to fostering an environment of active learning
• Are driven to increase and improve formative assessments and data-driven instruction

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Featured 3-11-2014: CourseLab

Create quality interactive e-Learning content using CourseLab, a powerful, easy-to-use, WYSIWYG authoring tool.

 

CourseLab's programming-free environment turns out content that can be published on the Internet, to Learning Management Systems (LMS), on CD-ROMs, and other platforms.

 

 

CourseLab is available as a commercial product (version 2.7) and as freeware (version 2.4).

 

Key Features of CourseLab 2.7:

• Unicode support - use any font and encoding supported by the Windows® operating system, including double-byte character sets
• Object-oriented paradigm allows easy construction of even complex e-Learning content
• Objects are highly customizable
• Dynamic HTML-based output can be played in a web browser without any special software

Free CourseLab 2.4 is an older version of CourseLab. It offers the same WYSIWYG environment for creating interactive e-Learning content as the current commercial version, but lacks a number of new features, templates, and interactive objects.

 

 

As well as interactive e-Learning content, CourseLab can be used to create a wide range of applications including tests, quizzes, surveys, guides for policies and procedures, and more.

 

E-Learning courses developed and published with CourseLab may be conformant with the following e-Learning standards: AICC, SCORM 1.2, and SCORM 1.3.

 

 Watch Courselab - Creating a Course

 

CourseLab is a product of WebSoft, a leading Russian independent software vendor that develops a comprehensive suite of software products for e-Learning and humal capital management.

 

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Featured 2-24-2014: ZipGrade

Grade multiple-choice tests with ZipGrade using your iPhone's camera as a scanner.

 

ZipGrade is a fast, accurate, cost-effective way to grade tests in the classroom or wherever you may be.

 

You can grade, analyze, and store as many as 20 tests per minute on an iPhone 5. By giving teachers the ability to grade papers quickly anywhere, ZipGrade provides rapid feedback that can be used to better focus lessons and assignments.

 

Download free answer sheets in several formats and sizes from ZipGrade.com and print as many copies as you wish.

 

 

Results are organized for reporting and exporting as PDF and in Excel-readable format. Results are stored by students, subject, and quiz.

 

 See ZipGrade V1.1 In Action

 

ZipGrade is a free download from the iTunes App Store, with a 100 quiz demo; 27 languages including English, Spanish, French, Russian, and Chinese. Requires iOS 7.0 or later.

 

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Featured: 1-14-2014 Nutmeg Education

Nutmeg Education is designed to give teachers an easy way to assess, track and improve student performance and build better Common Core assessments.

Create assessments with questions from Nutmeg Education's repository, or create your own questions. Pick from or create multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank or true/false questions. In the works are auto-generated questions and “interactive” questions, such as responding by clicking on a point in the coordinate plan.

The Live Resource Bank is a collection of Common Core aligned videos, games, and worksheets that can be attached to an assessment. The related Common Core standard appears to students below each question in their quiz results. All of the items in the bank come from free online websites and Open Education Resources  All are rated by teachers and sorted with the best, most-used resources at the top.

  

Students will be sent login details and “New Assessment” notifications via email. Students can take assessments with any web-connected device, or even with paper/pencil.

Students with access to an iOS device can use this free Nutmeg Education app to take your assessments. Students get immediate feedback and access to free tutorials and resources to improve.

 

 

Nutmeg Education supports learning by providing you with data and insights on students' Common Core understanding. 

 

Watch Nutmeg Education: Fostering a National Teacher Community

 

Early adopters will get Nutmeg Education completely free for one year. In a few months, new users will start to be charged for full access to the site.

 

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Extra: 12-23-2013 Problem-Attic

Problem-Attic makes a large body of questions available for free to the education community, for personalized learning and teaching. 

 

Tens of thousands of questions from a variety of sources including the NY Regents, state assessments, NAEP and TIMSS, and three NC math contest organizations can be found at Problem-Attic.

 

 

All of the questions are in a database, organized by topic, and individually selectable and re-formattable. They can be inserted into all kinds of new documents: tests and quizzes, worksheets, flash cards, and slides. 

 

 View Welcome to Problem-Attic!

Problem-Attic is a product of EducAide Software, which has a long history of developing question banks and other teaching/testing tools. 

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Featured: 12-18-2013 Metta

Use Metta to create learning stories, documentaries, summaries, and compilations from videos, pictures, text, and sounds that are already on the web or upload your own material.

Insert polls and quizzes into your Metta stories, lessons, or slides to get feedback from your viewers. Get insights and track who answered your questions, when, and where.

A convenient Collect Button makes it easy to gather videos, images, and text wherever you’re browsing on the the web with just a click.

 See an example Metta story

Your Metta profile can be shared with your followers and you can follow other Metta users. Even build your own channel.

All Metta plans includes a 30-day free trial. The free plan allows you to create and publish an unlimited number of stories, but you get only 10 MB of media storage and are limited to just 10 responses per poll. If you decide to go with a paid plan, be certain to check the EDU Discount box for 50% off.

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Featured: 11-25-2013 Kahoot!

Kahoot! delivers educational content through asking meaningful questions in real-time, resulting in a social, fun, and game-like environment.

Build quizzes, called Kahoots!, on any device using a simple drag-and-drop tool. Include embedded images and video.

Project the quiz onto a screen or interactive whiteboard to engage and focus students who quickly join through their personal device, seeing their name appear (without needing an account).

Students play against each other, answering questions in real-time through an easy-to-use interface, while you facilitate and discuss the content.

Kahoot! allows learners to both respond and create with any device that has a web browser and works over wifi or 3G/4G. Students can share their knowledge by playing their Kahoot back to classmates. You can assess the quality of student questions, while the other students answer the questions.

 Watch a video demonstrating the basics of the Kahoot! website for the K-12 classroom.

Formatively assess individual knowledge and adapt learning. Kahoot! data provides you with a ‘snapshot’ of each learner's current understanding and tracks longer term progress.

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Featured: 11-13-2013 iResponse

The iResponse Classroom Responder System is a classroom response and assessment distribution system that functions on iOS devices.

iResponse enables teachers to transform every class into an interactive learning environment. Student comprehension can be monitored through the Utility program, creating a differentiated educational environment where individual student progress can be measured and pace adjusted.

The iResponse Classroom Responder System has two components, the iResponse app for iOS and the iResponse Utility.

Students using their iOS device during class, log-in to a session to receive and respond to questions, or tests. Students can also view individual and class results if the teacher enables this function.

The Utility is where teachers create and push content to student devices. Questions and tests can be created and saved ahead of time and retrieved during class, or created on the fly during a class session. View who is connected to the system, who has responded to the question, and what response was given. Both class and individual statistics can be displayed and tracked through the Utility.

 Watch the iResponse Pro tutorial

The Standard iResponse version allows for in-class question and answer sessions and instant feedback over a stand-alone network router or wireless Internet connection. The Pro version adds the ability to distribute and receive in-class and take-home tests, as well as functions to export, save and print student and class statistics.

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Featured: 7-29-2013 QuestBase

QuestBase is a free, cross-platform application that provides the tools you need to create and manage your assessments, tests, quizzes, and exams, both on-line and printed.

 

QuestBase helps teachers create self-grading quizzes, assign them to students, assess their performance, and analyze results.

 

Teachers and tutors can grade students quickly and monitor learners' performance. Collect information and get results in less time.

 

Some of the main features of QuestBase:

• Manage on-line and printed exams, quizzes, and surveys.
• Import questions and mix several question types into assessments.
• Publish tests on-line.
• Grade answers automatically, manually, or just save them.
• Quick results with statistics and charts.
• Print questions, even in random order.
• Deliver secure exams.

 

QuestBase does not require you to install any software or configure anything. Create assessments using any device with an Internet connection and access them from anywhere. They can be printed on paper automatically, even in multiple versions, and with a modern, professional, attractive layout.

 

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Featured: 7-11-2013 WISE

WISE (Wireless Interactive Scanning Examinations) is an iOS application that grades and stores multiple-choice quizzes, tests, and exams, on your device.

WISE puts a mass of information and processing technology into your hand. Originally, WISE was the idea of two colorado public high school teachers, it has been created and tested by teachers for teachers.

Teachers can print bubble sheets directly from the app straight to a supported printer and be ready to go. Use a pencil or blue/black ink. As long as the bubbles are filled in the WISE app can recognize it.

WISE is fast and accurate. Scan quizzes, tests, and exams of up to 100 questions with 99% accuracy in seconds. Results are automatically organized by course, class, and student.

Other key features of WISE:

• Immediate Feedback: Teachers can instantly grade assessments and provide feedback to students.
• Mobile: Grade at any time from any location. Keys and scores are securely stored on your mobile device to be accessed from anywhere.
• Data Analysis: Data is immediately analyzed through score reporting.

 View the WISE App Video

WISE is free to download and use for up to 100 scans. After that, it is available on a monthly subscription basis at $1.99 (USD) or $19.99 for a year of service.

WISE is compatible with iPhone 3GS or newer, iPod touch (3rd generation or newer), and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.

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Featured: 6-5-2013 The AnswerPad

The Answer Pad is a browser-based student response system with two main components: Go Interactive and The Answer Sheets, and the option to use mobile devices.

Go Interactive engages and connects with students in the classroom for formative assessment that can be used to drive instruction.

Go Interactive provides seven different ways to take a snapshot of student understanding in the classroom. The Draw feature allows students to draw their answer or annotate on a customizable template such as an axis or graph paper. Teachers can upload their own custom graphics, too.  Having just been released in May 2013, Go Interactive Template Gallery offers a collection of different backgrounds that can be sent out to the students.

The Answer Sheets let teachers set up an online electronic answer sheet for paper tests using any of the eight different question types. The Answer Pad scores the tests and quizzes for you.  Students can also use a scratch pad to show their work. You can then view the scratch pad

The Answer Pad offers reports by skill, by class, and by student using a built-in, robust reporting system for item analysis. School and district implementations are available for aggregate reporting.

The Answer Pad is browser-based for teachers. Students may use a free iPad app, TAPit Free, or a browser. Teachers wishing to use the TAPit Free app with students must register for free.

 Watch an overview of The AnswerPad

The Answer Pad is free for one teacher to use in one class of up to 36 students. For multiple classes, more students, and other features, you must upgrade to AnswerPad+ ($10 annually per teacher).

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Featured: 4-17-2013 GradeMark [Assessment]

GradeMark saves time and improves feedback through an online grading system where standard and customized annotations appear directly on the student's paper.

By making it possible to provide students with richer feedback on their work, GradeMark helps instructors have better interactions with students thereby improving writing levels.

GradeMark offers five types of 'rich' feedback:

1. Reduce plagiarism with an Originality Report.

2. Quickly drag standard or custom marks and comments directly onto the paper using QuickMark Sets.

3. Voice Comments provide personalized audio feedback that conveys your 'tone' and clarifies comments.

4. Communicate clear expectations and speed grading with pre-loaded Common Core-aligned Rubrics, or create your own.

5. Write broader, in-depth General Comments to give students overall feedback about their papers.

• Comprehensive statistics and graphs help you analyze and identify areas of concern, or track improvement.
  

  
  

 Watch a video demo of GradeMark

GradeMark is completely online and available 24/7 through any modern web browser. GradeMark is a product of Turnitin.

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Featured: 3/5/2013 Crase [Assessment]

CRASE is an automated scoring system created to provide immediate, accurate, and low-cost scoring of short-answer and essay items.



CRASE is meant to be a reliable, cost-effective alternative to hand scoring student responses and is currently utilized in both classroom and summative assessment environments. Automated scoring can greatly reduce the time required to get scores and data for classroom-based assessments. It can provide feedback to students in seconds. CRASE can also minimize the time teachers have to spend on grading.

CRASE utilizes information technology, combined with natural language processing and statistical modeling, to easily and accurately score open-ended test questions, including writing prompts. Studies have shown that that the scores delivered by Automated Scoring are as accurate as those provided by human raters.

View the CRASE data sheet (PDF)

CRASE, a product of Pacific Metrics Corporation, is a Web service that integrates easily with testing platforms using a standardized API. It can be configured to score the wide variety of items already used in state-level and classroom assessments.

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