2012-13 Fifty ed-tech products and services that are making a difference in schools - eCampus News
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presents…
2012-13
Fifty ed-tech products and services
that are making a difference in schools
Inside this special supplement, you’ll find:
• Our readers’ top 50 choices for K-12 and
higher-education technologies and websites
• Descriptions of each resource—including
what it is and how it has enhanced teaching,
learning, or school administration
• 72 “honorable mentions”: More products or
services that are among our readers’ favorites
A note from the editor
This past spring, we asked readers to give us their top
picks for school hardware, software, websites, and
services. Nearly 1,300 readers responded via one of our
three websites: eSchoolNews.com, eCampusNews.com,
and eClassroomNews.com.
In nominating their favorite products, we asked readers
to tell us how they’re using these products to improve
teaching, learning, or school administration—and to what effect. We then
chose the 50 best responses, which appear alphabetically by product name
and grouped into two categories: K-12 and higher education.
The result is a list of ed-tech products and services that have proven to be
effective, as noted by our readers—your colleagues—in schools and colleges
nationwide.
We hope you’ll find this information useful as you consider how technology
can help transform education in your own schools. And watch for our call
for nominations for the 2013-14 Readers’ Choice Awards in print and online
early next year.
Regards,
Dennis Pierce
Editor
eSchool Media
2 Readers’ Choice Awards
AWAR D WI N N E RS
K-12 winners Centricity2 (Schoolwires)
Centricity2 is a web-
site and content man-
agement system that
Aerohive Wireless Access Points brings together all a
(Aerohive Networks) school system’s information in one place, with group man-
Aerohive’s distributed, agement capabilities, mobile device support, and a suite of
scalable wireless architec- Web 2.0 tools. It’s designed to integrate seamlessly with all
ture delivers enterprise- compatible systems, data, and third-party applications, and
grade service in a cost- district leaders can measure their community’s engagement
effective way. It allows for simple, centralized management through integrated web analytics that help monitor users’
and delivers unique classroom monitoring capabilities for online activity.
better control at the classroom level. “In my opinion, Schoolwires has created the ultimate con-
“AeroHive provided the hardware to create a school- tent management environment for digital communication,”
wide wireless network that has proven to be a rock-solid per- said George Weeks, director of technology for New Jersey’s
former,” said Raymond Schlosser, Technology Coordinator Glassboro Public Schools. “Centricity makes it easy to keep
for Notre Dame Academy in Kentucky. “[Aerohive’s] intelli- our sites fresh and continually update the information we
gent access points and controller-free hosted configurations present to the public. The backend interface is easy to use,
have required very little time to manage, and [its] interface is allowing anyone to edit a page, a section, or an entire site—
easy to use. [Its] teacher view software allows teachers to making the traditional webmaster obsolete. Web page edit-
control when students in their classes have access to the ing is as simple as creating an eMail. … With this product, we
internet and LAN, giving them better classroom manage- have been able to make our web portal the primary source
ment and helping to keep students on task.” for information about the schools. Web statistics show a
http://www.aerohive.com steady increase in unique visitors every month since we
implemented the product five years ago.”
http://www.schoolwires.com
BoardDocs
BoardDocs’ paperless
services allow school dis-
Doceri (SP Controls)
tricts to improve how they Doceri is an iPad app and desk-
create and manage board top software program for control-
packets and conduct meetings—saving time and money ling presentations and lessons
while enhancing transparency. All BoardDocs solutions are remotely. It lets users control a com-
fully supported on most mobile devices, including the Apple puter (Mac or Windows), launch
iPad, and include 24-7 technical support with every sub- any document or application, and
scription. annotate over them at any time.
“Our school district has been using BoardDocs … since When used in conjunction with SP Controls’ Network Room
2005. It saves our district a huge amount of money, because Controller, Doceri also can remotely control projectors, DVD
everything is done on the computer, and we were able to quit players, and other AV devices.
using reams and reams of paper,” said Kristy Rodri, a school “Doceri is a remote iPad app that I use almost daily in my
board member for Durango School District 9-R in Colorado. classroom,” said Jennifer DiPasquale, a teacher at
“It archives our past board meetings, minutes, and newslet- Pennsylvania’s North Hills School District. “It has complete-
ters, as well as our polices—so we can access information at ly eliminated the use of the [interactive whiteboard] in my
any time. … The information [that] is only for the board classroom. I [can] allow my students to write on my iPad and
members’ eyes can be put into a confidential section, which project it on my screen. I am able to watch my students
is password-protected and cannot be accessed by the public. through Apple Remote Desktop, but I watch them on my
… The product is amazing, and [BoardDocs] should be rec- iPad so I am not stuck in one place in the room. Students
ognized for how responsive they are in the customer service enjoy writing on the iPad and seeing it on the big screen. …
area: They listen to their customers and come up with excit- I love Doceri!”
ing additions all the time.” http://www.spcontrols.com
http://boarddocs.com
3 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
DreamBox Learning interact with whiteboard notes and projected content.
DreamBox is an intelligent, “I’m in charge of delivering technologies to my teachers
adaptive learning platform for that can truly make a difference in the classroom,” said
teaching elementary-level Danielle Kazoroski,
math. Based on whether stu- network/technology
dents give right or wrong associate for Brevard
answers to questions, the soft- County Schools in
ware adapts the level of diffi- Florida. “After con-
culty, scaffolding, sequencing, and pacing of the problems ducting thorough
they see—ensuring that every student works in his or her research, my principal and I decided to purchase 30 eBeam
optimal learning zone, from struggling to advanced. Edge devices because of [their] open software approach,
“We are using DreamBox Learning with all of our first which allows us to make the most out of the tools we
graders and with some students in kindergarten, second, already have [and] provides a path to maximize our tech-
and third grade for intervention,” said Michelle Tomlin, dis- nology investment for years to come. Our teachers and stu-
trict facilitator for the Kirkwood, Mo., schools. “We have dents love the technology, because it is incredibly easy to
seen growth in our students’ number sense. The students install and use. Every classroom in grades two through six
regularly make connections to what they are learning in has a device, and many teachers use the eBeam technology
math class from what they are doing in DreamBox. The to capture lessons and upload content to the class website
transfer of learning is great.” for continued at-home learning. … Aside from being fun for
http://www.dreambox.com the students, teachers share that the eBeam technology has
measurably improved student interactivity and engage-
ment.”
http://www.e-beam.com
Education2020 (e2020 Inc.)
e2020 provides instruction in virtual and blended learn-
ing environments for students in grades 6-12. Emphasizing
instructional content in both core and elective subjects,
Edmodo
e2020’s programs help students recover and accrue credits A free social
network just for
schools, Edmodo
gives teachers
and students a
secure place to connect and collaborate, share content and
for graduation, participate in Advanced Placement courses, educational applications, and access homework, grades,
and prepare for state, end-of-course, and standardized class discussions, and notifications.
assessments. “The entire website has made my life as a teacher so
“We have used e2020 for credit recovery as well as a much more easy and stress free,” said Taylor Hopewell, a
complete school curriculum. It … allows us to customize theatre arts teacher at St. Bernard High School in California.
the learning experiences for our students based on prescrip- “I can connect to my students online, grade assignments in
tive testing,” said Kenneth Kuczynski, CEO of Christina a snap, keep track of those grades, making better use of
International High School, a virtual school based in paper (helping the environment), and most importantly, I
Minnesota. “Our students find lectures to be complete and get my students interacting with each other. They want to
easy to follow. The assignments are challenging, and each learn, [and] they socialize with each other, asking important
course aligns with state core standards. We also like the questions and having debates. It’s amazing to see the stu-
selection of teacher tools that allow for very focused diag- dents get excited about learning. I love Edmodo!”
nostics. The parent portal and teacher tools are very valu- http://www.edmodo.com
able resources.”
http://www.education2020.com
EduVision (JDL Horizons)
EduVision is a full-featured video streaming platform
eBeam (Luidia) and internet broadcast TV service that allows schools and
eBeam is a portable device that transforms any flat sur- districts to upload and run video on their websites.
face into a dynamic, digital workspace, allowing users to EduVision “enables districts to easily upload videos and
4 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
make them available through a user-friendly interface,” said “FluidMath is the best
Jeanine Gendron, director of instructional technology for software for teaching and
Florida’s Broward County Schools. “In Broward, EduVision learning mathematics I have
is being used in two different ways to support the education- used in my 25-year career,”
al community. First, the Department of Instructional said Nils Ahbel, a math
Technology has used EduVision to upload videos focused on teacher at Deerfield
classroom practices, strategies, and lessons that exemplify Academy in Massachusetts.
how to integrate technology “FluidMath recognizes standard math notation written in
into teaching and learning. handwriting and brings the math alive. … With FluidMath,
Teachers then view and share the tablet PC is not used as a substitute for manipulation skills,
their classroom ideas, which but rather as a tool for investigation. This change in perspec-
supports professional learn- tive is incredibly important—it helps students be mathemati-
ing. Second, EduVision is used cians and not just learn mathematics.”
to stream school board meetings and workshops in real time. http://fluiditysoftware.com
The video streams are made available through the district
website and are accessible via a computer, laptop, or mobile
device—including iPads, tablets, and smart phones. The
videos are then stored and can be retrieved immediately for
Gaggle Apps (Gaggle Inc.)
review. … EduVision has enabled Broward to effectively Gaggle Apps are online tools
integrate video streaming and video distribution to provide for students to communicate and
timely communications to its entire community and has collaborate in a safe, filtered, and
resulted in a positive change in how communication occurs.” controlled environment. Tools
http://www.eduvision.tv include eMail, digital lockers, dis-
cussion boards, chat rooms, blogs,
assignment drop boxes, and more.
“Our third, fourth, and fifth
eTeachables (Sublime Learning) graders have safe monitored eMail, social walls, blogs, IM,
eTeachables are brief, homework drop boxes, digital lockers, and more with this
on-demand video tutori- online resource,” said Camella Herrin, technology facilitator
als that model effective for Cabarrus County Schools in North Carolina. “The oppor-
teaching with various tunity to teach students the ethical and correct usage of such
technology tools, to help online resources has been phenomenal. We began with eMail
teachers answer the and have now begun to branch out to social walls for our
“how and why” of technology-based instruction. fifth graders and blogging between teachers and their stu-
“The eTeachables … help teachers quickly create high- dents. The levels of control are managed by the designated
quality, standards-based lessons that utilize 21st-century school administrator for Gaggle, and this allows different
tools,” said Anne Callies, assistive technology coordinator apps within Gaggle to be rolled out as teachers and students
for the San Diego Unified School District, which uses the are ready for them—not before! There is even an app called
product as part of its professional development for teachers GaggleTube, which is filtered YouTube. Teachers approve
in the district’s groundbreaking i21 Interactive Classroom educational and timely videos, and students may access
program. “Everything you need to create your own cus- them within GaggleTube in a safe manner.”
tomized and differentiated lesson is right there. Everyone http://www.gaggle.net
who has used these lessons has raved about them and how
easy they are to implement.”
http://sublimelearning.com
Gooru (Ednovo)
Gooru is a free search
engine for learning. Teachers
FluidMath (Fluidity Software) and students can use Gooru
FluidMath is a teaching and learning tool designed for to search for rich collections of multimedia resources, digital
users of pen-centric platforms such as tablet PCs and interac- textbooks, videos, games, and quizzes created by educators
tive whiteboards. It features accurate recognition of hand- in the Gooru community. Collections are aligned with stan-
written math symbols, allowing teachers and students to dards and currently cover every math and science topic from
share concepts and explore ideas electronically. grades 5-12, with other subjects coming soon.
5 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
Gooru “has been instrumental in our efforts to flip our “Our third-grade
entire school,” said Greg Green, principal of Clintondale teacher, Ms. Ingrid Oyen, is
High School in Michigan. “Gooru provides 30,000 free using the new Insight 360
resources that enable our teachers to flip our classrooms system for daily formative
and to meet our students’ personal learning needs. … We assessment in her math
have received so much attention; however, we could not do class,” said Mark Hupp,
it without Gooru assisting us. They provide us an invalu- director of technology for
able, web-based LMS solution that is unmatched, with plen- Salt Creek 48 schools in
tiful resources and collaboration capabilities.” Illinois. “Beginning the year
http://www.goorulearning.org with CPS (eInstruction’s earlier offering), Ms. Oyen has
driven math achievement off the charts. Now, Ms. Oyen has
seamlessly moved to eInstruction’s revolutionary Insight
360 system—providing her even easier, more natural access
Infosnap to real-time formative assessment data. The Insight 360 sys-
Infosnap is a tem is so easy, so comfortable, and so powerful that Ms.
provider of online Oyen and I believe it to be the holy grail of response prod-
admission and regis- ucts. The ability to tag almost any file format—including
tration solutions for SMART Notebook [content]—means that it is not only plat-
K-12 schools. It offers secure, customized online forms form agnostic, but also software agnostic. Now, Ms. Oyen
based on a school or district’s existing enrollment processes. can use all of her old digital content with her clickers—a
Data submitted through these forms are delivered from the huge plus!”
infosnap software to the school’s student information sys- http://www.einstruction.com
tem, and administrative tools enable school leaders to pol-
ish the data and run customized reports.
“The Carlisle Area School District uses infosnap for pre-
registration and registration of new students, as well as
Jing (TechSmith)
annual student and staff updates,” said Stephanie Douglas, Jing is a simple and free
director of technology for this Pennsylvania district. software program that lets
“Infosnap has saved our district tens of thousands of dollars users capture an image or
in copier, printer, paper, toner and other expenses to create screen shot of what’s on their
packets of forms. As important, it has increased the efficien- computer, as well as record
cies to gather emergency, medical, demographic, and other up to five minutes of on-screen video. Two other products
information from students. Instead of waiting for students from TechSmith, Snagit and Camtasia, are useful for editing
to return completed forms over the first few weeks of screencasts and sharing video and also received several
school, we hade 72 percent of [the necessary] student infor- nominations from readers.
mation before the opening day of school. With the integra- “This is an amazing tool, both in its simplicity and in its
tion to our student information system, this information functionality,” said Jeffrey Getchell, director of learning
was available for teachers, staff, and administrators imme- technologies for Regis University. “Faculty use Jing to illus-
diately—removing the need for support staff to read all trate processes for students. Rather than an office visit, fac-
forms of handwriting [and] enter [the data] into our SIS. ... ulty can record short tutorials and send [them] to students
Implementing this system was one of the biggest and most or post into online courses. Administrators use Jing to pro-
positive changes for our district in recent memory.” vide the occasional tutorial for faculty. Rather than spend-
http://www.infosnap.com ing inordinate amounts of time on the phone, support folks
can create a short screen video or capture and send [it]
directly by eMail. And when a computer issue crops up,
employees can send screen shots of error messages directly
Insight 360 (eInstruction) to the IT help desk that illustrate the problem better than
Insight 360 is a “formative instruction” system designed time spent on the phone. And it’s free. This is what open
to simplify the practice of formative assessment in conjunc- resources are all about: simple tools providing specific func-
tion with interactive teaching. Insight 360 enables educators tions that are easy to use and freely accessible.”
to obtain instant feedback on student learning through an http://www.techsmith.com
easy-to-use suite of mobile devices, software, and instruc-
tional material that is interoperable with their existing tech-
nology and systems, the company says.
6 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
Ko’s Journey (Imagine Education) MyLearningPlan
Ko’s Journey is a 12-hour MyLearningPlan is a professional development manage-
middle school math game ment and evaluation system that offers fast and easy plan-
that takes a targeted ning, tracking, and evaluation of all kinds of professional
approach to math instruction learning in one comprehensive, online system.
in a part-time, six-week pro- “Our district uses MyLearningPlan to organize profes-
gram focusing on the critical sional development activities,” said Jennifer Brucker, coordi-
areas of the Common Core nator of professional development for Pennsylvania’s
standards. Methacton School District. “The activities are displayed in an
“We are using this exten- electronic catalog for teachers to enroll in for an in-service
sively in multiple pilot day, flex hours, and/or district training. MyLearningPlan
schools within the Los then enables an administrator to confirm attendance and
Angeles Unified School District,” said Scott Spector, career send the activity to the state for Act 48 credit to be given. The
and technical education advisor for the district’s Office of
Curriculum and Instruction. “We have seen dramatic test-
score improvement with those students using Ko’s Journey
in their math classes. … Students have been engaged in the
process of learning math. This has not happened at many of process is effortless! We also use MyLearningPlan to run dis-
the schools currently using Ko’s Journey. It has also helped trict reports to determine where we have spent our federal
the teachers with classroom management—students spend funds for professional learning. … Overall, MyLearningPlan
more time on task.” has changed the way we do business in our district.”
http://www.kosjourney.com http://www.mylearningplan.com
LabQuest (Vernier Software & Technology) My Big Campus (Lightspeed Systems)
Vernier’s LabQuest My Big Campus offers a safe, monitored environment for
2 is a standalone inter- students to blog, hold discussions, and collaborate on group
face used to collect projects online. A standalone version is available for individ-
sensor data with a ual teachers or professional networks, while a district-wide
built-in graphing and version integrates with Lightspeed’s Web Filter to offer
analysis application. cross-district sharing
The large, high-reso- of resources and addi-
lution touch screen makes it easy and intuitive to collect, ana- tional management
lyze, and share data from experiments, Vernier says, and its and reporting features.
wireless connectivity encourages collaboration and person- “We are using My Big Campus in a variety of ways,” said
alized learning. Sandy Bader, technology training specialist for the Unified
“The strongest feature of the LabQuest unit is that it is School District of De Pere, Wis. “Teachers are using it with
simple enough for an elementary student to use for experi- their classes to have online discussions. … Teachers are also
ments, and the data that it can produce are detailed enough creating ‘public’ groups as a way of communicating with
that it also can be used for high school and college inquiries,” parents, although the communication at that level is provid-
said Connie Bachmann, principal of a K-5 STEM magnet ing information to parents (not two-way). It has allowed
school in the Michigan City Area Schools. “Because it is teachers to have their own web presence and has given stu-
handheld, it is easy to use by individuals or in a small group dents and teachers a way to communicate online that is safe
setting. … Our students have truly gained a better under- and controlled.”
standing of scientific inquiry as they personally engaged in http://www.mybigcampus.com
data collection with the LabQuests.” Another reader called
the LabQuest “rugged and affordable, and customer service
is top notch.”
http://www.vernier.com NComputing L300 (NComputing Inc.)
The L300 is a virtual desktop client device with a sleek,
low-power design that can be mounted on a monitor or
secured to a desk. The L300 costs less than other thin- or
zero-client options and is a quarter of the cost of a typical
7 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
“I am using the now!Board
as an interactive whiteboard
alternative. I just project onto
desktop PC, NComputing says. With the ability to connect the wall or my regular white-
up to 100 users to a single NComputing vSpace server, the board, and it becomes interac-
product offers a simple, powerful, and inexpensive desktop tive,” said Ben Curran, a
virtualization solution. teacher at University Prep
“We use NComputing products to leverage our budget Academy in Michigan. “In my fifth grade classroom, it’s
toward a better student-to-workstation ratio,” said Robert been great for annotating websites, note-taking, demonstra-
Haviland, technology coordinator for the Hickman County tions, presentations, and all kinds of engaging, interactive
Schools in Tennessee. “For a fraction of the cost [of a full activities. The kids love it. And it costs a fraction of a
PC], we can add seats quickly to our network.” SMART or Promethean board.”
http://www.ncomputing.com http://www.learningresources.com
NetSupport School (NetSupport Inc.) PlascoTrac (Plasco ID)
NetSupport School is a classroom-management solution With PlascoTrac, a student incident and ID tracking sys-
for Windows machines that gives teachers the ability to tem, schools have an efficient way to track not only tardi-
instruct, monitor, and interact with their students either ness, but also violations like cell phone, dress code, and
individually, as a pre-defined group, or as an entire class. It parking lot incidents. The software also can be used to man-
includes PC monitoring, presentation and annotation tools,
a customized testing suite, internet and application control,
real-time audio monitoring, desktop security, and print
management capabilities. (A corresponding program,
NetSupport Assist, can do the same for Mac and Linux- age activities such as assembly or field trip attendance,
based devices.) extracurricular activities, tutoring, or various classroom
“I use this product every day both to maintain an effec- activities that take students off campus.
tive teaching environment when students are spread “This is the fourth year we have been using PlascoTrac
throughout the lab, and when I’m doing maintenance for tracking tardies. The program is awesome,” said Sharon
Logan, a librarian for Brenham Independent School District
in Texas. “Not only has it cut down the amount of tardies,
but we are able to hold students accountable. Detentions
must be served, and privileges are deprived when students
duties on all the machines when students are not present,” receive more than six tardies in a semester. Our students are
said Jerry Jaco, computer lab teacher and technology coor- required to wear IDs. This past school year, we initiated the
dinator for Holy Angels School in Los Angeles. “From one temporary system as well. Now, a student receives a tempo-
computer, I can oversee all machines and each machine rary ID if the ID is not worn or left at home. Again, it goes
individually. I can power on and off the lab with one click, back to accountability—plus it gives the administration the
login/logout students, execute programs on all machines at opportunity to view tardies and temporaries at the end of
once, send and collect documents, administer tests and sur- each day. A great administration tool!”
veys, and so on. … It is an invaluable tool that I consider the http://www.plascotrac.com
second most important piece of software a computer lab
needs after a solid networking OS.”
http://www.netsupport-inc.com
Powerspeak12 (Middlebury Interactive
Languages)
Designed for elementary, middle, and high school stu-
now!Board (Learning Resources) dents by Middlebury College in conjunction with K12 Inc.,
Billed as a “portable interactive whiteboard,” the powerspeak12 language-learning programs include intu-
now!Board turns any flat surface into an interactive white- itive games and activities that immerse students in a natu-
board and also lets you control your computer from the ral and powerful way to learn language. The content also
front of the room—easily toggling between the virtual aligns with state and national standards as defined by the
whiteboard, the internet, and your applications. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
8 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
“Students pick the language that they would like to study, information officer for Leslie County Schools in Kentucky.
and they can progress at their own speed,” said Mark “We are able to contact every parent in our district within a
Fruehe, a global studies time span of about 15 to 20 minutes. [And because it’s] web-
teacher for Community based, we can deliver messages from anywhere there is inter-
Consolidated School net service, allowing us to reach out even when our district
District 93 in Illinois. “The office might not have power.” Through the product’s survey
students listen, read, write, tool, “we can now get more accurate information on things
and speak the language on like how many students have computers, tablets, or smart
a daily basis in a one-on-one phones at home. This has proven to be much more effective
atmosphere. Every student has a native-speaking online and reliable than passing out paper surveys to be taken
tutor. Students create an avatar of themselves that completes home and retuned by students. It allows us to have more
lessons and earns money. With the money, the students can confidence in our decision making.”
buy things for their avatar. This motivates them to work on http://schoolmessenger.com
the lessons. Class surveys show that 89 percent of the stu-
dents like or really like the program. They are very engaged,
and they learn a lot.”
http://www.powerspeak.com Science Starters (Scientific Minds)
Science Starters are web-based, multimedia programs for
students in grades 3-11 that follow the “5E” instructional
model: engage, explain, elaborate, explore, evaluate.
READ 180 (Scholastic Inc.) “As a first-year teacher, the Science Starters have been a
READ 180 is a comprehen- lifesaver,” said Kurt Reeves, a high school biology teacher for
sive system of curriculum, the West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School
instruction, assessment, and District in Texas. “They provide the review and remediation
professional development that my students need. Teachers in my department say that
that has been proven to raise science assessment scores in our school improved tremen-
reading achievement for struggling readers in grades 4-12. dously when they began using the original Science Starters
READ 180 “has the flexibility and differentiation compo- in 2007. They expect an even greater gain with the new, inter-
nents available to reach middle school students who are active Biology model.”
reading anywhere from one to four grade levels below stan-
dard,” said Steve Rish, learning behavior specialist for
Wilmette District 39 in Illinois. “The program addresses
those needs through whole-group instruction, small-group
instruction, independent reading, and instructional software.
The students in my class have made tremendous gains in He added: “I especially like the way the modules give me
their vocabulary, comprehension, and writing and are high- teacher-guided and video options. I also like the way the
ly engaged in their learning. I would highly recommend this teacher-guided option works with a remote presenter. This
product.” allows me to move around the room, keeping my students
http://www.scholastic.com on task, as I lead them through the lesson. The video option,
interactive flashcards, and assessments are ideal for inde-
pendent student study from school or home. Great product!”
http://www.scientificminds.com
SchoolMessenger (Reliance
Communications)
SchoolMessenger is a suite of communication solutions
for education, including an automated parent notification
Schoology
service, a survey tool, and an anonymous communication Schoology is a comprehensive online system for manag-
service called Talk About It. ing lessons, engaging students, and connecting with other
“We use the system to alert parents to absences, grade educators. It combines the functionality of a learning man-
reporting, school events such as open houses or athletic agement system with the utility of a social media network,
events, and school closings,” said Harold Morgan, chief and schools can import all their documents and course infor-
mation from Google Docs, Blackboard, and Moodle into the
system.
“Ease of use on the teacher side, coupled with the contin-
9 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
uous improvement on the company side, make this an out- “I am a middle school art and health teacher who has just
standing product,” said Mark Garrison, instructional tech- been given new technology to use in my classroom. I am
nology coordinator for White Bear Lake Area Schools in struggling to learn about what I can do with a document
Minnesota. “The features—from media alumnus, grading, camera and projector,” said Holley Smothers of Thomas
calendar, and discussions to Google integration—make this Jefferson Middle School in Jefferson City, Mo. “I happened
the perfect classroom learning hub. It is more than a place to to find SimpleK12, and it has changed my life! The webina-
house digital content and host online discussions. It is fully rs are great. The staff walks you through apps, programs,
a digital extension of a teacher’s physical classroom.” how to use different technology, and then there is support
http://www.schoology.com afterward. I am already up and running with a webpage,
new lesson plans, and my students are loving the new
things I am trying. … I am improving as a teacher because
of this site.”
Skyward School Management System http://simplek12.com
(Skyward Inc.)
Skyward’s School Management System includes a
Student Management Suite (a web-based student informa-
tion system with attendance, grading, scheduling, discipline,
SmartScope (SmartSchool Systems)
and more) and a School Business Suite, which encompasses The SmartScope handheld digital microscope is easy to
accounts payable and receiv- use for even preschool students. It comes with software that
able, bid and budget manage- can record still images, videos, or time-lapse videos to view
ment, employee evaluation, a week’s worth of change in minutes. Its six LED lights are
payroll processing, inventory, easily controlled with a dial on the device, and it can mag-
substitute tracking and fulfill- nify objects at up to 200x magnification.
ment, and more. The software Diana McMillan, a pre-kindergarten teacher for the
automates reports and other processes, saving administrators Austin Independent School District in Texas, says the
time and freeing them from menial tasks. SmartScope is facilitating an inquiry-based approach to sci-
“Our K-12 district uses the Skyward Student ence for students at a very young age. “I have three digital
Management System for attendance, grading, scheduling,
discipline, fee management, food service, athletic eligibility,
transportation, keeping up with NCLB requirements, track-
ing our preschool program, and everything else that is
required by our state board of education,” said Carolyn
Grant, technology coordinator for Danville School District scopes in my class, and the SmartScope is the best because
118 in Illinois. “Skyward has fantastic, patient, helpful, and of its flexibility,” she said. “It takes photographs, video
knowledgeable programming and tech-support staff, clips, time lapse, operates as a webcam, and has a measure-
including a dedicated group who work specifically with the ment feature. It is so easy to use that my four-year-olds mas-
state [education] department to make sure the program is tered it in one day! It is durable, and the price is right. I leave
always up-to-date and meets the state’s requirements. … it out and the students are able to use it independently. I
This is the fourth student data management package our have other technological tools, such as iPads, [a] projector,
district has used since I began working in this capacity. This [an iPod] Nano, flip cameras, and digital cameras—but my
one is by far the best.” favorite … tool is the SmartScope!”
http://www.skyward.com http://smartschoolsystems.com
SimpleK12 (InfoSource Inc.) ST Math (MIND Research Institute)
SimpleK12 is a subscription-based professional learning ST Math is a supplemental program that takes a visual
network in which teachers can share ideas, collaborate, approach to learning, tapping into the brain’s innate “spa-
watch live and recorded webinars and how-to videos, and tial temporal” reasoning ability to visualize and solve math
learn from one another as they strive to integrate technolo- problems. Through a carefully engineered sequence of visu-
gy effectively into their instruction. al puzzles, students work at their own pace to solve increas-
10 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
ingly difficult problems that
require them to think multi-
ple steps ahead in space and
active curriculum and the digital
teaching platform to manage all
classroom activities and deliver a
®
time—and they receive personalized learning experience
instant feedback about why for every student.
a solution works or doesn’t. “We are using this product with
“Over 16,000 K-5 stu- second and fourth grade students,”
dents in Anaheim City School District are using ST Math,” said Chris Sosa, principal of Lee
said Leisha Morton, math curriculum specialist for the dis- Elementary School in Grand
trict. “The non-linguistic representation of key mathematical Prairie, Texas. “Teachers are loving
ideas provides students, regardless of their language profi- the results … and students are enjoying the learning that is
ciency, access to higher-level thinking and problem solving occurring with the use of this technical opportunity. It is a
without the hurdle of decoding text. … [Our] school district great solution that helps many students with the interven-
has experienced gains in our high-stakes mathematical test tion process.” Grand Prairie teacher Laura Perry added:
scores since implementing the program, but more important- “Students love the program, and we have seen an increase in
ly, ST Math has made math meaningful and exciting for stu- student achievement on district assessments.”
dents.” http://www.timetoknow.com
http://www.mindresearch.net
TI-Nspire (Texas Instruments)
Techbooks (Discovery Education) TI-Nspire is a whole family of handheld devices and soft-
Discovery Education’s Techbooks are inquiry-based digi- ware that can display math exercises in a more dynamic and
tal textbooks based on the “5E” model of instruction. Much interactive fashion, allowing students to manipulate the data
more than just digitized versions of static textbooks, the and see what effect these changes have in real time.
“I’m using the TI-Nspire CX in my physics and mathe-
matics classrooms. It has greatly enhanced my ability to do
formative assessment, enabled the students to do hands-on
inquiry into the mathematics, and expanded our data collec-
Techbooks include videos, embedded assessments, and tion capabilities,” said Sean Bird, a teacher at Covenant
other interactive features that leverage the power of the
internet, the company says.
“The online Science Techbook by Discovery Education
has been adopted in our district as the core curriculum
instructional material for our grade 6 students,” said Ed Christian High School in Indiana. “We have collected and
Short, elementary science resource teacher for Florida’s analyzed data for linear motion, rotational motion, force,
Brevard County Schools. “Our students are digital natives, temperature, magnetic field, sound, light, and more. The
and therefore they respond with great motivation and excite- color and backlit screen has added to the engagement and
ment when using an online program to learn science. … ease-of-use of the device. It has also helped students make
Components such as interactive glossaries, simulations, connections. This is the best tool for teaching and learning
Science Sleuths, and Myth Busters support the many online math and science that has ever come to my classroom.”
video and reading passages.” Another reader, sixth-grade http://education.ti.com
science teacher Sue Turpin of Indiana, said the Science
Techbooks are “highly recommended by our science teach-
ers.”
http://www.discoveryeducation.com ResponseCard NXT (Turning Technologies)
The ResponseCard NXT offers the same features as other
radio-frequency-based student response systems, but it also
includes advanced capabilities such as cell-phone style text
Time To Know entry for short answer and essay questions—and a self-
Time To Know is an innovative digital teaching and learn- paced test mode for individual assessment. The unit also
ing platform, designed specifically for one-to-one computing contains an LCD display that indicates responses have been
classrooms. It is currently available for fourth and fifth grade received.
math and reading/language arts. Teachers can use the inter- “We have begun using Turning Technologies’ NXT stu-
11 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
dent response systems in our grade
this past year and have already
seen substantial increases in stu-
dent engagement, participation,
and test scores,” said Brian formance, and more. Users say it has saved them time and
Wickenheiser, a sixth-grade teacher improved their IT efficiency.
and elementary technology chair “Web Help Desk has become an invaluable tool for our
for Minnesota’s Esko School school. Not only has using WHD made is easier for our staff
District. “By having real-time and faculty to access and track progress on their submitted
progress monitoring, we have been tickets, but our IT department has come to really depend on
able to help students increase their WHD to keep track of all those tickets and better prioritize
learning [and] self-evaluation dur- them as well,” said David Ogden, information and technol-
ing formative assessments. … Each ogy director for Bakersfield Christian High School in
student is also able to offer [his or California. “Unlike other trouble ticket systems we’ve used
her] opinion during a lesson, thereby prompting better in the past, WHD is very open to input from its customers
small-group collaboration and class discussions. This has and is constantly working to improve the product. I’d rec-
increased not only participation, but also the quality of ommend WHD to any educational institution that needs
work—each student knows [his or her] effort (or lack there- something that is powerful and flexible, yet easy to set up
of!) is being observed.” He added: “The potential and value and use.”
of this system is incredible—no other one-to-one device can http://webhelpdesk.com
give the versatility that the NXTs can give at only $50 per
student.”
http://www.turningtechnologies.com
webNetwork (Stoneware Inc.)
webNetwork
is a “unified cloud
Ubermix platform” that lets
The ubermix is an all-free, specially built, Linux-based you access all your files and applications from any internet-
operating system designed by educators with the needs of connected device. It delivers a private data center, public
education in mind. It takes all the complexity out of student cloud, and local device resources through a common web
devices by making them as reliable and easy-to-use as a cell interface. This “webDesktop,” accessed online, delivers all
phone, without sacrificing the power and capabilities of a files, applications, and reports through a single user ID and
full operating system, its creators say. With a turnkey, five- password on any device.
minute installation, 20-second quick recovery mechanism, “We use this product to permit access to home directo-
and more than 60 free applications pre-installed, ubermix ries for teachers and students,” said Reginald Washington,
turns whatever hardware you have into a powerful device director of information systems for the Monroe Township
for learning. Board of Education in New Jersey. “We also use this prod-
“We presently use ubermix on about 3,500 netbooks at uct to electronically distribute and collect documents.”
our school district,” said Jim Klein, director of information http://www.stone-ware.com
systems and technology for the Saugus Union School
District in California. “The combination of low-cost hard-
ware and reliable, free software has made one-to-one [com-
puting] a practical reality for us, enabling us to transform Higher-education winners
the learning environment and engage our kids with social
media tools. For us, netbooks running free software brings
most—if not all—of the benefits of tablets to netbooks, with-
out all the sacrifices.”
Aplia (Cengage)
http://www.ubermix.org Aplia is a learning solution designed to increase student
effort and engagement. It includes online homework
assignments that professors can assign to students; assign-
ments can include problem sets, news analyses, tutorials,
Web Help Desk (MacsDesign Studio) and—for economics—interactive market experiments.
Web Help Desk is an online help-desk solution for deliv- Assignments are automatically graded and provide stu-
ering IT support, managing assets, tracking software per- dents with detailed explanations for every question, and all
12 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
LearnSmart (McGraw-Hill)
LearnSmart is an adaptive learning system designed to
help students learn faster, study more efficiently, and retain
more knowledge for greater success. It assesses and monitors
students’ knowledge using adaptive, interactive assessments
based on students’ strengths and weaknesses, then maps out
of Aplia’s courses use multimedia to pique students’ interest. a personalized plan for each student’s success.
Ed Lyell, professor and interim chair of the School of “I’m using this system to provide practice sheets as well
Business at Adams State College in Colorado, has used Aplia as online homework assignments,” said Shadrick Paris, an
for economics and business communication. “It moved my assistant professor at Ohio University. “Thus far, the system
student achievement from low Cs to documented 80-percent
plus on average,” he said, adding that the program is “easi-
er to use then any others that I have tried.”
http://www.aplia.com has worked wonders in helping my students better under-
stand conceptual concepts in chemistry. I’m hearing from
students that it helps them approach problem-solving with
more confidence.”
Canvas (Instructure) http://www.mhhe.com/learnsmart
Canvas is a simple but powerful learning management
system that is offered as either an open-source version that
schools manage themselves or a cloud-based model hosted
by the company. The software includes predictive analytics
LiveText
that indicate how at risk students are of failing or dropping LiveText is a web-
a course. Clicking on a student’s name will take instructors based application
designed to aid in the
development of portfo-
lios, course assign-
to a page where they can see more detailed reports based on ments, and standards- or outcomes-based projects. LiveText
that student’s grades, class participation, assignment com- allows students and instructors to collaborate on classroom
pletion, and outcomes (whether he or she has mastered the assignments, as well as track students’ progress toward
content). meeting outcomes.
“My college adopted Canvas recently as we started our “We use this web-based ePortfolio, assessment, and
online programs,” said Linda Passamaneck, director of reporting software to monitor student performance and
online education for Wright Career College in Kansas. “The progress, identify opportunities to improve program quali-
system has a wide open interface … that allow[s] for easy ty…, and collect and manage key assessment data for
integration with student information systems and third- accountability and accreditation,” said Lance Tomei, director
party tools. On the faculty and student user end, I will say— for assessment, accreditation, and data management at the
after working with almost all of the various learning man- University of Central Florida.
agement systems for over 15 years—that Canvas has been http://www.livetext.com
the easiest system for all end-users to learn, requiring very
little training for faculty and course developers. … Faculty
report that they love the ability to quickly and easily record
personal feedback messages to students, which they say has
Mediasite (Sonic Foundry)
increase communications and responsiveness from students Mediasite is an online platform for enterprise webcasting,
and improved communication between students and faculty. lecture capture, and event hosting. It completely automates
… All of these tools are already integrated, easy to use, and
don’t require the large price tags or significant investment of
IT staff to support and make the system usable as other low-
cost LMS options do.”
http://www.instructure.com
the recording, distribution, management, and analytics of
high-quality video and multimedia presentations.
Michael Sutterfield, equipment and applications special-
ist for the University Of Cincinnati’s College of Allied Health
13 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
Sciences, says his school is using Mediasite for “streaming Salesforce
and managing all of our lecture captures.” He appreciates Salesforce is an enterprise, cloud-based customer rela-
that “everything is included in one place, with no addition- tions management program that colleges and universities
al downloads of materials required.” are using to manage their fundraising and alumni outreach
http://www.sonicfoundry.com programs.
“Wayne State University uses Salesforce to (1) manage
recruitment efforts; (2) provide customer service to prospec-
tive and current students who call, eMail, or visit; (3)
Remote Proctor Now (Software Secure) enhance communication; (4) develop sophisticated business
Remote Proctor Now leverages students’ own computer intelligence to improve recruitment and retention; and (5)
webcams to prevent cheating on online exams. It gives any- implement business process improvement,” said Kathleen
one with a high-speed internet connection and a computer Lueckeman, senior director of customer relationship man-
the freedom of on- agement and director of the Office of Graduate Admissions.
demand test tak- “We currently have significant increases in new freshman,
ing, and eliminates transfer, and graduate student registration. … Salesforce’s
the hassle of Web-to-Lead and Web-to-Case functions [also] have elimi-
scheduling web nated lead cards and paper forms, speeding our service and
proctors, going to processing times.”
testing centers, or commuting to campus. http://www.salesforce.com
“About 150 graduate Family Nurse Practitioner students
are using this product,” said Doug Davis, manager of tech-
nology services at Samford University’s Ida V. Moffett
School of Nursing. “This has benefitted the School of
SoftChalk
Nursing by allowing our graduate students to take proc- SoftChalk is a content authoring program that makes it
tored test from anywhere in the country. Over the course of easy for users to create interactive online lessons.
the FNP program, our students will save money and time “This is a neat, easy-to-learn content producing soft-
by taking proctored tests on their own computer instead of ware,” said Becky Bradley, interim library director at Lone
spending extra money to go to a live proctor site. The effi- Star College Kingwood in Texas. “I use it in online class-
ciency of this product … allows us to test our students with rooms to make lessons [that] are engaging and [that] look
security and safety. Remote Proctor maintains our integrity professionally done.”
of testing while providing convenience and technical assis- http://softchalk.com
tance. This allows the students to learn online without hav-
ing to step into a classroom.”
http://www.softwaresecure.com
Purchasing Intelligence
= Intelligent Purchasing
Give your colleagues the benefit of your ed-tech savvy. Nominate your favorite products
and services for the 2013 school year. Your selections will be featured in a special Readers’
Choice Awards supplement in our July/August “Back-to-School” issues.
Nominate your product of choice at:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/RCA2013-2014/
(Remember: Educators only; sorry; no vendors allowed.)
14 Readers’ Choice AwardsAWAR D WI N N E RS
R
Tegrity Campus (Tegrity Inc.) WorldWideWhiteboard (Link-Systems
Tegrity Campus is a fully automated lecture-capture solu-
International)
tion used to record lectures as well as supplementary course WorldWideWhiteboard is a platform for online tutoring,
content. Its cloud-based model scales affordably, and stu- collaboration, and office hours through either live (synchro-
dents can search the content, collaborate with their instruc- nous) or asynchronous connections.
tors and classmates, take notes, set their own bookmarks, “We use this product for our online Writing Center,” said
and more. Leah Rogin-Roper, English professor and Writing Center
“As an instructional designer, I have used Tegrity coordinator for Arapahoe Community College in Colorado.
Campus over a dozen different ways,” said Trina Kilty of “It allows students to work in real-time interactive sessions
Laramie County Community College. “Since I am responsi- with tutors. The features of WorldWideWhiteboard are intu-
ble for faculty training, I use it to record training and work- itive and easy for students to use, but allow multiple levels
shops for those unable to attend. As a member of the of interaction. Tutors can chat with students, have video or
Learning Technologies Committee on campus, I’ve used audio sessions, and mark up their essays with suggestions,
Tegrity to record vendor demonstrations of different prod- highlighting, underlining, typed conversations, and more. …
ucts so that committee members unable to attend may still This product is particularly helpful for students taking
view the demonstration. … As an adjunct instructor, I use online courses or studying at our satellite campuses, to allow
Tegrity to record myself explaining concepts missed on the them access to the same great, professional tutors who work
exam for students. Tegrity has the ability to create a private on campus, from the convenience of the student’s own
link of a recording that is shared just between me and the stu- home.”
dent. … [It] has been a part of our college for over five years, http://www.link-systems.com
and the options, service, and ease just continue to improve
every year.”
http://www.tegrity.com
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15 Readers’ Choice AwardsHONORAB LE M E NTION S
ActivBoard/ActivClassroom (Promethean) Livescribe pen (Livescribe Inc.)
Aesop absence management software MicroCareerBursts (Microburst Learning)
(Frontline Technologies) myTrack (eScholar)
All Abilities ePlayground (Sonokids) Naiku
AwesomeStories Naviance (Hobsons)
BlendedSchools.net NoodleBib (NoodleTools)
Boardmaker Studio (Mayer-Johnson) Nook Touch (Barnes & Noble)
BrainPOP OnLive Desktop (OnLive Inc.)
Build Your Own Curriculum (School Software OPALS: Open-Source Automated Library
Group) System (Media Flex Inc.)
Casper Suite (JAMF Software) ParentSquare
CCC! Video On Demand (New Dimension Pixie (Tech4Learning)
Media)
PresenceLearning live online speech therapy
Classmate PC (Intel Corp.)
Prezi cloud-based presentation software
CompassLearning Odyssey
(CompassLearning) QwertyTown (Second Nature Learning)
Curriki Raptivity (Harbinger Knowledge Products)
DaCast Streaming as a Service ReadWriteThink.org
Discovery Education streaming (Discovery Read & Write Gold (Texthelp Systems)
Education) RealeWriter (RealeStudios)
Dogo News Science Buddies
Dropbox Scratch (MIT Media Lab)
eChalk Anytime (eChalk) Sentinel (Kajeet for Education)
eTrition (Harris School Solutions) Shakespeare in Bits (MindConnex Learning)
FastMath (Scholastic) SMART Board (SMART Technologies)
Galaxy tablets (Samsung) SmartMoves (FableVision)
Genius SIS SmartPath Enterprise Wireless System
Glogster (Black Box Network Services)
GoClaim (Go Solutions Group) Spiceworks network management software
Google Apps for Education (Google Inc.) Sqworl visual bookmark tool
GradeCam Study Island (Archipelago Learning)
Haiku LMS TAP-it (SmartEd Services)
HippoCampus.org (Monterey Institute for TenMarks Online Math Program (TenMarks
Technology in Education) Education)
iPad (Apple Inc.) TIPS (Awareity)
iRubric (RCampus) Turnitin (iParadigms)
The JASON Project U Tip Bully Buster (e2campus)
Join.me (LogMeIn Inc.) VoiceThread
Kinect for Xbox 360 (Microsoft Corp.) WatchKnowLearn.org
Kurzweil 3000 (Cambium Learning) Wiggio
LanSchool (Stoneware Inc.) Wyse P20 (Wyse Technology)
16 Readers’ Choice AwardsYou can also read
