# data[].attributes.headline
Take Three! 55 Digital Tools and Apps for Formative Assessment Success

# data[].attributes.subject
Take Three! 55 Digital Tools and Apps for Formative Assessment Success

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There is no shortage of strategies, techniques, and tools available to teachers (and students) who use formative instructional practice in their classrooms. We've compiled an extensive list of 65 digital tools, apps, and platforms that can help teachers use formative assessment to elicit evidence of student learning.

These tools and apps for formative assessment success give teachers (and students) many options and opportunities for classroom success. To get the most out of formative instructional strategies, check out our NWEA® formative practices workshops. You'll gain a better understanding of the role formative practice plays within your instruction and about the four foundational practices to use in the classroom.

And, share your tools, ideas, and thoughts with us, so we can keep this list growing and current! You can tweet me directly @kdyer13.

AnswerGarden - A tool for online brainstorming or polling, educators can use this real-time tool to see student feedback on questions.

Animoto - Gives students the ability to make a short, 30-second share video of what they learned in a given lesson.

Answer Pad - A graphical student response system with the ability to poll and leave feedback. The blank pad functions like an individual whiteboard for each student.

AudioNote - A combination of a voice recorder and notepad that captures both audio and notes for student collaboration.

Backchannel Chat - (Now MasteryConnect Student.) Like TodaysMeet, this site offers a teacher-moderated version of Twitter. An extension of the in-the-moment conversation might be to capture the chat, create a tag cloud, and see what surfaces as a focus of the conversation.

Biblionasium - This online, safe, and simple book network allows teachers to view books students have read (a digital reading log), create reading challenges for students, and track progress. Students also can review and recommend books to their peers on the site.

BookSnap - While currently this app is only available for iOS, it truly provides a digital way for learners to interact with text and with other learners.

Buncee - A creation and presentation tool that helps students and teachers visualize, communicate, and engage with classroom concepts and ideas.

Chatzy - Use Chatzy like you would use TodaysMeet to support backchannel conversations in a private setting. These live chats make great companions to classroom discussion, provide exit tickets, or keep a discussion going after the class is over.

ClassKick - This app allows teachers to post assignments for students, so both the teacher and peers can provide feedback on the assignment. Students can monitor their progress and work.

Coggle - A mind-mapping tool designed to understand student thinking.

Conceptboard - This software facilitates team collaboration in a visual format - similar to mind mapping, but using visual and textual inputs. Compatible on tablets and PCs, Conceptboard can work from multiple devices.

Dotstorming - A whiteboard app that allows digital sticky notes to be posted and voted on. This tool is best for generating class discussion and brainstorming on different topics and questions.

Educreations Interactive Whiteboard - A whiteboard app that provides students the tool to share understanding and comprehension.

Five Card Flickr - Designed to foster visual thinking, this tool uses the tag feature from photos in Flickr.

Flipgrid - This tool has been recently updated. Students can use 15-second to 5-minute videos to respond to prompts; teachers and peers can provide feedback.

ForAllRubrics- This software is free for all teachers and allows you to import, create, and score rubrics on your iPad, tablet, or smartphone. You can collect data offline with no internet access, compute scores automatically, and print or save the rubrics as a PDF or spreadsheet.

Formative - This online, all-student response system provides teachers the opportunity to assign activities to students, receive the results in real time, and then provide immediate feedback to students.

Formative Feedback for Learning - An iPad app that is designed to foster and encourage communication between students and teachers. Through a conference setting, it uses icons to prompt discussions.

Google Forms - A Google Drive app that allows you to create documents that students can collaborate on in real time using smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

GoSoapBox - Free for less than 30 students, this all-student response system works with the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model, so no charge for a clicker. One of the most intriguing features for me is the Confusion Meter.

iBrainstorm - An iPad app that allows students to collaborate on projects using a stylus or their finger on screen.

Kahoot - A game-based classroom response system, where teachers can create quizzes using internet content.

Kaizena - An online tool for providing students with real-time feedback on their digitally-uploaded work. Teachers can highlight or speak to give verbal feedback and attach teacher-created, reusable resources to student work.

Lino - A virtual corkboard of sticky notes so students can provide questions or comments on their learning. These can be used like exit tickets or during the course of a lesson.

Mentimeter - Allows you to use mobile phones or tablets to vote on any question a teacher asks, increasing student engagement.

Naiku - Teachers can easily and quickly create quizzes that students can answer using their mobile devices. Great for checking for understanding before and after a lesson.

Nearpod - This tool is nice in that you can not only gather evidence of student learning, like an all-student response system, but you can also create differentiated lessons based on the data you collected. The basic version (30 students or less) is free.

Obsurvey - Create surveys, polls, and questionnaires quickly and easily.

Padlet - Provides an essentially blank canvas for students to create and design collaborative projects. Great for brainstorming.

Pear Deck - Plan and build interactive presentations that students can participate in via their smart device. Limited free usage, and it offers unique question types.

Peergrade - A platform that allows teachers to create assignments and upload rubrics. Students upload work and are anonymously assigned peer work to review according the rubric.

Piazza - A platform that allows teachers to upload lectures, assignments, and homework; pose and respond to student questions; and poll students about class content. This tool is better suited for older students as it mimics post-secondary class instructional formats.

Pick Me! - An easy to use app for an iPod, iPad, or iPhone that facilitates random student selection. Can be organized by class for convenience.

PlayPosit - An interactive video and assessment tool that allows teachers to add formative assessment features (pauses and questions) to survey what students know about the topic. Teachers choose from a library of video content from popular sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, and others.

Plickers - Allows teachers to collect real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices. Perfect for the one-device classroom.

PollDaddy - Quick and easy way to create online polls, quizzes, and questions. Students can use smartphones, tablets, and computers to provide their answers, and information can be culled for reports.

Poll Everywhere - Teachers can create a feedback poll or ask questions. Students respond in various ways, and teachers see the results in real-time. With open-ended questions, you can capture data and spin up tag clouds to aggregate response. There is a limit to the number of users.

ProProfs - Build and test knowledge with quick quizzes, polls, and surveys.

RabbleBrowser - An iPad app that allows a leader to facilitate a collaborative browsing experience.

RealtimeBoard - Teachers can invite students and collaborate with the whole class in real-time.

Remind - A free tool that allows teachers to text students and stay in touch with parents. A great 'check for understanding' tool that's easy to use.

The Queue - Free educational chat tool that mirrors Twitter and allows teachers to post questions and students to respond via the thread. Students can respond via text or video, and the tool allows "journeys" in which teachers introduce a topic via video and connect students to participating resources. Great for gathering formative assessment data at the beginning, middle, or end of units.

Quia - Teachers can create games, quizzes, surveys, and more, and access a database of existing quizzes from other educators.

QuickVoice Recorder - Another free voice recording app for the iPhone or iPad that allows you to record classes, discussions, or other project audio files. You can sync your recordings to your computer easily for use in presentations.

Quizlet - Create flashcards, tests, quizzes, and study games that are engaging and accessible online and via a mobile device.

Random Name/Word Picker - This tool allows the teacher to input a class list and facilitates random name picking. You can also add a list of keywords and use the tool to have the class prompt a student to guess the word by providing definitions.

Seesaw - This tool helps teachers improve parent communication and makes formative assessment easy, while students can use the platform to document their learning.

ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard - Another whiteboard tool that students and teachers can use to check understanding.

SMART Response VE(for SMARTboards) - A cloud-based software that enables students to respond to planned and spontaneous questions and take quizzes using any of their favorite Internet-enabled devices, from anywhere.

Socrative - Exercises and games that engage students using smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

Tagul - This word cloud generator has an added feature that allows the user to make each word an active link to connect to a website you determine.

Tagxedo - A tag cloud generator that allows you to examine student consensus and facilitate dialogue.

TitanPad - This unique tool for collaborative work offers 8 colors to choose from so that each contributor may use a different color. You can easily imagine how group work, be it peer review or peer editing for starters, can be made interactive.

TodaysMeet - This online collaboration tool allows educators to create a "room" in which students can share ideas, answers, and thoughts to lectures and lessons. Educators can view student responses in real time for evidence of learning.

Triventy - A free quiz game platform that allows teachers to create quizzes students take in real-time. These live quizzes provide teachers with real-time data on student understanding of classroom concepts. Students need individual devices to respond to quiz questions (compatible with mobile devices and laptops).

Verso - Described as a feedback tool, this app allows teachers to set up learning using a URL. Space is provided for directions. Students download the app and input their responses to the assignment. They can then post their comments and respond to the comments of others. The teacher can group responses and check engagement levels.

VoiceThread - Allows you to create and share conversations on documents, diagrams, videos, pictures, or almost anything. This facilitates collaborative student discussion and work.

Vocaroo - A free service that allows users to create audio recordings without the need for software. You can easily embed the recording into slide shows, presentations, or websites. Great for collaborative group work and presentations.

Voxer - Consider using this voice recording tool as a way to let students listen and self assess their ideas and assignments. You can send recordings to parents so they can hear how their students are doing, let students chat about their work, or provide feedback to students.

Wordables - The Word Cloud Guessing Game. This app allows you to elicit evidence of learning or determine background knowledge about a topic. These word clouds are pictures composed of a cloud of smaller words that form a clue to the topic.

Wordle - Generates tag clouds from any entered text to help aggregate responses and facilitate discussion.

WordSalad - This app generates word clouds from the text you provide, and they can be exported and shared.

XMind - A mind-mapping software for use on computers and laptops.

Yacapaca! - Allows teachers to create and assign quizzes with ease.

There are many Twitter chats related to formative instructional practices that could be considered tools, as well. One that is exceptionally lively and focused is regularly hosted by David Kwan (@davidwkwan) and Rachelle Dene Poth (@Rdene915) Monday evenings at 4:30 p.m. PT at #formativechat. I often tweet about formative instructional practices and you can follow me @kdyer13.

Kathy Dyer is Manager of Innovation and Learning, Professional Learning at NWEA. Kathy has more than 25 years in education, many spent designing and facilitating learning opportunities for educators. Coaching teachers and school leadership on getting better at what they do is her passion. Follow Kathy on Twitter at @kdyer13 or read her blogs here on Teach. Learn. Grow.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Ultimate List - 65 Digital Tools and Apps to Support Formative Assessment Practices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There is no shortage of strategies, techniques, and tools available to teachers (and students) who use formative instructional practice in their classrooms. We've compiled an extensive list of 65 digital tools, apps, and platforms that can help teachers use formative assessment to elicit evidence of student learning.

# data[].attributes.headline
One-to-One Computing and Classroom Management | Tech Learning

# data[].attributes.subject
One-to-One Computing and Classroom Management | Tech Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you spend some time observing the best, most-respected, teachers you will discover that one of their essential skills is good classroom management. Classroom management is essential if you want the students to learn. There is much literature and many theories on the topic. Gone are the days of "Do it because I say so!" Instead we have the era of Dr. Fred Jones and his theories, such as, "For teaching to be enjoyable, you must be able to simply relax and teach. Classroom management must be built from the ground up so that most problems do not occur."

Many teachers would ordinarily feel challenged by the demands of managing a classroom of 25-30+ students. To complicate matters, add the prospect of laptop computers. Every year, more districts across the country begin laptop initiatives, but since one-to-one computing is relatively new, finding classroom management resources for this environment is difficult.

Luckily, managing a classroom of student's with laptops is mostly about managing the students. This means that you use the same tools for classroom management with laptops as you use for basic classroom management.

The following examples emphasize management strategies that work for any classroom, but are especially important with laptops:

Lesson development: First and foremost to any classroom management technique is your lesson plan. A good lesson plan that keeps the student involved will reduce classroom problems â€" whether you are using laptops or not. I always had written lesson plans, even after 10 years of teaching. In your lesson plans, spell out exactly what you expect your students to do with their laptop. Create your own expectation. Furthermore, make sure any use of the laptop in class is appropriate, and not its own distraction.

MWA: In the 1890s, when Theodore Roosevelt was the Police Commissioner of New York City, citizens didn't trust the police. Roosevelt wanted to address the problem. So what did he do? Create a task force? Audit management? No. He practiced MWA, Management by Walking Around. He took midnight walks and punished every police officer he saw not doing his job. Word got around, and the force shaped up. It works in the classroom as well, with or without laptops. As soon as you come near a kid, s(he) shapes up. If you see a kid off-task because of his or her computer, deal with it appropriately. Make sure you circulate in a way that allows you to see the most in one view. As does Fahryka Elliott, a business teacher in Henrico County, watch for certain telll-tale signs, such as when kids eyes are more fixated on the screen, or they are typing faster than normal, or their heads remain in a downward position longer than necessary. These may be signs of kids off task.

Pick your battles: Sometimes it's just not worth telling a kid to put their hat away, or the water bottle, or to raise their hand to go to the pencil sharpener. It's the same with laptops. If you try to put out every forest fire in the classroom, you won't get anything done. If you see a little goofing off, say students on the wrong Web site but otherwise are doing their work, let them be.

Consistency: Isn't that what you're always told about classroom management? It's the same with laptops. Be consistent with rules and how laptops are used. One way to reinforce this is to have VIP (Visual Instruction Plans) in your classroom. These are simply posters with instructions for laptop-use: how to get to your web page; how to get to your virtual share; how to print. Posters should address the most-asked questions. Then all you have to do is, calmly and coolly, point to a poster on the wall, instead of being distracted by answering the same question 100 times. Keeping a cool attitude also impresses students.

Use timers: Timers are great for any activity such as quizzes, warm ups, discussions, and more. If you're doing a class activity that involves the laptop, use a timer (preferably one that ticks loudly), so the kids know they don't have all day.

Expectations: At the beginning of the year, we tell our students what we expect from them. Good pedagogy requires this be done for every class and every lesson, whether or not laptops are involved. As for laptops, tell them clearly what you expect, such as no idle surfing, no Instant Messaging, etc.

Class arrangement: This is important and goes hand-in-hand with "Management by Walking Around." Sometimes you'll want the students in groups, so MWA is essential. Other times, you'll want them in rows (testing, for example) so you can see each laptop screen at once. If you have kids without laptops, sit them out of view. Daily sign off sheets: Again, along with daily expectations, let them know that you expect to see what they completed for the day. Students are less likely to goof on their computers if they know you expect a two-page paper.

Down time: If students finished the work for the day, or some are done and others are not, let them do their own thing. They could do work for another class, or wander the Internet as a reward for completing their tasks. You can ask them to show you a favorite site of theirs. If they know they might have time to do their own thing at the end of class, they'll be less likely to get off-task during class.

The following help promote rules and strategies specifically for employing laptops in your classroom successfully:

First use: Often, the laptops are deployed a few weeks into the school year. Be sure to take time to teach proper use and never assume they know how to use the laptops. Depending on the students involved, it might be a good idea to at first put students in groups around one computer. Employ the rules heavily at this time.

No secrets!: on the very first day, Mark Apelt, a science teacher in Henrico County, demonstrates all the ways he has to check on what students have been doing. For example, he shows them how he can find their Internet history and search the hard drive for illegal downloads. By showing them that he knows how to search their computers, they stay on task.

First full use: When you're ready to have the entire class use the laptops at once, make sure everyone is doing the same assignment. Don't let them do their own tasks yet. Furthermore, for class notes, have kids use pen-on-paper rather than using their laptop. Instill proper procedure when introducing laptops for note-taking since this is a natural time for students to wander.

Lesson plans: Make sure you include time in your lesson plan to review how to use the technology. If you are having them do a PowerPoint presentation, don't assume they know how to do one properly. Build in time to teach these skills.

Laptop time: Let the kids know when and when not to have their laptops out for use. I am amazed at how many times I walk into classrooms where the teacher is teaching a non-laptop lesson, and kids have them out on the table, using them. I know teachers wouldn't let a kid pull out a book or PSP. Some teachers figure the kids might be taking notes. If so, ask the student to see his notes.

Power cords: one problem with laptops is that, after awhile, they lose their charge, especially by the end of the day when you may have kids with poorly-functioning computers that need recharging. As safely as possible, have power bars around the room, but make sure they're set up in a way that you don't create tripping hazards.

Battery chargers: Sometimes you might be given a charger box of 5 batteries so kids can swap out their dead batteries for good batteries. Keep this box behind your desk for obvious reasons. If you don't, it won't take long before your box is empty.

Student leaders: Find students who seem to be naturals with computers and use them to help with general troubleshooting and application help.

Testing online: This can simplify a teacher's job as well as supply a lot of data. With a little upfront work, teachers can easily create tests their students will take online. But be careful, as cheating can be an issue.

Classroom Set Up:

Move your desks into rows, if you have to, so you can sit behind the students and see every screen at once.

You will likely have students with and without computers, so move your paper-users to one side and your computer kids to the other side. This reduces the number of computer screens you have to watch.

Have any instructions on the chalkboard for everyone to see.

Make sure you have chargers/batteries ready.

Sit in the back of the room with a hard copy of the test. If a student has a question, ask himher to come back to you with the computer instead of your answering the question at their desk and thus turning your back on the other kids.

Create a Visual Instruction Plan for your wall that indicates the teacher username students will need in order to access your test. Have this VIP on the wall nearest the side of the room on which your computer-using students are sitting.

Test Set Up:

In your test set up, scramble your questions and answers so everyone has a different Question Number 1.

Make sure the test can only be accessed once, and at a certain time.

Set the timer. The timer makes kids nervous but keeps them honest. Just watch the IEPs.

Only allow their final score to show up (or no feedback at all) when they complete the test.

Student Expectations:

Tell kids to clear their computer desktops. You can stand/sit behind all of them and have them restart and then open only one file â€" your test.

Explain the punishment for cheating.

Have them put their computers away when they are done with the test. Most programs input the test results as kids finish. Follow this, and make sure the student closes his computer when his grade shows up.

Do not allow paper-users to open their computers when they are done.

Give them an Acceptable-Use policy to sign.

Explain to the students that questions can be copied and pasted, and you will be watching for this. If you suspect a student, open up Word and see what their last document open was.

On occasion during the test, remind students they are only allowed to have the test on their screen. It will reinforce to the students that you are watching them.

On longer test, periodically remind students to check their battery power. If the battery gets low plug into a charger and then change the battery.

The most important strategy, while the most obvious is the one most often ignored: Use the laptop in class. Many teachers expect kids to be distracted by the laptop, so they rarely use them in class. They give up before trying. Then, when they want the kids to use the laptop, they are surprised when the kids are off-task, or they didn't bring them to class at all. By using the laptops every day (even if it's just for 5 minutes one day), kids are more likely to stay on task, more likely to bring them to class, and their laptops seem to break down less often when they are used more often.

In summary, when it comes to managing a classroom with laptop computers, do what you already do. Just reinforce the laptop part of the equation. Then, add a few more rules specific to the laptops. By doing this, you will have a more successful experience with laptops.
Here are some useful websites for finding information: Classroom Management Student Laptops and Classroom Management Classroom Management Tips Archive Dr. Fred Jones Classroom Organization and WorkStations MultiMedia in the Classroom Teaching With Laptops: Classroom Management

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
One-to-One Computing and Classroom Management

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
from Educators' eZine If you spend some time observing the best, most-respected, teachers you will discover that one of their essential skills is good classroom management. Classroom management is essential if you want the students to learn. There is much literature and many theories on the topic. Gone are the

# data[].attributes.body
Description of the indicators used in the National Survey of Student Engagement for post-secondary studies. Might have some application to secondary.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To represent the multi-dimensional nature of student engagement at national, sector, institutional, and intra-institutional levels, NSSE developed ten Engagement Indicators organized within four engagement themes:

# data[].attributes.headline
Student engagement: paradigm change or political expediency? — ADM-HEA

# data[].attributes.subject
Student engagement: paradigm change or political expediency? — ADM-HEA

# data[].attributes.body
Research on how to measure student engagement.

# data[].attributes.body
Very effective for a flipped classroom. You create a lesson with a video (YouTube for example) and it tracks students' progress through the video. You can even add questions to the video for the students to answer.

It even imports your classes and rosters from Google Classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Review student understanding at the class, individual student, or question-level.

# data[].attributes.headline
STUDYBLUE | Find and share online flashcards and notes from StudyBlue. Any subject, anywhere, anytime.

# data[].attributes.subject
STUDYBLUE | Find and share online flashcards and notes from StudyBlue. Any subject, anywhere, anytime.

# data[].attributes.body
You can use "flashcards" that were made by other users or make your own. Even better: have the kids make sets and use them to quiz each other.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn faster with Chegg. Search millions of Flashcards or create your own online Flashcards for Free. Quiz yourself online or through our mobile app.

# data[].attributes.headline
Backchannel Chat - Safe Secure Classroom Discussions

# data[].attributes.subject
Backchannel Chat - Safe Secure Classroom Discussions

# data[].attributes.body
Quick and easy way to get input from a class during a lecture.