Introduction
Using course tracking tools is becoming an essential skill for teachers in the 21st century. These tools allow for unprecedented connectivity and communication features that the pen and paper systems of old simply can’t compete with. There are many tracking tool options available that keep student data organized, easily shared, and surprisingly simple to use. In this tool box assessment I examined the TeacherEase web-based Software package. TeacherEase is a cloud computing based course tracking application. This concept is based on “Software-as-a-System”, or SaaS. This basically means there is nothing to download, no software or programs. Everything runs off the servers hosted on the web, and teachers, students, parents, and administrators simply log in to a website to access information and use the TeacherEase application.
Features and Benefits
Initially I thought I was just going to examine a piece of software that was akin to a fancy Excel type spreadsheet that simply kept track of grades in a way that was easier to manage than a pen and paper type traditional grade book, and possibly with convenient accessibility options. With the TeacherEase application, that is truly just the beginning. The electronic grade book is one of five facets to the TeacherEase system. This web-based feature is hosted by the TeacherEase site, and gives the parents of students the ability to check on grades, attendance, and assignment completion simply by accessing the website. According to a study sited on the TeacherEase site, when parents have access to these features “grades increase 5-8% and missed work drops by 40%” (the study’s raw data can be seen here; http://www.teacherease.com/studydata.aspx). Along with this type of access, the application can be set up to automatically email parents for mass announcements, or directly to specific parents to address performance, attendance, or behavioral issues. It can also be used to report about exceptional work or upcoming school or class events. These messages can also be printed out in the case email is unavailable or inappropriate. All this can be accomplished without the installation of any special software, simply by logging onto a website. Students also can have access to their grades depending on the preferences of the school and/or teachers.
Learning Objectives and Classroom Application
The grading and communications part of the application hold considerable value, but there are other benefits as well. TeacherEase also includes an online student workplace that enables digital resources to be accessed and worked on, shared, and even graded. Teachers can upload readings from electronic textbooks, post videos to the students to watch, offer internet research assignments, and have students work on individual or collaborative electronic projects. The development of technological skills is a learning objective getting recent widespread influence in national, state, and local standards (Regional Education Laboratory, 2005, pg. 10). Having students work in the cloud using the TeacherEase application directly addresses this standard and objective. Once again this all happens through accessing the TeacherEase website where work can be done and saved by the students for convenient and frequent access to ongoing projects. The application can also be used to align electronic work, tests, and quizzes hosted on the site to state and/or local standards. This can be an important feature as many states and school districts across the country currently align their entire curriculum to these standards in order to prepare students for state mandated standardized tests (Regional Education Laboratory, 2005, pg. iii). Parents, teachers, students, and administrators can get a visual report as to where all standards are covered within the curriculum from the TeacherEase application.
Teachers can build their own curriculum libraries and share various parts with other teachers on the application. By creating and saving assignments teachers can actually assign personalized assignments for students, or issue level-specific work for students in a differentiated classroom. Simply by accessing saved assignments, teachers can issue and have these assignments graded with a few clicks, and even offer saved completed assignments as examples for instructional purposes.
TeacherEase also offers a fully customizable report card function, capable of multiple formats and layouts that schools can set themselves. It allows all teachers on the application to access and enter data for student’s report cards. Along with another application they offer, these report cards can be automatically entered into an official educational transcript, and saved for future needs. Correlating grades and report cards to standards is also a function offered by TeacherEase. This type of information could be valuable for students to ensure that they cover any material they did not seem to understand as indicated through their grades. Being able to study specific information and content included on the on standardized tests will help them to better prepare for it. The report card feature can also be used to track student achievement, identify struggling students, generate honor rolls, and create academic warning lists.
Weaknesses and Challenges
The cost for TeacherEase is very difficult to find on the website. I was able to see that the first three teachers get a subscription for a year for free, and teachers that sign up after these teachers get three months for free. I imagine that the costs are somewhat high, and are probably handled on a case by case basis, with pricing being tied to the number of users and size of the student body. The purchase of TeacherEase comes with a two hour professional development session for all teachers using the program, which doesn’t seem like much, but is better than nothing. I noticed that if there were no local presenters available, teachers would have to view a webinar instead.
While not necessarily an intended objective of the TeacheEase developers, I find it somewhat unfortunate that so much emphasis is currently being put into teaching and grading to standards. However, as this seems to be the state of education at this point in the USA, I understand why TeacherEase put so much information about it as it applies to their program, and why they built those features into the platform of their application. One drawback I could see with this system security. With so much important information about students and schools systems in one place, the potential for detrimental hacking or information destruction or altering seems possible, as well as keeping all passwords from teachers, parents, students and administrators secure. I would have to assume that all potential threats have been considered and prepared for accordingly. I would have to say that the TeacheEase application seems like a valuable course tracking tool with many more options that a simple grading and report system could offer.
Resources
The Influence of Standards on K-12 Teaching and Student Learning: A Research Synthesis (2005) pg. iii, pg. 10, Regional Education Laboratory - http://www.mcrel.org/pdf/synthesis/5052_RSInfluenceofStandards.pdf
http://www.teacherease.com/teacherease.aspx
Using course tracking tools is becoming an essential skill for teachers in the 21st century. These tools allow for unprecedented connectivity and communication features that the pen and paper systems of old simply can’t compete with. There are many tracking tool options available that keep student data organized, easily shared, and surprisingly simple to use. In this tool box assessment I examined the TeacherEase web-based Software package. TeacherEase is a cloud computing based course tracking application. This concept is based on “Software-as-a-System”, or SaaS. This basically means there is nothing to download, no software or programs. Everything runs off the servers hosted on the web, and teachers, students, parents, and administrators simply log in to a website to access information and use the TeacherEase application.
Features and Benefits
Initially I thought I was just going to examine a piece of software that was akin to a fancy Excel type spreadsheet that simply kept track of grades in a way that was easier to manage than a pen and paper type traditional grade book, and possibly with convenient accessibility options. With the TeacherEase application, that is truly just the beginning. The electronic grade book is one of five facets to the TeacherEase system. This web-based feature is hosted by the TeacherEase site, and gives the parents of students the ability to check on grades, attendance, and assignment completion simply by accessing the website. According to a study sited on the TeacherEase site, when parents have access to these features “grades increase 5-8% and missed work drops by 40%” (the study’s raw data can be seen here; http://www.teacherease.com/studydata.aspx). Along with this type of access, the application can be set up to automatically email parents for mass announcements, or directly to specific parents to address performance, attendance, or behavioral issues. It can also be used to report about exceptional work or upcoming school or class events. These messages can also be printed out in the case email is unavailable or inappropriate. All this can be accomplished without the installation of any special software, simply by logging onto a website. Students also can have access to their grades depending on the preferences of the school and/or teachers.
Learning Objectives and Classroom Application
The grading and communications part of the application hold considerable value, but there are other benefits as well. TeacherEase also includes an online student workplace that enables digital resources to be accessed and worked on, shared, and even graded. Teachers can upload readings from electronic textbooks, post videos to the students to watch, offer internet research assignments, and have students work on individual or collaborative electronic projects. The development of technological skills is a learning objective getting recent widespread influence in national, state, and local standards (Regional Education Laboratory, 2005, pg. 10). Having students work in the cloud using the TeacherEase application directly addresses this standard and objective. Once again this all happens through accessing the TeacherEase website where work can be done and saved by the students for convenient and frequent access to ongoing projects. The application can also be used to align electronic work, tests, and quizzes hosted on the site to state and/or local standards. This can be an important feature as many states and school districts across the country currently align their entire curriculum to these standards in order to prepare students for state mandated standardized tests (Regional Education Laboratory, 2005, pg. iii). Parents, teachers, students, and administrators can get a visual report as to where all standards are covered within the curriculum from the TeacherEase application.
Teachers can build their own curriculum libraries and share various parts with other teachers on the application. By creating and saving assignments teachers can actually assign personalized assignments for students, or issue level-specific work for students in a differentiated classroom. Simply by accessing saved assignments, teachers can issue and have these assignments graded with a few clicks, and even offer saved completed assignments as examples for instructional purposes.
TeacherEase also offers a fully customizable report card function, capable of multiple formats and layouts that schools can set themselves. It allows all teachers on the application to access and enter data for student’s report cards. Along with another application they offer, these report cards can be automatically entered into an official educational transcript, and saved for future needs. Correlating grades and report cards to standards is also a function offered by TeacherEase. This type of information could be valuable for students to ensure that they cover any material they did not seem to understand as indicated through their grades. Being able to study specific information and content included on the on standardized tests will help them to better prepare for it. The report card feature can also be used to track student achievement, identify struggling students, generate honor rolls, and create academic warning lists.
Weaknesses and Challenges
The cost for TeacherEase is very difficult to find on the website. I was able to see that the first three teachers get a subscription for a year for free, and teachers that sign up after these teachers get three months for free. I imagine that the costs are somewhat high, and are probably handled on a case by case basis, with pricing being tied to the number of users and size of the student body. The purchase of TeacherEase comes with a two hour professional development session for all teachers using the program, which doesn’t seem like much, but is better than nothing. I noticed that if there were no local presenters available, teachers would have to view a webinar instead.
While not necessarily an intended objective of the TeacheEase developers, I find it somewhat unfortunate that so much emphasis is currently being put into teaching and grading to standards. However, as this seems to be the state of education at this point in the USA, I understand why TeacherEase put so much information about it as it applies to their program, and why they built those features into the platform of their application. One drawback I could see with this system security. With so much important information about students and schools systems in one place, the potential for detrimental hacking or information destruction or altering seems possible, as well as keeping all passwords from teachers, parents, students and administrators secure. I would have to assume that all potential threats have been considered and prepared for accordingly. I would have to say that the TeacheEase application seems like a valuable course tracking tool with many more options that a simple grading and report system could offer.
Resources
The Influence of Standards on K-12 Teaching and Student Learning: A Research Synthesis (2005) pg. iii, pg. 10, Regional Education Laboratory - http://www.mcrel.org/pdf/synthesis/5052_RSInfluenceofStandards.pdf
http://www.teacherease.com/teacherease.aspx