Demystifying Assessment - Advancing STRAND

Presenters: Lauren Dietz, Trish Kelleher, Mary Manning - Newton Public Schools
In this course we will discuss the integration of technology into the classroom curriculum and explore how many iPad apps and web programs can be used as a tool for assessment. We will provide support on how to use technology tools  to gather information about student understanding and how to use that data to inform our instruction. Appropriate apps will be recommended, and together,  we will begin to brainstorm and explore ways to use iPads and online tools such as Google for Education in your classroom to promote collaboration, creativity, and to foster student learning and success.  A focus on connections to curriculum and student understanding will be included in all lesson ideas presented.
Revised Bloom's Taxonomy based on the APA's adaptation of Anderson & Krathwohl (2011). Image Source: Maine Department of Education - Bloom's Taxonomy

Suggested Free Apps to Download

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Skitch
"See something that sparks an idea? Use Skitch to snap it, mark it up with simple tools, and send it on in an instant. Your bold ideas stand out even brighter with Skitch" (Skitch, 2014).
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Face Talk
"Let your photos come to life with Face Talk! Make your friends and family say anything you want! It's so easy...Load a Photo ➙ Mark the Mouth ➙ Talk!" (Face Talk, 2014)
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QR Reader for iPad
QR Reader is "the most simple & easy QR Reader - 100% Now scans QR codes, barcodes and even creates PDF files with the "Scan to PDF" feature" (QR Reader, 2014).
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Google Docs
"Create, edit and collaborate with others on documents from your iPod, iPhone or iPad with the free Google Docs app" (Google Docs, 2014).

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Google Drive
"Google Drive is one safe place for all your stuff. Upload photos, videos, documents, and other files that are important to you, then access what you need wherever you go, on any device. Get going with up to 15GB of storage. Free" (Google Drive, 2014).
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DropBox
"Dropbox lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Access any file you save to your Dropbox from all your computers, iPhone, iPad, and the web. With Dropbox you’ll always have your important memories and work with you" (Dropbox , 2014).
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AudioBoo
With AudioBoo, you can: 
record up to 10 minutes for free, post your clips easily to the web, Twitter, Facebook and more, send audio DMs to friends, listen to great content from the BBC, Fox, The Guardian, Universal Music, Premier League, Channel 4, KiddNation, and hundreds more partners from around the world. Download and store your favourite clips and playlists to play offline (AudioBoo, 2014).
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Voicethread
"Create and share dynamic conversations around documents, snapshots, diagrams and videos -- basically anything there is to talk about. You can talk, type, and draw right on the screen. VoiceThread takes your conversations to the next level, capturing your presence, not just your comments. Anyone can join the discussion from their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC -- anytime, anywhere" (VoiceThread, 2014).
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Tallagami
"Animate your life! Download today! Tellagami is a mobile app that lets you create and share a quick animated video called a Gami. A Gami can be an exciting tweet or status update.

 It can be a fun way to tell a story. It can be a thank you message or a vacation postcard. It can be a birthday greeting, party invite or cool way to share photos. The possibilities are endless!" (Tellagami, 2014)
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30 Hands
"30hands Mobile is a fun, innovative storytelling app that allows students, teachers and anyone with creativity to easily create narrated stories or presentations based on photos, images, drawings or video clips using an iPad, iPhone or iPod" (30hands, 2014).
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Voice Recorder
With the Voice Recorder you can create, share and save your recordings.

Paid Apps to Download

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Explain Everything - $2.99
"Explain Everything is an easy-to-use design, screencasting, and interactive whiteboard tool that lets you annotate, animate, narrate, import, and export almost anything to and from almost anywhere. Create slides, draw in any color, add shapes, add text, and use a laser pointer. Rotate, move, scale, copy, paste, clone, and lock any object added to the stage" (Explain Everything, 2014).
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Popplet - $4.99
"Great for work. Great for school. Popplet is a platform for your ideas. Popplet's super simple interface allows you to move at the speed of your thoughts. With Popplet you can capture your ideas, sort them visually, and collaborate with others in realtime. Quickly and easily!" (Popplet, 2014).
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My Story - $3.99
With My Story, you can "create and share ebooks and stories by adding drawings, photos, and stickers. Then record your voice on every page and share your story with friends, family and classmates. We’ve made My Story super teacher friendly by adding multiple authors and syncing across multiple iPads! So now you can have all your classroom iPads in sync! Perfect for the home or classroom" (My Story, 2014).

apps that Demonstrate learning

  • Digital Storytelling
    My Story, 30hands

  • Explaining Your Thinking
    Educreations, Explain Everything

  • Creation
    Morpho, Tellagami
  • Graphic Organizing/Brainstorming
    Popplet, Skitch

  • Audio (Publishing)
    Audio Boo

  • Communication
    Voicethread, Vimeo, Classroom Webpages

Resources & Tutorials

Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything
Assessment and Rubrics

33 Digital Tools for Advancing Formative Assessment in the Classroom