No matter how much time I have with my class, I’m always looking for ways to get more one-on-one assessment time with students. Educreations is nifty interactive whiteboard app that records both writing and audio so that I can get a “virtual” one-on-one experience with every student in my class on a single day.
I use Educreations primarily for math assessment. It’s a great way for students to record themselves solving a problem and explaining their math thinking….all independently, so that I can watch and hear them solving and explaining after class, even from home. It’s really like having one-on-one time with every student while they solve a custom math problem. How do I use it? First, I assign custom math problems to students based on what I want to assess. In my current math class, this could include problems differentiated to the individual. I usually distribute the problems on Post Its. Next, the students take turns using the iPads to “write” their problems on the Educreations screen, and then record both their writing and their audio explanations of their math thinking behind the solution. They then save their lessons with their names and go back to their other work. Here’s an example of using Educreations to solve a basic subtraction problem using the “counting back” strategy: https://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/mrs-meyers/35530467/?s=RR0uWT Educreations has many strengths. First, it’s easy to learn and use. With a very brief mini-lesson, most first grade students were able to use the app to record themselves solving math problems. The kids can write on the screen with a finger or stylus, so even kids who can’t keyboard can use the app. You also can share and post links to Educreations lessons, so it’s good for sharing with parents. Educreations also has a few deficits. In the free version, you can save only one draft at a time. Since my class is on one account, this limits my whole class to one draft. Also, you can’t edit a lesson once it’s saved. Unfortunately, this means that kids can’t go back and fix their mistakes; rather, they’ll have to record a new replacement lesson, instead. Finally, it would great to create a template that you can then share and reuse. For example, I’d love to create a template of a place value chart, then have the kids solve math problems in the chart. Instead, the first graders would need to either draw the place value chart (hard to do with your finger!) or important a graphic. Overall, though, Educreations is my favorite app for quick, highly differentiated math assessment.
1 Comment
Rose Girguis
3/6/2016 10:35:04 am
I love this explanation and the example. I have been looking for something like this to use in my mathematics classroom. I wish I had heard of this earlier in the school year. I like that I can save their work and put in a google sheet to share as examples for students that were absent and to raise the bar of what is expected. I also love that with this tool it helps differentiate the instruction for the different learning needs of our students. This is one tool I am excited to try. Thank you for this wonderful explanation and example.
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