The Assessment-Grading App That Changed My Classroom

WHAT IS SCIENCE : For years, I remove maintain been using information to drive my instruction.  Tests (summative assessments) were entered into a programme (Eduphoria) that aggregated the information for me too I used it religiously to brand adjustments inwards my teaching too lesson planning.  This is how I discovered the concepts that my students were understanding, non understanding, too what teaching strategies too methods were most effective.  If a detail lab or action genuinely seemed to drive the betoken across too the essay information supported it, too so I definitely made Federal Reserve notation of that too was certain to croak along it inwards the next years (with nipper tweaks, of course!).  But most of the time, I was laid to motion onto the side yesteryear side unit of measurement too the information I collected was exclusively used for developing my lessons for the next year.  I was missing out on the information that was in all probability most of import inwards the instant - the quizzes.

Formative assessments are genuinely where you lot remove maintain the jeopardy to grab misconceptions too brand interventions earlier it's besides late.  But for about reason, until final year, I never lay equally much emphasis or attending on my quiz data.  If you lot aren't looking at assessment data, you lot are missing a HUGE component of what tin brand a divergence inwards the success of your students too you lot equally an educator.  Data should drive the instructional decisions you lot make.  We don't remove maintain the luxury of tons of extra time, so why waste product your precious minutes on assumptions nigh what you lot intend your students are struggling amongst too what they remove maintain mastered.


And speaking of non having time, well..... I exactly don't remove maintain much of it.  So you lot tin rest-assured that anything I recommend has been tried, tested, too approved inwards my middle schoolhouse classroom.  If it's non worth my time, effort, or money, it doesn't brand the cut.  But this app does it all!

vi Reasons I LOVE ZipGrade:

1. I genuinely started using ZipGrade final twelvemonth equally form of a trial run.  I loved how slowly it was to role too my students loved getting immediate feedback.  As an educator, it allows me to at nowadays run across who is agreement the cloth too who isn't.  I am able to intervene at nowadays -- either yesteryear having the students get together their aeroplane materials (ISN, textbook, notes, etc...) too consummate an Assessment Correction Form on the spot or yesteryear calling them into tutorials that same twenty-four hours or the side yesteryear side twenty-four hours (depending on when their aeroplane current falls inwards the daily schedule).  I don't allow these weaknesses or misunderstandings final for fifty-fifty 24 hours; they are clarified too corrected almost instantly.       
2. I don't remove maintain to waste product aeroplane fourth dimension going over quizzes that the bulk of the aeroplane did good on.  I am able to address the pocket-size handful of students who involve intervention too re-teaching.  And because the app does instant "item analysis", I tin run across what topics involve to last addressed equally a whole aeroplane too therefore adjusted side yesteryear side twelvemonth when I learn this same topic.  Or maybe, I involve to run on creating a amend quiz query if a bulk of my students were confused yesteryear something.  For example, on the Item Analysis below, I tin apace run across that I involve to accept a closer hold back at query #4.  Only 69% of students chose C, the right answer.  But 37 students chose D.  Was this a misconception that needs to last addressed or a pathetic question?  By having this information available to me instantly, I am able to pass a lilliputian extra fourth dimension looking dorsum at the quiz to figure out why so many chose D.   
   
   
   
3. It uses an app on my jail mobile telephone phone too who doesn't remove maintain that inwards their paw at all times?!?!  Exactly - super convenient.    
4. You don't remove maintain to collect all of the assessments, walk across campus hoping that at that topographic point isn't a long trouble waiting to role the scantron grading machine.  You exactly accept a moving painting of the student's respond document inside the app too it grades it for you lot immediately.  I apace verify that the pic wasn't blurry too that the pupil didn't brand whatever empty-headed bubbling errors too and so I present the pupil how they did.  My students know that if they brand below a 70, they must at nowadays practise corrections.  It goes without maxim at this betoken inwards the year.  
   
   
   
5. This ikon is stored inwards the app inwards instance I never involve to hold back dorsum at it.  I've had several cases of dishonesty this twelvemonth (with middle schoolhouse students, who knew!?!?).  Students would remove their quiz upward to me, swearing that B was bubbled inwards too they didn't know why they got it wrong.  I was able to line upward the scanned ikon too present them that they inwards fact bubbled A, but had since changed their respond - dishonesty...NOT COOL!  But it was funny to run across their confront when they knew they didn't remove maintain a instance to plead at that point.  
6. There are many respond documents to pick out from for costless on the website.  Click hither to cheque them out.  But since the bulk of the time, I am using ZipGrade for brusk quizzes, I created an respond document that has 4 to a page to relieve paper.  You tin download it for costless yesteryear clicking here.  After I scan their respond document, students know to at nowadays staple it to the travel on left corner of their quiz.  
7. The cost can't last beat!  Trust me... it is totally worth the $6.99 for the entire twelvemonth amongst unlimited scanning.  

Students who involve intervention are no longer slipping through the cracks.  My pedagogy is adjusted immediately.  It saves me fourth dimension because it grades the quizzes for me too aggregates the data, which frees me upward to focus on ways to improve pedagogy inwards existent time.

If you lot remove maintain a strategy that has transformed your classroom too made you lot a to a greater extent than effective teacher, I'd dearest to remove heed nigh it inwards the comments below.  

Here's a quick intro video for ZipGrade.  If you lot involve assist on setting upward ZipGrade for your classes, at that topographic point are a bunch of helpful How-To videos on YouTube.  Just type "ZipGrade" inwards the search box.