Week 3: Tech Tools to Manage and Track Progress

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What technology tools can I use to manage and track differentiated student progress in my class?

When I first read the essential question for the week I immediately thought of a program called IXL Math. I have just began using this program/tool to help track the successes and misses students are having in Mathematics.  It is SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM!   A few weeks ago I was working with my 3^rd graders attempting to teach fractions, but it just didn’t seem to be getting through (I ended up stopping the lesson for a bit just so I could figure out what to do).  That afternoon/evening I started doing research on ways I could teach fractions and the activities that I could use to do so.  The next day I tried several things, but wasn’t confident if it had really ‘sunk in’.  As a result I decided to use the program I discovered the night before in my fraction hunt. I discovered IXL Math, and figured I'd give it a whirl with my kids, what could it hurt?  I directed them to the fractions section of 3^rd grade and had them attempt the problems.  To my amazement, they all did AMAZING!  Not only could I see them having fun with it on their own individual computers, but it gave useful data that I was able to use too! My students could see if they got a problem correct immediately after they submitted their answers, or if they got it incorrect it showed what they got incorrectly, and how to do it right.  The great thing too, is that as a teacher I have the ability to see what each student is working on, whether they have mastered the subject, and even how long they spent on a particular review activity.  Having something that can not only give my students immediate feedback, but feedback for me was amazing.  Through this I was able to see that nearly 4/5ths of my class of 15 had MASTERED the standard for fractions for 3^rd grade.  I highly recommend this product.  Teachers are allowed a free 1-month trial, and if they decide that they love it (like I do) they can pay $200 for a year access for 30 students.  

Of course there are several other programs out that are beneficial tech tools for teachers and students to use.  One that we use in our district is called AIMS.  Now I’ve read that several districts give the AIMS test 3 times a year and that is it…well not in my school.  Once we get the benchmark data from our students tests (the portion that is given 3 times a year), we level them according to tier 1, 2, and 3.  We use this data to help create reading groups, as well as identify students who need reading and math intervention (more that just the core groups).  In addition to using this data, we also give tier 2 and 3 probes (tests) every two weeks, to help graph growth in either of the subject areas.  Using this tool has proven to be very beneficial as to determining what intervention works, and what interventions we need to modify.  Although it does sometimes become frustrating and time consuming to do the AIMs Probes every two weeks for tier 2 and 3 students (most of the students within our school are tier 2 and 3), the data we gather is very useful. 

I know there are several other fantastic tools out there in which teachers and students could use to help track their progress, and I am definitely willing to try them out some time.  But, I am slightly hesitant as I’m not sure how many programs really will be enough.  At the moment the two programs I am using is more than enough in terms of time consumption, but perhaps the more proficient in the programs that I become, the more comfortable I will be in adding a new one.

For those of you who don’t know about IXL Math, PLEASE check out the link below.  Just TRY it out with your students; you can get a 1 month trial for FREE!

Link to the home page: http://www.ixl.com/

Link to the free trial!: http://www.ixl.com/membership/school/trial