September 2001 — Software/Courseware
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Focus on Assessment Tools
The new series uses multiple measures to ensure reliable assessment of a wide range of skills and proficiency levels in reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. The assessment gives teachers targeted information to help enhance classroom instruction and improve student achievement.CTB's unique scoring process integrates selected-response and open-ended questions to show what students truly know and can do. With TerraNova, users receive useful, understandable information that teachers can present to parents, students, administrators and public officials. TerraNova CAT's decision-making assets include: comprehensive score reports with easy-to-understand graphics, including customized reports directly aligned with your curriculum or standards; reports and data on CD-ROM for easy archiving,data retrieval and report output; observations and general interpretations of test results in reports presenting comprehensive data; and new information packages and options to meet specific decision-making needs.
Teachers and administrators can now plan, assess and report using state or provincial standards with Media-X Systems, Inc.'s eTeacher3 desktop/handheld bundle, which provides an integrated approach to standards-based curriculum planning and assessment. The eT3 bundle includes an intuitive Windows/Mac application combined with an integrated user-friendly Palm OS module (eTeacher3 Mobile). The Palm application allows teachers to assess students using rubrics, checklists, anecdotal comments, marks or levels. It provides daily attendance, built-in e-mail, student demographics, daily note taking and an optional day book module.
The eT3 bundle includes features, such as a rubric-maker; eStandards for developing a custom database of standards; a comment builder for developing reusable anecdotal comments; a standards-based report card maker; an integrated long-range planner; and an achievement browser that visually represents students' achievement of selected standards or strands. The product is also preloaded with a set of generic standards, but teachers can customize it with standards from their own state with separate installers on the CD-ROM.
Scantron Corp. has introduced a new solution using wireless handheld technology called Classroom Wizard - the flagship product for the company's newly formed Education Technologies Division. Classroom Wizard combines Scantron's expertise in testing and assessment with the latest handheld and portable scanning technology to provide educators and students the unique advantages of concurrent learning and evaluation in the classroom. This solution enables teachers to electronically monitor students' comprehension levels while class is in session, allowing for immediate teaching adjustments to ensure that all students get the most from the instruction. Students access tests and quizzes via their handheld devices and beam their responses wirelessly to Scantron's Quiz Wizard application. Answers and scores appear immediately on the teacher's computer; results can also be printed immediately. In addition to scoring objective questions, the new system also enables educators to score short answer, essay and fill-in-the-blank answers, dramatically expanding assessment options.
