Class Companion is an AI-powered tutoring and assessing tool that is designed to assist teachers in providing students with personalized education. I heard about Class Companion from a high school teacher I recently interviewed and have since tested the free version.

Class Companion is designed for K-12 students and I teach college, but from my personal experience, it is an impressive AI tutor and grading assistant.

Here’s a closer look at what Class Companion is and what it does best.

What Is Class Companion?

Class Companion uses AI to provide students with personalized feedback in a few key ways. First, it provides personalized assessments of short-answer and essay questions. Second, it has a tutor named Ditto that can help students. Finally, it can also generate rubrics and assessment questions for teachers in addition to other features.

Class Companion utilizes OpenAI’s GPT-4 model to power its answers and tutoring features. However, the interface is much more user-friendly for teaching than using GPT-4 alone would be.

Additionally, instructors have control over every aspect of the process, from the types of answers you want the AI to look for and encourage to the number of opportunities students have to retry a response.

To start, teachers load a text into Class Companion -- for instance, a short story on which they want to assess students. Then, with or without the help of AI, they can create questions related to that story, and a rubric for the AI to assess students. Teachers can also, of course, override any AI feedback with which they don't agree.

What Are Class Companion's Best Features?

Class Companion's personalized feedback is what really stands out to me. Using AI as an instructor can feel like venturing into uncharted territory, but Class Companion allows the teacher to put in many guardrails and use the tool as they see fit.

Beyond this, I love how Class Companion supports mastery education philosophies. By default, the student is given multiple chances to submit an answer and can make changes to improve in real time based on feedback AI provides.

For instance, while testing the tool, I tried a sample question provided by another instructor about The Tale of Two Cities. The question: Describe the historical context provided by Dickens in the opening chapter. How does he portray the era in which the story is set?

I remembered the opening line of this novel and asked the AI tutor if it was okay to quote that in my response; it said it was. This is a great illustration of how an AI tutor could help a student who is unsure of how to proceed. Because it’s been a while since I read this book, I couldn’t recall many details from the novel beyond that famous 'best of times, worst of times' quote. So my answer wasn't the best.

The AI response celebrated that I’d included a quote but correctly encouraged me to add more details and specifics that addressed the substance of the question. If I'd been really taking this test, I would have gone back to the source material with some specific directions in mind but without the AI having provided the answer.

Setting up my own questions based on texts I loaded into Class Companion was also easy and quicker than I anticipated—though I would want to update the prompts I provided, based on student feedback.

How Much Does Class Companion Cost?

Class Companion is free to educators and their students, but many features, including LMS integration, are only available with a school or district subscription plan.

Class Companion does not publicly state the cost of these subscriptions, but school leaders can contact Class Companion to learn more and get a quote.

Class Companion Bottom Line: Would I Use It With Students?

The short answer is yes, provided it was approved by my institution, I would use Class Companion. It seems to be a helpful AI tool that keeps the focus on the educator and student agency while harnessing AI’s power to provide personalized feedback.

The longer answer is also yes, with the caveat that, as with all AI tools, I’d like to see more randomized control trials in which groups of students take the same class with and without an AI tool such as this. I think it’s extremely unlikely that a tool such as Class Companion would hinder a student’s educational progress the way AI tutors deployed in less pedagogically sound ways have in the past, but I’d like to quantify how much it helps.

By understanding the big-picture impact of AI tools such as Class Companion, teachers and school leaders can better assess which AI tools are worth the investment.

• AI In Education: 4 Ways To Avoid Falling Behind The Curve
• How YOU Can Avoid Investing In Bad AI and Risking Student Data

Explore a feast of education-focused AI tools! MagicSchool AI offers a transformative buffet of 67 AI tools, from professional support to choice boards and icebreakers, enhancing productivity for educators. The dashboard facilitates differentiated instruction, on-the-fly lesson content generation, and improved assessments. 

I found MagicSchool AI to be a comprehensive solution, addressing diverse aspects of teaching and significantly enhancing teacher productivity.

MagicSchool AI: Getting Started in The Classroom 

Need to craft a difficult email? Facing a new course assignment last minute? Looking to create a quiz on the fly, or help developing an IEP? The dashboard has a tool for each. Think of it as productivity on steroids, providing tools such as assessment generators, syllabus writers, and feedback creators. 

Raina, the chatbot and AI instructional coach, guides users with specific prompts and examples.

MagicSchool AI: Best Features 

Setting up a MagicSchool AI account is simple and comes with a free two-week trial of the Plus version. In no time at all, I was able to navigate the left-bar menu and explore the 60+ AI tools in the dashboard. 

The interface is user-friendly and intuitive, and the one-stop dashboard offers a buffet of productivity, assessment, and innovation tools. Key tools include the Behavior Intervention Suggestions, Text Leveler or Summarizer, Student Work Feedback, or Report Card Comments generators. For some laughs, I explored the Joke Creator. There’s even a Coaching Plan generator - a game changer! Of note for district decision-makers is the commitment to privacy and FERPA compliance, the professional development options, platform integrations, and ongoing support. 

I explored the open Google Drive of resources for PD. Training options include certification courses, a YouTube Channel, and canned presentations in the Google Drive. I liked how the training materials focus on AI best practices. One example is the “80/20” rule - in which AI generates 80% then humans take over the remaining 20% with analysis, critique, and word-smithing. 

The integration with common platforms such as Microsoft, Google, or our organization’s LMS, is also an important feature for a district leader. Being able to “export” the AI-generated content to the district platform means not having to copy/paste. 

Networking and support is always an important feature to review, and these are facilitated through the "Love" menu. Beyond the testimonials, tips, and tricks on the X feed (formerly Twitter) and a Facebook Group, is an in-app chat for support (Plus version only). 

I was impressed with the customization, allowing me to organize tools and prompts, sort and filter output history, and improve searching with various “Actions.” I customized my dashboard, adding favorites, sorting resources, and filtering to provide me with a personalized workspace. Saving my prompts and output history was easy, but the number ranges from the last five (free version) to unlimited (Plus). 

The search box uses "Actions," with options to improve and filter search prompts, such as "translate," "questions," "length," "summarize," and "custom." However, only “translate” is available in the free version. These additional options (e.g. questions, length, summarize, custom) cause me to think seriously about paying for “Plus.”

MagicSchool AI: Key Takeaways 

For those still on the fence about AI, MagicSchool AI can transform the daily tasks of educators. The dashboard of tools provide educators with opportunities to target time-consuming tasks and improve productivity. With diverse applications, user-friendly interface, and commitment to privacy, MagicSchool AI seems like a great place to explore AI in a school-friendly environment. 

Districts opening the door to AI can use the Enterprise version to give users more control over the AI experience -- choosing which AI tools to enable and integrating with Microsoft, Google, or an LMS. Besides the value to teachers as a productivity tool, a student version is next to launch providing students with a guided AI experience.

MagicSchool AI: Pricing 

MagicSchool AI's pricing comprises three tiers: free users, MagicSchool Plus premium users, and MagicSchool Enterprise. 

The free version offers limited features (e.g. Translate only), while Plus and Enterprise versions provide unlimited access to tools, full functionality of Raina, export features (e.g. Microsoft, Google, LMS), and robust support. 

Plus is a single-user subscription (about $100 per year), while Enterprise caters to schools and districts with customization options for the dashboard. 

MagicSchool AI: Conclusion 

MagicSchool AI improves the lives of teachers, with more than 80 generative AI tools designed to ease the challenges faced by educators, and 50+ available for students. With more than 4 million users and 10,000 schools onboard, the platform is definitely gaining momentum in the K12 market. 

Whether you are pro AI, on the fence, or hoping it will go away, MagicSchool AI will forever change educator productivity. Used by teachers to “take back their day” from tedious tasks that sideline our teaching, Magic School AI will change how we create an email, syllabus, assessment, or lesson plan. It is a great way to get started with AI using educationally focused tools.

 Magic School AI Bonus: My Favorite Features 

Some of my favorite productivity tools include the IEP Generator, the Syllabus Generator, and the Multiple Choice Assessment Generator. For my colleagues who have already jumped into Magic School AI, they were happy to add: 

• “I love how efficient it is to create rubrics.”
• “Check out the YouTube Question generator to create discussion questions.”
• “I create daily objectives to post in our Canvas LMS.”
• “Using the lesson plan generator as a brainstorm for creating a new unit.”
• “Creating vocabulary lists with definitions for my units of study is so fast!”
• “I created a four day unit in maybe an hour.”

• Educator Edtech Review: Walkabouts

 Editor’s Note: This is the same Flex 5 Chromebook model that LaptopMag reviewed back in June—just from a different perspective. We retested this configuration with all of their main benchmarks for good measure.   

Synopsis

Lenovo has another winner on its hands with the IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook. This lightweight machine packs a one-two punch of portable functionality thanks to an intuitive form factor and decent battery life; this 2-in-1 is ideal for socially-distanced students and business travelers alike. 

Packing capable specs, a responsive touchscreen, and a full-size keyboard, the Chromebook flavor of Lenovo’s Flex 5 series is tempting enough to consider abandoning Windows 10 altogether—at least for a little while. If you already do most of your work in the cloud, it’s never been a better time to explore new productivity options with Chrome OS. 

Take heed: Chromebooks won’t give you the same power as a fully loaded Windows gaming rig, but most of them aren’t meant to replace those higher specs. (Yet.) 

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook: Features 

•  Core i3 processor is capable for most daily tasks 
•  Convertible 2-in-1 design transitions easily between tablet, tent, stand, or laptop mode 
•  Stylus support is useful for undergrads, business uses, and heavy multitaskers 
•  Webcam privacy shutter adds some peace of mind to any dorm room 

For the price, this is one of the best Chromebooks around. Touch-typists will love the click-clackable keyboard, and multimedia multitaskers will love the rest. The 2-in-1 form factor is incredibly diverse for all kinds of education-based environments. 

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook: Build and Connectivity 

•  Bouncy keyboard is fantastic for word processing 
•  Comes with all the basic ports, including two USB Type-C on either side 
•  No HDMI support means fewer connectivity options 

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook measures 12.2 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches and weighs 2.97 pounds; this is (just barely) lighter than its 2-in-1 Chromebook rivals: the HP Chromebook x360 12b (2.98 pounds), Asus Chromebook Flip C434 (3.1 pounds), and Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (3.0 pounds). The graphite gray color is low-key professional, and the trackpad doesn’t feel cramped. 

Lenovo equips the IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook with the usual ports: USB Type-C (2), USB Type-A, headphone jack, microS card reader, and Kensington lock slot. If you’re looking to use your Chromebook for a dual-display setup, however, you’ll want to splurge for a machine with an HDMI port, such as the Acer Chromebook Spin 713. 

The backlit, island-style keyboard is the best thing about the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook, and it’s one of the most comfortable typing experiences you’ll find in a 2-in-1. The keyboard deck exhibited zero flex in our testing; it was an absolute pleasure for word processing in particular.  

If you like this form factor but still aren’t ready to cut ties with Microsoft just yet, Lenovo offers a variety of 14- and 15-inch Windows-based options in the IdeaPad Flex Series, with a similar starting price for baseline configurations. (Around $500, depending on the retailer.) 

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook: Performance and Battery Life 

•  Subpar battery life doesn’t stack up to other Chromebooks 
•  Decent performance with midrange specs 

We put the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook through its paces for a full week, using it to surf the web, stream YouTube videos, and write this review. Even with 30+ Chrome tabs and two 1080p YouTube videos open, we had no problem opening other apps and tapping away on Google Drive—sans system lag or general slowdowns. 

The Flex 5 Chromebook comes with an Intel Core i3-10110U CPU and 4GB of RAM: these specs are modest, yet capable for most lightweight chores such as schoolwork, internet research, e-book reading, and so on. (Acer also offers an even lighter-weight version of this Chromebook, which has an Intel Celeron processor and only 32GB of RAM; as of this writing, there was no word on pricing, but based on these specs, this is probably an ideal configuration for the price point.)

With a score of just 972 on the Geekbench 5 overall performance test, our test unit fell well below the category average (1,563); it couldn’t even comes close to the Asus Chromebook Flip C434 (6,968) or Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (3,253). 

The average battery life for Chromebooks to be around the 10-hour mark, but the Flex 5 only lasted 8 hours and 55 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test. Both the HP Chromebook x360 12b (8:06) and the Asus Chromebook Flip C434 (9:58) offer similar endurance; this is still plenty of juice for a full day’s work.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook: Screen, Camera, and Sound 

•  Screen brightness is lackluster 
•  Webcam privacy shutter is a handy addition 

When it comes to the Flex 5’s display, there’s nothing to write home about. (Unless you’re writing home anyway, that is.) YouTube videos came through vibrant enough on the 1080p touchscreen, but even with the brightness jacked all the way up, it simply doesn’t compare to the beautiful 2256 x 1504-pixel (QHD) display on the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, which utilizes an innovative 3:2 aspect ratio.

Speaking of writing, this Chromebook comes with stylus support, which is quite useful for one-the-fly productivity. While we did not get the chance to fully test this feature, your stylus can potentially be used to take notes and screenshots, or act as a laser pointer/magnifying glass. 

At the top of the display bezel sits the 720p webcam, which itself is concealable via sliding privacy shutter. Not every laptop comes equipped with this feature, and it’s a welcome perk for students of all ages. 

Audio quality from the Flex 5’s top-firing speakers is surprisingly robust, and loud enough to fill a small room. It is not powerful enough to throw a rave with, but it’s not meant for extended multimedia sessions anyway. If this is your only sticking point, though, just invest in a pair of quality headphones.  

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook: Warranty and Customer Service 

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook comes with a one-year limited warranty, which is standard fare for this laptop category. Lenovo scores consistently well during Laptop Mag’s annual Tech Support Showdown, which should give you some extra piece of mind when you toss this thing into a backpack. 

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook: Verdict 

Now is the time for cheap, lightweight laptops in the education sector, and there’s a lot to like about the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook. Featuring a top-notch keyboard/trackpad combo, a responsive touchscreen (with stylus support), and a fantastic 2-in-1 design, you can’t go wrong with this Chromebook.    

Teaching from home with an iPad doesn’t have to mean being stuck using the tablet’s on-screen keyboard. The $50 Brydge 9.7 keyboard-case takes a minute to install and provides a great keyboard and the ability to teach from home with a little extra grace.

Made of forged aluminum, the Brydge 9.7 keyboard-case is sturdy, has rounded corners and can protect the tablet’s back if dropped. The space gray, silver or gold look of the case matches the iPad’s design, making it seem as if it was designed as a notebook from the start.

At just over 1 pound, the Brydge 9.7 keyboard-case is light, ideal for transporting to school. Add in my sixth-generation iPad and the whole thing weighs a reasonable 2.1 pounds. That’s significantly lighter than a small notebook, such as Dell’s 3.1-pound Chromebook 3100, although that does have a larger 11-inch screen.

Securing an iPad in the Brydge 9.7 keyboard-case 

It takes a second or two to install the case on an iPad, although some older 9.7-inch iPads and the iPad Air 2 will require using the included rubber hinge shims to get the tablet to seat properly.

The iPad is secured in landscape, rather than portrait, which gives it more of a notebook feel. The power button is on the upper left and the volume- up and down keys are nearby, along the top. The Home button is on the right which can make the fingerprint scanner awkward to use. Another issue is the webcam. It sits too low and ends up providing an excellent view of the user’s neck, unless you angle the tablet quite far back. Happily, the system’s back camera works well and isn’t obscured by the case.

The Brydge 9.7 keyboard-case’s hinge has smooth action but it can be a little awkward to open. There’s a small cutout to slip a fingernail in but it generally requires two hands to maneuver. Inside, it has 17-mm keys with about 1.5 mm of travel. Angled for comfortable typing, the keys are backlit with the choice of three light levels, which is useful if presenting in a darkened classroom. It’s overall very accurate, but the keys are a little too close together and I found myself hitting the wrong one on occasion. 

Surprisingly sturdy (always useful in classroom environments), the screen doesn’t wobble even when I tapped it or moved items around. The Brydge case, however, lacks a trackpad or any place to stash Apple’s Pencil stylus.

The best part is that if a busy teacher needs to quickly change from using the iPad in notebook guise, it can be easily pulled away from the keyboard base for use as a pure tablet. It takes only a moment to put it back together again.

Flexibility and potential use for remote learning 

With the Brydge 9.7’s keyboard-case, it’s quicker and more comfortable to type than the iPad’s on-screen keyboard. In addition to the expected letter, number and symbol keys, the Brydge 9.7 keyboard-case has a key to lock and unlock the screen, a Home key, the ability to control audio or video tracks as well as have Siri listen to (or ignore) your requests.

The keyboard-case I looked at fit like a hand in glove with my 6th-generation iPad, and also works with 5th-generation systems and Air units. There are models for 10.2- and 10.5-inch iPads as well as the first four generations of the iPad Pro. The problem is some of Brydge’s cases cost as much as $230. Your best bet to find the right Brydge keyboard for your iPad is to start at the company’s compatibility site. 

While the Brydge case doesn’t use any of the iPad’s power to run the keyboard, the downside is that because the keyboard uses Bluetooth to connect, it still needs to be periodically charged. It comes with a micro-USB cable but no AC adapter.

A bonus is the keyboard’s battery gauge key. Press it for a few seconds and the Power LED blinks green for 75 percent or more charge or yellow for between 25 and 74 percent. When it’s red, the battery has for 24 percent or less of its charge. One charge was more than enough for a month of daily use.

Verdict: Is the Brydge 9.7 worth it? 

Overall, the Brydge 9.7 keyboard-case does an excellent job of turning an iPad into a full-fledged notebook but does without a trackpad that some of the company’s other models have. The design also lacks a place to stash the iPad’s Pencil stylus. Still, the $50 Brydge 9.7 keyboard-case can transform an iPad into a remote teaching machine, ready for an online class. 

Grade: 88/100

More: Brydge

* More from T&L: Wireless keyboards: Review for schools

In this age of education from home, having the right equipment can be the difference between teaching and missing a teaching moment. Google’s Pixelbook Go is a masterful piece of design, engineering and manufacturing that can be a self-contained remote teaching machine, but its price makes it a hard sell. 

At 0.5- by 8.1- by 12.2-inches and 2.3-pounds, the Go is a Chromebook that’s small but not underpowered. Even with its small AC adapter, it still has a travel weight of 2.7-pounds. That’s not only a lot smaller than Dell’s Chromebook 3100 but more than half a pound lighter than HP’s Chromebook X2. Its rugged magnesium alloy case feels good in the hand and its ribbed back makes it easier to grasp and harder to drop. 

Available in matte Just Black and Not Pink (an attractive shade of peach), the Go feels solid, well-made and fits nicely on a desk for video lessons or conferencing with a class, other teachers or parents. The 13.3-inch display is big enough to use without an external monitor and is not only touch sensitive but is made of super-tough Corning Concore glass. 

If you want an active stylus, the Pixelbook Pen costs $99, adds pressure sensitivity and is available in silver or black. It requires a AAAA battery but there’s no place on the Go system to stash it.

HD OR HIGHER RESOLUTION

For students and teachers used to Wide-XGA resolution, the display’s full HD resolution of 1920 by 1080 will be an eye-opener with detailed images just-about jumping off the screen. The screen looks great, is bright and vibrant but its hinge swings back to only about 135-degrees. In other words, the display doesn’t fold flat or fully over to create a tablet, as the Dell Chromebook 3100 can. 

Inside, the Go has a fully up-to-date Chrome computer that not only updates itself, but has a Titan C chip to encrypt data, it’s on a par with a PC’s Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Apple’s T2 chip. In other words, the Pixelbook Go will fit right into the IT landscape of just about any school and be secure enough for those teaching from home. 

The $850 Go I looked at came with some of the best components available, including a Core i5 8200Y low-voltage processor that runs at between 1.3- and 3.9GHz. There’s also 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space. If that’s too expensive, teachers and schools can get the $650 base system with an Intel M3 processor, 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There’s also a $1,400 flagship system with a Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a whopping 256GB of storage that carries a Ultra High Definition screen capable of 3840 by 2160 resolution.

USB C HUB REQUIRED

With two USB C ports and a headphone jack, the port selection is skimpy but adequate. The first thing you’ll need to do is get a USB C hub that includes connections for sending video to a projector or big screen, old-school USB 3.1 and wired LAN ports. Still, the Go has the one-two connection punch of 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2, which worked well with my wireless LAN as well as keyboards, mice and external speakers. 

The system’s keyboard has comfortable 19mm keys and is one of quietest on a notebook that I’ve seen (or heard), a big benefit when the clackity-clack of typing comes through on a video link. It also has backlighting for teaching by the light of a projector and a huge 5.2-inch touchpad. 

Audio is covered by a pair of built-in speakers that can get surprisingly loud and a pair of microphones at the top of the screen that use active noise reduction making it good for a parental video conference in a library or remote teaching with the dog barking in the background. 

The Web cam sits at the top so it has a good view of your face. Its angle can be adjusted by tilting the screen and it can show up to HD resolution at 60 frames per second. The camera, however, lacks a privacy cover.

PERFORMANCE POWERHOUSE

All this adds up to a top-flight system that should blow away most of the other computers at school. It scored 777 and 1,387 on GeekBench 5’s single- and multi-processor suite of tests and 29,498 on the Octane measure of computing. This is roughly twice the performance potential of HP’s Chromebook X2. 

With all that power on tap, the Pixelbook Go’s 47 watt-hour battery pack powered the system for 13 hours and 10 minutes of viewing a variety of YouTube videos. That’s nearly an hour longer than the runtime of the HP Chromebook X2 was capable of. If you’re in a power pinch, the Go’s battery can grab two hours’ worth of charge in just 20 minutes between classes. 

With a one-year warranty, the mid-range $850 Pixelbook Go that I looked at might be eclipsed in education by the $650 M3-based system. Still, if you crave one of the best conceived, built and outfitted Chromebooks available, look no further than any of the Pixelbook Go models. They’re ready for anything teachers, students and the needs of remote learning can throw at it.

Sometimes huddling around the teacher’s notebook can be a little too close for a small group of students, while using the classroom projector might be too much. Using an external display facing the children while the teacher can see her display and the kids at once is often a strategy that’s just right. 

At 2-pounds, about the size of a laptop computer and only 0.4-inches thick, HP’s $220 EliteDisplay S14 screen provides a quick and easy way to add a 14-inch external display. A must-have accessory, the S14 is an HD display with a wide 178-degree viewing angle; figure that five or six can sit around it. 

The included cover protects the display’s glass surface from damage when it’s not being used. It doubles as a fold-open stand that holds the screen at a 35-degree tilt. While sturdy, it can’t be adjusted to a different angle or set up vertically. The display lacks VESA hardware for a generic stand or wall mount. 

One of the easiest displays to use, forget about fumbling with HDMI or VGA cables, power adapters and crossing your fingers that it works. Just open the cover, plug the included USB-C cable into a notebook, desktop, phone or tablet and turn the display on. Unfortunately, the design precludes using a traditional HDMI or VGA cable to stream images to the S14. 

HIGH-IMPACT, LOW-POWER

Its output was a little dimmer than the notebooks I used the S14 with, but it was plenty bright enough for use in a well-lit room. To try it out, I started by using an HP EliteBook Dragonfly notebook and then used it with an Apple Macbook Air, a Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 and an Acer Chromebook Tab 10. All four systems worked like a hand in a glove with the external monitor with no noticeable delay. 

It worked just as well going over geometric shapes and a timeline of history as with student photographs and online art. On the downside, the S14 refused to work with any of three USB C hubs I have, or my Lightning-plug based iPad Pro. 

The display has an on/off button and fired up immediately. It showed a summary of the connection specs followed by either extending the host system’s desktop or mirroring it. 

Hidden underneath are four keys for using HP’s Display Assistant software to adjust the screen’s output. It takes a little getting used to, but I was able to change the screen’s brightness, contrast and choose among nine color modes plus a custom setting with your own color balance. For me, the HP Enhance + setting worked best, with excellent brightness and color balance that closely matched the output of my Macbook Air. The good news is that the screen used 5 watts of power, so it will only slightly reduce the battery life of the host notebook. 

I used the S14 to extend the notebook’s desktop to create a second screen alongside the host notebook. This allowed me to go over curriculum on one screen while working through my email or Web research on the other. It really comes into its own in mirroring mode. Here, the S14 display can be turned toward a small group of students or parents so that all can see the same images. In both cases, the teacher and her audience can maintain eye contact while both are looking at the same material. 

Regardless of whether it’s used to extend a desktop or mirror a notebook’s main screen, the $220 HP EliteDisplay S14 is not only one of the easiest portable monitors to use but it’s one of the best and least expensive.

Chromebooks are everywhere in schools but for the most part they’re basic computers that don’t take advantage of the recent design revolution in mobility. Not anymore with HP’s Chromebook X2, a dual-personality system that can be a standard notebook or a stand-alone tablet, depending on the schoolwork at hand. Happily, it’s well made, powerful enough for every student or teacher and is actually fun to use.

With a removable display, the Chromebook X2 system has different digital personas for different school tasks. In other words, it can be a notebook with a hinged lid for keyboard-centric work, like writing English essays, and works just as well with the screen facing the user or away. It’s just as effective as a tablet for scribbling notes, watching an instructional video or sketching triangles for a geometry math class.

Built around a 12.3-inch touchscreen, the complete Chromebook X2 weighs in at 3.1-pounds. But, pull away the tablet portion and you have a 1.8-pound system that weighs a lot less than the 3.1-pound Dell Chromebook 3100. On the downside, it is a couple ounces heavier than Google’s Pixel Slate tablet and lacks a pull-out leg that’s used on Microsoft’s Surface Pro design.

LIFT AND LEARN

To use the X2 as a tablet all you do is firmly lift it free of the system’s keyboard base. There’s nothing to press or unlatch; just pull the two pieces apart. When you need a traditional notebook, just bring the screen and keyboard close together and they magnetically attract each other and solidly mate.

Regardless of whether you’re using the system as a tablet or notebook, the display portion has all the connections. There are two USB-C connectors, one of which is used to charge the system, as well as a headphone jack, an on/off switch and a volume control.

The screen itself is a gem with the ability to show a stunning 2,400 by 1,600 resolution. This is a big step up from the Chromebook 3100’s wide-XGA display. Its Gorilla Glass construction means that the display is protected against accidents at school. With the ability to work with fingers and the included active stylus, the display responds quickly to 10 independent inputs. This makes it great for doodling, sketching and in-class note-taking. 

The system's pen comes with an AAAA battery and the keyboard portion has a loop to make the pen harder to lose. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to tether it the system.

With 19.3-mm keys and a 4.7-inch touchpad, the X2 is comfortable to use and its back feet give the deck a comfortable angle. It took me a little time to get used to the textured faux leather finish and the keyboard lacks backlighting for working from the glow of a classroom projector.

LONG DISTANCE RUNNER

Powered by a 4-cell battery, the Chromebook X2 ran for 12 hours of YouTube video viewing with short hourly breaks. this should be enough power to run all school-day and have some left over for homework. By contrast, the Dell Chromebook 3100 ran for 40 minutes longer.

The Chromebook X2 12-F015nr model that I looked at is a winner for schools with a low-power Intel M3-7Y30 processor that normally runs at 1GHz but can sprint at up to 2.6GHz when needed. This makes it perfect for efficient stop and go computing in classrooms, the library or after-school work.

Inside, the X2 has 4GB of RAM and 32GB of solid-state storage that can be expanded with a micro-SD card that can hold up to 256GB. Like other Chromebooks, the X2 also includes two years’ worth of 100GB of Google online storage. This should be more than enough for everything from social studies essays and experimental videos to math homework and French projects.

Whether it’s for a parent-teacher Skype conference or shooting pictures on a field trip, the X2 has cameras aimed at the user (5MP) and away (13MP). In addition to Bang & Olufsen tuned speakers, the Chromebook has a headphone jack for quiet time.

According to Geekbench 5’s performance software, the X2 won’t let any student or teacher down. Its single- and multi-core processing test results of 653 and 1,155 are on a par with Samsung’s Chromebook Plus. On the other hand, the X2’s 708 on the Compute series of tests that mimic real-world use blew away the Chromebook Plus’s 423. 

After using the Chromebook X2 for two weeks, I think it will easily fit into any school’s digital classrooms. It easily connected to a variety of WiFi networks and Bluetooth accessories, like keyboards and speakers. I created mock classroom lessons and activities with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and used a wide variety of ChromeOS school apps, including Google Docs, the Desmos Graphical Calculator, Adobe’s SketchPad and Hoopla’s ebook library and reader.

QUICK CHANGE ARTIST

HP’s Chromebook X2 is not only more than powerful enough to meet the needs of today’s digital curriculum but has the flexibility to be exactly the computer teachers and students need. Its transformation from a notebook to a tablet and back again is effortless and quick, making the X2 seem like it’s two systems in one.

With a one-year warranty, the X2’s $530 price tag will seem steep for schools used to paying half as much for Chromebooks. On the other hand, a comparable iPad might run twice as much after you add in the keyboard and stylus, both of which are included with the X2.

Sure, the X2 costs more than other Chromebooks but it’s worth every penny for its ability to be a classroom twofer. 

Grade: A- 

HP Chromebook X2

Price: $550 

Pros

Can switch between tablet and notebook

Includes stylus and keyboard

Excellent display

Long battery life 

Cons

Keyboard isn’t backlit

Pricey

http://bit.ly/BrightLink697Ui ■ Retail Price: $3,299.00; Brighter Futures Educational Pricing—$2,499.00

Epson describes its BrightLink 697Ui ultra short-throw interactive display as “the ultimate academic collaboration tool,” and it’s nothing short of amazing. It boasts a full high-definition image of up to 100 inches diagonal from as close as 10 inches away from the screen. It is a powerhouse with great projection and many collaborative and interactive features. The native resolution on the 697Ui is 1920x1200 (Full HD) WUXGA widescreen, and the color brightness is a whopping 4400 lumens. When installed on a wall painted with “idea paint” (dry-erase marker paint), the display’s true interactivity came to life. The 697Ui comes with a one-year subscription to the SMART Learning Suite of interactive tools, including SMART Notebook. The 697Ui allows for wireless projecting from any device (including iOS, Android, Chromebooks, and Windows-based computers and tablets) as well as content sharing back to these devices. It also offers built-in PC-free whiteboard tools for interactive collaboration in the classroom and with offsite participants.

QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS

The 697Ui is easy to install on a variety of surfaces and simple to calibrate for instant interactivity. Even with classroom lights on, it presents a bright and engaging image.

EASE OF USE

Everything from the onscreen setup to setting up the license for the SMART Learning Suite and navigating the PC-free whiteboard mode is easy to follow and user-friendly. Our teachers really liked the spotlight and reveal tools which allowed them to present using virtual versions of a sliding paper on an old transparency projector. The PC-free annotation tools can also be used with document cameras and DVD-players that are connected to the display to bring those tools to life with more engaging learning opportunities.

CREATIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY

We first used the 697Ui in a gym during a band concert to project a video on a wall behind the band. Because the projector could be placed within 10 inches from the wall, it was easy to place it behind the band and project a huge picture on the wall.

In one of our libraries, a librarian used the 697Ui for interactive presentations of books she projected and read aloud to classes. She could use her finger or the supplied stylus to turn each page virtually and circle main characters, and she could also highlight key vocabulary words with the interactive highlighter.

SUITABILITY FOR USE IN A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

Because of the ease of setup and installation and the fact that Epson supplies all of the necessary mounts and mounting tools, this projector is perfect for use in any school or classroom. With the 697Ui, schools don’t have to buy both an interactive whiteboard and a projector in addition to software for creating interactive presentations. This projector is an amazing collaboration tool—within the classroom and for connecting with other classrooms.

OVERALL RATING:

I give this projector a five-star rating. When purchased using Epson’s Brighter Futures Education program, the 697Ui offers so many learning resources for the money that it would be hard to decide to go with anything else.

TOP FEATURES

• The Full HD projection at 4400 lumens is outstanding in any room setting.

• The interactive capabilities and PC-free tools work with any device — or even without a device.

• The collaborative aspect of sharing to and from any device wirelessly is a must for engaging today’s classrooms.

From our friends at TechRadar: The best laptop for kids will usually take the form of a rugged, cheap tablet… that is, if they’re to be used by young to school age kids. If you’re kid is in high school, you might want to go for a proper laptop, especially when it’s for school projects and homework.

If your kids don’t know their way around a Windows 10 or a macOS environment, on the other hand, the best Chromebooks are some of the best laptops for kids who need a simpler user interface. To make things better, these economical Chromebooks have large, durable displays that are great for getting schoolwork done.

Why this matters: Well-known computer manufacturers like Dell, Lenova, Acer and many others are designing and building Chromebooks and laptop computers specifically for K12 students. But prices and features vary widely, and it's critical to make the best use of your edtech dollars. To learn which Chromebooks and laptop computers provide the best of features such as battery life, storage, ruggedness and price, read the full report at www.techradar.com

From our friends at T3: These are the best AR toys on the market today and they are guaranteed to amuse you and your smartphone plenty, while also not take up too much of your time or raid your wallet like a pirate captain. Many of these toys are not just AR-infused either, but injected with educational value as well, meaning that their owner can get smarter while they have insane fun, too.

Why this matters: Augmented reality (AR) and its cousin virtual reality (VR) have become important teaching tools in the K12 classroom, allowing teachers to lead students digitally beyond the classroom walls for authentic learning.  With prices as low as $13.00, these educational AR toys can be a reality in any classroom.  Learn which toys  offer the most engaging educational content and associated apps by reading the full report at t3.com. 

Google Drive

Nifty tool for collaboratively editing and syncing files across devices

Pros: You get much of the functionality of Microsoft Office; collaboration on files is elegant, and it all stays safely synced on all devices.

Cons: Poses potential privacy issues for classrooms with multiple students sharing one device.

Bottom Line: Google Drive is a smart choice for budget-conscious schools, with its free productivity tools and file syncing.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

From our friends at TechRadar: The best Chromebooks in 2019 are not just more powerful than ever, but also more flexible and boast longer battery lives. That means that they are capable of so much more than their predecessors.

Still, before you sort through the best Chromebooks to find the one that suits you best, it’s worth your time knowing what exactly a Chromebook is. You know, in case a lighter weight operating system and device don’t actually match your needs.

Why this matters:  Fast, rugged and affordable Chromebooks have become the go-to device for many one-to-one computing programs designed to turbocharge kids' learning with engaging digital technology. Choosing the Chromebook that's best suited for your classroom, school or district will ensure the enthusiastic support of students, teachers, administrators and community stakeholders. For the full report on the ten best Chromebooks of 2019, visit techradar.com

One of the best ways to measure the latest and greatest gear for the classroom each fall is to roam the exhibition floor in June at the annual International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference and Expo, which took place in Philadelphia this year. 

There were over 600 exhibitors in the expo hall, featuring everything from projectors and 3D printers to robots, apps, online curriculum, and more. Laptops are always a popular product—they may not be the most exciting products in the expo hall, but they’re one of the most essential. What follows are some of my standouts:

For Creators

Microsoft Surface Studio 2

The Surface Studio 2 is designed for creation and gaming as well as for mixed and virtual reality. It sports a 28-inch, beautifully vibrant touch screen that can be adjusted at an infinite variety of angles due to the innovative Zero Gravity Hinge. Like any Surface device, it’s also compatible with the Surface Pen for creating art or virtual worlds. If you want to add to your creativity and productivity tool kit, you can add the Surface Dial. The Surface Dial gives users the option to create a customized radial menu of tools that fit their work and business productivity style. Just place the dial on the screen, and this menu appears. The user simply rotates it to change their tool choices and options. These features make this device a versatile standout.

Starting at $3,499.00

CPU Intel® Core™ i7-7820HQ | Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5 memory (with i7/16/1TB configuration) | Display: 28” PixelSense™ Display Touch: 10 point multi-touch Resolution: 4500 x 3000 (192 PPI) | RAM: 16 or 32 GB | Storage: 1TB or 2TB solid-state drive (SSD)

For Esports

Esports has made a big push into the education arena. One of the current “top dogs” in the gaming computer sector is Acer, Inc. The Acer booth at ISTE featured a giant screen for watching esports teams battling it out against each other just below. In this booth, the gaming devices of choice are the Acer Predator laptops and desktops. These machines are made specifically for gaming. Acer has carved its niche in esports by offering a variety of different configurations and options Acer also offers a variety of price points so schools can get started in esports without breaking the budget. If a school district doesn’t have the luxury of a dedicated room for esports, the Predator gaming laptops are very capable. Prices start as low as $729 for desktops and $1,299 for laptops—all the way up to over $6,000 for desktops and $2,499 for laptops. 

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop - PH315-51-71FS
Retail: $1,299.00

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-8750H processor Hexa-core 2.20 GHz | Graphics:  NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 with 6 GB Dedicated Memory | Display: 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 IPS | RAM: 8 GB, DDR4 SDRAM | Storage: 1 TB HDD

Acer Nitro 50 Gaming Desktop - N50-600-UR11
Retail: $799.00

CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-8400 processor Hexa-core 2.80 GHz | Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti with 4 GB Dedicated Memory | RAM: 8 GB, DDR4 SDRAM | Storage: 1 TB HDD

Chromebooks

This device category continues to feature more rugged and affordable designs for students and 1:1 programs, all the way up to business-class portable workstations. Convertible Chromebooks with pens are giving educators and students the best of both platforms. 

 Asus C204 Chromebook  

The Asus Chromebook C204 is a rugged, thinner, replacement for the Chromebook C202. It looks the same and still features the durability and rubberized chassis with corner bumpers. It’s rated to exceed military-grade MIL-STD-810G durability standards so it can withstand the pressures of the backpack as well as drops of 48 inches. The spill- and tamper-resistant keyboard is responsive and has good key travel. The screen is crisp and bright with an optional anti-glare, 178-degree viewing angle touch screen. The four-part modular construction makes this Chromebook very easy to self-service, especially if you qualify for the Asus Self-Maintainer Program.

Retail: $269.99

CPU: Intel® Celeron® Dual-Core N4000 Processor, 1.1 GHz (4 M Cache) | Display: 11.6" (16:9) HD+ (1366x768) 60Hz Anti-Glare Panel 45% NTSC (Touchscreen Optional) | RAM: 4GB | Storage: eMMC 16GB/32GB 

 Acer Chromebook Spin 11  

The Acer Chromebook Spin 11 is a great Chromebook for both students and teachers. It’s a rugged and capable convertible Chromebook that comes with a Wacom EMR (Electro-Magnetic Resonance) Stylus that delivers impressive accuracy and pressure sensitivity. There are two cameras on the device—one at the top of the screen and the other right above the top row of keys on the keyboard. The 5MP webcam has an 88-degree wide viewing angle so users can watch the Chromebook screen to see what’s being recorded. Finally, this unit comes with a substantial hinge that will last a very long time.

Retail: $352.11

CPU: Intel® Celeron® N3350 1.1 GHz | Display:11.6” AHVA Touchscreen (1366x768) (HD) | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 32GB eMMC 

Dell Chromebook 3100 Education  

Dell’s 3000 series Chromebooks are durable and have configurations that can meet a variety of needs and budgets. Like many Chromebooks, they’re tested to meet or exceed MIL-STD ruggedness standards. The tamper- and spill-resistant keyboards are mounted from the top so they can be replaced easily. These units also have an advertised battery life of 14 hours to get users through an entire day. There are two USB-C ports to support both battery charging and high-speed data transfers. All ports are ruggedized with internal brackets to withstand the rigors of the school day.

Starting at $249.00

CPU: Intel® Celeron™ N4000 Processor (2 Core, 2.6GHz, 4M cache, 6W) | Display: 11.6” HD (1366 x 768) Anti-Glare Non-Touch (touch available) | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 16GB eMMC

Laptops

Microsoft Surface Go

A standout laptop at ISTE was the affordable, but very capable, 10-inch Surface Go. Starting at $399, the Surface Go is an excellent balance between tablet and laptop. The pen is just as good as the one that comes with its “big brother” the Surface Pro, including pressure sensitivity and programmable buttons. The Surface Go is a great solution to use as an interactive SMART Board replacement when used in conjunction with a wireless projector connection or flat-panel display. Add the type cover and a wireless mouse and you have a complete Windows 10 laptop.

 Retail: $399

CPU: Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 615 | RAM: 4GB – 8GB | Screen: 10-inch, 1,800 x 1,200 (217 ppi; 3:2 aspect ratio) PixelSense touch display | Storage: 64GB eMMC – 128GB SSD

Dell Latitude 3300

The 13.3-inch Dell Latitude 3300 for Education laptop is a well-designed and rugged device for users who still prefer to use Windows devices but don’t want to break the bank. The Latitude 3300 is designed and built to withstand the day-to-day needs of today’s modern learners who need a rugged device for various environments, yet it’s powerful enough for collaboration, creating, and consuming content. The Latitude 3300 has an advertised battery life of just under 17 hours (time varies with usage), so it can definitely fit into any school’s 1:1 program for a full day’s use.

Retail: starting at $619.00 

CPU: Intel® Pentium™ 4415U Processor | Graphics: Intel® Pentium® 4415U Processor w/Intel® HD Graphics 610 | RAM: 4GB DDR-4 Non-ECC | Screen: 13.3-inch HD (1366 x 768) Anti-Glare Non-Touch | Storage: 64GB eMMC

HP Envy 13t

The HP Envy 13t is lightweight and has a stylish all-metal chassis and very good performance. The Envy 13t can be configured in a variety of ways to support both staff and students. A recent update includes the option to kill the webcam for privacy, as well as a fingerprint reader for extra security. Although this is a relatively thin device, it’s not short on ports. There are two standard USB 3.0 ports and two USB-C ports, one on each side. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card slot. Another great feature is the quality and action of the keyboard. The key travel is excellent for a thinner device. These features make the Envy 13t a very versatile laptop.

Retail: starting at $779.00

CPU: Intel 8th Gen. Core i5 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch, 1080p | Storage: 256GB

Frank is the Supervisor of Technology for the Linwood Public Schools in Linwood, NJ. He is an advisor to Tech & Learning magazine where he writes about educational technology, and reviews new educational technology products. Frank also speaks at the local, state, and national levels about educational innovation and instructional technology.

www.dellemc.com/k12 ■ Starting at $619 ($892 review unit as configured)

The 13.3-inch Dell Latitude 3300 for Education laptop is a well designed and rugged device for teachers who still prefer to use Windows devices but don’t want to break the bank. The device for this review came with 4 GB of RAM (upgradeable to 8 GB), a 7th Generation Core i3, 2.3 GHz processor (upgradeable up to Core i5), 128 GB solid-state hard drive, 1080p touchscreen, Dual Band AC wireless, and USB Type-C charging. It also sports all of the necessary external ports such as HDMI, two USB 3.0 and C ports, micro-SD, 3.5mm audio, and RJ-45 port. 

The Latitude 3300 is designed and built to withstand the day-to-day needs of today’s modern learners who need a rugged device for various environments, yet it’s powerful enough for collaboration, creating, and consuming content. It has an advertised battery life of just under 17 hours (the time varied with my usage), so it can definitely fit into any school’s 1:1 program for a full day’s use.

The device starts up and logs in quickly and seems very responsive to everyday classroom tasks and collaboration. The solid-state hard drive starts programs and accesses data very quickly. The track pad can be adjusted to meet the user’s individual needs. 

One feature that makes this unit stand out is the available support package. Dell SupportAssist is an automated support feature that gives users 24/7 access to technicians as well as onsite service for both hardware and software issues. The system automatically detects hardware and software problems and sends system alerts by email when they occur. For any school that needs to manage a fleet of computers, this can be a time- and money-saving feature. 

Although the Latitude 3300 has several hardware configurations, the most creative features are in its design and build. This laptop is lightweight and durable. The case and components are not flimsy and the shell does not feel like cheap plastic but has a nice look and feel, with rubber trim for drop resistance. The computer runs fairly cool and is well ventilated. The touch screen is bright and responsive in a variety of lighting scenarios. 

This unit is designed to be used in and out of the classroom, with the right ports and collaborative features for use in a variety of learning environments. Plus, it can stand up to the rigors of the backpack and the locker. Add in the optional SupportAssist features to make your school technician’s job a little easier, and you have a winning combination. 

The Dell Latitude 3300 bridges the gap between a solely cloud-based computer and a networked Windows PC. This product can meet both the cloud and standard Windows environment needs of any student or teacher. Its rugged design, long battery life, configuration, support options, and price make it an excellent option for schools.

OVERALL RATING:

The Dell Latitude 3300’s rugged design, long battery life, configuration, support options, and price make it an excellent option for schools.

TOP FEATURES

• Rugged design.
• Lightweight & durable.
• Long battery life.

As a follow up to my recent list on Math Sites/Apps found here, I've decided to compile a list of my favorite learning tools for reading.  Mobile Learning and BYOD make it easier for any student to learn any core subject, especially that of reading. Finally, this list does includes tools that help with comprehension and language arts as a whole.  This list is in alphabetical order. 

1. ABCYa - A long-popular site for finding educational games grades K-5 in math and reading.  I highly recommend checking out their Word Cloud app by clicking here.
2. Actively Learn - A fantastic site where educators can make any reading material their own by adding questions, annotating, collaborating, and more through a educational portal.  Also, a great way to flip a lesson and gauge student learning to help differentiate instruction.
3. Adapted Mind - A great site for math and reading grades 1-6 that breaks down reading into comprehension, spelling, and vocabulary.
4. Brain Pop & Brain Pop Jr. - One of the world's most popular ways for students to learn subjects such as reading, through animated videos.
5. Cookie - A fun site for younger learners with lots of educational games, puzzles, activities, and more.
6. Hideout: Early reading - A wonderful iOS app for young readers that helps them learn through a series of educational games/activities that focuses on sounds, correct letter, word recognition, and more.
7. IXL - One of the most popular sites around for educators looking for an online curriculum in any core subject grades K-12.  Also, the educational portal allows for student tracking to generate detailed reports and differentiate instruction.
8. K5 Learning - An online reading and math program for grades K-5 with detailed results and reports.
9. Khan Academy Kids - A fun free mobile (iOS/Google Play) for ages 2-6 looking for resources in math, reading, and writing.
10. PBS Kids Lab - A great collection of games and activities to build reading and math skills ages 3-8.
11. Play Kids Games - A nice little site for finding alphabet, memory, and vocabulary games.
12. PlayBrighter - Learn any subject in the anime-themed gamed by completing educational missions.
13. Reading Racer - An innovative app that uses a mobile devices microphone to listen to students read and compete in a race.
14. Reading Raven HD - A great iPad app for young readers starting out by learning letters and phonics, working up to reading full sentences.
15. Room Recess - One of my favorite sites around for educational games in a wide variety of subjects such as math, typing, reading, and more.
16. Sentence Reading Magic - A wonderful iOS app for beginner readers that have them not only building a sentence but also working on their reading skills by reading a sentence and tapping on a picture to see if they are correct.
17. Sheppard Software - A neat site for games on a wide variety of subjects including reading/language arts.
18. Sight Words Hangman - A great iOS app that focuses on over 300 sight words and 30 word lists to help students learn.
19. Skoolbo - A nice online site for ages 4-10 that focuses on math and literacy/reading skills.
20. Socrates - An amazing new site where educators can seamlessly differentiate instruction through games based learning (i.e. any subject, math, reading, etc.).
21. Sumdog - A excellent site with an educational portal that allows educators to track students progress through game-based learning in a wide variety of subjects including reading.
22. Super Teacher Worksheets - My all-time favorite site for educational resources including topics such as reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and more.
23. ThinkFluency - A wonderful iOS/Google Play app that uses cutting-edge technology to assess a student's reading fluency.  This is all done without the use of paper, providing instant real-time feedback, and saving teachers valuable time.
24. Time4Learning - A great place to find resources and online program for a wide variety of subjects and grade levels including language arts/reading.
25. ZooWhiz - A fantastic site that uses game-based learning to teach a wide variety of subjects such as math, reading, and spelling. 

cross posted at cyber-kap.blogspot.com

David Kapuler is an educational consultant with more than 10 years of experience working in the K-12 environment. For more information about his work, contact him at dkapuler@gmail.com and read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com.

Apple had an event focused on education on March 27, and if anything it clarified Apple's place in the EDU market. With that, I think it's worth taking a look at where each of the three big companies stands in regards to Ed.

Apple

Recommended Device: IPad

Other Possible Devices: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air

Device Management Options: Apple School Manager (Apple Ids), Classroom (classroom management), Third Parties such as AirWatch (overall management)

Device Insurance: 2 year Apple Care

Has a software admin panel: No

Email Service: Does not have one that can be set up in a private domain for schools

LMS Style Tool: School work

Office Suite: Pages, Keynote, Numbers

Does it Support Others: Google And Microsoft apps can be native to the device

Browser: Safari, Chrome, Other 3rd Parties

Native Creation Apps: iMovie (video), Clips (video) GarageBand (Audio)

Coding Curriculum: Swift Coding App

Outside Developers Interest Level: High

• IPad is a leading creativity tool with access to a camera, creative apps, and everyone can create
• High developer interest with access to the consumer side of IOS users
• Easy to connect 3rd party blue tooth devices like coding robots
• Had both native video and audio creation apps
• Natively supports all three office suites
• Easiest access to coding curriculum

Negatives

• Price
• Overall Device Management is still cumbersome
• Insurance is less than others
• No admin panel
• No email service
• Office Suite has the lowest level of adoption

Google

Recommended Device: Partner (Acer, Asus, Samsung, Dell, others) Chromebooks

Other Possible Devices: Chrome Tablets

Device Management Options: All management is done through the Google Admin Panel

Device Insurance: a combination of partner warranty and private insurance

Has a software admin panel: Yes

Email Service: Gmail

LMS Style Tool: Classroom

Office Suite: Docs, Slides, Sheets

Does it Support Others: Microsoft has Chrome Apps, Apple has to be in the browser

Browser: Chrome

Native Creation Apps: Drawing (Interactive Canvas), Sites (Websites)

Coding Curriculum: Google CS First

Outside Developers Interest: Moderate

• The ease and comfort of Google’s collaboration workflow is better than competitors
• Email option makes it an option as an email provider
• Lots of device options through partners
• Ease of Management: Devices, Apps, and Users are easy to manage from the same tool
• Developers are developing add-ons, apps, and extensions to add to existing Google products
• Has native support of Microsoft apps

Negatives

• Needs internet access to function fully
• Can be a tough road to connect and use Bluetooth devices such as coding robots
• Depends on web-based 3rd parties for things like video and audio creation (such as WeVideo and Soundtrap)
• Finding the best avenue for a task is not always straightforward because of the vast scope and differences between apps, extensions, add-ons, and Android
• Android experience still needs improvement

Microsoft

Recommended Device: Partner (Acer, Asus, HP,, Dell, others) laptops

Other Possible Devices: Surface Tablets, Surface Laptops

Device Management Options: Third Party Management Software like LanDesk

Device Insurance: a combination of partner warranty and private insurance

Has a software admin panel: Yes for software

Email Service: Outlook

LMS Style Tool: Class Notebook, Teams

Office Suite: Word, PowerPoint, Excel

Does it Support Others: You can Access Both from Browser

Browser: Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Others

Native Creation Apps: Sway (Interactive Canvas)

Coding Curriculum: Minecraft

Outside Developers Interest: Low

• Has the office suite with biggest market share and the one that people are used to
• Uses most complete email client Outlook
• Lots of device options through partners
• LMS style platform (Class Notebook) allows work to be done within platform rather than just turned in through the platform

Negatives

• Developer interest is VERY low. Many tasks will either require expensive software or need to be web-based
• Can be a tough road to connect and use Bluetooth devices such as coding robots
• The best avenue for creation is web-based 3rd parties for things like video and audio creation (such as WeVideo and Soundtrap)
• There is little native innovation as most tools are either purchased or direct copies of another company.
• The recommended devices (partner laptops) can have wildly different specs
• The boot time on recommended devices can be slow
• Lms style platform has a high entry point with a major need for PD
• The entry point into coding (Minecraft) has a limited scope
• 365 only had one native creative app (sway)

thinkcerca.com■ Retail Price: An annual license costs $30–$40 per pupil, depending on the number of students. Professional development opportunities cost $1,000–$6,000 and include training and ongoing support.

ThinkCERCA is an online platform that challenges students in grades 3–12 in critical thinking, argumentative writing, and reading skills and strategies. Students make connections, build reading comprehension skills, engage with texts, summarize information, build arguments, and create written samples.

Quality and Effectiveness: ThinkCERCA will help students strengthen argumentative writing as they learn how to make a claim, use supporting evidence, develop reasoning skills, identify a counterargument, and think about audience. This research-based platform designed by former English teachers offers personalized learning for students in grades 3–12.

Cross-curricular lessons cover ELA, math, science, and social studies. Educators can search lessons by grade level, standard, or theme, and can assign lessons to a whole class, groups of students, or individuals. Teachers can also create their own lessons in ThinkCERCA. Students will connect with the themes, which cover big ideas such as the environment, money and needs, and personal identity.

Each lesson includes: an essential question to get students thinking; a writing prompt; vocabulary definitions in the context of the reading sample; a comprehension check; and a close reading activity in which students reread the text and highlight specific evidence. Students can also add notes and annotate for more guided practice. All student work is auto-saved.

Ease of Use: Educators can track student performance by grade level on color-coded dashboards and can also see students’ progress over time. Teachers can quickly identify skills and concepts that need to be covered and see which students need additional practice or higher-level texts.

Lessons take about 90–120 minutes and begin with a lot of modeling and scaffolding. The goal of the program is to cover between two and five applied lessons each month.

ThinkCERCA provides extensive customer, technical, and instructional support, including PD videos, downloadable teaching resources, ELD supports, and state-specific resources.

Creative Use of Technology: ThinkCERCA utilizes many technology tools to engage learners, including an option to have the text read to them, online formative assessments with instant feedback, dialogue boxes with helpful hints, and an interactive rubric.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: ThinkCERCA gives students access to poetry, informational texts, close reading activities, literary analysis, and narrative pieces, and helps them develop skills in critical thinking, effective writing, collaboration, and debate. In classrooms with low technology, ThinkCERCA can be accessed in stations.

The program provides novel pairings with books such as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Hunger Games, The Fault in Our Stars, and 1984. There’s also a plethora of test prep support, including error analysis and annotation practice. ThinkCERCA offers unit planning resources and curriculum alignment to The Wheatley Portfolio, Summit’s Personalized Learning Platform, Pearson’s ReadyGEN, McGraw-Hill’s Reading Wonders, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Collections. For schools that use G Suite, students can log in with their Google ID and assignments can be announced in Google Classroom, but all the work is done in ThinkCERCA.

OVERALL RATING:

ThinkCERCA is outstanding. The platform challenges students and helps them develop critical thinking skills through reading and writing.

TOP FEATURES

● Texts are differentiated by grade level, aligned to standards, and of high interest to students.

● Teachers can access PD and support resources at thinkcerca.com

● Administrators, teachers, and students can track student progress, seeing growth and places for improvement.

acer.com■ Retail Price: $279

Quality and Effectiveness: Acer’s newest Chromebook 11, N7 C731T with touchscreen, is ideal for educational purposes. It has an 11.6-inch display and is lightweight, weighing just 2.9 pounds, and has a pleasantly textured cover that’s easy to grip. The durable cover meets U.S. military standards (MIL-STD 810G)—it can withstand drops from four feet and 132 pounds of downward force on the top. The cover is so rugged that an extra padded cover is unnecessary, reducing cost and installation time. The keyboard can funnel off up to 11 ounces of water and the recessed keys are very difficult to remove. This Acer model would reduce numerous weekly repairs at my school.

Ease of Use: The Acer C731T is extremely easy to use. Brief, colorful instructions pop up when new apps are opened. Chrome is the operating system, and data is accessed and secured through individual Google or Microsoft Office accounts, where students can quickly create, save, and share pictures, documents, presentations, and videos.

Creative Use of Technology: The C731T includes a responsive touchscreen, and its hinges allow opening to 180 degrees for collaborative projects. The device includes a camera, speakers, and microphone for instant messaging, Hangouts, or Skype. Chrome can handle up to nine simultaneous tabs without slowing down. Because is has more than 10 hours of battery life, students and/ or teachers don’t have to recharge this Chromebook every day. It’s a very quiet device without internal fans that can add to the learning space decibel level.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: This Chromebook could be integrated smoothly into any school or district setting. With its durable outside cover and keyboard design, it will withstand most student abuse and neglect. Most updates are automatic and administrators can deploy apps and extensions from the Web-based control dashboard.

OVERALL RATING:

The Acer Chromebook C731T’s rugged design is perfect for education. It’s quiet, easy to use for collaboration, and will keep student data secure.

TOP FEATURES

● Built for students, the C731T meets military equipment standards, including drop-testing and liquid-testing, and promises a satisfying keyboard, communication, and screen viewing experience.

● Sturdy, lightweight, and quiet, with long battery life.

● Includes a touchscreen and a hinge that opens 180 degrees to encourage creativity and collaboration.

Here's a quick, side-by-side comparison of two popular options for digital portfolios and assessment: Seesaw and FreshGrade. Which one is best for your classroom? Share your views at www.commonsense.org/education.

By Commonsense Education

academy.autodesk.com ■ Retail Price: Free

Autodesk Design Academy provides educators and students free access to product tutorials, exercises, projects, and courses for Autodesk tools as they learn about the world of 3D design. With a growing set of resources at three skill levels, Autodesk Design Academy empowers students to start creating their own 3D designs that they can also showcase in individual portfolios.

Quality and Effectiveness: Autodesk Design Academy is a fantastic resource for teachers who are just getting started with design and for veterans who are looking for new ideas for student projects. Educators and experts in various fields of design have created supporting materials for each activity. Activities for students include individual exercises, projects, and courses. Exercises are short, skills-based experiences that introduce students to Autodesk software and the design thinking process. Exercises usually include a lesson plan, dataset, step-by-step instructions, and software tutorials. Projects ask students to apply skills and design thinking by designing solutions to problems. Each project includes resources such as instructor and student manuals, datasets, software tutorials, and step-by-step guides.

Ease of Use: Account creation takes minutes and unlocks a vast array of resources. Because there are so many materials available, navigation can be tricky at first. Each product used in the activities has its own tutorial. Tutorials include product how-to videos for AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, Maya, 3ds Max, Formit 360, and Fusion 360. Each exercise, project, and course comes with its own tutorial videos that are specifically about how to do that project using the software that that project requires. Educators and students alike can choose to learn tool-based skills in the context of a particular project or separately.

Creative Use of Technology: Autodesk Design Academy offers exercises and projects in the areas of animation, architectural engineering, architecture, construction management, engineering, maker, manufacturing, STEAM, and sustainability at three skill levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced). Each activity includes all the resources students need to successfully create a 3D design in one of Autodesk’s software tools that include 3ds Max, AutoCAD, Fusion 360, Inventor, Maya, Revit, FormIt 360, and more. The two fully developed courses that Design Academy currently offers (“Product Design in Fusion 360” and “Introduction to CAD and CAE Tools”) provide a more in-depth look at 3D design, design thinking, and Autodesk software.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: Teachers can easily integrate Autodesk Design Academy into existing curriculum. Each resource includes an instructor’s manual with learning objectives, alignment to national standards, and rubrics for assessing each part of the activity.

OVERALL RATING:

Autodesk Design Academy is a fantastic resource to help educators and students explore design thinking and 3D design. Because there’s a wide array of materials available, there’s something for everyone. The high-quality and well-designed activities include everything necessary to unlock students’ creative potential. Because each activity is aligned to national standards, there’s no question that 3D design belongs in the classroom.

TOP FEATURES

• Relevance—Helps students develop design thinking and technology skills that are important for 21st-century learners.
• Price—Autodesk Design Academy is free.
• Quality—The high-quality materials make it easy for educators to introduce 3D design into the curriculum.

https://www.achieve3000.com/learning-solutions/intervention/■Retail price: (Note: A school or district needs to have a subscription to Achieve3000 in order to add the new BOOST programs.) Achieve3000 subscriptions start at $42 per student per year, with additional discounts available depending on a number of factors, including number of subscriptions, length of contract, and number of schools. Adding BOOST costs an additional $2,500 per building or $500 per teacher per year and provides access to expanded routines (vocabulary, discussion, and writing) and additional resources for specialized instruction for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. As with all Achieve3000 solutions, BOOST can be customized to meet the needs of each school or district.

Products available: KidBizBOOST—grades 2–5; TeenBizBOOST—grades 6–8; EmpowerBOOST—grades 9–12. Each product runs on all platforms.

Quality and Effectiveness: BOOST is an RTI and special education online solution for students who need more targeted, personalized, differentiated instruction. Different state editions are available so that teachers can access their state standards as they use the program.

BOOST contains standards-aligned lessons based on solid current research that use Lexile levels for literacy assessments. Lessons focus on nonfiction reading in science, social studies, and current events, and passages are available with linguistic supports for English language learners. The program also gives teachers access to excellent assessment data.

Ease of Use: Students have their own devices to access customized lessons and to see and interact with supporting vocabulary. The key words in stories are highlighted and vocabulary words are clickable so students can see definitions and pictures with audio support. The program also offers interactive choices for answering multiple-choice questions with the option of a writing page to explain answers. Students receive immediate feedback to interactive multiple-choice answers and are able to save work at any time. There’s also an option to print articles at different Lexile levels—so students can practice independently to build stamina or build strength by reading the same article at a higher level.

BOOST provides teachers simple paths to monitor literacy with easy point-and-click and drop-down menus to access student work or create reports. Choices include user management, customization of instruction, and usage and performance reports. Instructional supports are easily accessible from teacher menus.

Creative Use of Technology: Students can easily access supporting resources such as images, podcasts, maps, puzzles, graphs, rubrics, and audio vocabulary definitions as they use the program. Teacher resources include answer and curriculum keys, graphic organizers, access to state standards, instructional supports, and gifted and talented assistance.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: BOOST programs are smoothly integrated into the main Achieve3000 program and easily accessible with cloud computing. Content contains 12 levels in English, with optional Spanish-language supports. Informal assessment is embedded in every lesson, with formal assessments up to three times a year.

OVERALL RATING:

For those who have or will purchase Achieve3000, BOOST is a very good, user-friendly option for meeting the needs of students who require RTI intervention for Tier 2 and Tier 3 to build reading strength.

TOP FEATURES

• Fills the need for a literacy program for a specific group of students.
• Easy for students and teachers to use.
• Makes data readily available for a variety of assessments.

acrobat.adobe.com■Retail Price: $119 for Acrobat Pro DC Student and Teacher Edition; 30-day free trial at acrobat.com/Acrobat_DC; various subscription and purchase options available.

Quality and Effectiveness: Although Adobe recently beefed up its free Acrobat Reader, that version still does not allow for PDF creation or text and image editing. Adobe’s new Acrobat Document Cloud does those tasks and much more. Building on the strengths of previous Acrobat versions, it adds OCR (optical character recognition) and “smart autofill,” among many other useful improvements. Available features differ in the Standard and Pro versions, with Acrobat Pro DC offering the most options, including the ability to use an iPad to edit text; turn scanned documents into PDFs that can be edited; add audio, video, and interactive objects to PDFs; and optimize PDFs to reduce file size. Users with any version of Acrobat DC can generate a PDF from any application that has a print option; combine PDF documents into one file; add, delete or extract pages from a PDF; convert Web pages to PDFs; transform Word documents or scanned files into fillable PDF forms, and more (for a matrix comparison of all four products, visit http://www.content.shi.com/SHIcom/ContentAttachmentFiles/Adobe070915BrandPage/adc-comparison.html).

Ease of Use: For users who are upgrading from Standard or Pro, the new DC program interface will be new. Acrobat’s familiar tools are still available but in different locations. Acrobat DC’s new home screen provides a convenient way to locate PDF files, regardless of where they’re stored, and its tool center includes new shortcuts and options. The edit PDF tool, for example, displays more editing options. With the new Mobile Link feature, users can access any recently opened file on any computer or mobile device.

Creative Use of Technology: Mobile Link, which automatically saves recently viewed PDFs to the DC cloud, is very useful for those who work in more than one location. Similarly, Acrobat DC’s ability to convert scanned images to editable text thanks to its built-in OCR is helpful in many office and educational applications. A convenient heads-up display (HUD) toolbar features 10 useful tools to help navigate the document in view.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: Although the features vary according to the version purchased, the software creates documents that can be viewed and edited across multiple platforms and devices. It also works well on a touch-enabled iPad with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app and the Mobile Link feature. The free Adobe Fill & Sign DC app works well with the iPad camera, enabling users to photograph a document and then convert it into a digital, editable file ready for signature. The new home and tools menus and heads-up display toolbar all help to simplify program use, making it suitable for users of all skills and abilities.

OVERALL RATING:

Schools and districts may not want to install Acrobat DC across the board due to cost, but installing the software on selected devices (e.g., in the school or district office, teacher resource room, and school library) would be well worth the investment. With Acrobat DC, administrators, staff, teachers, and upper-grade-level students can easily edit and sign read-only PDF files, combine multiple PDFs into one document, and generate PDFs from any application that can print.

TOP FEATURES

• Generate a PDF document from any application with a print command.
• E-sign your documents from any Adobe-compatible device.
• Edit text or images in an existing PDF, add or delete pages, and extract selected pages as needed.

www.insighteducationgroup.com/advance

The product, “Insight’s ADVANCEfeedback”, an evaluation management system, is one stand-alone component of a three-solution suite that also includes ADVANCEcalibrate and ADVANCElearn.

Quality and Effectiveness: With Insight’s ADVANCEfeedback, all stakeholders can use the same platform to manage all observations. The system allows teachers and administrators to use recorded video to present and evaluate lessons with embedded comments. The system can also be used for informal observation and professional learning communities. The program is cloud-based and securely accessed from anywhere (school or home), at any time, using any device with an Internet connection. All stakeholders can work on the program whenever they’re available and videos are easy to upload.

Ease of Use: An easy-to-use and personalized dashboard with convenient tabs allows users (teachers, observers, and administrators) to access videos, observations, tools, resources, and reports. Comments can also be added from the dashboard as users review videos or observe lessons in real time. User-friendly dropdown menus make it easy to add comments, connect to learning frameworks, and upload connected lesson plans, handouts, and student work. There is also a straightforward tool for uploading videos. In addition, a clock is displayed and comments are tied to that clock. Training and support are available at any time, so downtime remains at a minimum and questions and problems can be dealt with quickly.

Creative Use of Technology: Insight’s ADVANCEfeedback allows for both real-time and recorded video observations and participants can add online comments. Users can upload video observations for evaluations whenever they’re ready. Videos can also be shared with others for feedback or support. The system’s seamless technology makes it easy for all stakeholders to communicate and collaborate.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: Districts and schools are finding that all of the evaluations they’re required to complete take time and often are not as effective as they’d like. Insight’s ADVANCEfeedback standardizes the process for everyone. The system gives teachers control, as they can write goals, add comments, and upload videos when they’re ready. It also allows evaluators easy and flexible access to this information so they can view evidence, make comments, provide feedback, and respond to teachers with final reports on their own schedule.

OVERALL RATING:

Insight’s ADVANCEfeedback is an excellent self-contained system that allows schools or districts to take the evaluation process from pre-survey to final report. Each stakeholder can control their participation and use the power of video to present evidence in teacher observations. Feedback is meaningful and supported with embedded context, questions, and comments from teachers and observers.

TOP FEATURES

• One stop—Teachers and administrators can complete the entire observation process using this one easy-to-use system.
• Support—All stakeholders have access to online training and support from the beginning.
• Video—Platform provides ability for teachers to share their classroom videos and receive detailed, timely feedback from peers, coaches, and administrators.

Epson.com■Retail Price: $645 through the Brighter Futures program

Quality and Effectiveness: The Epson PowerLite 965H projector, with its bright, colorful, clear image from short and medium distances up to 20 feet, is ideal for classroom use. Weighing just 6.4 pounds, it’s also relatively compact (11.6” x 10.6“ x 3.5”). Its bright, efficient bulbs are designed to last up to 5,000 hours in normal mode (3,500 lumens) and 10,000 hours in ECO mode (which uses 2/3 of the lumens while still displaying a very clear image).

Ease of Use: Software to communicate with the projector is easy to install using the CD that comes in the box. The PowerLite 965H also offers options to display two computers simultaneously and to display multiple devices through a network. An optional wireless LAN module is available to connect and display devices as well. Illustrated instructions are clear and easy to follow. A quick setup fold-out map has large headings, pictures, and a QR code to assist with every part of the setup process.

Creative Use of Technology: The PowerLite 965H has been creatively designed so that teachers can display materials from multiple devices, including iOS, Android, and Windows, using the free Epson iProjection app. With the Multi-PC Projection with Moderator function, up to 50 devices can connect via a network, and the projector can simultaneously display up to four of them. This flexibility enables students to collaborate, and makes it easy for teachers to instantly share and compare students’ projects.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: Projectors enhance and support learning and collaboration, and the Epson PowerLite 965H, which was designed specifically for classroom use, builds upon advances in projection technology. Epson’s quality [and two-year warranty] and long bulb life offer savings to schools and districts over time.

OVERALL RATING:

The PowerLite 965H combines sophisticated technology with user-friendly features to meet the evolving needs for projection in today’s multi-device classrooms.

TOP FEATURES

● Purpose-built and flexible—Designed for classroom use and built to simultaneously display more than one device.
● Cost savings—Epson provides an educational discount through the Brighter Futures program for this superior product, and its bulbs can last up to 10,000 hours in optional ECO mode (using only 2,400 of 3,500 possible lumens).
● Remote control—This easy-to-use device includes unique features such as buttons to choose the devices to display on a split screen, a pointer, freeze frame, and the ability to zoom into a video or image for deeper analysis, as well as buttons to control brightness, contrast, tint, sharpness, and volume.

littlebits.cc/kits/gizmos-and-gadgets-kit■Retail Price: $199.95

Quality and Effectiveness: This set of more than 60 color-coded modules includes a large variety of “bits,” including wheels, a wireless transmitter and receiver, a fan, light sensor, buzzer, switches, motors, wires, and more fun stuff. With Gizmos and Gadgets, building and inventing new contraptions is easy, fun, and teaches kids to be creative and learn about circuits. Young makers will build science, technology, art, and math skills as they play, program, remix, and test and share their imaginative designs.

Ease of Use: It’s super simple to use—all kids have to do is connect the bits, which connect magnetically. The enclosed pamphlet explains how to use the different pieces properly, in a very easy-to-use format. The step-by-step instructions cover 12 basic projects.

Creative Use of Technology: Kids can easily create simple circuits or more complex ones in minutes. Once they get the hang of it and master the basics, they can break out of the box to create all sorts of new projects. LittleBit’s community pages and the free LittleBits app provide more inspiration and ideas for thousands of other projects.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: Gizmos and Gadgets can be smoothly integrated into an existing curriculum or school environment because it’s fun, imaginative, and teaches kids about technology. The kit includes all the basic elements necessary to start a mini makerspace right in the classroom.

OVERALL RATING:

We really enjoyed this product. I (Peter Andrew, age14) made a remote control car, which was really awesome because I built it. I had to figure how to fit it on the board, how to wire it together, etc. This is something I’m definitely putting on my wish list. I (Ana Sophia, age 10) would give this five out of five stars. I built a mini concert using the Little Bits, which got lots of compliments. This would be great for schools.

TOP FEATURES

● Fun.
● Creative.
● Teaches kids about technology.

myon.com■Retail Price: $5,000—$10,000 for concurrent and unlimited access, based upon number of titles.

Quality and Effectiveness: MyON is a digital library with multiple assessment tools that track and encourage reading. In just a few steps, myON 3.0 inventories students’ interests, assesses reading levels, and encourages students to choose from the extensive library of titles and to engage with these texts through writing. MyON also inspires students to keep reading. MyON provides solutions to perennial problems in education, including how to engage all students in the reading process, how to track progress, and how to help improve reading growth and comprehension. This personalized literacy environment offers materials, tools, and support for classroom projects, homework, and more, as well as helpful reporting tools for classroom, grade level, school, and district use.

Ease of Use: The myON Web site is cleanly designed, user-friendly, and loads quickly. A return-to-top banner is always available for those exploring the wide-ranging library of titles. The titles are arranged under various categories. Social Studies, for example, includes science, math, literature, graphic novels, and—always an attention grabber—“Scary & Gross.” A help guide on the navigation bar is always visible. Faculty can manage different classes, projects, and groups from the sleek teacher’s dashboard. Online professional development on various topics, including how to create assignments and how to generate reports, rounds out the solid myON offerings for educators.

Creative Use of Technology: A creatively designed student dashboard makes each visit pleasurable. All the tools are visually intuitive, and descriptive alt tags quickly clear up any confusion that might occur as students begin to use the resource. Students can quickly check their reading goals. Activity icons are also easy to understand. For quick reference, completed books are outlined in green, unread books in red. There are multiple ways for students to demonstrate what they learned from the reading, including answering multiple-choice questions and highlighting words and passages. With the newest tools, students can write a sentence or a paragraph in sticky notes or a personal journal. Five-question quizzes at the end of each book share answers immediately to enrich content comprehension.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: Teachers can smoothly integrate myON 3.0 into any existing curriculum, and it can be implemented in one school or an entire district. The broad reading categories are contemporary and targeted to K–12. The varied and colorful reading choices in areas tailored to their interests will engage students. Implementation levels include independent reading, connected curriculum, actionable data, and systemic adoption with full lessons. Teachers can start slowly but will soon appreciate the easy functionality and rich features of myON 3.0.

OVERALL RATING:

With an intuitive and colorful Web site that’s easy to navigate, extensive pedagogical tools for both teachers and students, and an online library of over 10,000 titles geared to K–12 readers, myON 3.0 encourages and supports reading growth and comprehension in the classroom and beyond.

TOP FEATURES

● Extensive library—MyON 3.0 provides an extensive digital library of beautifully illustrated K–12 books that students can highlight, annotate, and reflect upon in individual journals.
● Audio—Students can turn on the audio version for all MyON 3.0 books.
● Dashboard—MyON 3.0’s dashboard for teachers or administrators, together with real-time data tracking and reporting tools, strongly support educational efforts to help students progress and demonstrate their literacy growth.

edynamiclearning.com■Retail Price: Contact vendor for pricing.

eDynamic Learning offers over 50 high-quality online career and elective courses for middle-and high-school students. All courses include a comprehensive teacher’s guide and can be loaded into an existing LMS or housed by eDynamic on a customized LMS (free of charge). Teachers can also modify courses to meet student needs.

Quality and Effectiveness: Each eDynamic course features units with video introductions, readings (with accompanying podcasts), and assessments. The lesson materials are appropriate, flexible, and engaging and include lab activities, written assignments, and discussion questions. The assessments (ranging from quizzes to a final exam) test for knowledge at various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. A team of professional writers, teachers, and subject matter experts write the courses, which undergo rigorous reviews and are guided by the iNACOL standards as well as an internal quality rubric. Annual reviews for each course incorporate student and teacher feedback, and eDynamic’s support system tracks user issues and automatically updates courses with any immediately necessary changes. Professional graphic artists, Web designers, and voice artists create attractive, polished course materials that are accredited by AdvancED and many state education departments.

Ease of Use: The flexible nature of the course materials and automatic updates make it easy for schools to get started offering new elective courses. Users can load courses to their own LMS or house them on eDynamic’s servers with a BrainHoney domain, personalized with the school’s logo and colors. Subscriptions to courses include the full course package, 100% compatible with every LMS available, with rights to edit the content as well as a dedicated support desk account, a detailed (unit-by-unit) teacher guide for each course, help setting up gradebooks to ease teacher frustration, and access to new courses. eDynamic takes pride in building strong customer relationships and offers a variety of packages to meet the needs of each school.

Creative Use of Technology: With their professionally recorded narration and high-quality graphics, the courses are appealing and engaging for learners. The integration of the domains of Bloom’s Taxonomy ensures that students are doing more than rote memorization of information. All feature films within courses are specially licensed and formatted to play right in the LMS and offer closed captioning and unlimited viewing by students and teachers.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: eDynamic courses are very easy to integrate into existing school programs. Because they are complete courses and come with free support, teachers are able to load and offer the courses in no time. Customization (by the teacher or eDynamic) allows teachers control over their learning materials, and teachers can offer courses completely online or in a blended fashion. eDynamic courses also offer a balanced reading level that is both challenging and interesting for students.

OVERALL RATING:

eDynamic courses are well planned and well put together, age-appropriate, and flexible enough to be used in any middle-or high-school environment with a skilled teacher to help guide students and provide feedback. eDynamic’s personalized attention ensures that teachers and schools provide students with high-quality, highly engaging elective courses in an online environment.

TOP FEATURES

● The flexibility to load courses into any LMS or be hosted, teacher-editable files, and the option to offer courses in online or blended environments.
● The professional quality of course materials, including written lectures, assessments, professional audio recordings, and high-quality graphics.
● Automatic updates to course materials and access to new courses each semester, which means that courses will always be accurate and relevant.

Tales2go.com■Retail Price: $600 to $1,900 per year per school building, depending on student population. Licenses are also available for individuals, classrooms, districts, and consortiums.

Quality and Effectiveness: Tales2go, a streaming audiobook service, gives users access to over 5,400 high-quality titles from well-known publishers, including Scholastic, Recorded Books, Blackstone Audio, and Weston Woods Studios, and from leading storytellers, such as Bill Harley, Odds Bodkin, Regi Carpenter, and Willy Claflin. Titles include classics as well as contemporary titles, fiction and nonfiction, for students in grades Pre-K–12. Some Spanish language titles are available for all ages and Spanish language music is also available for younger students. Teachers can search Tales2go’s lesson plans, which are aligned with Common Core State Standards, by listening skills such as phonics and fluency. Because professional voice actors read the books, students can build listening and vocabulary skills by hearing fluent readers. They can also listen while reading along with printed texts.

Ease of Use: Setting up a Tales2go account is simple, and once it’s activated, Tales2go creates all student and teacher accounts and connects users to a team of dedicated specialists who can help with any problems. Browsing and searching for titles is also easy—by keyword, age, grade level, genre, Lexile level, author, characters and series, narrator, publisher, new and different, and so on. Each category allows users to further narrow their search for the perfect book. Tales2go also offers Webinars and video tutorials to get started using their technology in the classroom.

Creative Use of Technology: Available for use in a Web browser, and as an app for Apple iOS and most Android devices, Tales2go offers unlimited, simultaneous, instant access to titles—even without a continuous Internet connection. Students can bookmark their stories at school and continue to listen to them at home. Each student receives a one-year license to “take home” titles on a personal device. Tales2go will generate metrics reports at a school’s request, providing information about the amount of time spent listening and on what type of device (school or BYOD) the listening occurs. The more details schools provide when they set up their accounts, the more detailed the metrics reports will be.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: Students build fluency and vocabulary not only by reading, but also by listening. Common Core State Standards emphasize listening as an important skill, alongside reading and speaking. Tales2go points to research that indicates that the more students hear sophisticated vocabulary, the more proficient at reading and the better prepared for academics they will be. Removing the obstacle of decoding can also help students become better readers as they listen to fluent readers and build comprehension skills by engaging with more complicated story lines. Students can listen to literature above their current reading level to improve fluency and vocabulary. Teachers will be able to incorporate the books into the curriculum easily, and quite a few of the titles are already part of many curricula. Tales2go’s lesson plans also help teachers incorporate listening stations for their students.

OVERALL RATING:

Tales2go is a great resource for teachers who want to help strengthen their students’ listening, fluency, and vocabulary skills, in addition to broadening their exposure to good literature. With a wide selection of books from established publishers, teachers and students are sure to find titles that meet their needs.

TOP FEATURES

● Quality—Great titles and professional narrators mean that the stories are enjoyable and are also effective tools for building fluency.
● Selection—With over 5,400 titles to choose from in a variety of genres (both fiction and nonfiction), there’s something for everyone.
● Ease of use—Tales2go’s search and browse features make it easy to find stories for students.

www.casioeducation.com■ Price: $19.99

CLASSWIZ fx-991EX is a scientific calculator with spreadsheet functionality. It also features 274 functions and high-resolution LCD technology.

Quality and Effectiveness: The Casio CLASSWIZ fx-991EX has a sturdy build, with a dark textured face that is accompanied by well-designed buttons of both plastic and metal. The unit is thin, lightweight, and comes with a protective cover that stores on the calculator when in use. Even with this kind of build, it does not feel cheap or flimsy. It runs on both battery and solar power. The user’s guide states that the battery will last about two years based on one hour a day of use. When it is time to replace the watch-style battery, it can be done easily by removing one small screw in the back.

Ease of Use: Even though it has many functions (274), including an industry-first spreadsheet function, this calculator is designed to be straightforward to use. The buttons are not too small and are categorized by color to make it easy to find both basic and advanced functions. The on, navigation, shift, and alpha buttons are well set apart in silver at the top of the unit. Students can set the calculation mode to any variety of mathematical calculations, from statistics to vectors, distribution to matrix, and more, by using the menu and navigation buttons. Advanced and extra functions can be activated by using the shift and alpha buttons. These extra functions allow students to solve equations that are found in the newest of math textbooks. The generous screen size includes a high-resolution, black LCD display with adjustable contrast, to make sure user can see it well in a variety of lighting conditions.

Creative Use of Technology: Overall, this calculator is a big step up in scientific calculators. The ability to create and edit spreadsheets allows students to do more complex calculations and study statistics more effectively. The CLASSWIZ fx-991EX allows the user to display graphs on a smartphone or tablet using a QR code reader app so they can be displayed in a larger format.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: The CLASSWIZ fx-991EX is extremely suitable for upper grade school through college environments. It has all of the necessary functions to satisfy a variety of user needs. Plus, the screen size allows students to better match the way the formulas look in their texts, which facilitates better understanding.

OVERALL RATING

Overall, the Casio CLASSWIZ fx-991EX is an excellent calculator that is well suited for a variety of mathematical uses. The setup, navigation, and functionality are intuitive and easy to use. The addition of the spreadsheet and QR code generator put it in a class by itself. Plus, the price of $19.99 makes it extremely affordable. This product would be a welcome addition for any student or teacher.

TOP FEATURES

• An industry-first spreadsheet function.

• An impressive build for only $19.99.

• The large, high-resolution display allows students to better match the way the formulas look in their texts.

• Lightweight and has nice-sized, clearly defined buttons and function keys.

• Easy-to-use menu to set up for a variety of calculations.

• Spreadsheet feature for more advanced statistical calculations.

www.tripplite.com■ Retail Price: $600-$800, depending upon vendor and shipping costs.

The Tripp Lite 16-port charging station is compact, sturdy, and heavy. The station can sync the tablets via a USB cable to a laptop with syncing software. The station also serves as a secure storage cart for up to 16 tablets, including Chromebooks, Androids, and iPads. It can be mounted to a wall, the floor, or casters can be installed to increase mobility. The cart opens with a key and will securely protect the devices from most disasters, including students who hope to use the device without supervision.

Ease of Use: The Tripp Lite Charging Station is designed with security, heat, and wire management in mind. The cart top has two grid openings and three sides have heavy metal mesh panels to ensure good ventilation to protect devices from high temperatures. Small grommets for the devices’ power cables are mounted on the inside rack, one for each device, which make wire management very easy after the initial setup. The power cord plugs into a power strip inside and fits through a tight fitting grommet in the top that plugs into an electrical outlet for charging the devices. The supporting paper materials have illustrated pictures of the various parts. However, it was challenging to figure out where to plug in the cord in the inside of the case. The port is in the back on the underside of the rack that supports the tablets, and it is not clearly indicated in the pictures.

Creative Use of Technology: This cart is engineered to maximize security to protect tablets from theft and overheating while providing an easy-to-manage environment for a classroom teacher. After setup, teachers will appreciate the easy access front door and the organized power cords.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: This cart can be installed in any learning space, hallway, or classroom. Without casters, the Tripp Lite Charging Station would function ideally in a permanent location given the dimensions (14.5 x 23.6 x 17.5”) and weight (29 lbs.) of the cart. The charging stations are stackable and have an optional handle and rolling casters so they can become mobile carts for tablets.

OVERALL RATING:

The Tripp Lite Charging Station is solidly constructed of heavy-duty metal that can withstand much force. Its wire management capacity is superior to some other carts, which will reduce the time teachers spending removing and replacing devices inside.

TOP FEATURES

• The Tripp Lite Charging and Syncing Station is solidly constructed of metal and has several strong mesh screens to ensure good air circulation that will keep devices cool.

• The Tripp Lite Charging and Syncing Station has superior wire management capacity built into the tablet rack inside. No more chasing cords to unravel one tablet from the next with this station.

• The Tripp Lite Charging and Syncing Station provides a good value and will help schools protect their important device assets.

www.tabpilot.com ■ Retail Price: $5-$10 one-time license per device (based on quantity) plus $5-$10 per device per year for Control Tower subscription. Device quantity includes all student and teacher devices registered in the system.

TabPilot Tablet Manager is a combination mobile device management (MDM) and classroom management system for iOS and Android.

Quality and Effectiveness: TabPilot Tablet Manager offers user-friendly features to maximize the effectiveness of tablet deployment, use, and management in a classroom, school, or district. TabPilot jumps well ahead of other packages in its category because of its design and functionality. FocalPoint, a browser-like app, can be bundled with the Manager license and deployed to restrict external links, which can be very useful in K-12 settings.

Ease of Use: TabPilot Tablet Manager is sophisticated enough to support any approach to tablet management a school can imagine. (Having implemented device deployment in three different schools I can attest that each approach is unique.) Tech experts and teachers alike can operate TabPilot Tablet Manager through a visually well designed Control Tower dashboard. The software is very responsive, loads quickly, and has clearly labeled functions for ease of navigation. Support materials include thorough video tutorials to get started and a helpful staff to respond if questions or problems arise. The owner and lead software developer works closely with customers to ensure continuous quality improvement.

Creative Use of Technology: TabPilot’s colorful interface distinguishes it from the competition. The dashboard displays an organized list on the left that includes Profiles, Apps, and Users, and associated tabs on the top of the screen allow for easy navigation. Unlike other device management packages, TabPilot permission options can be selected for teachers. These preferences include the option to create active profiles for different classes, to fetch and push apps, to lock screens, to monitor screens, and to upload and display unique background images to visually differentiate her/his class on device screens.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: If your school or district is contemplating rolling out a BYOD or 1:1 device program, or if you are considering switching from a current, cumbersome, or expensive management system, TabPilot Tablet Manager can help improve your process and budget. The system is also good for shared-use (i.e., carts or classroom sets) implementations as well. The cost is approximately half of the device management system our school currently uses, for example. Your tech administrator can create a profile for each classroom, batch upload student information, and easily deploy apps. Once student information is uploaded and apps are listed in the system, teachers can choose which apps to use for her/his class and can also easily freeze students’ devices onto one app, print individual screens as evidence of exemplary work or inappropriate location, and install and uninstall apps.

OVERALL RATING:

TabPilot Tablet Manager earned my highest rating. Its unique functions put it in a superior position among its competitors. Teachers will especially appreciate having more control over their classroom devices without having to contact IT, including being able to install and uninstall apps spontaneously.

TOP FEATURES

● TabPilot Tablet Manager’s superior features, functionality, and easy navigation are sophisticated and flexible/versatile enough for one school or the whole district.

● Teachers can use TabPilot Tablet Manager to view apps on each device, install and uninstall apps, print individual screens, and lock device screens on one app.

● FocalPoint, a browser app, can be set to restrict access or allow exploration of external Web sites.

https://the3rdquote.com ■ Retail Price: Free to schools. Free (while building the community) for providers.

3rd Quote aims to be a matchmaker for schools looking to purchase edtech. On 3rd Quote, schools can research and get price quotes for edtech, read and leave reviews of products and providers using the report card feature, and, once they’ve found the tech they want, schools can use 3rd Quote to find the provider that best fits their needs. Every step of the process, from brainstorming to ordering, can be done using 3rd Quote’s powerful Web site.

Quality and Effectiveness: 3rd Quote has thought of everything a school might need to do when thinking about purchasing edtech. I was most impressed with the “Budget” section of the site. In the budget area, stakeholders can collaborate and create an actionable list of steps to turn their edtech wish list into reality. Schools can compare providers and pricing, create budget proposals, and issue requests to providers—all while tracking the steps in the budget section’s checklist feature.

Ease of Use: 3rd Quote really shines when it comes to ease of use. The site is well made and responsive. It is clear that a lot of time went into making the site easy to navigate and a lot of thought was put into considering what schools would need to improve their purchasing experience.

Creative Use of Technology: In addition to looking great, 3rd Quote has come up with a clever way to protect schools from overzealous providers. 3rd Quote has a built-in messaging system, similar to that of Facebook, which protects a school’s privacy from providers. Schools can contact providers with questions while keeping their contact information private. All school-vendor interaction happens through this system, which makes it much more pleasant than the heavy-handed sales emails I often receive.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: I can see a school transition smoothly from the usual fractured process of purchasing edtech to the one-stop shop of 3rd Quote. I especially enjoyed the site’s features that allowed me to easily share information with my team members.

OVERALL RATING:

As the 3rd Quote user base continues to grow, it will get better and better. The site is well made, and 3rd Quote’s vision for improving the school tech-buying experience is excellent.

TOP FEATURES

• 3rd Quote has a 21st-century vision for making the edtech buying experience efficient, informed, and effective.

• The curation of product and provider reviews in one area is easy to use and useful.

• 3rd Quote streamlines communication between schools and providers while protecting the privacy of schools.