A guardian “Angel” to help the students…
by Mark Madison
May 02, 2008
The seventh graders at Fillmore Central are experiencing a little more success due to Angel. Angel is an online classroom in which teachers can put practice assessments, class calendars, notes, and assignments online. The students can also share writing with the rest of the class and receive feedback from other students. The kids can access that information anywhere they have access to the internet. Its functions are nearly identical to Blackboard which is so popular on college campuses around the country.
The benefits don’t stop with the students. The software is extremely easy and flexible to use, and saves time for the teachers as well. The software automatically rearranges questions and answers to help reduce cheating and scores the assessments immediately. The teachers can see how the class answered each question which allows for quick reteaching of the curriculum when needed. In the long run it will be better for teachers when students miss class as well. They’ll be able to access assignments and class notes without forcing the teachers to track them down and run them off. The time, responsibility, and effort will be back on the students’ shoulders.
The students have already begun using and gaining the benefit of the software. The cost to the district will be about $10 a student, which according to the kids is worth it. Here are some of the things that the students have said just about the practice tests on Angel:
“I like it a lot because it’s easier to study. You know exactly what to study which makes the tests easier. I practiced until I got a 100 which normally was around 4 or 5 times.” – Sally
“Angel is a good program to study on, a lot better than notes. You can see what your grade will be while you study and that’s good. I feel good about it. It’s really easy and kind of fun.” – CJ
“I love it. I really do. It helps me get better grades on my assessments. I’ve used it every time we got to in class. I think it’s a good way because it tells us what we get wrong and what the correct answers are.” - Patience
