Engrade.com - Web 2.0 Teacher Tools
Hello Everyone!
My name is Bri, I found this site looking for Web 2.0 teacher sites. I saw there's already a great list of tools here, and I work at Engrade.com so I thought I'd add it to the list.
Engrade’s mission is to provide a safe and secure place for teachers to connect with students online – to post upcoming homework, to exchange messages, to post scores and grades, and to track attendance. Currently the site has over 300,000 registered users from across the US and around the world, in all types of schools (public, private, charter, military), in all grade levels from elementary to college, teaching subjects from golf management to medicine.
Engrade offers teachers the ability to create class calendars where they can post upcoming homework, in-class events, and lessons. Teachers can attach files to calendar entries, include links, and even embed YouTube videos. Teachers can opt to include their class calendars on their customizable site (http://www.engrade.com/USERNAME) or they can require that students sign up using a secret Access Code to see the calendars. Teachers love this because students can no longer say “I didn’t know that was due today!”
For students that do register, teachers can send private messages to them in a safe, SPAM-free environment. Engrade only allows students to message with teachers who have provided them with the Access Code, that way teachers can confidently encourage students to sign up knowing that students can’t be contacted by unknown persons. This helps students and parents a lot because they have direct access to teachers after school to get homework help and ask questions about upcoming events, and it eases the concerns for teachers created by other social networks.
Engrade also offers teachers a very easy to use and a very customizable gradebook. We designed the gradebook to be extremely flexible so it can adjust to any teacher’s preferences – it includes features such as a customizable automatic grading scale, manual grade override, weighted assignment categories, extra credit, excusing a student from an assignment, and the ability to drop the lowest score from a category. For added convenience, the gradebook grid uses AJAX to operate just like a spreadsheet – all teachers need to do is click on a box and type a number to change a student’s score.
Students and parents can sign up and see their grades online in real-time. Engrade provides teachers with an individual secret Access Code for each of their students. Once a teacher gives the code to a student, the student (and/or their parents) can sign up and privately see their class grade, assignment scores, attendance, citizenship, and upcoming homework online in real-time. The grades are completely private – each code only shows the grade for that specific student.
Thanks!
Bri
www.engrade.com
My name is Bri, I found this site looking for Web 2.0 teacher sites. I saw there's already a great list of tools here, and I work at Engrade.com so I thought I'd add it to the list.
Engrade’s mission is to provide a safe and secure place for teachers to connect with students online – to post upcoming homework, to exchange messages, to post scores and grades, and to track attendance. Currently the site has over 300,000 registered users from across the US and around the world, in all types of schools (public, private, charter, military), in all grade levels from elementary to college, teaching subjects from golf management to medicine.
Engrade offers teachers the ability to create class calendars where they can post upcoming homework, in-class events, and lessons. Teachers can attach files to calendar entries, include links, and even embed YouTube videos. Teachers can opt to include their class calendars on their customizable site (http://www.engrade.com/USERNAME) or they can require that students sign up using a secret Access Code to see the calendars. Teachers love this because students can no longer say “I didn’t know that was due today!”
For students that do register, teachers can send private messages to them in a safe, SPAM-free environment. Engrade only allows students to message with teachers who have provided them with the Access Code, that way teachers can confidently encourage students to sign up knowing that students can’t be contacted by unknown persons. This helps students and parents a lot because they have direct access to teachers after school to get homework help and ask questions about upcoming events, and it eases the concerns for teachers created by other social networks.
Engrade also offers teachers a very easy to use and a very customizable gradebook. We designed the gradebook to be extremely flexible so it can adjust to any teacher’s preferences – it includes features such as a customizable automatic grading scale, manual grade override, weighted assignment categories, extra credit, excusing a student from an assignment, and the ability to drop the lowest score from a category. For added convenience, the gradebook grid uses AJAX to operate just like a spreadsheet – all teachers need to do is click on a box and type a number to change a student’s score.
Students and parents can sign up and see their grades online in real-time. Engrade provides teachers with an individual secret Access Code for each of their students. Once a teacher gives the code to a student, the student (and/or their parents) can sign up and privately see their class grade, assignment scores, attendance, citizenship, and upcoming homework online in real-time. The grades are completely private – each code only shows the grade for that specific student.
Thanks!
Bri
www.engrade.com
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steve Hargadon on
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Hi, Bri. Cool stuff.
We do have a policy for commercial entities and the posting of material on Classroom 2.0. I can't tell the revenue model from engrade.com, but I'm assuming it's a for-profit company, and would just ask that you read our guidelines: http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topic/show?id=649749%3ATopic%3A10556. Basically, we ask those who work at commercial companies to participate as individuals in the community, to contribute, and not to spend time promoting their products.
Please feel free to message me more information about engrade. We are running some free workshops for teachers and are always looking for sponsors.
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Permalink Reply by James Dykstra on
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Let me leap to their defence, Steve. I have used Engrade. I've loved 'em (and I'd still be using them if I could). As far as I know, they're non-commercial. I was never charged a penny and neither were any of my students.
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No need to leap to any defense! Anyway, I checked out the site a bit more, and while there is currently no charge for the service, they are planning on possibly having some extra services for which there would be a fee. Not that I'm not appreciative of them letting people know about their service, but I don't want CR 2.0 to become a place where companies post their "press releases." :)
A good, health discussion at this point about what they offer, would be very appropriate.
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Permalink Reply by A. Sheldon on
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I, too, want to jump in. The middle school (our 8th grade only right now) where I work is using Engrade for the first time this year--it is free of charge. I don't care if they do eventually offer services for a fee. People need to know about this wonderful service.
Parents have access to their kids' grades all year long. No more finding out at end of grading period that little Johnny has an F in history or math or English. There is a place for teacher to post assignments and add attachments--I can scan a worksheet and attach it to the calendar. A kid who is absent could print it and complete it if he/she wanted to do that. You can message the entire class, or they can message you, the teacher. I love it! I can't believe it is free. When E-Office Hours went commercial and made you pay, it broke my heart. Now I have Engrade. Teachers need to know about it, and they need to use it.
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Permalink Reply by Djuana Ferguson on
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Has anyone been able to figure out how to make report cards for students. I know you can export to excel, but I am having difficulty trying to figure it out. My staff and parents love this online gradebook.
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Permalink Reply by Beth Still on
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I teach at a very small rural alternative school and we needed a gradebook program QUICKLY back in late August. Engrade fit the bill. I had nothing but praise for Engrade until a few weeks ago. The student side of Engrade was not correct. Any grades that were posted after mid-September were not showing up. It has been an absolute nightmare trying to keep our online students up to date on their current grade. (We are also an online school.)
I have sent a couple of emails to Engrade, but they have not sent anything back to me. I am incredibly disappointed in their lack of ability to communicate with those of us who use their product.
I hope that by posting something in this forum I will get some feedback on what the problem is. I love Engrade, but this is not acceptable.
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Permalink Reply by Brigitte on
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Hi Beth, I found these messages on AtoZteachersuff.com about Engrade. Hope this answers your question.
I have recently begun using Engrade also. Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just wait until the problem's cleared up to post the grades. Please email me at brigittelaborde4444@yahoo.com if you choose to reply. I probably won't get back to this site as I've got "tons" of things to do. Brigitte
"I spoke with someone from the St.Vrain Valley, Colorado, School District about Engrade yesterday. It's a district just north of Denver with 44 schools and 24,000 students. The entire District just began using Engrade this year. I was relieved to hear that we are not the only school with the problems we are experiencing with parent/student logins.
Since the whole District is online with Engrade, they have a live body they can speak with. I learned that they have the assurance from Engrade that the problem is receiving a high priority and that Engrade hopes to have a resolution by the end of the week. The person I spoke with promised to forward news to me regarding Engrade's progress."
ndatom
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#6 10-15-2008, 10:00 AM
ndatom
Newcomer Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 3
Update from St. Vrain Valley Schools
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"The latest information that I have from Engrade is that one of their servers has gone down creating the slowness we are seeing as well as the inconsistencies in data that is going out through the student/parent portal. They are working on getting it back up and running as quickly as they can.
There is slowness or an inability to get to the site especially during peak times because "traffic" is having to be rerouted to one less server on Engrade's end."
Tom Recktenwald
ndatom
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#7 10-15-2008, 02:29 PM
teachin4ever
Follower Join Date: Dec 2007
Middle School Teacher
Posts: 214
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Permalink Reply by leewin on
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I have been using engrade for a while now and I have to say it is a very handy site to have access too. My parents of my students really having access as well to their son/daughter's mark. A great tool for classroom management and improving communication between the school and home.
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I am STILL having issues with Engrade. Teachers have have nothing but trouble accessing it and the students grades are NEVER correct. We really like Engrade, but will have to drop it if these issues are not resolved. I am wondering if it is something on our end or is it across the nation? We are a staff of four with less than 50 students between us.
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Not real sure. I read abt. troubles with Engrade, but our teachers (abt. 14) don't have problems.
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Permalink Reply by GeneralChaos on
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I've been using Engrade for about 2 years and never had this trouble. There was a time when I couldn't sign in to add grades during lunch, but that appears to be fixed. Engrade is a nice alternative to what my district uses STI which is still based off of DOS;(
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