Usage: Specifically, I would use it with my NHS students to help them with college applications.
Strengths: Again, I love the step by step instructions and the video. I also love that you are only allowed to give positive feedback; I'm that saves alot of kids from hurt feelings. I also like where they plan to go with the product in the future.
Suggestions for Improvement: I'd like to see it expanded to include formal, 5 paragraph essays for classroom use. I would definitely pay for that. I don't know that there is anything else I'd want to change. It's a pretty cool product.
Verdict: It is very easy to use, provides step by step instuructions, with video, and allows me to work collaboratively with students and monitor progress. It is such an awesome tool, I just love it.
Usage: I would use this product with my 11th grade students to prepare them for their college writing essays. I would also us it with our 12th grade students to prepare them for resumes and college essays within the classroom and afterschool.
Strengths: The product does really well with the writing processs...I love the transcribe tool for the students after they use the webcam to tell their story. This solves a lot of problems for us. Most students want to tell their story but not write it down. BINGO ,,,this will lift a big burden off of us a school.
Suggestions for Improvement: The 3 things I would change about this product is the feed back. I would prefer immediate access to the feedback from the students. Preferably a text feature not always sitting still. Another would be different languages feature and the ability to use the device on a smart phone. Mainly because I am cell phone user and this would make my life a little simpler.
Verdict: I would recommend this tool to give the students guidance of how to write their essays and how to write their resumes. Mainly because our English teachers feel overwhelmed with critiquing essays for our students. Nor do we have a system for assisting students.
Usage: I would share this with teachers in my district.
Strengths: I like how it can record student essays. I like how they offer feedback. It is great for high school students. I like how you can praise student essays online. I like how students can share videos.
Suggestions for Improvement: I need student transcription to reach my special education students. I would like it to reach younger students. I would like it to be more than narrative writing. I would love it to assign writing prompts by grade level to make it easier for teachers to search.
Verdict: I like how it can record students writing.
Usage: It is a good product but I believe it would be more useful if used as part of a classroom instead of online with a student by themselves. I think a teacher needs to be able to give real time feedback instead of using a program on a machine. Also this process of writing an effective application essay on this platform seems like it takes a long time. This could put unnecessary stress on students to finish their essays before the application deadline.
Strengths: This program helps students write better college application and scholarship essays. However it takes a log time and would be very hard to complete for multiple esssys. The Bill Gates scholarship has 8 essays by itself .
Suggestions for Improvement: Include it as apart of an English class instead of an online platform. Make the process shorter so that a lot of essays can be done effectively. Also make the process easier to understand.
Verdict: This process seems confusing also it seems long. The CEO stated that the computer must transcribe the essay. Then they will learn to create an effective beginning middle and end. Then the students will learn to write better. I was confused when she was describing it .
Usage: I would use it to help students write better AP essays. However, I think its great strength would be for our guidance people to help seniors write strong admission and scholarship essays.
Strengths: So many students have a rough time writing college and scholarship applications and this product meets a great need. I would hope that it would also lead to better overall essay writing, too.
Suggestions for Improvement: 1. Provide tools for AP test writing -- limited time issue.
2. Can we find a way to capture the stories online?
3. Love the narrative aspect, can it be expanded to Expository?
Verdict: Again, I think the emphasis here is on admission applications.
Usage: I would use this product to develop my students natural ability of oral storytelling into well-written narratives and memoirs. I would also use it for student portfolios which would include a college admission essay.
Strengths: It solves the problem of teachers spending a lot of time teaching narrative and college essay writing skills. The product also comes with a rubric and if needed, assistance in grading student work.
Suggestions for Improvement: I would align the product to SAMR and ISTE standards.
Verdict: I would recommend the use of this writing tool because some students do not know how to compose essays and lack the skills to construct descriptive, engaging narratives.
Usage: I would share this information with my niece and my sister because she was applying for colleges and universities last year, and now she is interested in transferring. I would also use this with students entering high school as well as those interested in attending college.
Strengths: It solves the problem of parents writing their children's college essay. It also solves the problem of students copying other people's essays.
Suggestions for Improvement: I would make it free or at least free on a trial basis for teachers to track their students.
Verdict: It would help getting students started in the writing process when that say they have "writer's block."
Usage: To help students get essays in for college and for scholarships.
Strengths: Students need to write well on their college essays.
Suggestions for Improvement: I would start at an earlier age with students using it - meaning Grade 5. I would make sure that there is a version that students can use on their phones.
Verdict: Our students don't write well and this is another method of teaching taht we don't do.
Usage: Our advisory classes were cut this upcoming year. As a science teacher, this would not fit in our curriculum, But I would recommend this to counselors and creative writing instructors.
Strengths: The ability for students to see other kids and hear their stories can be a very powerful unifying thing. Real-time coaching for essay writing would take time off the teacher and give students more accountability without taking time from instruction.
Suggestions for Improvement: Push into other content areas by providing prompts that connect students lives with technology or history could broaden the appeal of this tool.
Verdict: This would assist our students in getting into college and also give them ideas for how to tell their personal stories.
Usage: It would be great to use with students in helping them focus on the application process.
Strengths: The product is focused and deals with a very specific skill area--I like that very much. It doesn't try to do so many things that it gets overly cluttered and complex.
Suggestions for Improvement: It would be great to be able to have the students get as much practice as possible and have feedback quickly and easily. Have exercises that aew short and incremental in design.
Verdict: This wold be great for those students who need to focus on their application process--whether they have support from other sources or not. It allows the students to take control of their own application obligations. It's empowering