r/edtech

Hi! currently I am brainstorming on different ideas on how to effectively verify and check student's attendance during class hours. I am an AnaPhy professor and handles roughly 35-40 students per block. Currently I am building a system using google sheet wherein, that system captures attendance and other grading parameters such as quizzes, projects, terms exams and all. It is in a form of dashboard for teachers and students as well. As for teachers, that dashboard will be my overall working area and not on the sheets. And every after quarter, that dashboard has an option to send another dashboard containing the grade report sent to every student's email. As of the moment, I was thinking of a group photo where the system will automatically identify each student. but this comes within the violation of data privacy act. Prior to this, what I did was to distribute a single paper containing their names and had them sign beside it. then I transfer the data to my sheet for auto-computation. Right now, I want it automated starting from the attendance to grade reports. Or I should just stick to QR code for them to scan then roll call them afterwards? thank you in advance.

I think it's fair to say that education has and continues to exist in a quasi transitional period where analog(aka paper) has been progressively replaced by digital. I'm sure the degree by which this transition has occurred and continues to occur varies from school to school or state to state. However, as a digital immigrant(born 1981) but digitally literate educator I welcome the transition to digital from analog but I also feel as though the ongoing changes have created an ongoing need for adjustment that, at times, is somewhat daunting. Even if I am entirely up to date with my understanding and digital literacy the waves that are often created throughout a school/district/etc often seem to occur due to the weakest link. For instance, if any given administrator, department chair, or literally any individual whose job has any effect on others is digitally illiterate to some degree create any number of inefficient outcomes for others.

The way I see it is that inefficient and/or digitally illiterate members of any school faculty or administration now bleed into the larger digital structure that is the schools digital content, assets, logistics, etc. Therefore, inefficiencies are more and more able to influence any number of areas especially when they exist at higher level administrative levels. For instance, if the individual responsible for a schools SIS is not capable or competent enough to set their SIS up to maximize efficiency, to be as easy to use as possible, fail to create well considered and efficient SOP's, and/or fail to communicate and train staff in the use of the SIS there are going to be ongoing issues in their use. Increased confusion or incompetence amongst any number of individuals creates an ecosystem rife for misinformation and consequently more inefficiency.

I apologize for the rant although my initial beliefs were that I was clearly working amongst individuals who must effectively be categorized as outliers comparatively to the typical administrator. They are so incompetent, disorganized, utterly stupid, and yet entirely overconfident it would likely sound as if I'm making them up. Consequently, this rag-tag team of miscreants have continually remained in their roles despite each year getting subsequently less organized, maintaining a shameful rate of retention amongst staff and students, and making no identifiable improvements across the board.

I'm wondering if anything exists in ed. tech that might represent something that enables teachers to create an all in one digital educational platform that could help aid in planning, instruction, monitoring, and more. Something that initially builds a digital infrastructure aligned with ones academic calendar, bell schedule, weekly meetings, PD schedule, holidays, testing dates, etc.

Maybe it's a tall order, idk. However, I've seen the individual pieces spread throughout a variety of various tools, sites, platforms I've test driven to date. Although, I have not yet found something that considers importance of building certain aspects around the school/districts logistical framework and information that is a very important part of one's planning. Not only that, but one that might exist as a site in and of itself with various means of organization for planning, content delivery, grading, academic and behavioral tracking, and more. Almost something like Clever but with added utility in the logistical end.

I have this idea that it is easily possible to create a platform that is specific to education, ai assisted, and begins with determining a given school's logistics. Specifically, using their academic calendars, directories, and any other useful data to help initially create a logistical framework that allows teachers to easily align their curricula to each subsequent year giving respect to the ongoing changes any given school makes.

HI! I have been out of the classroom for almost a decade. I am teaching Middle School English now. What have I missed in Ed Tech? I remember using Newsela, Google Slides, and Jam Board haha....I just found out Padlet had a massive overhaul and is now owned by Microsoft...and Flip Grid is gone! What do I need to learn now? IXL is still rolling thank goodness.