BP#9_20091108_Web 2.0 Tool Engrade

Web 2.0 Tools
Engrade

For lack of a better description, Engrade is an all in one teacher’s record keeping Web 2.0 tool. Engrade shows great promise because parents and students can track academic progress from any computer that is on the Internet. Parents and students can access the program allowing them to keep abreast of assignments, attendance and grades. The student/parent access element is especially appealing to me for a number of reasons but the main one is that students need accountability and there is no greater accountability partner than a parent or parents. Without exception when parent-teacher conferences are held I always see the parents of the students who are doing well in my classes and rarely, if ever, see the parents of the students who are doing poorly. Parent involvement is of the utmost importance and, if used correctly, Engrade can encourage more parents to keep up with student progress and play a vital role in mentoring and encouraging their child’s academic world.
Some other great features that come with Engrade are the classroom schedule element and the attendance record keeping, all of which are also accessible to parents and students on personal computers. The class schedule feature is especially well thought out with a printable calendar of all the assignments, tests and important school dates of the current school calendar. Imagine the possibilities of this feature if you will, how many times have you asked a child if they have any homework tonight? With the classroom schedule accessible to parents any homework assignments that need to be completed on a given night can always be confirmed. Still another great asset in the scheduling part of Engrade is that parents can help students study for upcoming tests. Finally, if a child becomes ill all a parent has to do is look at the calendar for upcoming assignments so the student can keep pace with the class and assignments and the parent does not have to spend time trying to contact each teacher for work that can be done at home. The attendance feature is also valuable in that the parent can always be kept informed about absenteeism and the effect that it is having on a student’s academic progress.
Engrade is a free program and is compatible with both Windows and Apple based operating systems. Engrade is powerful, easy to use and secure.



References

Engrade, (2008) Retrieved November 8, 2009, from website: http://www.engrade.com


(2008). [Engrade logo] Retrieved November 8, 2009, from quark base website:

http://www.quarkbase.com/engrade.com