2g – techy becky librarian

I generally start conversations with my peer mentee by asking, “What’s going well lately? What has been challenging?” Through these questions, I am able to celebrate successes and initiate conversations that will lead to potential solutions. It was during one of these conversations that I learned my collaborating teacher was struggling to find enough time to regularly assess each of her students’ reading fluency and comprehension. I had heard about Raz-Kids through several colleagues and so my collaborating teacher and I explored it as an option for “formative and summative assessments aligned with content […] standards” (International Society for Technology in Education, 2011). Raz-Kids is an “interactive reading tool for students to practice reading fluency and comprehension. Students can listen to books for modeled fluency, read books for practice, and then record themselves reading. Every leveled eBook has an accompanying eQuiz to test reading comprehension” (Raz-Kids).

Using this tool, my collaborating teacher has been able to monitor her students’ progress, work with students one-on-one during center time, and assign homework based on their individual needs. She is able to hear every student in her class read aloud, praise their work, and help them to grow as readers and learners. Scroll down to see this tool in action as both a student and a teacher.

Student Perspective

Screen Shot 2016-05-17 at 5.54.53 PM — Students are given a library of digital books at their specific reading level.

Screen Shot 2016-05-17 at 5.55.19 PM — Students can read to themselves, be read aloud to, or read into a microphone and the teacher can listen to the recording.

Screen Shot 2016-05-17 at 5.55.33 PM — Students can click on individual words for vocabulary help.

Screen Shot 2016-05-17 at 5.56.07 PM — After hearing the book read to them and then reading the book themselves, students can take a comprehension quiz.

Teacher Perspective

Screen Shot 2016-05-17 at 4.52.22 PM — Teachers can visit their assignment basket to see students’ completed quizzes.

Screen Shot 2016-05-17 at 4.53.39 PM — Teachers are given a quick snapshot of areas where individual students might need additional support.

Screen Shot 2016-05-17 at 4.54.34 PM — Teachers can view individual student accounts to check (or adjust) reading level, monitor hours logged, view completed quizzes and review trends in fluency and comprehension.

References

International Society for Technology in Education. (2011). ISTE standards: coaches. Retrieved June 29, 2011, from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-coaches