Thinkwave.com

Some Will, Some Won't, So What

I have been posting my grades on-line through using a program called Thinkwave. For a small fee ($7.95 per month) you can post your grade book on a secure internet site and create individual student and parent access codes in minutes. I asked my principal if he would fund this experiment and he agreed, purchasing the program and a two year subscription. It took me a nine inning Red Sox game to figure out the software import my rosters and publish to the web.

Some quick observations:

1. I have my gradebook linked to my webpage www.historyshack.com to increase traffic to both. Truth be told, your thinkwave site can serve as a class webpage full of links, announcements and handouts. That is a pretty simple and powerful web presence.

2. The program allows you to include comments next to the recorded grades. This is a great feature!! I leave individualized notes, reminders, or additional directions for each student. When students or parents access the grade book, they see both the grade and my comments. After awhile patterns begin to emerge.

3. As a teacher mentor at the high school, I try to make sure all of my mentees are aware of the different types of grade programs out there. One of my mentees ran with my Thinkwave suggestion. Garry Preece (HS MATH) loved the idea and took the time to experiment with the program. By the end of the 2005 academic year he was up and running on the web. He was so jazzed up about the program he convinced five other math teachers to follow suit. He also has taken the lead in establishing a web presence for the entire Math department at Ballston. Check it out http://www.bscsd.org/teachers/hsmath/ Nice work G-Unit.

I showed several staff members the program and gave them a brief overview of the software. Some smiled politely and moved on. Some were interested, but were intimidated by the thought of learning another software program. Some flat out told me there was no need for such a grade program because half of our student body doesn't have access to computers.

My thoughts...

I listened to a podcast from Edutopia.org http://www.edutopia.org/php/radio.php that featured Marco Torres and info on"Student run film festivals." When asked how he responded to teachers who weren't as eager as he was to implement new technologies he repeated the words of a teacher mentor he had crossed paths with.. "some will, some won't, so what. " Nicely stated. I decided to repeat that phrase whenever I get a negative reaction to a suggestion. Here is a funny aside. A teacher who had no interest in my five minute tutorial last spring recently asked me If I had heard about the new on-line grade program the Math department was using. She was setting up a meeting with a member of the department to discuss the program. I asked if I could tag along, because I am always interested in learning about cutting edge software :)


One of my goals as a classroom teacher is to promote accountability. I have worked hard on creating an on-line environment where students have access to materials whenever they feel the need. I like the fact that I do not have to hold their hands on this. I have it plastered all over my classroom..."Do the work, pass the course" Some will pass with flying colors, others will make it by the skin of their teeth. I know at the end of the day, they all have access to the same resources. The number of students that do not have access to a computer at home, have access to nearly 400 computers at the high school. Where there is a will, there is a way.

One interesting thing that has happened since I have been posting grades on-line is the increased foot traffic into my office to make-up quizzes and tests. If a student is absent I record and zero and make a small note about scheduling a make-up, and then I usually forget about it until they show up for their make-up. This has cut down on my chasing down students and it has put the responsibility on them. Win, Win.

Downside: Slight learning curve, subscription fee, potential pesty parents

I'll be back