key features - skoolbo€¦ · feature set activities in addition to the fortnightly focus...

Key Features

Created with love by passionate teachers!

Paul Grover was a high school English Coordinator for over twenty years, prior to becoming a lecturer at Charles Sturt University. Paul has written a range of English textbooks and online teaching & learning resources.

Anita Knight is a NZ teacher who for over twenty years has taught students from age 4 to 14. Currently a Year 5 & 6 teacher, Anita has also taught in England, China and Singapore.

Craig Kemp is a NZ born teacher & leader with experience from Year 2 to 10. Craig now works as an EdTech consultant, supporting schools globally with the authentic and purposeful integration of technology to support learning.

Shane Hill was a teacher in Australia and Canada for eleven years prior to inventing programs such as Mathletics, Spellodrome, Skoolbo, the da Vinci Decathlon and Storyathon. Collectively, these programs have been used by tens of millions of students.

Student Portal Direct link fromStoryathon

Teacher set activities

Activity “Completed”

indicator

Focus Writing Process ActivityPodcast

Trending words from activity

Recent response snippet

Focus Quick Write activities

Activity “Finish Later” indicator

Focus activities for the fortnight

Teacher Portal

Individual and class reports

Words used less frequently by the

class

Link to student response

Individual and class vocabulary

analysis

Showcasing of new words used

Portfolio of student writing

Feature Overview

✓ Quick Writes✓ Podcasts✓ Writing Types✓ Writing Process Activities✓ Annotated Exemplars✓ Checklists✓ Class Review✓ Student Replay✓ Positive Feedback✓ Independent✓ Vocabulary Analysis✓ Set Activities

Why?

Feature

Quick WritesEach fortnight students are presented with four Quick Write focus activities.

Quick Writes are ideal lesson starters.

Located on the main page of both the student and teacher portals.

Above everything else, we want students to enjoy writing and thinking of ideas.

Quick Writes are environments where writing is not expected to be perfect.

Why?

Feature

PodcastsActivity podcasts showcase example responses and provide analysis on the positive elements.

PDF’s of the podcasts allow for further analysis.

The podcasts are designed to give students greater confidence that writing activities are achievable.

They help foster a community of learners where ideas are celebrated.

Located in both the student and teacher portals.

Sample Podcasts

The Wolf’s Revenge2 min 19 sec

I’m not that bad3 min 27 sec

Why?

Feature

Writing TypesWriting Legends includes activities for eighteen types of writing, each with different rules, purpose and audience.

Students benefit from learning the intricacies of a wide range of writing types.

Located in Reports area of the teacher portal.

Why?

Feature

Writing Process ActivitiesOver 60 writing process activities covering most writing types.

Located on the main student page and Additional Activities

Assist teachers in the management of the writing process from Plan & Draft to Edit & Publish.

Provide support structures to enable the transition from dependent to independent.

Why?

Feature

Annotated ExemplarsWriting process activities include annotated exemplars highlighting key elements.

Located within Writing Process activities

Students benefit from not only seeing exemplar responses, but also having them deconstructed.

Why?

Feature

ChecklistsWriting Process Activities prompt students to reflect on key aspects.

Checklists encourage greater student ownership in their learning.

Located within Writing Process activities

Why?

Feature

Class ReviewProvides teachers with a live feed and summary of student responses.

Increases teachable moments, especially when discussing vocabulary.

Facilitates immediate collaboration and feedback within the class.

Located in the teacher portal.

Why?

Feature

Student ReplayTeachers are able to replay student responses and view exactly how students constructed their writing.

Enables teachers to encourage and reward student reflection and editing, as opposed to simply assessing the finished output.

Located in the Reports area of teacher portal.

Sample Replay0 min 19 sec

Why?

Feature

Positive FeedbackAnimated emojis and dancing characters within teacher feedback.

Animated characters better enable teachers to positively frame feedback for students and this in turn increases student receptiveness to feedback.

Located in the Reports area of teacher portal.

Why?

Feature

IndependentTeachers may grant “Independent” status to students who have demonstrated their ability to edit their Writing Process activities independently.

Assists teachers in meeting the various needs of students.

Located in the Class Admin area of teacher portal.

Why?

Feature

Vocabulary AnalysisVocabulary is analysed and showcased in a variety of ways at both a student and class level.

Writing Legends aims to expand students’ vocabulary. Studies consistently show the strong correlation between vocabulary and writing skills.

Located in both the student and teacher portals.

Why?

Feature

Set ActivitiesIn addition to the fortnightly focus activities teachers are able to set students Writing Process activities.

Make it easy for teachers to align with current priorities.

Located in the Reports area of the teacher portal.

Sample Activities

Sample Activities

Sample Activities

Sample Activities

Sample Activities

Sample Activities