[Jason Dunn]

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=885

A few days ago we posted on some great new software from Pocket Innovations called "Roll Call", made specifically for teachers. The developer has generously offered to give away a few copies to teachers who think they'll benefit from the program. How can you win a copy? Simple: tell us how you'd use RollCall to make your job easier, save you time, or increase your productivity. We'll randomly draw from all the responses, so please only respond if you're a teacher interested in using this software in a classroom setting. We'll make the drawing on Tuesday at noon, so start thinking!

[Jason Dunn]

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=885

A few days ago we posted on some great new software from Pocket Innovations called "Roll Call", made specifically for teachers. The developer has generously offered to give away a few copies to teachers who think they'll benefit from the program. How can you win a copy? Simple: tell us how you'd use RollCall to make your job easier, save you time, or increase your productivity. We'll randomly draw from all the responses, so please only respond if you're a teacher interested in using this software in a classroom setting. We'll make the drawing on Tuesday at noon, so start thinking!

[iPaqDude]

My daughter is an elementary school teacher and can't really afford a PDA - especially on what Florida pays it's teachers. I am giving her my H3600 and she could really use this software to help out.

She carries around a small notebook that has all of the grades and notes on each of her students in case one of the parents should drop in our catch her away from her desk. At least she will have something down to talk to them about. This software should go along way towards helping her out with this. And most teachers here have 33 students - they need all of the help they can get!


I have not downloaded and checked this software out - hopefully there is a means of exporting to Excel, etc. so that she does not need to do double entry of data.

Thanks.

[Duncan]

make your job easier, save you time, or increase your productivity

[Just remember - you did ask...!] Well - I've already see this software so I know I want it! I teach in secondary school in the UK (age 11 - 18 ). I teach 43 groups (classes) of students per fortnight. On average I teach around 25 students per group. That's approximately 1075 students who I am expected to get to know, mark, assess progress on etc.

Each fortnight I get around three pieces of work to mark per student - that's over three thousand peices of work! Allowing, say, a grand total of two minutes per piece of work (and, no, that isn't a joke...) - that is more than 6000 minutes of marking per fortnight, or 50 hours per week! Bearing in mind I spend around 10 hours a week lesson planning, 4 or 5 hours on developing resources, 2 hours on meetings, 1 hour giving detentions, 2.5 hours doing registrations and, every so often I need to do reports (which can take an entire weekend just for one year group) and 22 hours teaching - that's a 90+ hour week (for £20,000 a year!).

It goes without saying that this is an impossible timetable. Inevitably the thing that gives is the marking. That's why we get so much 'holiday' (hollow laugh) time - to catch up with ourselves, with our marking planning etc.

So - will something like Roll Call make my life easier? Will it save me time? YES!!! Will it increase my productivity? No - but it will increase the time I can spend doing productive things.... and it should give me a chance to actually get some idea of who's work I am actually marking.

When I bought my Nino back in '97 I knew instantly that this was an ideal device for keeping registers and mark books on. Over the years I've waited for someone to provide the necessary program. I've tried two very poor attempts. I've attempted (and failed) to develop my own.

As far as I'm concerned - whether I win a copy or not - PI have my utmost admiration for developing this program in the first place. Now if only I could persuade some of my technophobic colleagues of the worthiness of using IT to make their lives easier...!



iPaqDude,

Yes you can export to Excel from this program... and yes it does have the functionality to replace her notebook. Or at least it did in the pre-release version.

[yada88]

I work at a community college in New Jersey. The school doesn't pay the teachers much, and this piece of software would be a big help. It would help me keep track of the attendance in the same place where i can keep their grades. Often, the students can't make it to every class. If i can keep all my information on me at all times, if they need to see a grade or why their overall grade is what it is. It will also help me with grading at its most basic level. The school has a particular weighted grading system, and this software would help me keep track of the grades without spending important time on my calculator. The final use it would have for me that i can think of is that as I said, students often don't show up to class. While i try to be tough, i don't want to be mean. Many times I have had to go searching through piles of papers for a student's phone number to call them to remind them of a deadline. Allowing me to keep these contacts with the rest of their information would be a big help.

[NateG]

I have used the beta version of Roll Call, and I love it. At this point I mainly use it for attendance, but if I can play around with exporting data to Excel, I will try to use it for my grade book as well.

[Ray Cheshire]

Like Duncan, I teach in the UK. I'd love to try this software- it seems to offer so much more than many similar programmes.
Without my iPAQ I'd drown under a load of to do's, notes and meetings (I run a busy science dept and am a school governor). I've yet to use it (successfully) to record student marks/attendance. Perhaps this will allow me to run everything off the "wee silver beastie?"

BTW Nice to hear from you Duncan! Seems like ages since we last chatted....coming along on Tuesday 16/4?

Ray Cheshire
Asst Manager UK Pocket PC User Group

[Duncan]

Hi Ray!

Thought you'd disappeared of the ends of the earth! Yep - I'll be there on Tuesday.

[Ed Hansberry]

Originally Posted by iPaqDude

My daughter is an elementary school teacher and can't really afford a PDA - especially on what Florida pays it's teachers. I am giving her my H3600 and she could really use this software to help out.

That is cool. Let those students and co-workers see what a PPC can do each day. :-)

[Rob Alexander]

I teach at a university and have been using Excel spreadsheets to keep my grades, which I synchronize with my Pocket PC Documents folder so that I always have access to them at lectures and so forth. I've tried a few things like this that have come out before, but never found one that really hit the target. I'd love to give this a go and see if someone has finally put together a solid gradebook offering.

[Barak]

I'm an adjunct instructor at a local college in upstate NY. I have been teaching for 7 years and usually teach 2 classes at a time, inconjunction with my full-time job and private practice. I purchased my first PDA to keep from having to carry an appointment book for each job. I currently use a Casio E-200 and it keeps me well organized.

I have been trying to keep track of grades and attendance by using an Excel spreadsheet, but it can be brutal viewing it on the tiny PDA screen. It gets frustrating to where I will just use notes. Notes are nice, but it can be a nightmare to keep track of them all! :roll:

I have been waiting for someone to develop a program focused on an instructor's needs and it seems like my wait may be over. I've visited the Roll Call website and the program looks great and is exactly what I need.

I am newly married, and my wife has me on a tight budget. I'll have to wait until I get my "PDA allowance" to purchase. :wink: I can't wait to show my colleagues this program, as some think of my PDA as a "toy" without much practical or professional use.

Using this program would allow me more time to lesson plan, while spending less time looking for notes and inputing attendance and grades in a spreadsheet. It would also enable me to provide a student with instant information, without having to wait until I arrive home and
e-mailing them.

Whether I win a copy or not, I am impressed with the fact that PI had the vision to make a very needed program.