High Tech

ExplainEverything:  This is a version of a Powerpoint on steroids.  In comparison to POWTOON, ExplainEverything is it’s smarter-, better looking-, higher achieving-sibling.  Okay, enough of that.  

ExplainEverything is an app that is on all of my school’s iPad and iPad minis.  I believe it is part of the MLTI package for students and teachers to utilize and create presentations for showing understanding.  The Welcome Guide is an impressive show of all the features the app has available to create a visually stimulating presentation on any given topic.  “If you cannot do it with Explain Everything, it probably can’t be done!” is the first line in the description in the App Store.  I almost believe it, but that is a heavy cross to bear.

Despite surpassing the expectations for Safety, Customization, Cross-Curricular Application, and Cognitive Differentiation, the app won’t do anybody any good because of its User Friendliness, or lack thereof it.  It is going to take time, direct instruction, modeling, and many a visit to the tutorial videos to be able to put together a presentation on Explain Everything.  I’m sure the end product is rewarding and quite a visual masterpiece, but I cannot see myself using this app for a classroom project.  I would highly recommend any Technology teacher to have this app become a unit in their curriculum.  There are some aspects to consider when creating just 1 slide on this tool that you would need to start from the very beginning with a partnership that is more like a parasite than a symbiosis.

Cool tool, but not for my classroom.  

Communication Tool Rubric

	User Friendliness	Safety	Customization for Educators	Cross-Curricular Application	Cognitive Differentiation
EXCEEDS 4	Is more user friendly than traditional means/methods of teaching and/or completing standards, and/or can be used as an alternative method for students who struggle with the traditional methods of instruction/assessments.	Can be closely monitored by teachers/gatekeepers to ensure all participants (students, community members, etc,) abide digital citizenship standards with strict security measures and clearly stated privacy policies.	Can be customized to support collegial professional development AND classroom instruction, assessment, and/or reporting.	Can be used to develop units of study that tie in learning targets from multiple subject areas and connect to the world beyond school in order to increase relevance.	Can be used in all levels and a variety of processes of Marzano’s taxonomy.
MEETS 3	Can be used on a variety of devices and is easy to use for students and teachers.	Can be monitored by teachers/ gatekeepers and allows for opportunities to select/edit for instances of non-compliance of digital citizenship and with moderate security measures and a reasonable privacy policies.	Can be customized to meet the needs of individual educators according to grade level, subject area, class size, experience with technology, professional development needs, etc.	Can be applied to multiple learning targets across subject areas and/or can be used to help design or support cross-curricular units of study.	Can be used for a variety of processes and levels of Marzano’s taxonomy.
PARTIALLY MEETS 2	Can be used on a variety of devices or is easy to use for students and teachers.	Can be monitored by teacher/ gatekeepers with limited opportunities to be select/edit for instances of non-compliance of digital citizenship standards and minimal security measures.	Can be partially customized, but not enough to fully meet the needs of individual educators.	Can be applied to only one or two learning targets in one or two subject areas and would need modification in order to support the development of cross-curricular units of study.	Can be used for a variety of categories on one level of the taxonomy or a few processes on various levels of Marzano’s taxonomy.
DOES NOT MEET 1	Has several barriers which make it difficult for students and/or teachers to use.	Does not allow for monitoring by teacher/gatekeeper and permits disregard for digital citizenship standards.	Does not allow customization to meet the needs of individual educators,	Does not apply to learning targets in any more than one subject area.	Is limited to only a few categories of one process of Marzano’s taxonomy.
Additional notes