Extremely non-user friendly for elementary aged kids

Formative is an educational app which works to transform the dynamics of how educators and students approach assessments. Formative includes all the typical trappings of assessments; multiple choice, fill in the blank, and short answers. However, formative also includes drawings (show your work and whiteboard), audio and video responses, and tools which support the academic needs of various subjects and grade levels. For example, formative includes graphing, table grids, and matching options for students. While these options are great, they can either be done on paper, in person, or over different educational tools. What makes formative so important in changing how assessments are used in the classroom is real-time data. Students can be taking their assessment all at the same time and educators can watch on their own screen what their students are doing and how they are processing information. Educators can then see what their students are doing, step in if they feel the need to, and inform their teaching based on what they see on formative. This final portion of technology that formative provides not only substitutes traditional assessments but, redefines how students and teachers understand and engage with assessments.

I think Formative is a useful teaching tool and has the potential to do more. The free version allows for a lot of variability in questions and problems, but has its limitations. It would be nice to have the mathematical input available for the free version. It's useful to have the premium paid version so you are able to combine a the whiteboard and answer box into one question, without the paid version you need to make them a separate question, which can make it confusing for some students, but can still work if you are unable to pay the price. I've been using the Free version and it has been okay so far, but definitely an extra step for the students and, like I said, is confusing for some of the students.

I do truly enjoy this application. It has so many positive features however it does take some time as the teacher to work out the kinks. I was hoping that I would just be able to put the code on the board for my students, they would go the website and be right to work; however, this was not that simple. I did not realize the students needed to create their own accounts. Luckily, my school district does provide them with a username and password that is saved through a database called "clever." However, I did not know this. My students were awesome and were helping one another create the accounts and log into my assignment. I do wish this process would have been more straightforward and I would have made sure I had clear directions on the board for how to go about logging in with their designated information! Once I had most of the students logged in, I had the students use the whiteboard feature to quickly share their thoughts on the error analysis question. However, once the students accessed their whiteboard to respond, the question shrunk, and they could not refer to it with ease. Students had to continuously go back and forth between the question and the whiteboard. I did put the question on my projector however it would have been better if students could have a split screen between the question and their whiteboard. As a result, this activity took much longer than anticipated. The students struggled with remembering the question. The students were highly engaged as they loved the fact that they could choose their ink color and draw their ideas using the class set of styluses. The idea that they had full control and could express their creativity was wonderful to watch. Once the students were done, I was able to share each of their individual responses on the screen. I had the choice for anonymous or names. The students liked seeing their work on the board and being able to express their ideas both visually and verbally. Overall, I do enjoy this application. It allows for students to think freely and share their own responses. It also encourages students to reflect on their responses as well as their classmates' responses.