TOP PICKS | 16 TOOLS
Authentic Assessment Tools for Teachers and Students
Top Picks
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ELA and Social Studies

The Wonderment
Ambitious global community aims for public good through student engagement
Bottom line: A powerful, improving social network for exploring the world and effecting positive change.

PenPal Schools
Give students global perspective with pen pal projects in any subject
Bottom line: A thoughtful, ready-to-go platform that facilitates authentic, cross-cultural collaboration.

NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program
Wildly engaging contest turns students into novelists in 30 days
Bottom line: A thoughtful adaptation of the famous and fun grown-up novel writing contest, NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program is brimming with advice and encouragement as well as classroom support.

LitPick
YA review site gives students a real-world, although ad-driven, outlet
Bottom line: LitPick is a decent place for YA lovers to discover and discuss books, but the site is in need of a refresh and features a lot of promotion/ads.

Kaizena
Nifty add-on enables audio and text feedback in Google Docs
Bottom line: If your classroom relies a lot on Google Docs, this might just be the feedback tool you're looking for.

Youth Voices
Vibrant online community hosts authentic student writing
Bottom line: Supported student writing, collaboration, and communication make this a healthy space for kids to express themselves.

Write the World
Global community helps young writers write, revise, think, and grow
Bottom line: With interest-based writing prompts and thoughtful feedback from peers and pros, this is a great tool for writing for authentic audiences.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

Defined STEM
Stellar collection of STEM resources supports project-based learning
Bottom line: Excellent, well-thought-out resources for developing problem-solving skills in the classroom.

Curiosity Machine
Kids build, share, receive pro feedback with awesome engineering site
Bottom line: Though it may not be an instant fit for your classroom, the exceptional quality of the site’s projects and processes makes it worth any problem solving.

CueThink
Social approach to problem-solving promotes deep math learning
Bottom line: An innovative, community-based platform that helps students plan, strategize, and collaborate.

Tuva Labs
Dynamic data-exploration tool offers large collection of data sets
Bottom line: Partner with another teacher (preferably a data whiz) and work together to develop cross-curricular activities.

Mosa Mack Science
Engaging design challenges turn kids into actual science detectives
Bottom line: An engaging way to weave some engineering into your middle school science lessons.

Inq-ITS
Virtual labs epitomize the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices
Bottom line: Earth, life, and physical science simulations coach kids through the NGSS Practices.

CanFigureIt Geometry
Flex your deductive reasoning muscles with geometric proofs
Bottom line: A really good way for math students to learn about proofs and explore them from a number of angles.

Desmos
Elegant graphing calculator and math simulations promote collaboration
Bottom line: Part calculator, part interactive simulation tool, Desmos is a standout example of inquiry-driven math with super-smart instructional supports.

NOVA Labs
Online science, mastered: exceptional content within meaningful tasks
Bottom line: Serious, sophisticated science engagement -- but be prepared to take some prep time to connect these labs with your classroom.