TOP PICKS | 15 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: This is a thoughtful, ready-to-go platform that facilitates authentic and safe 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
Aging online community hosts authentic student writing
Bottom line: With some patience and understanding, this could be a good space for supporting healthy student expression.

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

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: A thorough, 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.