Technological Resources for Faculty: Grading, Attendance, and Messaging

Cost: Computer software is free, app (iOS) is $4.99
Enter assignments and scores and let Gradekeeper do the rest. Gradekeeper computes grades, does seating charts, prints reports, and sends email progress reports.

Pros: Simple to use, great for emailing reports. Very easy to manipulate data quickly and tailor the layout to your needs. Can work on your computer or on your iPad.
Cons: You have to export information from one to the other; does not sync with cloud services like Dropbox. This software/app is useful, but not beautiful. It is like excel, but tailored to the classroom.

Cost: $19.99 (iOS)
GradeBook Pro is a well-designed iPad/iPhone app for recording grades, attendance, and student performance.

Pros: Easy to use, nice layout, great features.
Cons: Can only be used on your iPad, not on personal computer.

Cost: Free or $6.99/yr for unlimited (100+) scans per month
ZipGrade replaces the Scantron of old, using your phone's camera as a scanner. You can download their template and then create paper quizzes, which you grade by taking a picture. The students get immediate feedback.

Pros: Easy to use, immediate, and shows teacher score distribution
Cons: Can only create and edit quizzes from within mobile app. Can only do 100 scans per month with free version.

Cost: $4.99 (iOS)
Attendance2 is a very easy to use attendance app for iPhone and iPad. If all you want to do is take attendance, this app is for you!

Pros: You can import your class list after exporting it from Moodle to a CSV file in Dropbox, so you don't have to type in all of those names. Once set up, it is simple, and easy to notify students of their attendance record. You can easily send an email to all people missing so they know they were missed.
Cons: The app is only good for attendance. Thus, if you use your attendance to be part of your participation grade or to affect the overall grade, you must reenter the same data generated by the app.

Cost: FREE
Remind101 is a very easy to use text messaging notification system. You can send a text message to every student who subscribes, and they cannot send messages back to you. You can also set messages to go out at a specific time, so if you are busy at a conference or in a meeting when a message needs to be sent, you're all set!

Pros: This is an alternative to contacting students via email, which they seem to be checking less frequently. Students are not able to text you back so they cannot flood your phone with text messages.
Cons: You cannot force students to subscribe, so this system doesn't work for every student, it is just an additional way to disseminate information. Also, students cannot text you back. You may not like this feature - if so, you should use the Google voice app to text.

Cost: Free

This a great app for group messaging. Leave notifications "off" and your class can text each other, with you able to check in at your convenience. GroupMe keeps your phone number private. People do not have to have the app to receive messages.

Use Roll Call to take attendance in Canvas. You can also create and manage badges (such as participation, or being disruptive) to attach to student participation for the day.