Putting My Coding Where My Mouth Is: BlueHarvest
Here’s the hunch: students don’t need numbers to improve; they just need feedback. They need good feedback. Feedback that’s documented, directed, and rich.
Here’s the issue: all those pretty little notes you write just end up stained with orange juice at the bottom of your students’ backpacks.
No more!
Enter BlueHarvest:
I will be using BlueHarvest to exclusively handle feedback and grading in my classroom this year. This is the first gradebook entirely dedicated to organizing and allowing for rich feedback. It’s kind of like a facebook wall for each standard in your class.
You can:
- Leave students notes about their progress
- Upload files related to their work
- Leave links in your feedback
- BlueHarvest emails your students (and you!) when feedback is left
- You are allowed to create custom standards for individual students
- Students and parents are encouraged to communicate with you as the student learns (instead of after it’s too late)
I haven’t seen the light of day or known the taste of solid food for weeks. Coding this experiment has consumed me, and I must know the results. I need your help.
There are 20 beta accounts to be had for free; If you get in, I’ll explain more in the initiation email.
BlueHarvest goes live to the public in September!
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Am I too late?
Any more beta accounts available?
Anne: We’re going to be starting a 30-days free system on September 1st. I will tweet out the link. Other than that, BlueHarvest is $3/month/teacher! Thanks for the interest. I’m already seeing changes in my students!
I would like to try your beta version if it is still available.
OK, I’m probably too late, but I’m asking anyways. Our English department dipped our toes into SBG last year, and we’re gearing up for this year. But we’re struggling with the gradebook aspect (we currently use PowerSchool–meh). Do you still have that old program, by the way? I used that and it was clunky, but right about where we need to go.
Yup It’s at sbgradebook.com. But you really should consider using activegrade, if you’re going to grade with numbers. If you want to organize your feedback elegantly, check out our newest version http://BlueHarvestFeedback.com
If there are invites, I would be interested as well.
If you have any beta test invites left, I would love one.
Are you still taking folks for beta testing? I’d love to be added. I missed this post earlier as I was on Cape Cod with the family.
I would love to beta test!
I would like an invite.
Yes. Would like an invite too.
I would love in on this gradebook! How can we get an invite?
I would love to try this out, if possible. One of my (many) goals for this year is to provide consistent feedback, both good and bad, to students and parents in the form of something other than grades. While our school does not have SBG, this concept would work quite nicely with what I am trying to achieve. Please consider me for your “clinical trial”. :)
The idea of BlueHarvest sounds awesome . . . any opportunity to join you or should I start on my own? Thx.
I would provide feedback for your feedback machine. I was discussing with my colleagues (one LA and one math) about the importance of improving/tracking feedback as we move to our second year of SBAR. You should eat solid food, though. It will make the tedium and challenge of coding all the more enjoyable.
I would be interested in an invite – I would use it in two ways>
1) for providing feedback to my university students.
2) I am teaching an assessment course and would like to integrate it…
This looks really interesting. Invite please?
Sounds intriguing. I can’t wait to hear how it goes. Good luck!
I don’t grade anything anymore (and it is one thing I don’t miss about teaching) but I wanted to pop in and say YAY for developing the tool you want and sharing it with all your people here. Go you. And cupcakes. And maybe a beer.
I am sitting here trying to figure out how to switch my gradebook over to SBG for the 80 students I will be giving constant feedback to this year (??). Would love to “pilot” blue harvest :)
This idea reminded me of a post that Alfie Kohn highlighted on his Twitter — http://samanthadouglas.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/give-100-percent/
I want that!
Oh, and I meant to ask for an invite as well, if possible. Whoops!
I am trying to slowly make the transition to SBG starting this year. This looks like a great tool to help with the feedback portion of it. Good luck in your quest!
I would like to try it.
I am very interested! Would love an invite!
Sounds interesting. How can I get in on it?
I’m game.
Looks VERY interesting. How do we get an invite?