Running Records and the iPad

In September and October last year I wrote a few posts about assessing student reading on the iPad by taking running records using the GoodReader app and then saving the assessments in Evernote to have everything in the one spot. This process has worked well for me for more than a year but recently I was reminded of a Record of Reading app (thanks to@richielambert) which I had previously dismissed due to not being able to export the completed record to Evernote. Rich suggested taking a screen shot and saving it to Evernote that way, which would work and is a great suggestion but I found it to be a little clunky and fiddly when in the classroom and on the go. After playing around with the app a little more, I found that you are able to email a completed record as either a .jpeg or .pdf file. By doing this I was able to email it directly to my Evernote account in less clicks (or taps) than taking a screen shot, just a little more efficient.

The Record of Reading app is a nifty idea and unlike annotating a .pdf using GoodReader, it allows the teacher to complete a miscue analysis by simply tapping instead of spending time writing more. I would still suggest using a stylus rather than your finger to complete the annotations.

Another good feature of the app is being able to add all the data- words read, errors and self corrections and then it automatically calculates the accuracy rate. Very handy in a busy classroom!

Ok, after the pros, there must come some cons…I still prefer to record the audio of my students reading in Evernote, that way I can access all of my data the one place and the emailing part is a little annoying but no more annoying than what it was saving an annotated .pdf from GoodReader. Another inconvenience is that the app still has a few glitches and tends to crash! Hoping this will be fixed soon! 

Thank you to Janine for taking the following notes from the session.

Record of Reading-(Free App)- Notes

• You can type straight into the document (by clicking next to the relevant headings) and then using the keypad/stylus pen to type in the; student name, book title, running words etc.
• The date is automatically put into the template for you.
• When completing the running record, use the stylus pen to draw/write in the relevant symbols and words.
• If students make an error, tap the ‘error column’ and numbers will appear (each time you touch it, it will add another error to the total amount of errors). As you tap the error column, you will notice the MSV prompts appear in the next column. Select the relevant ‘Meaning’, ‘Structure’ and/or ‘Visual’ option to add this information in.
• If a child makes a ‘self-correction’ within the running record you must also tap the SC column and similarly to the ‘error’ process/function, a self-correction will appear.
• To access a ‘new page’, click on the top right hand corner. To go back- click on record of reading.
• All of the calculations are completed for you (by the app).
• Once you have finished your running record you can email it to yourself. Send it to your Evernote email account and it will appear in default notebook and you will then need to move it into the student’s notebooks.
• GoodReader to be used for PM benchmarking books (if you want the text to be up on the screen- as ‘Record of Reading App’ cannot have words added to it). See instructions here.