Studyisland.com

What is the tool?

The tool is StudyIsland and it is a tool that is meant for a lot of students. Students can use this on any grade level and any academic subject. We, as teachers, want our students to succeed and this is a tool for them (as well as us) to make sure the students are getting the entire picture.

How can it be used?

Again, it can be used as a study guide for areas that the student may be struggling in. It's a great tool because any child can use it and it shows the parents that the student is trying. I have seen this website raise test scores and the children retain the information because they aren't simply memorizing definitions or answering questions but putting their knowledge to use on this site.

What are the advantages/disadvantages to this tool?

Advantages:

• One advantage of this tool is actually for the teacher. I, being their teacher, can identify areas that a child is behind in and then see if that matches up with the rest of the class. If so, it's a great indicator to me before the test that I need to revisit and reteach the information in a new way. I like this tool because it helps me be on top of my teaching game all day and not just get "comfortable" in one style of teaching.



• Another advantage is obviously for the students. This helps raise their test scores but beyond that, it acts like a building block for students to retain the information and the build on it in the next class with harder information. I have had students use this site for a couple of years now and they all seem to love it.

Disadvanges:

• One disadvantage to this site is that it's a site in itself. What I mean by this is that not all students may have access to the internet and therefore, may be behind or not reaping the rewards as other students are.



• Another disadvantage is that students could get on there to "play" around or not use it as the tool that it is meant to be. I have had students only study what is on the site and therefore, did not pass my test in the end. It's something I need to remind them of often because the site doesn't have ALL the information or EXACTLY what I will test.

Who is the audience for this tool?

This one was simple to answer - it's for the students to really use it as "hands on" experience. However, I still reap the rewards of my students using this site and have a better classroom management plan in place because I know what they grasp more easily than some others.

Where can we learn more about this tool?

Parents Involved - Here, you will listen first hand to teachers that have used or are using this and how the parents have responded. It's great to listen to if you've never used the site before or if you want a little more information on how to present to your kids.

Special Ed and ELL Intervention - Again, this is great to listen to the success stories of the website and gives you an "inside" look!

What is your opinion on the usefulness of the site?

I think it's been said in my blog numerous time but to sum it up, I LOVE this site. StudyIsland is great for students and for teachers and it gives us yet another tool within our classroom to use. I even let students who may not have access to the internet to go to the library on "study days" so they, too, can experience the benefits of the site!