Visited two tech-based exhibitors today that I thought were worth sharing.

The first was TEACHFX, where I spoke to Zach Crago who shared their app that tracks the amount of teacher talk, student talk and group talk taking place in the classroom.  While we only spoke for a short time, it looks like the app allows teachers to use their personal phone to record class discourse and then to review both a transcript of the discussion as well as simple graphic analytics that show both the ratio and the pattern of teacher/student/group talk taking place.  We have worked deeply on teacher/student discourse in our district, and we place a high value on academically productive talk.  This is a tool that I am definitely going to pursue.

The second exhibitor was Insight ADVANCE, where I spoke with Don Rescigno about their Advance video platform.  We have been using the platform for a couple of years in Guilford, with principals and instructional coaches as we work with them on their own reflective stance and their own professional learning.  Even though we have been using the platform for some time with great results, it was good to catch up with Don, and I always pick up something new when I talk with him about the ways that others are using the tool and about the functionalities that we have yet to explore.

I encourage you to visit both of these booths as well as the other vendors in the exhibit hall.