iknowit.com Review Take 2!

Back in 2017, I shared with my community of like-minded supporters a wonderful online website that has been designed very carefully to meet the needs of all students in the math arena.
I am back with an update on the changes that have taken place.
But first, I want to acknowledge the fact that the site is still up and running, AND, stronger than ever. This is HUGE! There are a lot of web-based software companies that start out, get people hooked, and then, for whatever reason, fizzle out. Well, NOT iknowit.com. YAY!

This Software is AH-MAZ-ING!

Why?
Just as I shared in my last post, the simpleness of the teacher dashboard has remained intact- this is a big deal for me! It’s easy to get lost in data-land, get overwhelmed, and then shut down. Check out the screenshot below:

Look at how clear it is! You can see the topic, the assignment (and level), the number of students assigned and completed, the date, and more. AND- if you click on the Progress Report, you get to see drilled down data for each of the students assigned allowing you to decide if another assignment is needed to mast the skill OR if your student(s) are ready to move on to the next skill.

Features, Benefits, and Pricing- because inquiring minds want to know… (and budgets too!)

Before we share a bit more, I want to share some of the many features, benefits, and pricing of iknowit.com! These are important topics and, if you are like me, vital to continuing down the path of interest. As principals and teachers, we have to make HARD decisions about where the few dollars we get (or spend from our own pockets) will be allocated. The items we buy MUST move our students forward in their learning. So, as you continue to read down the page, see if these items sound helpful to you and/or your teachers:

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Features
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– Over 500 math lessons (K-5)

– Over 40,000 questions in our database (the software pulls different questions for the students to try if they miss some, AND, if you reassign the lesson, the problems won’t be the same!

– 4 animated characters to cheer students along and celebrate their successes (AND, you can choose which ones they have access to, or NONE at all! Love this feature!)

– Common core aligned lessons (Great for those schools that use the CC. If you don’t use the CC, the program works just as well for your students. The topics are easy to locate and manage!)

– All lessons are written by teachers for teachers (They have a small in-house writing staff; 2 writers, plus Tim Weibel- the creator and founder of iknowit.com and Super Teacher Worksheets; all involved have taught for many years. So you can use the program with confidence knowing that the problems are appropriate for the grade levels used! )

– Hints to help students when they struggle (you can choose how many hints students can have, including turning off the hint feature entirely!)

– Easy-to-understand explanations of incorrect answers

– Each student can log in with their own account (teachers set up student accounts)

– Assign lessons to students, the website software tracks the student scores and reports back to the teacher on areas of success and concern.

– Detailed progress reports for teachers (WAHOO! TOTAL SELLING POINT FOR ME!)

– Optional feature to email parents and let them know scores

– Read aloud feature for early readers or ESL/ELL learners (or really anyone that needs support with the reading!)

– Works great on Smartboards, iPads, Chromebooks, Laptops, or Desktop devices (It is very device friendly)

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Benefits
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– Regular, weekly math practice can increase scores on state assessments

– Super easy for teachers to use; No prep review

– Kids enjoy the animated characters and the colorful graphics (Remember, if these become distracting to your student(s), you can turn them off in the teacher dashboard!)

– Easy for kids to understand the graphical explanations (I love this part so much! Very simple, but clear explanations of missed problems. Check out the sample below:

– Affordable per-student pricing for school districts

– Lessons are common core aligned and modeled from problems in popular textbook series, so you can be assured content is presented professionally and appropriately

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Pricing & Set-Up
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Are There Any CONS to the Program?

Honestly, I can’t think of many. One that comes to my mind, but is totally a reflection of my mindset and how we use most software programs at our school, is that it is not student-driven. Let me explain what I mean. Students do the assignments from the teachers (and can also be given access to the entire library of activities and resources, or a select set of grade levels and/or activities) and the software reports back to the teacher. However, the software does not determine the next lesson needed or self-assign lessons.

For many, this won’t be a con as it gives teachers control over the content and ensures students are wandering too far afield of the current concepts being taught. So, it really is a matter of opinion. Just know that this program requires the teacher to assign all the content (which is SUPER simple, don’t get me wrong).

Final Thoughts

While the site isn’t perfect- improvements, additional content, and usability are a constant focus- it is a great resource for schools. The cost is very competitive with other online software companies and well worth trying out. Schools can get a FREE 90-day trial so you have NOTHING to lose. Setup is a snap and your teachers will be off and running in this intuitive program.

If you are a teacher and want to try it out with your class, you can do so for 60 days for FREE! Even if you don’t decide to subscribe, you will be amazed at the learning your kiddos can achieve in just 60 days!

I strongly encourage you to give it a try. You really have nothing to lose and a lot to gain!

Happy Practicing!

*Please Note: In exchange for an honest review of iknowit.com, our company did receive compensation. That compensation was used in full to support a local elementary school.