Ascent™ GradeBook and SchoolWork® -- as new Rich Internet Applications

Quotes about new Rich Internet Applications (RIA):

• “RIAs are the wave of the future..”

– Cynergy website, Feb 2008 www.cynergysystems.com/whatwedo/ria.jsp

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• “RIAs, could be loosely defined as software with engaging user interfaces that typically bridge the connectivity of the Web with a graphical richness and custom user interface that used to be reserved for client software.”

– Information Week, Feb 25, 2008

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• "This is about enabling Web apps to work the way people expect them to work."

– Kevin Lynch, Adobe's chief technology officer, told InformationWeek, Feb 25, 2008

New Rich Internet Applications have the following features and advantages:

• Richer Graphical User interface

– Richer media

– Richer graphics

– Richer data access

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• Versatile

– Can run, accessing web sites

– Or, can run stand-alone on a desktop, without Internet access

• When they access web sites, the still run like desktop applications

– Have the functionality and user friendliness of Desktop applications

– Also approach the speed of Desktop applications

• Eliminate browser dependencies

• Much, much easier to deploy, maintain and support

• Bringing:

– Lower cost

– More reliable

– Easier to use

– less training & implementation cost

The new Ascent™ GradeBook and SchoolWork®, supporting students with laptops, are written as new Rich Internet Applications.

Example screens: Grade Grid

Standards / Objectives Grid

Easily create a new Gradebook column for an assignment, homework, test, etc.

Tie objectives to assignments and tests

Easily assign students to assignments and tests

Easily enter scores

Detail by Student

Ascent SchoolWork® for Students

Teachers easily track, and also digitally send to students, homework and classwork assignments, quizzes, tests, and teaching materials, including digital books, chapters, worksheets, videos, sound, web pages, documents, etc. Teachers know what they have assigned to their students, and students know the school work that they need to do and when they need to do it. Most school work is returned digitally and already scored to the teacher’s Ascent™ GradeBook. For essay questions and term papers, the teacher easily gives digital feedback and scores to their students. The teacher can also review early drafts of term papers, and re-assign term papers multiple times, helping and mentoring students.