Edulastic Innovator Spotlight: Stephanie Reynolds

We are thrilled to introduce Edulastic Innovator Spotlight member Stephanie Reynolds! Stephanie is an Assistant Principal in Fairborn, OH. Be sure to check out her #EduVictory — it’s really great! We enjoyed getting to know Stephanie and hope you do too.

Get to know Stephanie Reynolds

What inspired you to work in education?

I wanted to make a difference in the lives of children. I wanted to teach them to love learning and discovering new things.

How did you learn about Edulastic? What is your Edulastic story?

I stumbled upon Edulastic while frustrated with state testing. I was chosen to represent Ohio during the scoring of the PARCC math assessment. During this first year of online testing, it became very obvious that students’ scores reflected their inability to do math on the computer, not their math knowledge. Students were solving the problems correctly but entering the answer in the wrong format. This lead me to search for a program to give my students practice. Edulastic was my answer!

What do you love about Edulastic? How do you use it in your classroom?

I love many things about Edulastic! First, I love that the program gives real time data. I can monitor student performance while still testing. This allows me to go over and reassure the student who keeps skipping questions, slow down the student who is rushing, and give confidence to the student who is unsure. Second, students get immediate feedback while the assessment still matters to them. Before Edulastic, students would move on to the next topic before their tests were graded and passed back. Since the computer aids in grading, I have teachers who are able to discuss the results of the assessment in the same class period it was given. There is power in being able to review a question many students got incorrect the same day they were assessed. Next, the program allows teachers to collaborate on assessments and analyze their results. This ensures stronger assessments and instruction.

What tips do you have for teachers who are new to Edulastic?

Don’t get overwhelmed by all the features. Start small and fall in love with what Edulastic can do over time. A great place to start is a simple entrance or exit ticket. Then, expand with the different question types and features.

Please sum up your teaching philosophy in a few sentences.

I believe all students have the ability to learn but do so at different paces. I believe children learn best when they have a positive relationship with their teacher and class community.

Share an #EduVictory from the past year. In other words, do you have a particular success story that happened in your classroom or school?

I had a math teacher excited over using Edulastic for the first time. Her students all submitted their tests about 10 minutes or so before the bell. She noticed no one in the class got #14 correct. She stood up and retaught the concept in those 10 minutes! She redirected the assessment the next day and scores went through the roof!