Tool Snapshot

JoeZoo Overview

JoeZoo contains three main features: Feedback Tool, Rubric Builder, and Grading Tool. The Feedback Tool contains different categories such as Formatting, Grammar, Mechanics, Punctuation, and Structure to help you label feedback by color and categories. Furthermore, JoeZoo offers 91 preloaded comments based on common mistakes (e.g.  In the “Grammar” category you can find: “a/an”, “Adverb Missing”, “Fewer/Less”, “Incorrect Tense”, “Incorrect Preposition”, etc). You can modify these comments according to your criteria during the feedback process. The Rubric Builder allows teachers to create rubrics to evaluate students’ written assignments. The Grading Tool is connected to the rubric and feedback tool, allowing teachers to grade students from JoeZoo. JoeZoo also includes an automatic grammar error detector feature to help teachers keep their attention on the content while providing feedback. This feature can also be used by students who want to be sure that their writing assignments have correct spelling and grammar. The name for this feature is “Check Monkey.”

Designer Information

JoeZoo app/add-on is part of JoeZoo inc. founded in Canada in 2014. JoeZoo was created to be a solution for literacy skills based on a national study. The Name of JoeZoo comes from the Japanese word “Jouzu” that means “to be/ become good at.”

Privacy Policy

What they collect:

• They may collect information about you or your students that you or your school has decided to share with them directly or through Google apps.
• They automatically collect information about you and your students, such as: The amount of time spent on the website and the pages visited. This includes your IP address, type of browser, the language of the browser, the webpage you saw before going to JoeZoo website, and access times.
• Cookies: They use cookies to see which parts of the website people are interested in.
• Unique Identifiers: They do not collect personal information. They collect user length of time spent on the website and your use of the Application or Site in order to improve the website through user’s experiences.
• Google Account Connections: If you, your students or your school decides to connect through Google accounts, JoeZoo may receive personal information from this third party to improve and make it easier to create an account and display relevant content. The information Google shares withJoeZoo will depend on the privacy setting you have with Google.
• Use of personal information: JoeZoo uses the user’s personal information to enrich the experience of the user’s.
• Sharing of personal information: They will not share any personal information, except  1) If the School or School district requests information  2) with third parties that work for them, as analytics providers. 3) share information to respond to the law request and legal process. 4) In an emergency to protect any user or person life.5) in the case of sale, transfer, divestiture or disclosure.
• Security of Personal information: JoeZoo uses Secure Sockets Layer technology (“SSL”) to encrypt you and students information.

Easy of Use

JoeZoo takes some time to learn how to use it effectively. The tool has its own YouTube channel with tutorials on how to use this app and its features.

Usability

You can access the tool from a computer or mobile device if you have an Internet connection. Also as it works as an extension of Google docs, you should be able to access from Google Docs or Google Classroom once the app is installed on your computer.

JoeZoo Overview Video

Please click on [transcript] to read it!

JoeZoo & the SAMR Model

• Substitution: Students receive feedback online instead of on a printed document.
• Augmentation: With the Monkey Checker feature, students can do a grammar check before delivering their assignment to the teacher.  
• Modification: Both students and teachers are able to see patterns in feedback provided, allowing for data-driven individual tutoring and class lesson planning. 
• Redefinition: Immediately available statistics of frequent errors could be used to inform the students and parents about focus areas for improvement. Students can assess themselves and observe their own patterns of mistakes and errors.

Learning Activities

English/Language Arts

• Students will work in teams to analyze their own common grammar mistakes with Monkey Checker feature to create a lesson plan with activities, techniques or advice on how to fix this the grammar in their writing.
• Students will learn how to do a critical evaluation of their peers through the creation of rubrics with JoeZoo.
• Students will evaluate themselves through rubrics. In the process of developing this rubric, students will have to develop evaluation criteria reinforcing critical thinking.

Resources

• JoeZoo Express Makes It Easy to Grade in Google Docs
• JoeZoo Express: New Writing Feedback Google Add-On with Potential!
• New Learning Times – JoeZoo Express
• EdSurge – JoeZoo Review
• EdShelf – JoeZoo Review
• Practical Ed Tech Tip of the Week – Use JoeZoo to Save Time Grading in Google Docs
• Feedback with Turnitin and JoeZoo
• Davies Teacher Tech Tips – Easy Online Grading With JoeZoo
• Tech Brief:JoeZoo Express Review
• Here is a Must Have Grading and Rubric Building Ad-on for Teachers     

How to Use JoeZoo

1. Go to JoeZoo.
2. I recommend first to install JoeZoo before singing-in.
3. Go to the top-right corner and choose the orange button “Get JoeZoo.”
4. You have two options:
   1. Add-on: recommended for Independent teachers.
   2. App: Best for Schools and Districts (This is the version that has Monkey Checker feature).
5. Once you choose which one to use, is going to charge another webpage. In there please click on “App MarketPlace” Button. Is going to load another page.
6. In this new page, Please Click on the “Orange plus icon” at the right side to download JoeZoo.
7. Then is going to appear pop-up windows, you would need to press continue until finishing.
8. When finish, it is going to open a new New Google Doc document.
9. How to open JoeZoo from GoogleDocs:
   1. In the options menu from google doc, go and click on “Add-ons”
   2. In the drop, menu choose JoeZoo express.
   3. now Choose Open JoeZoo express.
10. How to create rubrics:
    1. Sign in JoeZoo (the only option is with your Google account).
    2. Or click directly from JoeZoo app, clicking on “rubrics” and then clicking “add” (is going to lead you to the website).
    3. Click on the orange plus icon at the bottom left of the page.
    4. Create the Rubric!
    5. Once you are done is going to sync with the app add-on you have in your google docs.

Resources

Bennett, R. E., & Gitomer, D. H. (2009). Transforming K–12 assessment: Integrating accountability testing, formative assessment and professional support. In Educational assessment in the 21st century (pp. 43-61). Springer Netherlands.

Cassady, J. C., & Gridley, B. E. (2005). The Effects of Online Formative and Summative Assessment on Test Anxiety and Performance. Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 4(1), n1.

Gikandi, J. W., Morrow, D., & Davis, N. E. (2011). Online formative assessment in higher education: A review of the literature. Computers & education, 57(4), 2333-2351.

Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane‐Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in higher education, 31(2), 199-218.

Popham, W. J., & Popham, J. W. (2005). Classroom assessment: What teachers need to know. Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

Taras, M. (2009). Summative assessment: The missing link for formative assessment. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 33(1), 57-69.

Author

This page was created by Ximena Vicuna.