–Bay News 9

Student Brandon Glover uses the program at home and at school.

Cutting-edge technology is helping some Bay area students cut through tough obstacles.

Robinson High School in Hillsborough County is crediting a new computer program for helping many students pass the writing portion of the FCAT.

Student Brandon Glover said My Access, a web-based writing assessment software, can be used in the media lab at school or at home.

“It had spell check and grammar check,” Glover said. “So, it helps us
with our grammar and our spelling.”

But, My Access is much more than a fancy word processor. It gives real-time analysis of syntax, organization and writing mechanics. “It would tell us if we weren’t putting enough details in or if we were putting a little bit too much details into the story,” Glover said.

The software also helped him score a 4.5 on the Florida Writes Exam.

“My Access is the most effective of all the programs I’ve had the opportunity to use,” Robinson High School teacher Donald Pippin said.

Pippin discovered My Access on the Internet and said it helped a group of a seniors pass the FCAT, who failed it twice before.

“Basically, we had six weeks to work with,” Pippin said. “During those six weeks we were able to get those kids through dozens of essays.”

State funding paid the $36 to sign up each student for the browser-based software. State leaders are looking for additional funding, so
they can expand the program and offer it to more students next year.

The software won the 2005 Award of Excellence from Technology and Learning Magazine.

It also won the magazine’s Top 10 Smart Technologies for Schools in 2002.

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