Q: How do I access the Teach BIG website so I can find more information on teacher training inservices, student training camps, conferences, and ELAR teaching materials?
A: www.teachbig.com
Q: Who developed Teach BIG?
A: Randi Whitney originally developed Teach BIG (also called The Writing Academy) while still a practicing classroom teacher in the state of Texas. She comes from a family of teachers and preachers and has been training teachers and students in all aspects of Language Arts for more than 20 years.
Q: Can the APP be used on a desktop or Chromebook?
A: Definitely! It is designed to be used by every student (grades 2-5) on a campus all at the same time to simulate a true testing situation. It can be used on any type of device.
Q: Do I have to purchase the student levels to use the practice passages?
A: Not necessarily. Your students will only have access to the interactive, online assessments with automatic grading if they have student subscriptions. If only the teacher has the subscription, then she may print off the practice tests on paper for her students to use.
Q: Can students use the APP when they are at home?
A: Yes! If they are granted access by their teacher to do so.
Q: How often are new passages, videos, and lesson plans released?
A: New passages, videos, and lesson plans are released the first of each month.
Q: How long do passages, videos, and lesson plans stay available?
A: All information is available from the time you register for your subscription. For example, if you register in August, you will have access to all months thereafter.
Q: Is ALL of the content contained in the APP TEKS-based?
A: Yes! Every passage, poem, drama, question, SCR, ECR, answer choice, poster, flashcard, daily lesson plan, virtual course, handouts, and reteaching lesson are ALL based on the TEKS. They are also all labeled with their corresponding TEKS so that you do not have to search for them.
Q: Is the APP available in Spanish?
A: Yes! All of the passages, poems, dramas, questions, and answer choices are available in Spanish.
Q: Is there an extra charge for the Spanish materials?
A: No! It is automatically included with every subscription.
Q: What styles and genres are addressed in the reading selections?
A: The selections are fiction, non-fiction, literary, poetry, and drama-based.
Q: Does the APP contain editing and revising passages and questions?
A: Yes! The APP releases editing and revising passages with questions and answer choices each month.
Q: Does the APP contain dual passages and questions?
A: Yes! The APP releases dual passages with questions and answer choices each month.
Q: What types of questions are included in the Teach BIG Resources APP?
A: EVERY type of tested question type is included in the TBR APP, including: multi choice, multi select, multi part, hot text, text entry, inline, match table grid, SCR, and ECR. The types offered are dependent on state requirements at each grade level.
Q: Does the APP contain an Answer Choice Analysis?
A: Yes! The APP releases an Answer Choice Analysis for every selection, question, and answer choice for the reading, editing and revising, and dual passages each month. Every answer is labeled as correct (super-supported with textual evidence) or as incorrect and denoted by the type of distractor it is. The distractors are different for reading answer choices than they are for editing and revising answer choices.
Q: How do I receive my students’ scores?
A: Automatic scoring of each student (who has a subscription and has been selected as YOUR STUDENT) is included and is reported to their teacher immediately.
Q: What tools are included in the Teach BIG Resources APP that also appear on the STAAR 2.0 Assessment?
A: The following tools are available as part of Phase 1 in the Teach BIG Resources APP: four highlighting colors (yellow, mint green, lavender, and orange), eliminator for incorrect answer choices, question toggle tabs, star icon when a question is answered, end test and submit button, all editing tools available during the typing input portion of the test, SCR typing box with character countdown from 475, ECR typing box with character countdown from 2300, and interactive notepad.
Q: Do you have TEKS Posters available to post in my classroom when I am teaching specific TEKS so that I do not have to make them?
A: Yes! They are in the teacher section of Level 1.
Q: Where can I find the corresponding printable handout for the Virtual courses?
A: They are in the teacher section of Level 3.
Q: Are there additional printable handouts that help me teach the various TEKS?
A: Yes! They are in the teacher section of Level 3.
Q: Is there an answer key if only the teacher has the APP?
A: Yes! The teacher will need to navigate through the assessment and click “Display Correct Answers.”
Q: Will I have access to my students’ scores?
A: You will have access to your students’ scores as long as they also have a subscription.
Q: How can I use the passages and questions if my students do not also have the app subscription?
A: You may print the passages and questions to use with your students only. Automatic grading will only be possible when the teacher and the students subscribe to the app.
Q: Is training available to teach my students and myself how to use the available tools with purpose?
A: Yes! It is called CONTENT 2 COMPUTER! We offer Student Training Camps and Teacher Training Inservices to share our daily curriculum and all of our trademark and copyrighted lessons, activities, chants, cheers, and acronyms. All of these work together in conjunction with the tools that students have at their fingertips on the day of the test. Call our office to see if we can come to you, or you can come to us, on a date that works for your campus. 281-549-4466
Q: Is training available to teach my campus how to use the Teach BIG Resources APP?
A: Yes! We offer complimentary 2-hour training (plus travel) for implementation of the APP to any school who purchases teacher and student subscriptions equalling 400 people and up.Call our office to see if we can come to you, or you can come to us, on a date that works for your campus. 281-549-4466
Q: Is training available for my district to help us use the Teach BIG Resources App?
A: Yes! Simply call the Teach BIG office to schedule an in-person or virtual training regarding how to use the amazing Teach BIG Resources APP!
Q: How can I bring a Student Training Camp to my campus?
A: Call the Teach BIG office to schedule a date that’s perfect for your school’s schedule. No subs required! 281-549-4466
Q: How can I schedule a Teacher Inservice at my campus?
A: Call the Teach BIG office to schedule a date that’s perfect for your school’s inservice schedule. 281-549-4466
Q: Where can I go for additional in-person training?
A: Teach BIG offers in-person training in three different manners:
Q: Do “annual” subscriptions run for a calendar year or a school year?
A: An annual subscription runs a full calendar year from the date of purchase.
Q: What is the subscription process?
A: You may choose month-to-month access or an annual subscription amount. The annual subscription amount provides one month complimentary. The annual rate (with the annual discount) will automatically be charged/invoiced on the annual anniversary, unless the subscription is canceled 30 days in advance. This is accurate for any level for which you register.
Q: What is released through June and July?
A: Passages and corresponding questions types, virtual teaching videos, and summer school/small group lesson plans are released through June and July.
Q: Do I have access to passages, videos, and lesson plans prior to my subscription start date?
A: Your access to your selected subscription level begins when your subscription begins.
Q: How do I receive previous content if I register late in the school year?
A: Previous content is available by month as an in-app purchase. For example: If you register in October and also want access to September’s passages and questions, videos, and other data, then that month will be available for the purchase price of a one-month subscription. All purchased month’s data will be available as long as you subscribe to the Teach BIG Resources APP.
Q: Can I raise my level of subscription?
A: Yes. You may increase your subscription level at any time. It will be effective at the first of the following month.
Q: If I have an annual subscription and raise my subscription to a higher level, will my annual renewal date change?
A: No. Your annual renewal date will remain the same as when you registered for the subscription.
Q: Are passages, videos, and lesson plans released during the summer months?
A: Yes! They are designed for summer school target groups and planning-ahead purposes.
Q: Will archived materials from previous years be available?
A: Yes! Archived materials will become available beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. Pricing for the archived materials is not yet set.
Q: How updated is the Teach BIG Resources APP?
A: The TBR App is as up-to-date as the TEA website and time to develop/change allows. The benefit of using our APP is that any change I make is automatically updated. All you need to do is log-in or refresh your APP! We will also post any sizable changes on our social media
Q: If I’m a parent, can I use the app with my child at home?
A: Yes! This is an excellent way to practice and prepare your child for all the question types and tools that will be available in a true testing situation for your child’s grade level.
Q: If I am an administrator, will I be able to see multiple classes of students and their scores?
A: Yes! You will have access to all students and classes under your supervision.
Q: Will I be able to see exactly in which TEKS each student needs to focus?
A: Yes! Individual Student TEKS Analysis will be available in Phase 2, set to be released in August 2023.
Q: Is text-to-speech an available accommodation?
A: Text-to-speech will be available in Phase 2, set to be released in August 2023.
Q: Is read-aloud an available accommodation?
A: Read-aloud will be available in Phase 2, set to be released in August 2023.
Q: Is a built-in Dictionary an available accommodation?
A: A built-in Dictionary will be available in Phase 2, set to be released in August 2023.
Q: Am I able to see how long my students took to take an assessment?
A: Timing and tracking tools will be available in Phase 2, set to be released in August 2023
Q: What should I do if my video (only in Level 3) doesn’t load?
A: Email app@teachbig.com
Q: Who should I email if I need assistance?
A: Email app@teachbig.com
Q: What is your contact phone number?
A: 281-549-4466
Q: Who owns the copyright to all of the passages, articles, poems, dramas, pictures, and depictions contained within the Teach BIG Resources APP?
A: Teach BIG/Randi Whitney owns all copyrights to information contained within the TBR APP. All Federal copyright and trademark laws apply to the information contained within.
Q: Can I share my login information with other educators?
A: Your login information is yours alone. You may not share it with others.
Q: How many devices can I login into with my login information?
A: You are granted access with your login information on 3 devices (phone, tablet, desk top computer, etc.).