Useful but needs improvement
While this app does allow me to enter pieces of documentation and assign preliminary levels, it has several flaws in my opinion. First, there is no way to adjust the date of the documentation to a date other than the current one, so I cannot accurately enter older notes. Second, the app can only access the camera and microphone, NOT the photo library. Totally useless for my purposes of trying to attach photos I already have. It is designed to capture things only in the moment they are happening, which is absolutely unrealistic for me; I use devices to do “teacher work” during naptime only, NOT while being present and attentive with the children in my care.
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Response from developer
Update: We are happy to share that we have launched a new App that addresses some of the concerns you noted. You can download the new Teaching Strategies Teacher App at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/teaching-strategies-teacher/id1663286926 Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We value your suggestions for improvement. The ability to use photos stored on the device is on our current roadmap, so stay tuned! If there is anything further we can help with, please email us at techsupport@teachingstrategies.com.
Helpful, but plenty of room for improvement
There is no way to add documentation using photos already stored on the mobile device OR to edit the date of the documentation, so can really only be used in a VERY on-the-spot way. I downloaded the app because I was so disappointed with recent changes to the website format, and this is different but equally disappointing. It does work, though!
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Embarrassing
I’ve been using gold and teaching strategy for years. At this point it is so embarrassing that the app has not improved. The app should look like and should function just like the website. It should be easy and should have as many features as the website. I downloaded the newest version of the app and it has not improved at all. When I start a new observation, I still cannot attach pictures and videos from my camera storage on the phone. I still don’t trust the system to take the picture and store them in the app until I use them for the observation/ anecdotes. ( Bad experiences) Plus I use those pictures for other things, therefore I need them on my Camera storage. The app doesn’t give me the option to download the pictures from the app later. many districts (including mine) are paying for creative curriculum, so the company should put more effort to have the app user-friendly and quick functioning. Even on the website, it takes very long time to upload videos ( 30 seconds videos). I am disappointed.
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Response from developer
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We value your suggestions for improvement and apologize that the App has not met your expectations. These items are on our current roadmap, so please stay tuned! Thank you.
Horrible
Every time I use the app it seems there are issues. Now the app won’t let me attach one kid to the notes. So if he is in the group note I have to wait and add him from the website. Waste of my time. And I called yesterday and the guys solution was to get another device and take pics of my notes then upload from that device. Really??? That’s the best he can offer??? How is that possible??? How about figure out why I can’t use the app for one of my kids??? It’s a pain.
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Needs updating
I first used this app in 2010. Without the ability to add photos and videos from your camera roll it’s useless. You can make quick documentation, but you have to go into the desktop to edit and add photos and videos. It’s double work. The camera feature within the app is laggy. I just downloaded the app today and it still looks like the same old app. Teachers are too busy to do double work.
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Needs improvement
It’s good for the most part. I would love if we could upload an image from our phone instead of taking a picture directly in the app. (So we can have a hard copy as well for other projects)
Other than that I do like this for easy access to documenting children. It makes it easier instead of having to do it at the end of the day or rushing at the end of the week.
I would definitely give you five stars if you could make the picture thing happen.
Other than that I do like this for easy access to documenting children. It makes it easier instead of having to do it at the end of the day or rushing at the end of the week.
I would definitely give you five stars if you could make the picture thing happen.
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Response from developer
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We value your suggestions for improvement and will take these under consideration.
Lots of issues
I have had a very difficult time using the app on the iPads. They had issues taking passwords and then sending things to the cloud. It is not on one single iPad but two different iPads plus a phone. Never had these issues las year
Stay logged in
You should be able to stay logged in all the time. Recently the app won’t let me play a video I have taken. I click on the video and you see where you can press play, but only for a split second, then it goes back to the screen that has the still shot of the video and Notes/Name/Objectives. Also, the app tends to close after you’ve taken a one minute video. Sometimes I need to take several videos in a row and that glitch makes it difficult.
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Doesn’t save your password
The app itself works great once it’s open, but the fact that you have to manually log in each time you open it is extraordinary frustrating. I have missed so many documentation moments because I have to log in. Yes it is still easier than uploading a photo on the website, but it still needs some work. Now this wouldn’t be an issue if you could upload photos from your device to the app so you could take photos in the moment and upload when you have time to log in. Either way this is a bug that needs to be fixed.
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GOLD Documenting
This app is working well. I am able to take pictures quickly and write/type notes to remember and assign objectives. I also remember moments.
One thing I was thrown off by was having the camera pop up right away. I might like it if the app opens without the camera popping up right away.
One thing I was thrown off by was having the camera pop up right away. I might like it if the app opens without the camera popping up right away.
Can’t Add Pictures Already Taken
I like this app a lot. However I have some pictures of documentation I have already taken, outside of the app and I cannot add them easily. I have to either email the pictures to myself and download them onto my computer and then upload them to the site. It just isn’t convenient. If there was an option to add already taken pictures to this app, I would rate it at 5 stars.
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Sync camera with app
I love using the app for anecdotals but would love to see a way to do quick access-children sometimes move on to other activities before we can sign on and make the note so no picture can be taken-we would like to be able to transfer video and picture from the camera on iPads to the app-it is quicker to snap a pic quick with the iPad camera but then we can’t load it to the child’s profile
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Frustrating
This app could be easier to use. There are aspects that could be simplified and I have recently lost documentation from the app. Viewing the levels could be smaller or easier view. It logs me off to quickly and I have to log back on constantly. The amount of clicking I have to do to get to a specific window is ridiculous. It’s a classic case of wanting to make things simpler but instead they made it harder. Some suggestions include name recognition or even face recognition. After you add a kid into your class the app could recognize the name when you write it in the notes and add the student. The fact that you can only take a 60 second video is super annoying. In short if I had the option to use another app I would. just sending the review was frustrating.
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Seriously
I’m a preschool teacher and we use this program in our facility. It’s a very useful tool to have when assessments are needed. My only complaint is the lack of attention to detail in making this tool easier!! Why is there no option to upload directly from the gallery on the phone?? This app would definitely be worth 5 stars if it had the option to directly upload the millions of photos I take from my phone!!
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Needs improvement.
The concept of this application is intended for it to be easier, faster, and more convenient to enter anecdotal notes onto the GOLD platform. However, this application does otherwise. Here are a few cons you will encounter:
-Logging in is not smooth and efficient. It will take anywhere up to 20 seconds. If you are trying to record or take a “in the moment” picture consider gone. The application will automatically sign you out after a few minutes of inactivity Fingerprint sign in is not available.
-you are unable to load pictures or videos from your phone.
- any pictures or videos are not automatically saved on your phones camera roll. Any glitch or accidental deletion and your most precious anecdotal proof is gone.
- Currently there seems to be a glitch. You can enter the notes and dimensions through the application, however once you view the documents online either of the following will happen:
Your video/picture is MIA on both your phone and the desktop.
And/or
Only one dimension went through.
-When choosing the dimensions that have jpg example, you can not view the examples.
-Logging in is not smooth and efficient. It will take anywhere up to 20 seconds. If you are trying to record or take a “in the moment” picture consider gone. The application will automatically sign you out after a few minutes of inactivity Fingerprint sign in is not available.
-you are unable to load pictures or videos from your phone.
- any pictures or videos are not automatically saved on your phones camera roll. Any glitch or accidental deletion and your most precious anecdotal proof is gone.
- Currently there seems to be a glitch. You can enter the notes and dimensions through the application, however once you view the documents online either of the following will happen:
Your video/picture is MIA on both your phone and the desktop.
And/or
Only one dimension went through.
-When choosing the dimensions that have jpg example, you can not view the examples.
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Gold Documentation
I love being able to document using my phone. My phone recently crashed and my Gold app was deleted thus deleting all of the document I had stored but not entered. I wish I could access all those pictures and videos from my iPad but the app (when logged into the same account) doesn’t allow you to see a video you’ve recorded on your phone from the same app on your iPad. It’s very frustrating. Also, I notice when I use my phone and I’m recording a video, once it gets to the 1 minute mark and I try to record another video, the app crashes. I have to completely restart the app.
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Super helpful
I love being able to document on the go and have the date logged automatically. I agree with the other reviewers that we should be able to stay logged in during our full session with kids so we don’t miss out on opportunities to document while taking the time to log in.
App Likes
The app is awesome and is very handy especially for myself because time gets away from me and so it’s quick and easy to just get it in there and you can finish rating it later. I do wish you can stay logged in, because you will never know when you need to take a picture or add anything. Downloading from your personal phone would be awesome especially if not logged it at the time of picture needed.
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Could be better
I enjoy taking pictures of my students/work samples and observations with this app and being able to rate it and upload it easily. What I don’t like is that the picture is the notes you add or only reachable on the device you used. It would be much more useful if I could take pictures on multiple devices and access them using my login and password from any device.
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Could be much better and easier to use
It is difficult to use this app when I need to log in each time I click the app. By the time I log in to document, The activity has already finished at certain times. Especially when wanting to do a picture or video documentation. Would be nice to add fingerprint ability to log in faster! Or be able to upload pictures already taken from your phone or tablet!
I enjoy being able to place children from the app once I have entered a documentation and choosing kids is easy.
I enjoy being able to place children from the app once I have entered a documentation and choosing kids is easy.
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