I love this app on my iPad, but think it should be a universal app because not every person can afford an iPad or iPhone, especially on a daycare teacher's salary. A lot of my co-workers have other tablets, but they miss out on these great benefits. My favorite feature is using the microphone to put in anecdotal so! So easy, so fast and mistakes are easily corrected! About the only things I would change, other than making the app available to other tablets,are the ability to save password and if you choose only one child's name you shouldn't have to click back and forth between screens. And I love not having to put the date in each time. I would certainly keep that attribute!

5 years ago, meliespy

Not useful

The idea of having an app for this assessment tool sounds amazing. But there are other assessment tools with better apps. This one needs a lot of improvement. For starters, it should stay logged in for a certain amount of time. Maybe having a feature where we can dictate how long we can stay logged in? Having to sign in all the time is annoying. Also, not being able to transfer photos into the app is frustrating. It’s so easy to take a photo with your phone or iPad. But then you can’t upload into the app. You’d have to email it to yourself or use an internet app to log into GOLD and then upload that way. That’s just too many steps, IMO. Also, I wish the app or the online system had something to show you examples of each objective. Pearson’s work sampling system has that option within every domain and sub domain. Teaching Strategies GOLD doesn’t offer that. As a teacher, we should have a booklet or a feature we can download online as a PDF which helps us figure out what evidence goes for what objective instead of having to go through all these steps to figure that out. I’ll be deleting this app for now until it gets some updating.

8 months ago, laszlovna

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.

3 years ago, Pitulia07

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.

4 years ago, Jngabe

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.

7 years ago, S. Ruwe

Awesome App!!!

I love using this app! It makes it so much easier to keep track of documentation. I do wish there was a way to take any videos and pics from my iPhone and upload them onto the app. I don't always remember to take the videos and pics while in the app. I can upload them onto my computer then upload them online but it's a lot of extra steps. This would be especially helpful when I don't have an Internet connection. Also, I would like for the app to stay logged in for a period of time. It takes extra time to log in over and over throughout the day and I sometimes miss the interaction that is happening because of it. Overall, a very helpful tool.

3 years ago, A.L.Teach.Lot

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.

8 years ago, Brooko8611

Good but needs an update

The app is really helpful as a tool to collect and assess data quickly. The app is very simple and easy to use. There are two improvements that need to be made; the video camera and login. When the video camera is in use it is blurry. This is not the case when it is on the camera only function, only with the video camera. I also do not like that the video stops at one minute of recording. Secondly, it is a little frustrating when I have to login every single time that I open the app. Not sure of a solution but I would like those issues to be fixed. Thanks!

7 years ago, 1styearprekteacher

Life saver

This app is amazing. I was writing down all my notes on a notebook before and I am not a fast writer. I felt like it took away from the interaction and then when I got home I had to type everything in online. Now with the app I can use the microphone and it types it for me and I select the child and it saves it. I usually don't take the time in the moment to select the objective, I do that later in the evening I go through and select the objectives and upload them to the website. Soooo much easier!!!

7 years ago, Mzlinnie

Good app

I've used gold since it came out but just got an iPad so I can use the app this year. Love that I can take observations on the fly and the voice works amazing! Changes I would make would include being able to leave it logged in so that during my four hours of preschool I wouldn't have to login repeatedly. I would like to be able to add two pictures to an observation if necessary. I would like to use fewer clicks to put an observation like clicking on kids names twice for example. And finally I like to do on the spot observations with the on the spot tool and maybe there's a way that I'm just not figuring it out. Thanks for listening.

5 months ago, PreK Teacher Emily

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.

12 months ago, ninjiagurl

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.

8 years ago, Eastlake8

What up with submission???

I be been enjoying everything about using my iPhone to submit my teacher strategies information. My only concern is that in submitting it transfer fine, but the real issue comes when opening it up through my computer it seem to the the names being use and that's not good for me. It causes me to go back through it. "What's up with that???? " can you figure out how to control that? Otherwise, I will have go back using the old set up. Thanks Eastlake8

8 years ago, PJMezz

Ambivalent

This app can sometimes be very helpful, especially for anecdotes that have a photo. A couple of things make it very frustrating. One is that I often have trouble logging in. On many occasions, after repeated inability to sign in, I have had to delete the app and re-download it. Also, the date for the anecdote is always the same date that you take the picture. Sometimes I take a picture of a child's are on a different day, but I don't have an option to change the date. Lastly, putting a preliminary level is very time-consuming, requiring many different clicks.

5 years ago, pilimai

Good... Could be better

Overall, this app does everything I need it to do... But I would like to see more features... TouchID (to log in quick to capture moments missed as I type my login and password) upload pictures from my phone (mostly b/c it’s quicker to snap a pic from my phone - I know that I could upload from the website - but that takes long - It would be nice to have that an option from my iPhoto to send to TSG app), download photos (sometimes there are great photos I want to print - I don’t want a screen shot) , see my lesson plans, Intentional Teaching Cards cards/assess, Mighty Minutes cards/assess

5 years ago, serenity826

Better than the website

I’ve used Gold since its beginning. I prefer the app to the website for inputting documentation but it can still use some improvements. For some reason I can no longer use the video option for observations. When I select this option it freezes up It doesn’t save the pics to my camera roll and I can’t upload pictures from my roll, both of which would be very useful.

2 years ago, A.nonomus

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.

8 years ago, ScrabblingForever

Latest update erased photos and videos!

The latest update has deleted photos and videos I had stored on the teaching strategies app. Poof they're gone with the update. This is just plain wrong in so many ways. Please fix this so that it does not happen in the next update and possibly restore what was lost! Another suggestion is to give the option to be able to save/download photos from the app/website. Sometimes I need to use these pictures for other purposes. It's difficult to continuously take pictures of the kids so these pictures serve more than one function for me and I am sure for other teachers as well.

5 years ago, been in this a long time

No too great

When you have the training you come back ready to fight fire with a gas fire hose-then you get into the app. It is great to have it portable (on the IPad) but it times out too soon, you have to go here, there and everywhere to find places documentation will fit and then once there, the sub titles under the headings don’t always align to the observation though I know my kids are meeting a particular objective. And I just hate that the whole assessment it subjective; I may see something and know the skill of a student better than someone else who may see something totally differently. This just isn’t my favorite assessment tool and for what it costs, well there has to be something better.

8 years ago, Pictures up and gone

Lost forever???

App review Ok just added to frustration!! I wrote review and sent but told nickname taken. Fine but went to go to change nickname and review gone!!! Very frustrated pictures do not stay in picture when do update or have to immediately purchase new phone. Lost tons of picture data!!! Upload speed of pictures causes inability to document or you just can't at time. This is soooo frustrating!!!

5 years ago, lilbuttafly07

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.

5 years ago, Mama 0f 4

Would love to see upload from camera roll option!

This app is great in theory since a phone is so easy to have on hand in the classroom. My most difficult issue is that I often take a number of photos while observing and don’t have time to fiddle with the app (logging in, adding notes, etc.). I’d love a choice to later go in and upload photos/videos from my camera roll. And I’d love for it to have an option to stay logged in. That extra step every time I open it makes it too time consuming to do on the spot recording.

6 years ago, Teacher&MomOf3

Not user friendly for early childhood teachers

This app was not created by someone who is familiar with an early childhood classroom. 1) The app logs itself out way too often. How am I supposed to tell a 4 year old to "wait" so I can log back in and then wait again to let it sync data? 2) Occasionally the app will decide not to log in at all and has randomly deleted all pieces of evidence that were stored. 3) The app will only log in when connected to wifi. If wifi is down, I can't use app to take photos or any other evidence with the intent of uploading later. 4) Within the app I need to be able to upload photos and videos from the iPad's camera to help resolve my problems 1, 2, & 3. 5) When entering one piece of evidence tied to one child and one objective, I have to click FOURTEEN times. Who has time for that in an Early Childhood classroom?? 6)Within the app I need the ability to change the date on the evidence. With all that said, I have to say at least the app is better than the website!!

8 years ago, moeweck

I used to love this app but I keep continually losing data because the app won't open. Which is ridiculous since that's why I have the app!!! I try to upload immediately but that is not always practical. Also I love the fact that customer service had email after email to try to prove it was user error but when it became apparent that is was a glitch, I stopped getting responses and had to figure it out on my own which of course meant deleting and retrying. Please fix this soon as it seems to be getting worse

8 years ago, minestrone11

Responsive and Very Useful

This app is a great complement to my head start classroom. It makes it very easy to tag Holden and assign preliminary levels based on the documentation you take. I especially like how photos and notes are cached according to date, so when I upload them later they still have the correct date attached. My few issues include a desire to use photos from the camera roll as documentation as well as a less blurry camera view. Otherwise a great app!

2 years ago, Mr. Qavin

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.

3 weeks ago, lfnowak84

Decent documentation resource

I like that I can sign in and take photos/videos/notes of my kids throughout the day. I do like that I can add objectives and levels at the same time I take the photo/video/writing documentation. The app does log me out when the app closes though. It’d be helpful if this app allowed us to upload our own photos we take from our camera roll. Sometimes we can’t capture the moments quick enough because we are signed out of the app.

3 years ago, bpclass

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

7 years ago, Kilynett

A really good app.

I like the convenience of entering data on the go. The only thing I would change is the picture portion. I would like to use the pictures outside of the app. For example, I did a group cooking activity and really wished that I hadn't saved the pictures in the app because I couldn't include them in my experience chart. I also took pictures of something my colleagues children were doing and couldn't figure out how to share it.

5 years ago, GreenAngelle

Problems that never get fixed

I’ve been using this app for a few years now and the same problems persist. Pros: can video/take pictures, write anecdotes, level and upload. Let’s me stay logged in somewhat longer. Cons: Way too many clicks to do anything, can’t share with parents, can only have one picture per entry, a bug makes it impossible to see what I am videotaping(for almost a month now), another bug makes the app crash when I try to take two videos in a row (has been since August) So it’s a nice idea, but needs better developers.

2 years ago, vlog gang

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

5 years ago, JollyJill1121

Liking most of it

Would really love to be able to add more than one picture or video through the app. I end up using a picture or video and then taking others with my phone and trying to find the time to add them later when I’m in the office. Time is short in the life of a parent educator, and adding in other documentation later uses up valuable time! All in all the app saves me a lot of time, so I am liking it!

6 years ago, :)<3 :):):)

Its good, but it can be better

It is really easy to document through the app, however it is constantly logging off, so by the time you log in again, the child probably stopped doing what he was doing. Also, it doesn't allow you to upload pictures o videos that you have previously taken with the iPad. Being able to upload pictures from the iPad would give this app a 5 star rating, because it would make our job so much better.

5 years ago, agdbckebagsvnt

Great app

I love how simple it is to capture moments and assess them right in the app. I wish it would stay logged in instead of having to log in everytime I open it. I also wish you could upload photos instead of just taking them in the moment. Since it always logs out sometimes I take photos and videos on my phone but I have no way to easily upload them from this app.

3 years ago, NenasTruthbetold

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!!

8 years ago, Fat Going

Fix it!

The app usually works, but now every time I press it to open, it just crashes. Also after I'm able to open it again, because I have faith that you'll fix that issue...maybe try working on a way to be able to group multiple pictures to one note, or gain access to photos so that they can be uploaded onto one note. P.s. The star rating is for how it usually works😏

5 years ago, Pre-k 2018

Upgrades needed

It would be convenient to use the same photo multiple times for different children. Some information/data that I would like to include to represent what is happening is often different for all the students in the photo. Also, if I move around my classroom, I often have to logout and login again in order to upload the data to GOLD. I will often get an error message when I attempt to upload.

7 years ago, Lamb25386

Ok app

This app has made my life easier good work and getting more observations in on the children in my care. My only complaint is that because I have children that live in different states in my classroom I have two separate accounts and I'm unable to toggle between the two accounts without logging out. This makes it especially difficult when I have children in each account interacting together I would like to do a group observation.

5 years ago, Rosalina749

Like it but,,

I like this app, I wish I knew there was an app for teaching strategies sooner. I just wish that the notes that I did on a desktop were also on this too, I usually put in all the notes I took first and then assess them, and it takes up a lot of time, but I seem to have no time to do them all. I know if I did them all through the app, it would be so much more easier, but now I still have to go through my desktop and edit them.

5 years ago, 1115 Jackie87

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.

2 years ago, Lvteecher

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.

9 months ago, Anime4eva

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.

3 years ago, renee-e

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.

6 years ago, Dfnkkghh

A picture is worth a thousand words.

I think the concept is great. When a photo shows what is happening, it saves me the time it takes to think through how to word the note and to type it in. That being said, logging in each time I want to take a pic is often time consuming and the ap is finicky. Sometimes it lets me in and others it does not.

5 years ago, Pokerchik

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.

6 years ago, cwalden9

It's okay...

I like the idea of this app. It would be helpful to be able to upload pictures from the camera on my phone onto the app. Also, it is a hassle to choose the objectives I need for each anecdote, then go back and forth between each individual objective to enter the dimensions. It is very time consuming. I also do not appreciate the removal of the science and social studies objectives on the app or the teaching strategies website.

7 years ago, KimR96

Love app, but..

I like it a lot better than computer bc when something happens l, I just whip my phone out. But, I just wish it showed the notes on the app so I could go and edit them. Like if I put a super long note in with like 20+ objectives in the computer and save it, I'd like to go on my phone and just punch all the scores in quickly instead of clicking. But it's great 😊

8 years ago, Sneakynix

Great app, but...

I love this app! It is so helpful to do documentation. I wish it would connect to my camera on my phone though, so I can upload photos from my camera roll. Also I wish that all devices could be linked, if I take pictures on my iPhone app I would like the be able to sign into my iPad app and see the same photos from my iPhone.

4 years ago, Jeanmariep

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.

8 months ago, ooooffffkkkk

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.

Description

Capture the moment—and set preliminary levels directly from the app! Teaching Strategies® GOLD® Documentation is a free app created exclusively for teachers using the GOLD® assessment system. It offers a fast, flexible, simple way for teachers to capture and send documentation to GOLD®. • Capture photos, videos, audio clips, and text notes. • Tag documentation with objectives, dimensions, and children’s names. • Assign preliminary levels for each piece of documentation. • Send data to GOLD® with one touch. Assess with confidence. Use your iPhone®, iPad®, or iPod touch® to capture photos, videos, audio clips and text notes. Tag documentation and assign preliminary levels. Use a wireless or cellular connection to send data directly to GOLD®. Log into GOLD® online to individualize and review documentation and share information with families. Security/Confidentiality To maintain security and confidentiality, all documentation captured in the app remains within the app until sent to GOLD®. Any photos, videos, or audio files taken within the app will not mix with your personal camera roll. Files captured using the app cannot be sent anywhere other than to GOLD®. Files captured using other apps cannot be transferred into the GOLD® Documentation app. Who Can Use This App This app is designed for use with the GOLD® online assessment system. Users must have a GOLD® account. The app is for teacher use only. Family users will not be able to log into the app. At this time, some Team members may not be able to log in to the app. About GOLD® The GOLD® online assessment system offers a streamlined, simplified way to conduct accurate, authentic, ongoing assessment of children’s development and learning from birth through third grade.