Common Sense Media’s CEO and cofounder, James Steyer, unveiled its latest platform for reviewing education-related apps and products. Graphite is an online database of product reviews that provides ratings for on educational apps, games, and websites.
Common Sense's "expert" ratings will rank products from zero to five on three characteristics: engagement, pedagogy, and support. It also includes notes such as what products are "Great For" and "Great With." The platform allows teachers to submit their own ratings and "field reports" or commentaries on products, as well.
Graphite also has a social component that allows users to create their own profiles, follow other users and message each other through the site.
Through its rating system, Common Sense hopes to make it easier for teacher to use technology, talk to other teachers to share ideas, and map their tools to the Common Core. The platform is free to use. Steyer said he hopes it will attract teachers who currently use technology in their classrooms and those who want to learn how. The platform will only be as good as the community using it, said Steyer, who urged his ISTE audience to help build out the site.
