State Supported Platforms
Burlington English
Visit the Burlington English Website
- Proxy Hour Equivalent/Criteria for Awarding Proxy Hours: Clocktime is rounded off to the nearest quarter hour and multiplied by 1.25 to get the proxy hours which is added to the Burlington English monthly Proxy Report. Watch this SCREENCAST (with audio) for a demonstration.
- Proxy Hour Documentation: Proxy Report accessed HERE. *It's very important that when learners login to BE, they choose the correct option, either At School (when they're in a class/lab and you ARE taking seat time attendance) or Away from School (when they're away from school, at home, OR in school/lab, but you're NOT taking seat time attendance for them).
- Prerequisites: CASAS Baseline Reading score 151+, CASAS Baseline Listening score 171+; TABE Baseline Reading score 225+; basic digital literacy skills. See Placement Chart.
- Web-based: Yes
- Available on tablets/smart phones: Yes, here. It's not truly an app, but rather a mobile-friendly website. Some BE content is there currently, and more will be added soon. The original desktop app still has all of the BE content. Download Instructions for iPhone; download Instructions for Android; access CASAS practice on a mobile device.
- Access: Cost paid by Minnesota State ABE via Technology Aid. Additional seats can be purchased for $96 per annual seat, paid by individual programs. Contact Margo Hernandez for purchase information.
- Headphones/headset with microphone required. BE provides their own mics with seats - contact Margo Hernandez for information on mic orders. Students can also purchase their own, like this one.
- Superuser: Adam Kieffer
- Trainer: Margo Hernandez
- Recorded trainings: Access tutorials for Burlington English.
- How to access Burlington English via the company website (screencast).
- Resources:
- QUICK GUIDES:
- TEACHER RESOURCES:
- BEST PRACTICES:
- MOBILE DEVICES:
i-Pathways
- Proxy Hour Equivalent: 2 hours per lesson (including surveys and unit reviews).
- Criteria for awarding Proxy Hour Equivalent: Completed module, 70% recommended, verified by teacher.
- Proxy Hour Documentation: Watch this screencast (make sure your volume is up, or headphones on).
- Prerequisites: TABE reading score of 9 or higher to use this program independently, 8 to use as blended model, 7.5 to use in-class.
- Web-based: Yes.
- Available on tablets/smart phones: Yes, except for Apple devices.
- Access: Cost paid by Minnesota State ABE via Technology Aid.
- Providing orientation: Susan Wetenkamp-Brandt
- Superuser: Adam Kieffer
Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment
Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment Website
- Description: Ten online assessments are available to assess basic digital literacy skills in the following areas: Basic Computer Use, Internet, Windows Operating System, Mac OS, Email, Microsoft Word, Social Media, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Information Literacy.
- Proxy Hour Equivalent: Seat time should be used when administering assessments.
- Criteria for awarding Proxy Hour Equivalent: NA
- Prerequisites: None (assessments are designed for students levels 3-4 and above).
- Proxy Hour Documentation: NA
- Web-based: Yes.
- Available on tablets/smart phones: No.
- Access: Included in state purchasing contract.
- Superuser: JennaRose Bondeson
- Setting up accounts and providing training: support@digitalliteracyassessment.org
- Resources: Video: Overview and How to Use Northstar
Plato Learning Environment (Edmentum)
Plato Learning Environment (Edmentum) Website
- Proxy Hours Equivalent/Criteria for Awarding Proxy Hours: Clocktime, as per timeout setting provided by publisher; multiply the amount of clocktime recorded by 1.25, to account for teacher coordination with learner, and round to nearest quarter hour.
- Proxy Hour Documentation: Learner Daily Usage report. Use the times under the column, Total Time on Activities In Assignment, (not Total Time Logged In). Please watch this screencast showing how to run the report and use the Proxy Hour Award Formula spreadsheet.
- Prerequisites: Varied by content. Most suitable for high and/or high-intermediate ELLs and all L1 (US born) learners. For ELLs, CASAS Reading 221+ recommended, but not required.
- Web-based: Yes.
- Available on tablets/smart phones: Yes, it can run in mobile browsers, but limited activities can be accessed by learners. There's no dedicated app.
- Access: Included in state purchasing contract.
- Superuser: Susan Wetenkamp-Brandt
- Resources
- Just getting started? To request a new Plato site & Program Administrator account under the MNABE license, please complete this brief online form.
- Plato How-to Videos
- How-to create a custom course and add materials
- Plato Student Orientation Video
- How to Withdraw or Drop learners from a class in Plato (screencast with audio)
- Plato Course Alignment Chart
- Plato Login Sheet/Handout
- Support Information
- Support contacts (detailed document)
- Customer support can answer most questions: Call 800-869-2200 for support with Plato Courseware, or call the main Edmentum line 800.447.5286, then dial 9 (for customer support), dial 1 (for Edmentum/Plato), then dial 3 (to choose program help); or email Support@edmentum.com
- Help/Support site: https://support.edmentum.com
- For questions customer service cannot answer, contact Amy Dawson via email, or phone 214.294.9589
- HERE's a video showing how to change the settings to allow Flash to play automatically in Chrome for Plato.
- Additionally, here's Plato/Edmentum's support information on this issue: https://support.edmentum.com/4_General_and_Technical_Solutions/Google_Chrome%3A_Enable_Flash You'll need to paste in this text as an allowable site for Chrome to play Flash: [*.]ple.platoweb.com
- Firefox browser (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/) still allows Flash to run, so you could use that as well.
- On some mobile devices, like iPhones and iPads, all Flash content doesn’t play, so we suggest a free Flash-friendly browser such as Puffin, for both iOS and Android devices: https://www.puffinbrowser.com/mobile/
- HERE's a video showing you how to unlock students' tests.