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| QuoteFaster |
| posted by: Jill | August 31, 2011, 01:36 PM |
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Let's see if following anecdote takes you on a walk down memory lane: "I was watching my sister-in-law struggle to write a paper. She wasn't struggling with what to say, but with the physical process of writing. She was sitting at the kitchen counter trying to type a passage into her laptop, her elbow shakily propping open the book from which she was quoting. She was forced to look back and forth from the book to the screen; she'd lose her place; the book would slip and close; the whole thing was terribly awkward. I thought, 'There's really gotta be a better way to do that.' " Sound familiar? It was that experience which prompted David Rathbun to begin his journey towards easing the process of writing any kind of paper. The result is now QuoteFaster.com. According to Mr. Rathbun, "Our goal is to do for English students what the calculator did for math students: automate repetitive processes and allow students to focus on critical thinking and understanding concepts." The English teacher in me pondered thoughts of "What about the process?" "What about the art of the bibliography? The works cited page?" I decided to let go and agree with David—let's get our students focusing on the critical content of the paper being written. The tedious and repetitive work can be completed by a machine. So far QuoteFaster has about 40 titles available, mostly high school aged content. They will continue to expand the library as they receive feedback from educators and students on what is relevant to their curriculum. And don't fret, more features are coming, particularly ones which provide teachers with the ability to quickly tailor lessons to student needs and help students feel more comfortable participating in discussions. Take a moment to watch the demo video (play it in HD and full screen). Check out their blog, or follow them on Twitter and Facebook. My personal opinion? As this site continues to "grow-up" it will be more than just a novel idea, it can be a game-changer.
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