Zach approached the creation of his app like a seasoned professional. He organized the phases of creation and implemented suggestions from several teachers and students to make a full functioning app.
Tampa, Florida (PRWEB) August 09, 2014
Tampa Preparatory School (http://www.tampaprep.org) is happy to announce that Zach Burmeister (Class of 2014 graduate and a member of the University of Denver's Class of 2018) has developed an iPad application, SmartTest Pro, that Apple has approved for inclusion in their app store. This app was developed as part of Tampa Prep’s 3# Project, a class project that seniors participates in every year.
Tampa Prep’s 3# Project allows seniors' class time to explore and learn an area of interest that they may not have had the opportunity to discover. Students use their own time, as well as class time, to research something that interests them. Burmeister realized an easier way for teachers to create tests using an iPad during Tampa Prep’s first year as an iPad one-to-one school. His app replaces the written bubble test format providing instant results on the test. In August 2013, Burmeister put his knowledge of C programming and Java to work as he began to develop the digital testing system of student and teacher apps with the assistance of teachers.
“Zach approached the creation of his app like a seasoned professional,” said Burmeister’s 3# Project teacher, Ryan Clements. “ He organized the phases of creation and implemented suggestions from several teachers and students to make a full functioning app that eliminates many testing concerns in the digital space.”
This set of apps is used together, so the teacher can connect students to the test. The students’ app has many features that bring awareness to cheating or navigating away from the test screen. Teachers are notified if students leave the app or if screenshots are taken of the test. Students are able to chat directly with their teacher during the test, so there is limited interruption to the rest of the students in the room. There is also a feature for students to “raise hand” and the teacher is alerted that a student has a question. The teacher’s iPad hosts the test like a server, so there is no additional hardware necessary which increases the security and accessibility of the app.
Kevin Plummer, Tampa Prep’s Head of School said, “It has been said ‘questions plus action equals innovation’, and Zach Burmeister’s app best exemplifies the fulfillment of this equation. We could not be more proud of Zach’s intellectual discipline, his relentless pursuit of perfection and success in creating a viable answer to ‘bubble’ test delivery, security and integrity. A significant achievement all before the age of 19.”
Tampa Preparatory School and another school in Tampa Bay who are currently using iPads in their classrooms for testing, will be testing the app before it is available on Apple’s App Store. With more schools moving in the direction of the iPad technology, there is an opportunity for this set of applications to become a staple of classrooms of the future.
For more information, please contact Communications Coordinator Katie Hehn at khehn(at)tampaprep(dot)org.
About Tampa Prep
Tampa Preparatory School is leading the way in education with our focus on what's best for students. Our independent, coeducational college prep school enrolls more than 600 students in grades 6 - 12. This year we celebrate 40 years as an institution that instills values of fairness, decency, honor, diligence and academic curiosity. Students receive unparalleled instruction from caring teachers at the school’s 150,000 square-foot complex located in the heart of downtown Tampa. Our vibrant school community offers a “preparation for life with a higher purpose than self” as students and faculty live our mission as a place to think, create, aspire to excellence and go beyond. Find out more at http://www.tampaprep.org.