Woodburn Press - This Way to Good Grades

Frequently Asked Questions

What is This Way To Good Grades?

This Way To Good Grades is a new interactive study skills program that is delivered over the Internet. It covers the same content that is in our best selling book, How to Get Good Grades in Ten Easy Steps. But now, instead of reading about how to improve their study skills, students can improve their skills through engaging, interactive activities.

What information is included in This Way To Good Grades?

Skill Modules

Students learn how to improve their study skills in the following 8 areas: Organization, Time Management, Notetaking, Reading a Textbook, Class Success, Studying Smart, Actions and Attitude, and Test Taking

Each of the 8 skill modules show students how to improve their study skills through graphics, exercises, and activities. The initial use of each module can be completed in one regular class period.

Intro Module

An Intro module introduces students to what they will learn in This Way To Good Grades, and it gives them an opportunity to try out the interactions they will find later. In the Intro module, students also build their caricature.

Summary

When all of the activities in a module have been completed, students come to a Summary Page. This page provides the student - and the student’s teacher, counselor, and/or administrator - with a summary of the student’s responses in that module. This self-reported information provides educators with a valuable tool to asses, counsel, and remediate students.

Action Plan

At the end of each module students develop an Action Plan. A student’s Action Plan is a listing of the specific behaviors a student plans to work on in that area. The Action Plan provides a way for students to develop and manage their own academic improvement plan. As students improve their skills in an area, they can revise and update their Action Plan - thus providing students with a way to continuously assess and improve their skills.

How is This Way To Good Grades personalized?

This Way To Good Grades puts the student at the center of their learning. The activities model effective academic behaviors. These activities then draw on the student’s experiences and habits to move from the abstract to the concrete, providing students with information they can put to immediate use. Students even build a caricature of themselves that follows them through the program - reinforcing the fact that the work they are doing is all about them.

Who is it for?

This Way To Good Grades is for middle and high school students at all skill levels. The program is self-guided and can be used by a class, a grade, or an entire school. This Way To Good Grades is great for all students - RTI to high achievers. It’s perfect for homerooms, study skills units and classes, resource rooms, and Title I programs. It’s ideal for any program, class, or situation that addresses how students can improve their achievement with better study skills.

How is the program purchased?

You purchase “Student Licenses" for the number of students you want to give access to This Way To Good Grades. If you want to make the program available to 200 students, you purchase 200 Student Licenses - one license for each student using the program. As with all our other products, there are quantity discounts.

How long do we have access to the program?

A student who has been assigned a license has unlimited access to this content for as long as he/she is at that school. Licenses are not interchangeable and they cannot be reused. Unused licenses can, however, be used the following year.

When can I order?
When will This Way To Good Grades be available?

The program has been launched, so it is available now and we are taking orders now.

Can I get a free sample trial?

View the free sample trial signup form. This educator trial covers 3 modules from a student's perspective.

What bandwidth is required to use this program?

A 1.5mbps connection (equivalent to a T1).

What devices does This Way To Good Grades work on?

Any computer that can run Firefox 3+, Safari 5+, or a Windows machine that can run Internet Explorer 7 or above. (IE6 is not supported.) Ideally, the computer monitor should have a resolution of 1024 x 768 or greater.

What administrative support will I receive?
How difficult is it to use?

You will receive a Set-up Guide and a User (Teacher ) Guide. The program is very intuitive and easy to use. Because This Way To Good Grades is delivered over the Internet, it requires no special on-site maintenance or IT support. To view the documentation now, click the documentation link on the main page.

Can students use this at home?

Yes. As long as they remember their password and the URL, they can use it anywhere.

What’s the reading level?

About 6th grade. For students who read below a 6th grade level, the graphics will help them understand and engage in the activities.

How do I set up my account?

Woodburn Press will send the contact person an email with the set-up information. For the account set up, we will need the school name, the contact person’s name and email, and number of student licenses purchased.

What information will I receive after my order is processed?
When will this information be sent to me?

An email will be sent to the school contact person when their account is set up. There will then be a link for the contact person to sign-in and set his/her password. Then they may add educators, classes, students, etc.

How does a student log in?

The first time students use the program, they go to the URL for This Way To Good Grades, create their account (user name and password), and enter the "class registration key" that has been provided by their teacher or counselor. (When teachers/counselors create a class, they are given a class registration key, which associates students with their class.) They will then see the modules they have been assigned. After that, students just go to the website and enter their password to log on.

What is the difference between "School" and "Single Educator" versions?

There are two versions of the This Way to Good Grades management tools. Their content and pricing are identical, they differ only in the way they are managed.

School Version:
The school version is designed to support multiple educators interacting with classes of students. The system requires an administrator who creates educator accounts.

Single Educator Version:
In the single educator version the educator plays the role of administrator and educator. Bringing the two roles together makes implementation by a single educator much simpler. A single educator account can be converted into a school account as you expand use of This Way to Good Grades.