Frequently Asked Questions
How can I obtain the program?
Morning Check-In is free to classroom teachers K-8 for a limited time. Request a free subscription using the form on the "Contact" page. Specify the number of students in your class and a title for your classroom website. We will email you a setup link and an onboarding video that shows how to get your classroom started in under 5 minutes.
​
If you pilot in a classroom and like the results, we are happy to supply logins for the entire school. We can also demonstrate the program to your school staff, in person or over zoom.
How do you protect student privacy?
The short answer is: Anonymity.
​
The teacher assigns each student a number. Only the teacher knows who each number refers to. Our software does not ask for any information about students or teachers and does not read information from school systems.
​
We protect the anonymous survey data on a secure server and abide by all FERPA and COPPA laws. We belong to the Education Cooperative's Massachusetts Student Data Privacy Alliance (SDPA), have earned Education Framework's highest privacy rating of 5, and will gladly sign individual privacy agreements with school districts. You can view our Privacy Policy here.
Who created the program?
Morning Check-In and other Topical Storm survey and writing apps were created by elementary school teachers in Massachusetts, Vermont, Minnesota, and Indiana, along with an Assistive Technology Specialist, a researcher at the University of California at Berkeley Teaching and Learning Lab, and a software developer.
Where has it been used?
The writing tools were tested in over 30 classrooms Grades 3-6 in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Minnesota. Morning Check-In has been used in over 40 classrooms in Massachusetts.
What devices does it run on?
The program is web-based. It runs in a browser and requires an internet connection. It works best on Chromebooks and laptops with the Chrome browser.
​
It’s harder to use on iPhones because of the small screens. It has not been tested on iPads.
Does it integrate with Google Classroom or other LMS?
Morning Check-In is a standalone app with no connection to other systems. This is on purpose: It gives teachers complete control over who can access the data.
NEXT: Contact us and get a free subscription
