This is how I feel about tests – they are a quick and easy way to evaluate the success of a unit and assess student knowledge. However, they are difficult for a lot of students to take. I decided to make the quesitons portion of my test fairly simple, with just a few tricky options that require careful reading. I also offered three essay questions for students to choose from (which they got on Monday) and allowed them to write an outline or draft of their essay that they could use during test time.
To review for the test, I created a flash card game to play after students completed and turned in their John Adams’ packets today. I used the fill in the blank and multiple choice questions from the test to create note cards of terms that could be paired with another card with a definition on it. To play, I distribute enough matching cards to the students and then they mingle to find their match. Of course, to make this the best learning experience it could be, students should try to think of what would be written on the card they are looking for. Also, when they approach another student and discover that they are not their match, they should try and say what card that other student is looking for. This gets them to encounter more terms, and I think students learn or remember best when they have to try and come up with it on their own. After everybody has a match, they go around the room and the person with the definition reads their card and then the teacher can call on people to guess the answer. The student with the term card can then say what it is and if that person is right. I brought in cookies as another form of motivation for playing this game.
In CE9, students were required to have chosen a topic for their Speak essay. It was our goal to get around to all students in these classes to ensure they have chosen an accomplishable topic, fitting for the requirements of the essay and also for their writing level. Students needed a lot of help formulating thesis statements and ideas for “how” to begin writing. We’ve offered graphic organizers as a tool, but I gave several other tips to students and then asked if they understood what I was saying. I didn’t move on to another student until the one I was talking to had a clear idea of what to do next. This was very time-consuming and somewhat exhausting (lots of talking) but it is obviously worth it and was necessary as I discovered some of the students’ questions.
