Our class does the typical math assessments. We do homework and we check it in a few ways. Sometimes we go around and stamp all the homework for completion, sometimes we do homework quizzes (the students keep the homework on their desks and we tell them to copy down exactly what they have for a few problems) or we collect it as a big packet on the day of the chapter test. We do about 2 quizzes before every unit test to give us a feel for how the students are doing. As said before, we do unit tests. Finally we sometimes collect group work to look over.
I think my biggest issue with our assessment is that we're not consistent. There's no telling when we'll check homework or how we'll do it. I believe that students need to be accountable for their homework because it's impossible for them to ask questions about it if they don't do it. They also can't tell where they are confused if they don't do the homework. It's easy to say you understand a concept when the teacher goes over it, it's another thing to actually do it on your own. With that being said, we have so many issues with our class outside of the math room that we can't penalize our students for not being able to do their homework every single night. Things happen, I get that. So how do we hold kids accountable without punishing them for not always being able to get it done? And how do we assess the homework to make sure kids are really giving their best effort and not just giving up when they are confused?
Aside from that, I'm pretty content with the way we assess our kids (I just wish they did better on our assessments). The only thing I would change would be that the teachers get to create the EOCs, not anyone else. Like Patrick said, kids need to get used to how one teacher writes tests and quizzes. I think it's unfair to have the EOCs be mandated to be 25% of their grade. Not to mention, from what I've heard, they test them on the weirdest things, emphasizing things we disagree with and brushing over what we believe are important concepts. Ideally, teachers would be required to give their students an EOC worth 25% of their grade, but the teachers would write them. Let's be real, that's how it works in college and aren't we supposed to be preparing our kids for college?
I agree with your EOC writing thought. Also I know you have some crazy things going on in your classroom but what "things" prevent your kids from doing their homework besides serious circumstances
ReplyDeleteA lot of our kids work a lot (either to support themselves or their families or even their expensive lifestyles) or some kids are so wrapped up in extra curricular activities or other various things that they just often times don't do their homework. I know that personally, if I've had a bad day or something like that, homework is the last thing I want to be forced to do so I don't really blame them. It's funny how many kids will come to class and beg us to check the homework when they've actually done it. It's great to know they're doing it, I just wish they'd do it more often.
DeleteI am also pondering this topic of not being able to get to their homework. How much of a grace period do we give our students? I think the students need the structure of completing homework. I also have students who may not do their hw all the time and then every once in a while come to me asking if we will be checking their homework because they did it.
DeleteI've never heard of homework quizes and someone else talked about them. Do you like those or find them useful? For my students homework isn't the best option. They may not have the resources that other students have (parents with a college education or internet) to get help with homework.
ReplyDeleteNo, to both questions. It's a good way to see if the kid is actually doing the homework, just copying down the answers from the back of the book or simply just not looking at it. So in that sense it's good. However, the whole point of homework is for assessment purposes and it takes the focus off of comprehension and puts it on doing work. Not to mention we've caught so many kids cheating on these homework quizzes that it's just silly. I'm not really sure I have a solution to the problem but I don't think I'll be using them in my classroom.
DeleteThis is an interesting string of comments about your assessment post. Has anyone tried student self-assessments? Wondering if you have found it useful and, importantly, if your students have found it helpful?
DeleteAgain, formative assessments that people have used that have been productive?
I haven't tried any formal student self assessment. I try and get a feel for how they feel about a concept after we've reviewed it for a while. I ask them for thumbs up/middle/down but haven't done anything written.
DeleteI also find formative assessments productive and useful. It lets me know which kids are motivated enough to study, I can usually tell which ones are doing their homework, and gives me a general feel for how well they understand the material.
I can agree with Caitlin in her response to Kim that I am not a fan of homework quizzes. Students can easily cheat, they eat up time while they copy down work they already did, and it only serves as glimpse into their efforts on their homework.
ReplyDeleteCollege teachers do write their own assessments, but each teacher may have different way to word questions and different expectations on the test. Students ultimately need to be able to read material and solve problems in a variety of contexts. So, I am not completely sold on making the exam too predictable (thats not the word I really want but I can't think of alternate). There should be a balance of comfort and challenge on our assessments. Now, I am most definitely agreeing with there are some huge down-falls to the state mandated EOC's.
I like that you do 2 quizzes before a test. That is a great idea. I think I want to use that. It really does give you a feel for whether or not they are getting it.
ReplyDeleteI like the two quizzes before the test as well. We do the same thing which gives us a good idea if the understand however, we do the second quiz right before the test and I am not a fan of that. It seems like having tests two days in a row is a little much.
ReplyDelete