Preparing for the NJ ASK 3-8 - Classroom 2.02024-03-28T20:31:57Zhttps://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/preparing-for-the-nj-ask-38?groupUrl=somerspointteachers&xg_source=activity&feed=yes&xn_auth=noAbsolutely right on. We shoul…tag:www.classroom20.com,2009-06-27:649749:Comment:3578622009-06-27T15:52:10.350ZMark Penningtonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/MarkPennington
Absolutely right on. We shouldn't "teach to the test," but "teach with the test in mind." Teaching academic language, such as <i>analyze</i>, is vital. I have a short and sweet article on how to take standardized tests at <a href="http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/study_skills/how-to-take-tests/">http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/study_skills/how-to-take-tests/</a>
Absolutely right on. We shouldn't "teach to the test," but "teach with the test in mind." Teaching academic language, such as <i>analyze</i>, is vital. I have a short and sweet article on how to take standardized tests at <a href="http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/study_skills/how-to-take-tests/">http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/study_skills/how-to-take-tests/</a> Hi All.... now that testing i…tag:www.classroom20.com,2009-05-29:649749:Comment:3468272009-05-29T02:20:19.384ZMikehttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/Mike32
Hi All.... now that testing is over for another year.... some thoughts and questions......<br />
<br />
The Animal School: A Fable<br />
by George Reavis<br />
<br />
Once upon a time the animals decided they must do something heroic to meet the problems of a “new world” so they organized a school. They had adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.<br />
<br />
The duck was excellent in swimming. In fact,…
Hi All.... now that testing is over for another year.... some thoughts and questions......<br />
<br />
The Animal School: A Fable<br />
by George Reavis<br />
<br />
Once upon a time the animals decided they must do something heroic to meet the problems of a “new world” so they organized a school. They had adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.<br />
<br />
The duck was excellent in swimming. In fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to stay after school and also drop swimming in order to practice running. This was kept up until his webbed feet were badly worn and he was only average in swimming. But average was acceptable in school so nobody worried about that, except the duck.<br />
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The rabbit started at the top of the class in running but had a nervous breakdown because of so much makeup work in swimming.<br />
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The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he developed frustration in the flying class where his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of the treetop down. He also developed a “charlie horse” from overexertion and then got a C in climbing and D in running.<br />
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The eagle was a problem child and was disciplined severely. In the climbing class, he beat all the others to the top of the tree but insisted on using his own way to get there.<br />
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At the end of the year, an abnormal eel that could swim exceeding well and also run, climb and fly a little had the highest average and was valedictorian.<br />
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The prairie dogs stayed out of school and fought the tax levy because the administration would not add digging and burrowing to the curriculum. They apprenticed their children to a badger and later joined the groundhogs and gophers to start a successful private school.<br />
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Does this fable have a moral?<br />
Has testing improved education in your school and district?<br />
<br />
Note: This story was written when George Reavis was the Assistant Superintendent of the Cincinnati Public Schools back in the 1940s! It is in the public domain and free to use.<br />
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mike I use several methods to help…tag:www.classroom20.com,2009-04-01:649749:Comment:3193322009-04-01T21:03:37.474ZMark Olihttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/mo
I use several methods to help my students get ready for the NJ ASK. I like to augment my classroom training with programs that give realistic practice. My public library has subscribed to an Online Study Program called LumosTestPrep (<a href="http://www.lumostestprep.com">www.lumostestprep.com</a>). It is free for patrons of the library and I have asked my students to use this program. It gives them realistic NJ ASK practice tests and additional help.<br />
<br />
I have found that students that understand…
I use several methods to help my students get ready for the NJ ASK. I like to augment my classroom training with programs that give realistic practice. My public library has subscribed to an Online Study Program called LumosTestPrep (<a href="http://www.lumostestprep.com">www.lumostestprep.com</a>). It is free for patrons of the library and I have asked my students to use this program. It gives them realistic NJ ASK practice tests and additional help.<br />
<br />
I have found that students that understand the structure of the test and have practiced on their test taking skills do well.<br />
<br />
Good discussion!<br />
Mark In preparing the LRC Middle S…tag:www.classroom20.com,2009-03-10:649749:Comment:3068802009-03-10T15:56:15.364ZDave Lhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DaveLaut
In preparing the LRC Middle School students for the state test, I've found that modeling types of writing has been much more beneficial to the the students. For example if we're doing persuasive writing; I'll introduce and review what it is, go over what needs to be in a persuasive piece and then brainstorm a prompt and model an actual persuasive essy, step by step. Showing students everything from what goes in each paragraph, to using various transition words and making connections. Then…
In preparing the LRC Middle School students for the state test, I've found that modeling types of writing has been much more beneficial to the the students. For example if we're doing persuasive writing; I'll introduce and review what it is, go over what needs to be in a persuasive piece and then brainstorm a prompt and model an actual persuasive essy, step by step. Showing students everything from what goes in each paragraph, to using various transition words and making connections. Then students are given a new prompt where they need to complete a new essay independently. I do this with each type of writing within our curriculum (Persuasive, Speculative, Descriptive, Explanatory, etc.) and have found that the majority of students are producing far better writing pieces. I am at the Hess School almos…tag:www.classroom20.com,2009-03-07:649749:Comment:3048092009-03-07T22:07:37.448ZPatricia Carsonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/PatriciaCarson
I am at the Hess School almost every week and one thing they do that I think is great is give the students some phys ed related math problem to solve every week. It helps foster the idea that we are all in this together and that math is a necessary life skill not some school subject. Last year Tiffany had the fouth graders review geometry by creating geometry terms by teams. In other words she had two teams and she would tell them to form parallel lines or a right angle. We gave her a list of…
I am at the Hess School almost every week and one thing they do that I think is great is give the students some phys ed related math problem to solve every week. It helps foster the idea that we are all in this together and that math is a necessary life skill not some school subject. Last year Tiffany had the fouth graders review geometry by creating geometry terms by teams. In other words she had two teams and she would tell them to form parallel lines or a right angle. We gave her a list of vocabulary they needed and she turned it into a team building exercise. We accomplished two things at once. The kids loved it and I think it helped them to remember the terms. I couldn't agree more with Re…tag:www.classroom20.com,2009-03-06:649749:Comment:3042122009-03-06T16:00:56.995ZJeff Leekhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/JeffLeek
I couldn't agree more with Renee on the borderline students. We have many students who were just below passing, that with a little extra help they could be bumped up to passing. As a classroom teacher you have to cover the current CCCS that need to be taught by testing time, not the end of the year. Therefore I think it is very important to have these students receive extra help, to get them caught up and feeling confident by testing time. The only flaw with this is getting the kids to come. We…
I couldn't agree more with Renee on the borderline students. We have many students who were just below passing, that with a little extra help they could be bumped up to passing. As a classroom teacher you have to cover the current CCCS that need to be taught by testing time, not the end of the year. Therefore I think it is very important to have these students receive extra help, to get them caught up and feeling confident by testing time. The only flaw with this is getting the kids to come. We already struggle getting the BSI students to attend the programs, and now it is another group of students we will have to try to coax into coming. It is a shame it couldn't be required.<br />
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I do however think it is important to do some form of "test prep" with students. First they need, as many of you have said, exposure to the different types of questions, vocabulary, etc. They also need strategies to properly answer the different types of questions. I also think that "test prep books" or at least these types of questions are important for the kids to work on. A few weeks before the test we do block out time explicitly for "test prep". My understanding is that the tests are based on the CPI's which should all be "mastered". If by test time, as a teacher who has done frequent assessments, I realize that my students have not mastered a certain CPI, is it not my responsibility to re-teach this before the test? I feel not doing so is setting your students up for failure. Sarah, your class is somethin…tag:www.classroom20.com,2009-03-06:649749:Comment:3041682009-03-06T14:36:11.365ZDawn Bentivegnahttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DawnBentivegna
Sarah, your class is something that I refer to many times a month without you realizing it...sorry for not mentioning it earlier. I see many of the pieces you have the students create in the hall, then reference them at the appropriate time in class.<br />
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Just yesterday, we were learning the area of an irregular figure in the honors geometry class which requires using a grid counting approach. I reminded the students of how you teach them to use a grid with portraits and work within sections at a…
Sarah, your class is something that I refer to many times a month without you realizing it...sorry for not mentioning it earlier. I see many of the pieces you have the students create in the hall, then reference them at the appropriate time in class.<br />
<br />
Just yesterday, we were learning the area of an irregular figure in the honors geometry class which requires using a grid counting approach. I reminded the students of how you teach them to use a grid with portraits and work within sections at a time. The reference was very helpful for some. There are so many other times this happens when studying the geometry lessons with our seventh graders. Couldn't Sarah do an explanat…tag:www.classroom20.com,2009-03-06:649749:Comment:3041512009-03-06T14:07:01.864ZAdrienne Breitingerhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/AdrienneBreitinger
Couldn't Sarah do an explanatory prompt based upon a famous painting?...kind of like a picture prompt, but not really. She could discuss the painting with the students, like an art history lesson. She could tell the story of the painting. We could help make up an explanatory prompt that would fit with Sarah's lesson.
Couldn't Sarah do an explanatory prompt based upon a famous painting?...kind of like a picture prompt, but not really. She could discuss the painting with the students, like an art history lesson. She could tell the story of the painting. We could help make up an explanatory prompt that would fit with Sarah's lesson. Sarah I love this idea there…tag:www.classroom20.com,2009-03-06:649749:Comment:3039732009-03-06T00:47:36.577ZJennifer Luffhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/JenniferLuff
Sarah I love this idea there are definitely things classroom teachers and you as the art teacher could partner on. That would be so powerful. We should try a pilot in one grade to get it going. Research already shows how art enhances learning but tying that to writing or math would be so great. We should both start talking to classroom teachers to see how we could partner. In the younger grades it is often best for students to start their writing in pictures then add their text to that. Could…
Sarah I love this idea there are definitely things classroom teachers and you as the art teacher could partner on. That would be so powerful. We should try a pilot in one grade to get it going. Research already shows how art enhances learning but tying that to writing or math would be so great. We should both start talking to classroom teachers to see how we could partner. In the younger grades it is often best for students to start their writing in pictures then add their text to that. Could you work that into your math standards? Also tessellations, moving and flipping geometric shapes is a math concept that in some grades (5th) is not done much in Everyday Math. I am wondering if you could work that in?<br />
I love that you are even asking this question. If we are all working together our children will succeed! I know that sounds cheesy - but it is true! It isn't necessarily the test…tag:www.classroom20.com,2009-03-05:649749:Comment:3036212009-03-05T15:07:41.438ZLeslie Madisonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/LeslieMadison
It isn't necessarily the test questions that students have been struggling with, but more with reading and analyzing pictures and graphs. I feel like I am wasting some much paper even if I only copy a class set of questions and have the students put answers on a separate sheets a paper.<br />
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With reading and writing across the curriculum, I think a more universal consistent structure throughout all classes would results in higher test scores. In science we often write narratives with our lab…
It isn't necessarily the test questions that students have been struggling with, but more with reading and analyzing pictures and graphs. I feel like I am wasting some much paper even if I only copy a class set of questions and have the students put answers on a separate sheets a paper.<br />
<br />
With reading and writing across the curriculum, I think a more universal consistent structure throughout all classes would results in higher test scores. In science we often write narratives with our lab reports, and we tried current events for a while; unfortunately, those students who need the help rarely do their work no matter what persistent measure you take. Those students who do their assignments aren't the ones that are in need.