Some things to think about:
What do schools do that don't have the technology to test the kids?
How do we teach students to take a test on a computer?
NPR story
Links to PARCC Field Tests
I know that several of you teach at the post secondary level but one of the big changes is taking place in MO is the introduction of the Common Core standards. With the change to Common Core we also get to move away from the MAP test (with much rejoicing from many - we are in the throws of MAP testing right now and it is NOT fun). There are several tests out there for the Common Core. Listen to the story from NPR and then take one of the sample tests. I looked at the 3-5 English test and I know that when I think of my 9 year old sitting down to take this test I am not sure how well it would go.
Some things to think about: What do schools do that don't have the technology to test the kids? How do we teach students to take a test on a computer? NPR story Links to PARCC Field Tests
37 Comments
Danell
11/16/2014 11:12:11 pm
One thing that our school is facing right now, is our computer screens only have one tower for two screens. In most of the SBAC questions in the ELA require sound. We have headphones which isn't the problem. The problem faces, how will the headphones work when two students need it. That is a really good question as to what school districts do to take the test on computers.
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Nicketa Coombs
11/18/2014 04:34:11 am
I'd also be very nervous because they're so young and easily distracted. I feel like they'd be overwhelmed before even starting the test so how can they even focus on correct answers?
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Katie Dietzman
11/19/2014 09:27:50 am
I agree that the young ones are easily distracted and overwhelmed. I remember middle nephew had ulcers going into the 3rd grade. Every year when math testing came around he would stress about his performance. Each year he was selected for the gifted program which made the pressure even worse. As I read through some of these post I keep coming back to the conclusion that technology is only as good as the person who is teaching it.
Johnna Goucher
11/17/2014 02:53:48 am
My students will be testing on computers this year and I am very nervous. This is all very new to them. They have had keyboarding classes and know the basics about the computer, but some students are still very intimidated by technology. I am not sure how testing is going to work out the first go around. Some students may not have any troubles and may even prefer testing on computers virus pencil and paper. Other students, who are easily distracted, may have trouble staying focused with so much going on around them. I think this will be a learning experience for everybody including myself.
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Nicketa Coombs
11/18/2014 04:40:54 am
''To each his own'' . What works best for one student may hinder another so it's rough to find one thing that works for all, nearly impossible. Integrating technology into schools that are not familiar with it is always a learning experience which is not necessarily bad. Judging or scoring students on tests conducted during this experience is what bothers me because I don't think those scores are reliable.
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Katie Dietzman
11/19/2014 09:30:43 am
I've noticed that several people posting have said they are moving to computerized testing. For those students who may not be up to the computerized test is a paper form test going to be an option for the first year? In the beginning the HiSet allowed students to choose how they took the first test.
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Aaron Shockley
11/26/2014 07:11:25 am
I think that it is going to be a different experience but I think that once this test is in place that they will be able to successfully take this test and be able to complete it without worry.
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Danell
11/18/2014 01:43:54 am
I am very nervous too. my students haven't had any keyboard or any of that so I am trying to teach them when I have free time. Can you imagine how often that is?!?
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Nicketa Coombs
11/18/2014 04:30:12 am
Growing up on a relatively poor island, most schools don't have a computer lab and the elite high schools that do really only have 50 computers for a school of over 1000 students. I didn't learn much about computers until I left Jamaica for college, I knew the very basics like typing and email. Even then it was still overwhelming and made me very anxious. Can you imagine adding testing to that? Sounds like a nightmare. This is what kids who live in 'poor districts' will have to deal with and I'm pretty sure their scores on these test would be lower than if they were more familiar with this kind of testing. I think computer courses can be used to get kids ready to take on these tests along with a lot of practice testing.
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Becky Windsor
11/22/2014 11:34:51 am
Nicketa, you made a very good point. Schools are being made to test students on computers, and not every school district has the capabilities to do this. For the schools who do not have much technology or computers due to budgets, their students don't have a lot of experience using technology, yet they will have to take the state test on computers. If schools are going to be required to test students then the govt. need to be sure and supply schools who cannot afford the technology with the proper equipment! Change is always going to occur, but there needs to be an equal ground for everyone to have a chance to be successful.
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Danell McCubbins
11/18/2014 12:17:08 pm
I couldn't imagine trying to take a rest on the computer that I know so little about and expected so much from. The thought of it makes me scared for my students. 75 more days until the standardized test, pretty scary to put it in that perspective.
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Rebecca Hartman
11/19/2014 11:14:18 am
The only test I took on the computer in middle/high school was the reading test which just told you what reading level you were at. It was a simple format and easy to manage, but some people had trouble reading on a computer screen because it hurt their eyes, but they had no other way to test them.
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Brian Calhoun
11/21/2014 09:31:18 am
A year ago when I took the Praxis test it was on a computer. We were not allowed any breaks and it was unlike any test I had ever taken. This added to the stress of the already stressful test. For the first few minutes, on a timed test, I was wondering if I was even doing it right. Students need more than 75 days to feel comfortable taking these kinds of tests.
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Kiefer Smith
11/23/2014 12:43:56 pm
75 days is nothing when it comes to learning. It does seem like a long time for learning but when you think about all of the time that is wasted due to different half days or missing day or the days that are blown because of unforeseen hurdles that happens due to different things 75 days is not enough. 50 minutes per class per day is not enough. There are most days when that 50 minuets feels like 5 and I don't feel like I taught my kids anything of worth in that short amount of time. Most of my students can't stare at the projector for too long without getting a headache I don't know how they will do sitting at a compute for a couple of hours.
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Aaron Shockley
11/26/2014 07:17:55 am
I agree the unknown is always the scary part of anything. Having standardize test based off the computer applications no matter how basic they are will still be a challenge. Teachers are going to be expected to teach students quicker so that they could pass the test.
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Katie Damgar
11/18/2014 10:21:05 pm
I believe that testing on the computer at a younger age may not be very wise. Until the kids have been properly trained and have the correct skills to properly use a keyboard and other areas of a computer they should not be made to take a test on one. However, if computer training becomes a common course that students have to take then testing on the computer should not be a big issue. I think we need to adjust and train students properly before making the leap to computer testing.
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Tim Dickens
11/19/2014 06:40:07 am
I have to agree with you. Although many are internet savvy most use a phone not a computer. Taking a test on a computer most of the time does not allow the student to fix a mistake after it is submitted. I know that the importance of the test to the district is passed on to the students and I just don't think it has any value.
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Conner White
11/21/2014 08:19:16 am
I agree that testing on computers at a young age presents many problems. Computer training should be implemented in the common core if these tests are to be done on computers. If it isn't essential young students will be taking these tests with one hand tied behind their back.
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Tim Dickens
11/19/2014 06:31:59 am
I teach high school math and the EOC for Algebra, Algebra 2 and Geometry have been on a computer for a couple of years now. High schoolers are pretty adapted to computers so that is really not a problem. The main problem is, its' a multiple choice test. I have found many of the students do not want to take the time to figure out the harder questions and will just guess especially since they know it really has no impact on them. It is 20% of there 4th quarter grade but the curve the state gives us is pretty generous. We have set our curriculum to common core standards but the tests have not switched over except for Algebra 1 and it is a smart balance test. The common core has switched Geometry back to being much more proof oriented but the EOC is not so I have to go outside my new curriculum and used the old curriculum. We are giving a total of 8 EOC exams. All of the juniors will take the ACT as mandated by the state. We are looking at loosing probably 2 to 3 weeks in April to get them all done. After that we still have 4 weeks left in school and the students are like we are done we took the EOC. Personally I think we do far too many tests and they really don't judge how successful a student is going to be after high school. They are a waste of time and money.
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Katie Dietzman
11/19/2014 09:23:48 am
I think testing on computers in elementary school is a bad idea. Testing on a computer is even stressful at an older age. Last year I worked with students who were trying to prepare for the new HiSet exam. The new test became computerized last January. My students stressed more about taking the exam on the computer than the outcome. Keyboarding skills are extremely important and if you are not comfortable on a computer of course these test will be horrifying. I think that older students would do fine with these test if they are prepared for a computer based exam. The younger students however, shouldn't feel that kind of pressure.
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Rebecca Hartman
11/19/2014 11:13:04 am
Despite many students having a computer at home, many still have problems with their keyboard skills, and I agree that this is extremely important when taking computerized tests. If a student knows he or she doesn't have those skills, they will have test anxiety and therefore score lower than they should. This is definitely something that schools should think about when doing computerized testing.
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Brian Calhoun
11/21/2014 09:28:39 am
For the percentage of students who don't regularly work on computers I can see how this might cause anxiety. It is hard to focus on the correct answers when you are wondering if how you entered them is right. This could also be difficult for students coming to a new school, which didn't have much technology for its students. Only through years of preparation can students develop the confidence to master these online tests.
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Becky Windsor
11/19/2014 09:36:25 am
My school was a pilot test school for the new computer testing. The test our students took was an almost two hour test. The students were stressed. We even had some GATE students (gifted class) who actually cried. Testing on computers is new to students, but the level of difficulty is much, much higher that the MAP test. I teach sixth grade and on the math test students will have to click and drag a couple of different times on one question to eventually get their answer. Bless their hearts, but there are a number of my students at this age who have trouble following simple instructions, now some of the questions require a few steps to get the answers. Change is never easy, but the rate at which tests are changing it is definitely overwhelming to both students and teachers!
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Rebecca Hartman
11/19/2014 11:11:26 am
I think the only way we can teach students how to take tests on computers is by allowing them to practice. They will not know the format for the tests unless they are exposed to it, and for students with test anxiety, this can result in some pretty bad scores. Unfortunately, this relies on the school having the funding to purchase computers or iPads, and many schools just can't afford to buy more. They would have to take students in groups, and that can take forever.
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Conner White
11/21/2014 08:15:10 am
I agree that computer testing does pose a serious problem to schools with lack of funding. I agree that test anxiety can be amplified when done on a computer. Practice makes perfect and it also gives the students time to adjust to this new testing system.
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Kiefer Smith
11/19/2014 11:55:17 am
I am not all that thrilled with common core and one of the main reasons is because this last summer we just had they wanted to completely stop common core for schools in MO. Schools spent a ton of money to set up and get ready for it and now they are talking about not wanting to have it. What a joke. But, oh well. The testing side of it is not much fun for the students and it puts UN-needed stress on the school and teachers. We have to live up to the standards of a standardized test that very few students are able to take and not lose focus completely. MAP testing is something that teachers are having to test to in order to get the scores up. Most are not teaching the content and just teaching to what the test wants. I may end up loosing my job for this but I teach as the students learn. If they are getting something I stay on it for a little while longer so they will be able to learn it. Testing students on computers is a waste of time. Yest they spend night and day on computers and cell phones but this is mindless stuff and not anything they have to work for. Throwing them to the cyber wolves with a test is brutal and not all students will adapt to it that well. I can see students scores going down because of the stress they will be exposed to and the stress of not being able to type fast. But, this world wants everything paper free and 100% technology. I can't wait to see how the world reacts when we lose power and got back into the stone age.
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Danell McCubbins
11/20/2014 10:12:49 pm
I find it very funny how they expect schools to save money and when we're trying to prepare to buy material to meet those needs then Missouri changes Common Core name to Missouri Learning Standards, which goes against everything that they have been pushing for in the past. It's very frustrating for me to constantly switch gears to meet the needs of the state laws that have little to no idea of how a school needs to be ran.
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Conner White
11/21/2014 08:21:16 am
I did my student teaching at the high school level and I don't feel computer testing would be as big an issue. I do, however, believe that smaller schools in rural areas with not have the resources to facilitate an entire school. Also, for the younger age students who haven't had experience with computers, might have trouble taking these tests correctly.
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Becky Windsor
11/22/2014 11:45:07 am
I agree with you. Testing on computers in the upper grades is not a big issue. Younger students, such as primary and elementary age, would have more difficulty with this process. Even though they may have some experience using computers in the classroom, I don't feel they are old enough and experienced enough to take on this challenge very well. As children get older and develop more decision making skills it would be more appropriate to introduce this type of testing. I teach sixth grade and this is going to be a difficult testing year. There are schools who cannot afford the technology to accommodate testing with computers. This is going to pose a very difficult problem for these districts to overcome.
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Jess Brink
11/22/2014 10:07:59 pm
You'd be surprised by how much little ones know about computers!
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Kiefer Smith
11/23/2014 12:47:47 pm
For smaller schools that have 150 middle school kids and 200 high school kids and a total of 40 or 50 computers for them to use in a school is not good for computer based testing. The students would have to take the test in waves. It would be hard for the students to take the test and learn in class. It would also be hard for the teachers who are trying to teach classes around the testing schedule. I personally would feel very frustrated in having to teach when half of my class is gone testing. I hate wasting learning days and this would be an example of wasting the day.
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Keeyon Howard
11/21/2014 08:46:08 am
Computer testing is not a great idea for younger students in my opinion. To be honest, I personally feel like they may be better off taking test on iPhones or the phones that these kids carry these days. But on a serious note; I do believe that students should be prepared to the things that they will be later exposed to in the form of learning. When I was in high school we had a computer lab with about 10 computers and they were terrible. They barely worked and on top of that, we had no experience using them before they wanted us to do work on them..
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Brian Calhoun
11/21/2014 09:22:03 am
I feel that switching to computer tests would be a good idea for secondary class over the course of a few years. Elementary children need to learn the basics before they are overwhelmed. I feel learning how to operate a computer on top of learning the information is simply too much. This type of testing would be beneficial at high schools mostly. During middle school, children can practice taking smaller, less important tests where they can have the aid of the teacher. Even in high a practice computer test should be given because it's not fair for someone to be penalized for a computing error. Learning these skills are important because a lot of jobs require dealing with computers and programs.
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Jess Brink
11/22/2014 10:11:41 pm
I think that - as long as educated teachers are there to help - using technology to complete the testing in all grades would be great!
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Jess Brink
11/22/2014 10:07:07 pm
I can't imagine what these children would have to do without the technology to test. I remembered that when I was in school we did the reading tests online and I thought it was fun! I know that the level of difficulty increased as the answers we provided remained correct... I think it would be difficult to do this without the technology.
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Aaron Shockley
11/26/2014 07:20:35 am
I think that with the common core standards changing and teachers having to teach towards some standardize test so that students are able to be proficient in the subjects that I think the pressure of adding a computer test will not only be difficult but also will allow students to be ready for the changing world of technology.
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Katie Damgar
11/27/2014 02:55:55 am
I think starting to test students on the computer at a younger age is good because it will prepare them for more advanced grades. however, students should not be tested on the computer until they are familiar with how to use it and how it works. It would be unfair to fail a child because he or she does not understand how to use a computer, but studied and know the material.
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Class BlogThis blog is for class conversations for Ed 514 at Central Methodist University. We invite input form other teachers about how they use technology in their classrooms. Archives
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