Tag Archives: assessment

Test make-ups

By Mary Bigelow | Published: April 21, 2013

I am a student teacher in sixth grade earth science. My question is about makeup exams.  I have several ideas, but can you suggest other systems or procedures for allowing students to make up exams? —Dawn, San Jose, California Student absences are a given. It’s frustrating when students miss a class (or two or three) [...]

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Comprehending science text

By Mary Bigelow | Published: April 4, 2013

I’m incorporating several strategies this year to help my life science students understand written information. I provide study guides with questions to answer, graphic organizers, and quizzes on the information, but they still don’t seem to comprehend what they read. Do you have any other suggestions? —Mary, Abilene, Texas For many of our students, reading [...]

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It’s a puzzlement

By Mary Bigelow | Published: April 2, 2013

How many of us in the K-12 science environment use word puzzles to help students review concepts and learn vocabulary? I haven’t been convinced of the value of find-a-words or jumble puzzles are effective learning tools, but crossword puzzles and others that ask students to think of words to fit the clues could be useful. [...]

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Are my tests “unfair”?

By Mary Bigelow | Published: March 29, 2013

When I return tests, the students look at their grades, complain the test was unfair, and don’t pay much attention when we go over it. How can I deal with this? I teach ninth grade earth science. —Ava, Lexington, Kentucky Unit assessments can provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they’ve learned by asking [...]

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Reviewing for an assessment

By Mary Bigelow | Published: February 4, 2013

I am curious about the effectiveness of group or team tests given (maybe a week) before the actual, summative test. I am just beginning my student teaching, and think a group test might be a great way for students to share the responsibility of reviewing and would give the students who are less comfortable with [...]

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Assessments for learning

By Mary Bigelow | Published: January 5, 2013

During the past few years, this blog has addressed several questions about formative assessments. These just-in-time assessments embedded in instruction help a teacher understand what students are learning, identify misconceptions, and adjust instruction as needed. These assessments are an integral part of instruction, not an add-on or special event. These informal (and often ungraded) assessments [...]

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Beginning the school year with goals

By Peggy Ashbrook | Published: July 18, 2012

Early in the month of August, pre-kindergarten teacher Gail Laubenthal begins planning for the young children who will soon be entering her classroom. As a guest blogger she is sharing her ideas on how to start the school year by setting goals for herself and her children. Gail teaches pre-kindergarten at Sanchez Elementary School in [...]

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Need a source? Cite yourself.

By Martin Horejsi | Published: March 27, 2012

A fourth grade student was given a lengthy assignment that required much Internet “research.”  I put the word research in quotes since the word was used, but not necessarily in the spirit of its traditional meaning let alone its direct implications in science. The student spent many hours searching Internet sites for the various facts necessary [...]

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Addressing misconceptions in science

By Claire Reinburg | Published: March 15, 2012

A significant challenge that science teachers face is how to help students successfully navigate the bridge from their existing ideas about science concepts to scientifically accepted views. A teacher who uncovers students’ preconceptions about key concepts can use that knowledge to provide learning experiences that support students as they develop richer conceptual understanding. The March [...]

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“Can It Reflect Light?” and other probing questions

By Claire Reinburg | Published: December 11, 2011

Can it reflect light? Is it a plant? Is it made of cells? These questions are among more than 100 formative assessment probes developed by Page Keeley and her colleagues to help teachers elicit information about what students think about key science concepts. A capacity crowd at Keeley’s Seattle conference session turned out to learn [...]

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