#2PencilChat Archive
The #2PencilChat is a weekly conversation about educational technology. As we enter a more student-centered age, let's talk about using all the tools in our toolboxes to be innovative and dynamic teachers.
Tuesday March 1, 2016
Welcome to the , we're talking about surviving test season. Please don't turn off your electronics. https://t.co/Mn7eUpRoh5
Hi, everyone! Kimberly, Media Specialist from Daytona Beach here! Just finished FSA Writing for 4th & 5th today.
Hey Everybody! I'm Sean in St. Augustine, FL, 3rd Grade, and we're "loving" the FSA these days.
Hiya, Erin, 9th grade, Maine. Just finished a round of NWEA.
Hi there Erin! Yours is only one letter off from having Ice Cube & Dr. Dre!
Hello! Joy here from Ruskin, FL!
Staci from TX - 13 instructional days before my standardized test!!!
A1 I like to remind Ss that getting 100% right of 75% finished is better than 50% right of 100% finished.
A1. Calmly remind them of all that they have done well. This is another chance to prove how smart they are.
We're getting close like that, too. o.O
A1: Practice sessions, snacks, lowered lighting if I can manage it, comfortable seating, and reminders that tests aren't real.
A1: Remind them that they are more than a score. Have some fun with them. Celebrate strengths/growth leading up to the test.
A-Men! https://t.co/noRzP0b2yv
A1: Remind them that they are more than a score. Have some fun with them. Celebrate strengths/growth leading up to the test.
A1: I think this is an important time to celebrate ALL the ways they are amazing - not just their grades or data.
A1 - try to give some morale boosting tasks/assignments. Things Ss CAN do! I like to do vocab games/sorts the day before.
A1: Incidentally, the same can be said of teacher test anxiety...
Tired, cheerful, and loving your smile!
A1- Answer their questions! Listen to their fears. It's new and they're uncomfortable... Be there for them to talk it out!
A1: Most of the time one test does not decide our fate. Tests that decide fate can be retaken. Calm, chill voice re. this fact?
A1 Spend enough time sharing strategies and highlighting strengths.
For a while, in FL, the FCAT could keep you from 4th grade (or at least summer). The specter still looms for kids
Hey everyone! Happy Tuesday! Amber here from central Florida. Glad to see your smiling faces!!
This is one of those times when I have no idea re. state testing. Canadian in Mexico. My bad!
A1: Avoid test prep just prior to testing, focus on connecting learning to the real world - relevant no matter the score!
No worries! It just means that people with misguided thinking wrote goals for us. :)
Cathy, edtech specialist in NYC, fr NJ. Former favorite standardized testing device was the Chromebook, keyword- former :)
Sorry a tad late. Today demanded a nap after school. Test induced headache!Our 4th, 5th, and 6th graders tested writing today
A2. Remind them about the strategies they have learned to use. Spend time w/them talking it over. Reassure them.
A2: Keep it practical and do-able - focus on strategies that can scaffold thinking.
A2 Again, for me it's about strategies. And maybe if they do poorly, they may get help they'll need down the road.
Favorite standardized test is the MAP, by NWEA
A2: Can't always help with scores, but CAN remind kids that results don't dictate or even illustrate their intelligence.
A1. Our teachers in third have parents make encouragement posters to line the Windows. Parents also write letters read b4 test
There's not a stdzd test in school that will measure whether or not they're a good person.
Same! They love to compare scores! Drives me batty!!
Val from central florida, jumping in late!
Val! How are ya! Great to see you.
A2: Don't allow them to make assumptions about themselves and their capabilities. Remind them what they CAN do.
Should probably be a poster... :)
How about creativity? And collaboration? Let's measure those!!! https://t.co/YRZHyeI38e
There's not a stdzd test in school that will measure whether or not they're a good person.
Just finished FSA Writing for 4th & 5th today. I'm brain dead!
Good Formal Eval today, got a bite in the calf from a dog at the park last night. Cheerful, but uneven! https://t.co/IGFILre9W4
Sure, but how would admins feel about putting it up?
A2 - hugs and point out strengths! Our state also measures growth & not just pass/fail so often we have something to celebrate!
And empathy, kindness, resilience (the tests sometimes hit that inadvertantly...), and...?
Ok, so the doggy kisses I got from a pit bull today were much better than that! Are you ok?
A2 remind them of their past successes with proven strategies
I'll post it all over the damn place! My principal Gets It.
I'm telling you! I could not sit for 120 min either. Poor kiddos. Look beat when they got to me. https://t.co/I6RpMfrc6i
Just finished FSA Writing for 4th & 5th today. I'm brain dead!
If only there was a way to turn that feature off...
yeah, I just needed to get the blood out. Thanks, Billy Mays!
Good!! Not everyone is so lucky! My principal gets it, but he also loves data!
so unfair and so hard for the ESE kids to have to sit that long! Hate it
One of the more bizarre tweets I've seen today.
A3: Classbuilding and Teambuilding activities that celebrate EVERYONE for WHO they are, not WHAT they can do...
A3. Remind them of all the cool things they can do. The test doesn't define who you are.
A3 Genius Hour projects and passion-based work.
Isn't there scientifically proven research abt age and attention span?!Clearly nobody cared...How sad. https://t.co/xTfw6145rl
so unfair and so hard for the ESE kids to have to sit that long! Hate it
A3 helps I've been telling them all year what positive energy, enthusiasm and hard work they've been dishing out
A3: Point out areas where they improved, and CELEBRATE! Discuss weak spots as opportunities to work harder.
Scores come back so late that the Ss sometimes don't even see them until the next yr. once testing is over, we party! 😍
A3 Help them target specific skills they want to build for next year!
Jumping in -A3, talk long run, big picture, whole person, &what next. Goal-oriented, individual-care. https://t.co/5PvXE9yLVJ
Yeah, the FCAT was better for getting results back for 3rd grade, at least.
A3 Remind Ss that the road to success is often full of setbacks and even failures. Growing opportunity! https://t.co/eS5YXJIIgH
Lucky. Ours are displayed at the end of the test. My honors Ss get competitive and grumpy.
A3: Celebrate effort. Celebrate stick-to-it-iveness. Celebrate THEM. No matter what.
Q4 doesn't like test prep, but normally doesn't ask questions the same way Pearson (right?) does.
https://t.co/ZWL1fEJY6U
test "season" is over, we celebrate Global Fiesta. Each gr does different continent. Projects, games, food, huge celebration
A4: Teach them to slow down and think. That solves most of life's problems...
glad they aren't. Ss that are 8 and 9 shouldn't have the kind of stress that makes them physically ill https://t.co/kxBuVIIrpG
Lucky. Ours are displayed at the end of the test. My honors Ss get competitive and grumpy.
A4: Feel like it's getting better. Fewer analogies, etc. Test I use is mostly read a passage, answer qs. Lather, rinse, repeat.
A4. Teach them strategies where/whenever possible. There's really no way to prepare for all Qs.
A4 As much as I hate to "test prep", we do spend some time getting acquainted with Q styles in 3rd so they're not blindsided.
Hi! Allyn Marie- ESL Katy, TX. Jumping in for my 1st
Welcome and howdy! Glad to have you!
A4, 2: Helping kids to think about thinking is crucial. Talk to them about and
Just skimming over your chat but my daughter who has to sit a SAT after going through Australian ed system finds it very odd
This test puts us in a position where we don't have much of a choice about this, unfortunately. https://t.co/xisChPxCFu
A4 As much as I hate to "test prep", we do spend some time getting acquainted with Q styles in 3rd so they're not blindsided.
Hi Magic, just stopping by
A4 exposing them to different question styles, modeling thinking, strategies, celebrating different ways of solving!
A4 Be real about the tricks, and have fun dissecting the psych behind them -good for inferencing! https://t.co/0PtQv0yXq3
Q4 doesn't like test prep, but normally doesn't ask questions the same way Pearson (right?) does.
https://t.co/ZWL1fEJY6U
I would like to find something that works from elsewhere, and do it!
With this mindset. I guarantee you will not LOVE the content, but I also guarantee you will make it. https://t.co/dbtaTa5fv7
And for the record we (Australia) have ridiculous standardised testings of our own (NAPLAN) but different to SAT.
made it to the half time chat for & shuddered at the word test prep....Tina, aka TNFirecracker chiming in
I think we have to make the most of it - use ?s as an opportunity to think critically about text.
What I'm saying is these standardised tests are different so we must be teaching tests not establishing student skills
always said (in reg classroom).It is your favorite story ever, while reading it.After that, forget it. https://t.co/HiNgDO5Dun
Nothing that I do today has anything to do with how I did on tests.
Howdy!!! Thx for the welcome!
It's all just wrong, in my opinion. I wanna test Ss' ability to produce cool content. Can I get THAT job?
BIG HUGS for my magically friend!
Unless you're 80th %ile or higher on SAT/ACT in Florida (dumb, but lucrative).
Did her university require this?
BIG HUGS right back atcha!
A5: thankful that I don't have to assist w/ a test that someone else has written
Jumping in to say hi to - deep in course selection booklet w the kiddo & don't want to lose momentum!
. My thoughts exactly, blindsided is not a cool state for doing our best
A4: I am not directly involved in test prep, but Ss always tell me that biology and ecology-related questions were on PSAT/SAT.
NAPLAN at Yrs 3,5,7,9
Numeracy and Literacy standardised testing across nation
A5: Scaffolding is great, building them up toward more complex things without them realizing it at first.
Good to see ya, even so, Marifran!
She is trying to get into US College (soccer scholarship)
A5: AP biology FRQ practice and group discussion plus self-assessment. Discussion of how Q is asked/worded and type of A sought
I like a test where I the teacher can see how I can help Ss. These tests are not that
A5: Use the language regularly during instruction so complex thinking becomes normal to them and not just a "test" thing.
that's the dream! The structure of them are outdated to say the least
We're analyzing wrong answers on released tests &also writing our own "Choose ALL the correct answers" .
A5 Break it down! Think about what they are asking. Underline the question. Look at only the info needed to answer.
I love how we encourage Ss to collaborate & move to get work done, but then ask them to sit still for 80-120 min.
A5: Teach comprehension strategies - they increase critical thinking in ALL content areas.
I like to remind Ss to have fun with the bad answers before they pick the best answer.
I hate that we have to teach strategies to outsmart "the test." So many more imp things than those key words test makers use!!
Heart b r e a k i n g. https://t.co/CIpfywVeTB
I love how we encourage Ss to collaborate & move to get work done, but then ask them to sit still for 80-120 min.
A5: Explicitly teach how to use text structure and features to your benefit - make the text work for you!
For sure! It builds on Q4. If you understand the questions, you understand how to approach them. https://t.co/PTTv8y4OOv
A5 Break it down! Think about what they are asking. Underline the question. Look at only the info needed to answer.
I cannot sit still for 120 min!!!!!! I'm sure that shocks you all! 😂 https://t.co/jJI2dBNqe1
I love how we encourage Ss to collaborate & move to get work done, but then ask them to sit still for 80-120 min.
I can't even sit still for an hour Twitter chat! LOL
. I have never understood this approach! even faculty meetings never results in Ts sitting still for 2 hours
A5: Good readers=good thinkers - teach reading strategies, not test strategies. It will serve them better and more widely.
I like to remind the Ss in my building that they are esp. w college app tests around the corner
I'm on my third talk show from last night while chatting!
This is why you build in dance breaks like does!!! https://t.co/6czk9XDiP5
I can't even sit still for an hour Twitter chat! LOL
I think it's a skill, like any other. I don't like sitting still, but I can do it if I have to.
only when I'm sleeping- to ask a student to do that is insanity
Clearing my head with The Golden Child! Bad acting, but funny!
My son takes the new SAT this Saturday. I'm more nervous than him.
Thx for letting me throw in my 2 cents friends - I'm back to momming
Multitasking isn't my forte. I am a self diagnosed ADD adult. 😜 https://t.co/1xzjc9AMRy
I'm on my third talk show from last night while chatting!
I missed the SAT because I had the wrong start time in my head! My ACT had to carry me.
A6: Assign each student Smurf names in your head.
That's minutes 2-9, then what? ;)
A6: snap a rubber band on my wrist to stay awake & mentally scream!
A6 Can you meditate, open eyed, and still pass out pencils and kleenex?
Each yr. Ss ask prior 2THE TEST if they may lie on the floor w/their computers &if I will turn on music.
Someday I'd like to meet the F2F. I have some questions and choice words for him/her. 😁 https://t.co/OQ3C6MJoEy
only when I'm sleeping- to ask a student to do that is insanity
A6. Walk around, make mental notes about redecorating, plan a dream vacation, etc.
As a Canadian I'd never even heard of these tests and I still went to three universities.
I was just about to write about mentally redecorating my room.
A6: Make up mildly inappropriate limericks in my head? Give reassuring, meaningful looks to Ss. Blink at them in Morse code.
How could you possibly achieve as an adult without standardized tests? </sarcasm>
A6: Pause by each desk and make a mental list of positives about that student.
A6: During our semester exams there are many count the <insert color here> <insert object/clothing here> games. Many Ugg boots.
Ha! Love this! I have actually counted ceiling tiles AND floor tiles just to entertain myself. Always wear pedometer too!!
Sarcastic, but also true! I couldn't get cert. w/o taking the Praxis!
Standardized testing seems like a bit of a revenue generator, or am I being cynical?
A6: Pretend to be a shark circling a school of fish...
Oh, it's a money machine. College Board has schools by the... somethings.
I am totally going to do this, but now I also want to make vroom vroom noises and go very fast! hehehe
Do they administer standardized tests as well as AP tests? Friends with Pearson?
A6 I'll be trying to do the entire cast recording of in my head during the FSA. Thank you, .
The best is if you and your proctor pretend together and randomly give each other the dive signal for "shark".
Yep, Pearson makes so much of our official content in the states.
SAT and PSAT, used heavily in the high school where I teach.
OMG... Put dot stickers on your floor and play pac man as you walk!!! Haha... Avoid certain areas of room like ghosts!
A7: I think we would be better off if we could be LESS standardized and find a way to get a picture of the WHOLE child...
A7: Pipe dream. I think we're stuck unless there's some SERIOUS ed reform from above. Do our best not to make them the focus!!!
Genius!!! https://t.co/nEkbLcX4FP
OMG... Put dot stickers on your floor and play pac man as you walk!!! Haha... Avoid certain areas of room like ghosts!
This sounds great. Partner proctors give each other challenges: "Find this color/type of object. Which row?"
A7. How about using what we do during the year & one big project?
A7 I know Ss w/low scores and impressive personal achievements get accepted to college, why not portfolios?
A7: Is anyone else wishing there was another way besides keeping numeric score? What if Ss were empowered to follow passions?
I think portfolios are a more accurate representation of the student.
https://t.co/tEIPlF6D6c
A7 I know Ss w/low scores and impressive personal achievements get accepted to college, why not portfolios?
I've seen portfolios work in hs, but they can be hugely time consuming! What do you do w/a transfer S w/o one?
This is everything. Can we kick over the buildings, and just take the good stuff to start this? https://t.co/P9hvuhUidf
A7: Is anyone else wishing there was another way besides keeping numeric score? What if Ss were empowered to follow passions?
You have my vote, my friend!!! Now run with it!!! https://t.co/JC2DQFs5Jr
A7: I think we would be better off if we could be LESS standardized and find a way to get a picture of the WHOLE child...
A7: authentic is a challenge b/c all Ts & Ss aren't the same
A7b) Is the % report card an artifact from the factory model of education? Can we get out from under it to innovate it away?
Thanks, everyone! Great chat! Now, back to decorating!
