"Welcome to EdTechAfterDark! Our community was born out of discussions for a rich EdChat type gathering for those of us who are thinking about the digital edu-landscape long after the sun has gone down. For us night owls, when the clock strikes 10PM EST, you’ll find us on Twitter over at #edtechafterdark. All are welcome! Our discussions range from our philosophies about EdTech, digital best practices, and simply sharing our stories." --www.edtechafterdark.com
Welcome to #EdTechAfterDark I'm Zac and I'll be your host this week! It's Testing Season, so tonight we are going to share our best Testing Life Hacks and other ways to thrive this testing season! Jump in by sharing who you are, where you're from, and your fav testing story
Jill from SC. I teach HS Social Studies. I know it's a "tough" test by how the students' hair looks at the end of it. (The tougher the test, the more of a "hot mess" the hair...lol) #EdTechAfterDark
Sylvia, Academic Coach / ENG Tchr at Title 1 HS ... favorite testing story was last month when I saw my students using what I taught them at FSA Writing ... so proud of them! #EdTechAfterDark
Hey y’all! I’m caitlin, 4th gr ELA/SS teacher, & we just did our Writing Test. Best moment? Five minutes before the test ends when a student says “oooohhhh, we’re supposed to write the essay in this box!” #EdTechAfterDark
A1 my sts do not enjoy tests so if they’re anxious, then it comes out in their lack of effort in class ... I choose as Tchr & Parent to not stress b/c I impact them .... relax & smile, you got this! #EdTechAfterDark
A1: it looks like a 9 yr old child breaking down, throwing his test, pounding the desk, whispering, “I’m dumb, I can’t do this...I’m dumb, I can’t do this...” my own 1st grader said, “I don’t have to take it next yr do I?” She had tears in her eyes. #EdTechAfterDark
A1: Jennifer Towles from Birmingham, Alabama. When giving a kindergarten the Scantron assessment, the child kept jumping up running around to the back of the monitor looking for the dog on the screen. #edtechafterdark
I agree ... I also believe that as a tchr it is my responsibility to focus on learning & not stress over the tests ... tests are like tomorrows, no need to worry because they will worry enough on their own... #EdTechAfterDark
Shari, AP Human Geography Teacher from North Texas. When your #APHuGe Stus see a photo cred for a photographer whose name is “Cotton” and identify a CEREAL GRAIN in that pic as COTTON on the Free Response Questions. #cottoniswhiteandfluffy#EdTechAfterDark
How do you forget about the test when that is all your admin ever talks about? My students just dissolve into data at every faculty meeting... #EdTechAfterDark
It's hard. With my HS kids, I am constantly reminding them they are more than some number on a test. I use the data to show them how much they have learned in my class. #EdTechAfterDark
A1. I’m seeing it more and more often, and in kids that know their stuff. It’s like no one has taught many of them to trust their instincts. #EdTechAfterDark
I own it (as a proctor) ... the data is mine to work with ... I maintain my focus on standards (even though our tests are standards based) ... & I relax purposefully 🤷🏻♀️ #EdTechAfterDark (and how sad that that is admin focus)
A2: Pressure from admin, district office, state report cards, media, etc. For some odd reason for many, testing seems to be the only way to show there is learning taking place in the classroom. #EdTechAfterDark
We do that too, but we have to hang their initials on our board to show which “category” they’re currently in after each test...students who never move out of red struggle to see themselves as smart even if I discuss their progress till I’m blue in the face. #EdTechAfterDark
A2 primarily, I think because legislators have made people mad with them ... “connect to evaluations then to pay” can make people a bit crazy #EdTechAfterDark
Great point, my oldest (5th grade) has her test tomorrow, she has never gotten below a 5 (1-5 scale) and had a perfect score in 3rd grade, but she’s worried she’ll have remedial classes in MS #EdTechAfterDark
A2 Partially because numbers (or rather, quantifying) brought us out of the caves, allowed us to use geometry, comparisons, and preparation to advance our species #edtechafterdark
A2: I think we focus on test scores so often because it is something the politicians & public know. The public does not understand authentic assessments. #edtechafterdark
A2: Pressure from admin, district office, state report cards, media, etc. For some odd reason for many, testing seems to be the only way to show there is learning taking place in the classroom. #EdTechAfterDark
Well, all my sts are level 1 bucket 1 ... so they haven’t felt successful since elem school ... I love finding success in the small pieces of standards 🙆🏻♀️ #EdTechAfterDark
A2: because adults forget there is more to children than a list of standards on a page.
Because we were raised to compare ourselves to others, so we instill the same in our children.
Because we fear being looked at as a failing school/teacher/district. #EdTechAfterDark
I wonder if in giving these "soundbites" of learning we are only making the problem of understanding/use/access worse. "Why buy the cow" kind of thing. #edtechafterdark
Mary and I were talking about the fear level 1 kids have about success. They would lose everything they know. New classes, new teachers, new classmates, the idea is succeeding is overwhelming #EdTechAfterDark
Right? It’s like I finally got my students to view themselves with worth and confidence and then they’re like “now you better prove it with this bubble sheet!”
#EdTechAfterDark
In reply to
@MrLeonard8, @SylviaEllison, @jk_coffee
I have found that to be true with our ELLs ... but I believe the fear of success in level 1 sts is more about the risk of failing again ... “I’d rather you think me ___ than stupid.” #EdTechAfterDark
I try the mindfulness method .... smile, relax, now show them what you know... you got this & I know this because of what you have shown me in class! #EdTechAfterDark
I have a student who is the best citizen I know. Always positive, supportive, encouraging, uplifting, follows expectations, offers to help when needed, finds joy in learning each day.
He will probably fail STAAR, but STAAR has already failed him. #EdTechAfterDark
A3: before a big assessment (AP, end of course), we have a fun day: doing a scavenger hunt review, going to the back yard of school & SCREAM our stress out, doing something to get out that testing nerves. Reminding them I believe them and they're more than a # #EdTechAfterDark
When we allow a test to define a student, we are either setting up a false sense of accomplishment or a false sense of failure. 21st century skills do not mention test taking abilities. #edtechafterdark
A3: I squeal when I see my students in the morning day of, give them a huge hug or high five, and say, “I’m so excited to see you take down this test, rockstar!”
Then I tell them the next morning that I’ve never been so proud of them, & it’s true. #EdTechAfterDark
A3: There is such a stressful build up to testing that there is a sense of relief when it is over. Hopefully, the celebration doesn't continue throughoutMay. :) #edtechafterdark
I had this discussion with our Assist. Superintendent recently. I asked him when he last had to take a multiple choice test-since college? Since high school? Cause I’ve never seen one on a job application, & interviews don’t give you A, B, C, or D to pick from. #EdTechAfterDark
Side Note: I don’t think we should give a test that our admin haven’t taken first. And if they get a question wrong, we strike it off the final draft. Tests shouldn’t be tricks—Halloween doesn’t come in the spring. #EdTechAfterDark
A4 OMG so true! Get my steps in! It’s easier to proctor a large group for this reason ... next 2 days I have a small group, so finding different standing places to move to and fro... #EdTechAfterDark
A5: I drink lots of coffee and try to imagine what I would write in response to the prompt on the writing test. (Yes I am allowed to read the prompt if a student asks me to read it to them.) #EdTechAfterDark
A4: Lots of prayer. I literally pray for each Ss as they take the test, lots of mental lists (where I would like to go on a vacation, what I need to do, what I need to clean, grocery list), count bricks/ceiling tiles, etc. https://t.co/F3ityrGnaw#edtechafterdark
A4: When I was a coach, I had to monitor every student in the computer lab. The first week, I noticed the questions students were answering incorrectly. After that, I started looking for how other students answered the questions. #edtechafterdark
Funny. I wasn’t compared to the rest of the nation as a kid. And I went to college on a full scholarship and then dedicated my life to teaching the next generation. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Numbers are neat but true mastery is messy.
#EdTechAfterDark
A4: First, I pray, one by one, for each student testing with me. Then I create cool backstories and alter egos for each of those kiddos! #EdTechAfterDark
Yes ... that’s why I like my “anchor places” ... sometimes I hold a book and pretend to read just so I can watch them on disguise .. I can’t ever focus on the reading anyway 🤭 #EdTechAfterDark
Ts are compared to each other. Ts need to show what they do in the ClassRM is worth Admin’s support and the salary that could be given to someone else. #EdTechAfterDark
A5 I sketch note the time board with smile-y faces ... before we start the directions I remind them that this is merely a measurement of what the my CAN do ... I’m proud of them - now smile, take 2 deep breaths ... let’s do this! #EdTechAfterDark
A5: Students feed off the energy of their teachers whether it is during testing or not. Positive energy breeds positive energy. Teachers who believe in their students have students who believe in themselves. #edtechafterdark
A6: SMILE. Yes the whole frickin time. When you look across the room, glance down at a test, or even clear your throat, Students look to see how you are “feeling” about their work thus far. So make sure you’re smiling and excited to see them work! #EdTechAfterDark
A5: Before I distribute any materials I tell the students, many of whom I’ve never met before they came to testing, that I believe they are prepared enough and smart enough to meet or exceed the measurement. Then I tell them a silly story or corny joke. #EdTechAfterDark
I know ... we also cannot read or even look at the test screens ... I think there is more pressure on us ... I had to write a report last year b/c I accidentally walked into my son’s testing room 😵 ... now admin & I are extra careful! #EdTechAfterDark
What we do cannot be assessed in a timed, multiple choice test. We are raising learners, leaders, citizens and friends, future parents or CEOs. We teach so much more than a test could ever measure. And if my admin can’t see that, then they aren’t worthy of me. #EdTechAfterDark
A6 our tchrs do use data chats at the beginning of each school year ... I use the data to evaluate my instruction ... I have to own what I is mine 😮 #EdTechAfterDark
A6: I was actually thinking of writing each student a card this summer, letting them know how proud I was of their progress and what next steps could push them even further next year! #EdTechAfterDark
A6: I think meeting with students and discussing their test results is a missing piece of the standardized testing puzzle. We conference with students on other assessments, just not state testing. #edtechafterdark
People choose to compete in the olympics. They train for that kind of pressure. But sure, let’s throw that same kind of stress at an 8 year old. I mean, how else could we know if they learned anything this year? #EdTechAfterDark
Great idea! I’m actually moving schools ... so I’m torn about what I should do ... I’m confident their reading tchr will talk with each of them ☺️ #EdTechAfterDark
A6: I’ve offered chat and chew sessions to my AP Students upon their return to school in the fall. They fill out the form, but few attend. I think it’s because they see the test as the END of the book instead of the chapter. #EdTechAfterDark
Also - I scored perfectly on my
California Achievement Tests as a kid. @MrLeonard8
And I was compared to the rest of the Nation. I also have a 👩🏻🎓Top10 Edu.
#EdTechAfterDark
Love this idea! So sad that many do not choose to chat ... I’ve found that many tchrs did not want to chat about their data either. We need to model the model as lifelong learners! #EdTechAfterDark
