The Educated Kiwi
Posts tagged exams
The business end of the year
Sep 1st
So we come to the time of the year where assessments are due and option choices must be made for the future. It is about now that my Seniors are getting bored with me talking exam techniques or getting them to hand in work on time. But I will continue to do so until November when it will be up to them.
It is also now that I find the students use Moodle and elearning more than any other time in the year. You see despite the fact that the notes have been on Moodle all year many have just given these resources a cursory glance, whereas now it takes on true meaning. I like this as I guess my students can access the information when they would like to rather than when I allow them.
So I will be adding a number of new quiz/revision activities as well as linking them to a selection of sites that can help them.
I am trying to make the class Moodle page for the Year 11 History class very much a hub for their study while the year 12/13 ICT are more for putting up ideas and techniques to help them with their individual projects. I have also started using google docs extensively as it allows me to collect in volumes of work and then give feedback on it quickly.
So one week till the practice exams and then the a few short months till the end of the year.
Free us from exams
Sep 8th
Exam week is again upon us and I read with interest the discussion on the New Zealand History Teachers association blog-
We believe the exam component is important to maintaining both credibility and a sound basis for future study. There is no evidence that Universities or Polytechnics are abandoning exams and we owe it to our students to prepare them, especially at Year13, for the realities of tertiary education.- CBHS
I always struggle with this concept of the importance of exams for these reasons-
1) I liked Bursary. As a student it was easy to follow and I knew what to aim for. As a teacher it was easy to teach, the students liked the abc grades and were interested in the supporting topics that allowed them to work on their skills.
2) I don’t do exams. Basicallly in the rest of my life I have never and probably will never do an exam. The feeling that I would present something that has not been checked by someone else and collaborated on goes against how I succeed and the real world works.
3) Just because University does exams doesn’t make it right. I had a disappointing time at uni (the classes that is) and was essentially just another paycheck so the chancellor could build more lecture theatres. It wasn’t until third year that things were interesting and by then we collaborated on our projects.
4) Credibility just reeks of marketing speak. “If parents don’t see marks then we won’t be valued as a subject” surely it is time to say we can actually change this system a bit and improve it rather than just doing what we know and have always done.
I am reminded of the statement that there will never be change until a catastrophic event forces change. I just thought we might be able to learn from History and be a bit pre-emptive with this subject.
Essay topic on classroom wall reads-
What events led to Charles the First making the decision to go to war. What were the political, social and economic implications of this decision.
All we need to do is substitute Charles for George W and we have an instant hot topic.
Or am I just being hopeful?
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