Amplifying Your EOY Test Prep
Tips from @perkyPLEF
Getting tired?
While we're trucking along into the final leg of the year, it's easy to feel like that pup: unequivocally, undeniably tired. Your energy is waning, and you're just not sure how much you've got in you -- all you can think about is finishing up. And that's understandable -- teaching (and planning and meeting and grading and everything else that comes with it) is physically tiring and mentally taxing!
GET EXCITED!
However, now is the time to pour even more of what you've got into your class! You're almost there. It's nearly game day. Your kids are getting geared up for their finals... so GET EXCITED! Your enthusiasm, excitement, and commitment will rub off on your students -- and with their finals approaching, they definitely need that kind of support! Your students, just like you, are getting tired, so help them keep some of that pep in their step!
trying to make it more exciting?
Follows are a couple of tech tools and tablet tidbits that might make class a little more exciting for your students as you start into your End-of-Year review.
JogNog
Great for most core content areas, JogNog has tons of pre-created, standards-aligned quizzes. With the addition of coins and the ability to collect points and towers, students feel more engaged in the "game" to beat out top scores! Teachers can create classes to assign specific quizzes, create their own questions, and monitor students' progress. Idea for your class: Create a JogNog station in your room! Early finishers can go work on some JogNog for extension practice!
MathMap
MathMap is great for, well, math! Covering content from grades 4 to 8, students can work their way through different tutorial lessons and then try their hand at a 5-6 question quiz. The honeycomb map breaks it into sections (Number Systems and Fractions, for example) to help students group concepts or focus on specific areas for improvement. Idea for your class: Create some MathMap assignments for students to complete, assign it out in Amplify Playlist, and have students submit screenshots of their mastery/score.
Kahoot!
Kahoot! is an oldy, but goody. Don't let it's fun and interactive interface fool you: teachers can use Kahoot! to do some relaxing review in class and reinforce material. Idea for your class: Use Kahoot! as a springboard for discussion about different questions! Load practice questions into a Kahoot game, and play like normal! However, pause between each question to discuss the question and the answers.
Socrative
Socrative has some great options on it that you might like to use! Teachers can create quizzes for students to take in class, initiate quick questions (MC, T/F, or short answer), start a competitive "space race" game in class with teams, and collect exit tickets. Students don't need an account at all, just access to the web through their tablet or some other device. As a teacher, you can see live results -- and even project the progression of the space race on the board!
HSTRY.CO
For all of you social studies teachers out there, this might just tickle your fancy. HSTRY.CO allows you to create classes, and assign timelines for students to review -- for free. Now, I know timeline review doesn't sound super thrilling for many, but you can really make these timelines engaging. Teachers are able to embed video, audio, and image into their timeline as well as multiple choice questions to help students check for their understanding.
Need help with any of these?
These tools are great for teachers who are just starting out with things (or maybe haven't touched them before!) or how have been Kahoot!ing all year. If you need any help with these items, please let me know! I will be glad to come help you get the ball rolling if you haven't used them before... or I'll come help you amp up your usage and keep it going!
Your PLEF
Here's your PLEF, integrating tech left and right to help create a more engaging classroom for kids. This weekend, you'll find him at the GCS Global Ed Conference, talking more about tech integration. If you haven't guessed, he likes tech. nology. Technology.
Email: permarj@gcsnc.com
Website: ple.gcsnc.com
Facebook: facebook.com/thePLEFs
Twitter: @perkyPLEF