OK, my secret it out…..I have been watching WAY too many episodes of Chopped on the Food Network when I start naming my academic posts the way chefs name their main courses!  We wrapped up topic 2 in our math series today.  While my students love taking their assessments on our Pearson Success Net website (though not nearly as much as I love them taking them on the web especially since it grades them for me 🙂 ) I really felt they needed to SHOW me they learned something this time too.  Hence a dish I like to call Assessment 2 Ways. 

Students took turns using our classroom computers to take the traditional math test with a technological twist recording answers on the web.  Other then the obvious benefits such as less wasted paper and the option to have parts of the test read aloud to students who struggle with reading, it also has a huge benefit for me the grading-challenged teacher!  Students get immediate feedback upon completion of the test.  Not only do they get their score, but they also learn which topic areas they did well in and which areas they need to revisit.  Students who do not do well on the initial test will have the opportunity to study those areas, revisit the on line lesson videos, and retake the test on Friday.

Creating Pattern Word Problems

The second, more performance-based, assessment they took today involved creating a word problem that can be solved using a pattern.  Once the problem was written they included a partially completed table and illustrated the problem.  All of our original word problems are displayed in our hallway with post it notes to encourage other 3rd, 4th, and 5th  grade students to solve them.  Students (and teachers) can take a stab at solving the problems on the post it and leave their best guess stuck to the paper.