Session 3 Cross-Talk

 

test prep as genre

original posting by Dyer – participants: Gentry and Barney

 

Date: Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:45 pm

Author: Dyer, Kellie <[email protected]>

Subject: Teaching to the test? test preparation in the reading workshop

“Teaching to the test?: Test preparation in the reading workshopLanguage Arts, by Donna SantmanSummary:A classroom teacher is debating on how to teach the test without teaching the test. Her anxieties begin when she is having a parent meeting to explain her curriculum for the year. After all of her explanations all the parents want to know is will our children be ready for the test. These questions led her to many studies. This is what she found worked for her. She began by teaching students to love reading and to be steady readers. She helped them find the best time for them to read. For example, is their best time before bed, in the morning, in the car, or while running errands with their parents. This helped students find time to read. Then she helped her students find the best reading for them. She wanted her students reading on their level so they were not bored or frustrated.         Her next topic was different genres of reading. They began with fiction, then non-fiction, educational, and even poetry. She taught her students how to read each genre and to unlock its secrets. This was interesting to me, because when it came closer to testing time, she began to teach the test as a genre. She had a very interesting point, to teach the test she will use test like material because they are the same genre. She would not use non-fiction to teach poetry, therefore she will not use trade books to teach testing material.         She began her teaching of the test by teaching tips to take the test. Some examples of her tips are taking breaks between passages, taking a drink of water, not looking ahead to get frustrated with how much we have left to do, stretching our feet, or even switching to a fresh pencil to feel as though you have a fresh start. She then began teaching students how to analyze questions. How to break them apart, and understand what they are truly asking.         One of her most important strategies was to have conversations with the students. She wanted to understand where they were coming from and what there thoughts were about the tests.         In the end she also wanted her students to realize that she did not believe in standardized testing. She wanted them to know the purpose of these test. The purpose is to rank students and schools (from this teachers point of view.)        The point is that at some point you have to teach the test. The state has made us do this. We are really doing our students an injustice, but what other choice do we have?Connection:        I believe at some point you do have to teach the test. Children must know test taking strategies, and how to break the questions apart to figure them out. Last year as the test got closer, I began benchmarking my kids. I know realize this is not the best approach, but they got lots of practice with test like questions. Then we would take one question at a time and go over it. We are told to teach the TEKS and TAKS will be covered, but is that really true?Discussion:        What experience do you have with teaching the test? Do you teach the test or do you strictly teach the TEKS? I would also like to know if I share the same opinions of the test with others? Do you feel these tests are fair or not?

 

Date: Thu Sep 16, 2004 1:48 am

Author: Gentry, Pamela <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: Teaching to the test? test preparation in the reading workshop

Kellie- I agree with you that we have to face reality - the tests are here to stay and it is unfair to just throw a test at the kids without any familiarity. I REALLY liked how the author taught the test as a genre! In this way she is still maintaining her overall teaching goals, yet appropriately introducing test taking material to the kids so that they have context.I bet her emphasis that the test was about teachers and schools ... not about the students really helped test anxiety. It would be good if parents understood this better, too, don't you think?