Walk this Way: To Test or Not To Test?

Hello!  Welcome to my fifth-grade Walking Classroom! To test or not to test? That is the question we will focus on today.

Assessment Options Abound

The Walking Classroom provides great quizzes for us to use with multiple formats.  You can photocopy from the Teacher’s Guide, print from the Adopter Resources, or give as a test through Google Forms, using the electronic version! There are so many different ways and/or times you can decide to use these.

Pretesting . . .

Give the assessment before you begin a unit to get an idea of your class’s prior knowledge. Note: I only use this option on a podcast that has a strong curriculum connection for my students.

After Walking . . .

• After the first walk (out of at least two) – How much have students learned?  Are there points you need to hit harder in class as well as during the second listen or discussion?
• After the second walk – This can be a graded assessment if you have a strong curriculum connection. It could count under the standard (for example, Social Studies/Westward Expansion), OR it could be used as a graded assessment on listening skills.
• After either walk – Allow students to work with a partner or team, using the quiz to guide a discussion on the podcast.  This is great if there is a curriculum connection, and can provide easy substitute plans for a day you are not around! as well

. . . and Other Possibilities!

• Homework – Have students take the quiz home as a guide for talking to their parents about what they learned about in school that day.
• No test – Sometimes, the benefit is background knowledge and healthy habits, and a test just isn’t needed!

I challenge you to find at least four podcasts (one per quarter) that have strong ties to your curriculum.  Decide how the test would best fit into that time period or unit. Try it out! Which ideas worked best for you?  Did you find another way to use the tests?

Happy Trails!

Amy Schott
Fifth Grade Teacher
Fox Road Magnet Elementary

Follow Mrs. Schott’s class as they walk, listen, and learn through the school year. Look for her posts the first Friday of every month!

And, be sure to check out how the program is being implemented by three other teachers on subsequent Fridays!