This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Middle Ground?!
Hi everyone. I need advice. I gave a test this past Friday. It contained labeling diagrams (body planes and cavities, and lung)multiple choice and matching. We had gone over labeling the diagrams together in class and even getting the students to come up and take turns doing the labeling. We reviewed with open discussion and questions. The classes participated well and I thought they would do wonderful. I was shocked at the results! Half the classes either passed with an A or high B and the other half failed. (this was my first year students) This was my first test that I have given this year with such an incredible difference in scores. Usually the grades are spread out with maybe only one or two who don't pass. I did not use a word bank for the labeling, but I usually don't use word banks. The scores reflected that the information reached one level of students rather than a common middle ground. What could I have done?
Interesting. I wonder if you could moderate a whole group discussion with your students to ask them about how they prepared for the test. My guess is that the half that failed either didn't study or didn't study efficiently. Maybe you could follow the group discussion up with an inside circle/outside circle activity (like we've done at NTI), so that the kids could share discuss/share their test preparation practices with each other.
ReplyDeleteI have had the very same thing happen this week Esther. It's amazing the split between grades in a class!
ReplyDeletethis was a major concern to me last year and i even went to our vp over vocational and asked her what am i doing wrong. she told me that if she had to bet you could look at lose kids test scores in all their classes and they would all be low...the ones with high grades would have high grades in all their classes..for the most part she was right..while it is our job to teach the students have the job of learning..you can lead the horse to water but you cant make him drink!!!
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