The author, Alison Cox, is a Math Teacher at Des Arc High School in Arkansas.
Did I mention my kids love having digital assessment? They like having their scores and feedback immediately after testing.
– Alison Cox, High School Math Teacher
When I first started teaching, finding rigorous and aligned assessment questions was more of a quest than a fun activity. I spent hours of planning to create original assessments that aligned to my content, standards, and state assessments.
The time I spent creating these assessments included combining paper copies, assessment booklets, and online content. After cutting and pasting onto blank copy paper, I finally had a test for my students. Then, I would remember I had two other content areas and grade levels to create tests for before the end of the unit. Not to mention the fact that I would need to grade all of the tests by hand; and provide meaningful and timely feedback.
I was exhausted and struggled to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I knew there had to be an easier way to assess my students- a method that could be fun for me and for them.
Speed forward two years, I found the answer was digital assessment! …enter Edulastic.
Because of Edulastic, I am able to create assessments with ease. The online content has a multitude of options to differentiate how my students are assessed. I have access to a test bank that is aligned to my state assessments and Common Core State Standards. I have the option to add questions I have created or to use questions that others have created. Even more exciting was finding questions that were aligned to my classroom curriculum. Cutting and pasting on paper is a thing of the past. Now, I can enjoy making assessments for my students…plus, my kids actually request to take their tests online!! WHAT?!
Did I mention my kids love having digital assessment? They like having their scores and feedback immediately after testing. They simply submit their tests and immediately see their mistakes. On the teacher side, I can see what my students are doing and answering using live mode. I can also provide feedback to individual students as they submit their assessment.
Test days are something I look forward to now. My students are learning and growing because of my switch to online assessments. Plus, I never dreamed of my students wanting to know how to get a different answer, asking why an answer they selected is wrong, or debating with peers about how they approached a problem differently and still got it right!! These conversations between my students demonstrate their genuine interest in growing as learners. Who doesn’t want that for their students and classroom?
Want to dig deeper?
- Read posts from other teachers who are using digital assessment
- Kristina Acevedo
6th Grade ELA Teacher
Use Biweekly Skills Checks to Inform Guided Reading Groups and Instruction - Angela Bazzo
8th Grade Math Teacher
Why I Use Digital Assessment - Janet Kelly
5th Grade Math Teacher
It doesn’t matter where we start, what matters is how we grow.
- Kristina Acevedo
- Learn about Formative Assessment
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