Let’s face it, this new online reality is not great for anyone. But it is forcing teachers to look at how they have taught in the past and change how they provide information, assessments, activities, and vocabulary to students in the virtual world.
Change can be great if we just embrace it.
I hear a lot of talk from my teacher colleagues about how kids are cheating on tests and they are frustrated. In a virtual educational setting, we can’t test as we do in a traditional classroom. This is a fact and a change we have to make if we want assessments to have meaning.
Unless you don’t care if students use open notes and the Internet to take tests and quizzes, you will have to change how you score and assess them.
The answer to this is performance-based testing. I know you have all heard me say this before. But really, it is the only way to truly see what students know and can do. Performance-based tests are the perfect way to assess student growth and understanding.
With many students (and teachers) having glitchy internet connections, it is not fair to test expressive skills in a live online environment. I know this is my opinion, but for equity and equality we have to consider not everyone’s internet works well or at all. Live tests can bring on stress and can hinder students from showing us what they really know.
If there is a lag in the student’s internet connection, they can miss what is being said, fall behind in a conversation, or even appear to not know what is being said. In reality, they get it, they know it, they understand it.
One workaround that I have been doing with my students is to create a video of myself having a one-sided conversation. I ask questions then I pause so students have time to respond. Then I “respond” with a very generic comment like “I like that!” or “Oh I see, cool.” See the video example below.
On the day of the assessment, I have students use Screencastify (I think Loom would work too) to record their responses. Students play the video and place themselves in the “bubble” in the lower part of the screen. It is important that the student records both the video and themselves.
Some Tips
- Make sure you are leaving pauses that are long enough for the students to respond, but not too long it becomes awkward.
- Make sure you are using vocabulary students know and have practiced. This is not a time to introduce new words.
- Students should not get the video ahead of time. They should not get a practice run. This is a one and done deal.
- Students must record themselves and the video (screen and self) in one-shot.
- You may want to have two video prompts because there is always a kid that gets the above wrong.
- Release the video to everyone during a live class at the same time. Only do this after their recording tools are ready.
- Set a time. you know how long the video is, give them an additional 30 seconds to wrap up the end, and stop the video.
- Make sure students are turning in the videos immediately after they are done recording. Look at the time stamp.
- Screencastify will process the video and take longer than Loom.
- Students can’t use their phone cameras for this. They need the screen and self.
What does it all look like?
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I hope you enjoyed this idea and can implement it in your own classroom. Remember this works for distance learning and in-person classes.
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