Pre-Test Completed- So What?

Nearly all students completed the pretest today. 100 questions of information about which they knew little to nothing.

 Observation- many (perhaps most) students became so overwhelmed that they stopped reading the questions and simply colored in the circles.

 I don't really blame them. I likely would have done the same thing. I'm a believer in the axiom "anything worth doing is worth doing well, and anything not worth doing is worth not doing well."

 Pessimistic perhaps, but I believe students realize that when they do not know something, they will be taught it by a responsible teacher. They are also smart enough to know the game that if it is on a pretest, it must be material they are eventually supposed to know. So what is the true motivation to take the time to read 100 multiple choice questions.

 There is value in having the students see the pretest. I can think of these: a) they can see what is coming - a pre-reading of the text type of process, b) they quickly become cognizant that there is a lot of work coming, c) when they post-test (using nearly the same questions) they will know the material and that can serve as motivation to continue working hard the rest of the year. They will succeed with this material. They always do.

 So now the fun starts. We get down to the business of doing Social Studies!

 iPhoned
 From R. Murry

Posted via email from rrmurry's posterous