Using Google Forms for Assessment

I don't know that I'll ever use Google Forms for formal assessments, but I'm experimenting with it for formative assessment. Instead of giving my Honors Math III a study guide for Exponential Growth (feel free to take it and see the feedback you get), I created this Google Form (feel free to take it). I used Super Quiz to automatically grade it and email results. I then used Flubaroo to do the same thing. The set up for both is pretty similar.

Super Quiz
Pros:

1. Real-time feedback.
2. Customizable Feedback
3. Customizable Grade (with some tinkering) to reflect SBG level.
4. Lot's of data

Cons:

1. Students didn't know which questions they got wrong.
2. Feedback not so pretty--somewhat convoluted for a student to read.

Flubaroo

Pros:

1. Real-time feedback if autograding is turned on.
2. Feedback is visual and provides the question and response.
3. Customizable points per question.
4. Streamlined data

Cons:

1. Can't create (yet?) customizable SBG level.

Neither will attach the images that went along with the questions. I think, to be more effective, I'll still print them on paper and hand them out, then let them fill in their answers on Google Forms. That way, they can see the questions, answer choices, and their answer. There is also an option for giving them the answer key, but where's the fun in that?

I'm thinking about (long-term) making one of these for each skill. Students can't take the formal assessment until they make Level 2 (3?) on the practice. I also want to be able to write a Google Script that will randomize the values for the questions.

Who'da Thunk It

I'll let the data speak for itself... Math III. HONORS!!!

Gonna show them this and I hope it gets through to those who aren't completing their work that it might be helpful. Certainly couldn't hurt...

I know correlation isn't causation and that there may be (are) other reasons, but still, effort can make up for so many deficiencies.

Chromebook Pilot, Week 2, Thursday

2nd Period:
Another assessment today: vertex form
Graded yesterday's assessment on solving by factoring.

I'm hopeful about these grades, but not counting my chickens. This is a skill they had seen before, but it was also the first skill they'd done online. 13/17 had A's or B's. Hoping I can grade today's assessments this afternoon.

Class itself was uneventful. As they finished their assessments, they finished anything unfinished and began on this cool assignment on transformations with complex numbers from . It's due for homework. It was a shortened period.

3rd Period:
I stayed fairly busy and had 17 kids working on 5 different assignments. That is a definite pro about having my website ready to go and access to the Chromebooks.

• A student who had zoned out the last 2 days went back to trying and asked for lots of help. He's a smart kid, but chooses when he wants to try to understand. He started over on Monday's lesson and seemed to have it by the end. I need to call home and see if we can get him to be more consistent.
• A student who had been "out" the last 10 days returned today. He's also a smart kid, but he makes poor decisions. He took this class last year, passed it and the EOC exam, but failed because of absences. Two days before his vacation, I had let him begin working ahead in the text. The idea was that he would let me know when he was ready to assess, and we'd go from there. When he finished our curriculum before everyone else, I was going to begin going over Math II with him.
• Another student had been missing the last 3 days returned. She was working on all sorts of skills that she is behind on. She somehow took Math II as a Freshman and is now taking Math I. So, sometimes she picks things up real quick, but her foundation is really weak. She also has issues with attendance. She has some reassessments to take, which I mentioned to her. She said she took one last week and tried to turn it in to me, but that I said I didn't need it. That's entirely possible. It's hard for me to remember this morning.
• The rest of the class were working on various things from the 3 main skills we'd done this week (including the one we started today--Addition and Subtraction of Polynomials).

4th Period:

Short and uneventful. They finished up Systems of Inequalities and began Addition and Subtraction of Polynomials. I had another student tell me that she understands the format and understands the material from the videos. Yay! Grading their assessments from yesterday now, but I don't expect the success that 2nd block had because we were so jumbled up and they had so much drama with the crying and all. I'll post it anyway.

3rd and 4th grades on Solving Systems of Equations:

	A's	B's	C's	D's	F's	Average:	Median:
3rd Block - Math I	1	5	2	3	2	66.2	70
4th Block - Honors Math I	6	5	0	0	2	78	89

Chromebook Pilot, Week 2, Wednesday

Phew! Today was pretty quiet. I gave each class an assessment at the beginning of class. These are the first assessments since we got the Chromebooks, but they didn't have the rubrics for skills last week. Not really sure what to expect. The assessments follow the note packets, so I expect the go-getters to do great and the middle kids to do middling, and, well, you know. I am more excited to assess on the things we did this week with the Chromebooks AND rubrics (and a few more days doing it under our belts). I will try to grade and post the results broken down so that I can track them.

2nd Period - Honors Math III
We had an assessment. I had a typo on the Level 4 problem. I stopped the test, wrote the correction on the board and told everyone to correct it right then. Of course, I noticed at least two kids who didn't change it. It was factoring, so they were fighting an unwinnable battle.

After the assessment, they worked on Arithmetic with Complex Numbers. When all tests were in, I called over 4 students who have struggled here and there so we could do the video together. I also called over the girl who felt like she wasn't getting enough support. She remained silent the whole class and she left the chocolate I gave the five of them on her desk when she left. Hey, I'm not above bribes...

I liked having the direct instruction with these students. They need it. But, because of time restrictions, I wasn't able to have group discussions about today's lesson. We are continuing it tomorrow, so I'll give a bell ringer to assess where they are, but we also have an assessment and class is cut 15 minutes short for the Powderpuff game. I guess I'm going to keep doing this with them for a week or two until they get comfortable with watching the videos and knowing when and how to ask questions.

I've told two students that I will make a mini-project for them to assess Arc Length and Sector Area. They get it in class and one-on-one, but space out when they assess. Part of my two-year plan is to have one hands-on application per week and one alternative assessment per week. I'm also going to phase in blogging and/or YouTube videos. I might wait till the Spring for that. I have all Math I's and all of this foundation work will be (mostly) complete.

3rd Period - Math I

They had an assessment. It was really brief. I'll be honest. I delayed assessments last week because I didn't want to stress them (and myself) out any more than adding the Chromebooks. Also, my dad is coming in this weekend, so I won't be able to spend the 10-20 hours that I have been on my laptop. I didn't want to give two classes 3 assessments on Graphing, Substitution, and Elimination and another assessment on Friday, so I gave them this. When they were done, they continued Systems of Linear Inequalities from yesterday. We began Ohio Jones (which they usually love). I was able to get with three students for remediation on graphing lines in slope-intercept form.

4th Period - Honors Math I

They had the same assessment as 3rd. Also continued Systems of Linear Inequalities. We jumped into Ohio Jones about 10 minutes after everyone was finished with their tests. I corrected a few misconceptions (have to remember to get pictures!). Towards the end of class, a few began to grumble about homework and it taking too long and Church and Soccer and going to the Movies. I shut them down quick! The bellyaching from that class is really starting to wear on my nerves. I told them I didn't want to spend another day on this skill. I didn't really want to spend two. I asked who needed to practice again tomorrow and they all said they know it. I agreed and gave them the option of finishing their practice problems or finishing Ohio Jones. They also have to complete their Application problems and finish their rubric for Friday's test on Linear Inequalities. At least they ask about homework. I neglected to tell 3rd Period the same...