Potty Passes, Fahrenheit 451 and Gamification

I am thinking about how ridiculous it all is. I just reread Shawn Cornally's post on Potty Passes where he tells the story of students getting extra credit for turning in their unused potty passes. How meaningless grades have become. 

Then, since my IPad was out of batteries I had to read a real book last night and ironically, I picked up Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The part that hit me was when Beatty is explaining to Montag about how all this book burning got started. There was so much information that people couldn't digest it all, so they had to make it simpler and everyone was so confused that somehow they figured out that life would be better without all of this material that was worthy of deep thought. They needed to present things in quick, easy to figure out ways. 

Then last week I watched a TedTalks video on using games in education or Gamification. (While I am writing this either 1, 2 or all 3 of my sons are playing some horrible game on the XBox in our attic). Ok, now this one really bugged me. The games have such quick resolutions and everything moves so fast and this guy says that this helps kids learn. Learn what? Not how to do real problem solving. Where is the deep thinking here? 

I like video games, I was once really addicted to Frogger (in the early 90s),  I stayed up until 4 am playing it. I've been addicted to other games too, like Scrabble. I've gotten a lot better at Scrabble since I've been playing it on the computer but mostly because I've learned words like xi and za and how to maximize my points. 

Now to pull all of this together, potty passes, Ray Bradbury and gaming. I don't want to be a part of making Fahrenheit 451 come true, I want there to be real books and front porches and good deep thinking, even if it seems boring to my computer crazed kids. They have to know that it isn't about points and getting to the next level. It is about something a lot more beautiful and meaningful and it is worth doing.

Google Form for Reassessment

I started using this Google form. I won't let anyone reassess without it. I like it because I can keep track of things. I think I took the questions from Sam Shah.

Here is a link to a better copy if you can't read it.

It's Working

I did something a little drastic, a little punitive and a little scary. I did not want the end of the trimester rush of procrastinating 8th graders, scrambling to reassess on concepts they hadn't "passed." At the beginning of the year,  I instituted a "no-fail" policy that every student needs to get a score of 7/10 or above (sum of last two assessment scores on a 5-point scale) in order to pass my class. First trimester, many students came during the last few weeks to avoid getting incompletes and I had to give several incompletes anyway and I still have one incomplete outstanding. Also, some students needed these skills for subsequent skills and were continuing to fall behind and were feeling lost in class.

So, this trimester I used our "mandatory study hall" to make sure they took care of it and told them that they wouldn't be passing math if they didn't take care of it by Jan 12. In our middle school, students are assigned to mandatory study hall if they have 2 Ds or an F our 3 week progress report checkpoints.  Now, I am only concerned about concepts that have dropped off the in-class quizzes. Setting a time-limit and holding a punishment over their head goes against what I truly believe but it really worked! Of course, the reason it worked is because I have failed to truly motivate them, this is sad but true but hey, it did work! In the past few days, I have seen my students working hard, asking good questions, being resourceful and coming in and reassessing.

I am also very happy that my students did so well on their midterms. I just reread a post from last May where I was so discouraged by their lousy scores. I make them reassess on anything they get a 2 or below on that is no longer tested in class. In my one Geometry class (20 students) there will be 4 reassessments. Much better retention than last year.

Too complicated!

I am starting to see that my whole record keeping thing is a bit too complicated and I want to simplify. I am wondering if I should offer the quizzes less frequently (I do it once a week now in all 5 math classes) or if I really have to record the data by had, then enter it into a Google spreadsheet and then enter it into our school electronic gradebook. The reason I record by hand is because I got into trouble last year a few times by inadvertently overwriting my data. I don't do sbg in my science class but that class definitely adds a lot to my load.

I want to know how my students are learning the skills but in my Geometry class I know I am making them do more then just demonstrate skills; I am asking them to problem solve on the concept quizzes. I am thinking about alternating a problem solving quiz and a regular (more skills based quiz) every other week. The problem solving quiz could combine several skills. I don't really see how this will cut down on my work except for the fact that I can assess problem solving and 2-3 skills at once.

I am going to read up on how others keep records. Maybe it is just too much because of my course load. I don't really know how to back off or to reduce my workload at this point. I'm open to suggestions.

Phew!

I finished a trimester. I went a bit crazy with reassessments at the end and not I've made a Goggle form that students have to submit before reassessing. My plan is to check the spreadsheet every morning with my coffee.

I was very happy with the retention of skills in my Algebra class, not as much with Geometry. I think it's a big shift for my advanced students. They are so good at the game that they don't know what to do when the game is yanked out from under them.

I've also been thinking about how I used to assess. I never used book tests. I always designed my tests after making a list of objectives. I allowed test corrections. I thought I was pretty good at assessment then, but I knew that some kids weren't really learning anything. This is so much better than that. It is more work but only because it's my first full year and I've completely changed the sequence of what I am teaching. I use the book but it doesn't drive my instruction, I let my list and the students drive me instead.

I am glad to have a short break from reassessments. Thanksgiving is coming and I'm excited for my son to return from college. I need a break.

Last Week of the Trimester

Well, I am a little overwhelmed with reassessments.....I guess I predicted that. I am feeling a bit down about how this is all a lot of bookkeeping and still a bit of a points game. I do have students asking for more practice which seems like a good sign. For the most part I am satisfied with my classroom instruction. We are problem solving, especially in Geometry.

Next week (fri) is the end of the trimester. I predict that I will have 3-4 kids who are not passing. This is sad but they haven't listened and are still in the mindset that they can bumble along and pass without working. In Algebra, it is Percents that is causing them trouble. I put this in as a skill because I knew they haven't learned it.

I have let a few kids reassess without really proving to me that they can do it. I need a better system. I saw something on Sam Shah's blog that I think I'll modify and use.

That's all for now

Past the Midterm

Just a little update on how my plan is working.

I have about 6 students (out of about 80) who are not passing a few concepts. I have given them passes, called home, had conferences and I'm still not sure they care enough, a few have come in, but they came in unprepared. They may think that I will pass them anyway, I'm not sure. I will tell them tomorrow that they will have an incomplete and no grade until they come in and reassess and do well on their low concepts.

Here are the problem concepts: fractions, decimals and percents (all Pre-Algebra or prerequisite skills). I have one student who cannot pass integer operations. It is interesting but they can do the Algebra concepts fairly well but can't do these.

I have 1 or 2 students who are so low that I am wondering how they will be able to do quadratics, third trimester. I may need to have them on a different path. I have been thinking about having different cutoff points at the end of the trimester depending on ability. Some kids are taking a while to get it. I'll still roll everything over but maybe that would be a good idea.

I am wondering where to end my Trimester 1 grades. I think they need to have had it 4 times in class. Our first trimester ends 11/11/11, which gives me three weeks. I think I will only be able to post grades for concepts 1-9 on Trimester 1. I won't have the start-up time next trimester which should help.

The midterms were good. Students did show good retention and a lot of students have been fixing up their DPMs on their own. DPM stands for Definition and Properties Manual and they are allowed to use it on midterms and finals.

I had some questions and some good discussion at MCTM last Friday. Only 6 people came to my presentation (oh well, I had 3 other talks I wanted to attend while I was giving mine). One was on homework. I am so glad that I am no longer grading it. I am amazed at how many of my students do it. Only a few smarty pants kids (like my son) are skipping it and that's usually because they don't need it. One person asked me about how I am going to make students reassess on concepts they don't show even minimal understanding of on the final. For the first 2 trimesters, I'll just roll that over. I'll make the grade on that concept go away until they reassess.

I have to do that now to a couple of kids.