Archive for January, 2011

OK, I’m Prepared–Now for the Test

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

Previously we examined some tips for mid-term exam studies. We will continue that here by talking about specific strategies to use on different types of exam questions.

If there is one thing students are familiar with, it’s multiple choice exams. But as important as knowing the answer is, it is also important to know strategies to deduce the answer if one is not readily apparent. The first thing you should do after reading the question is to answer it before looking at your choices. Does you answer seem to fit? If so, good. Then you can look at the possible answers listed and choose the closest one. If you are still unsure, you should go through all the answers and try out each one. Which one seems to fit best? Next, you can eliminate the answers that seem furthest from the truth. That way, if you have to guess, you will have fewer possible answers to choose from. Two final words of advice. Don’t second guess yourself. It will only create unnecessary anxiety; and besides, if you’re gut is telling you something, it is best to listen. Lastly, beware of questions that say things like “All of the following EXCEPT…” Don’t get fooled by the tricky wording.

In addition to multiple choice questions, there is also the dreaded true/false question. It seems easier since you have a 50-50 chance of being right. But these questions can still be tough, and a good strategy can go a long way towards helping you answer them. First thing, analyze the question. Break it down and figure out what exactly the question is asking. Then try to prove the answer false. It is important when doing this to remember that if any part of the question is false, then the whole answer is false. Finally, as with the multiple choice questions, watch out for tricky wording. Words like “Always, Sometimes,” or “Never” should be red flags reminding you to pay special attention.

Another section you may encounter on mid-terms is the essay question. This requires more thought and strategy than the other two because much of it is subjective. But there are still ways you can make sure you do your best on this portion of the exam. The first thing to do is brainstorm. Get all your thoughts down on paper then prepare to organize. You can do this by creating an outline or a graphic organization chart, which will give you something to follow as you structure your essay. When you write your essay, make sure you have an intro, a thesis, body, and conclusion. This may seem self evident, but you could lose big points if you overlook one of these vital components. Also, make sure that everything you write relates back to the thesis. Consider the thesis the paper’s commander. It must be obeyed and adhered to. Any attempt to step outside the thesis in your essay will end up with lost points. Also make sure to answer all parts of the questions asked. Oftentimes essays will ask you to answer multiple questions. Make sure you don’t leave one out. Also, use vocabulary that is appropriate to the subject matter, but make sure you are well acquainted with that vocabulary. It does no good to use fancy words if you’re not sure if you’re using them correctly. Finally, make sure you leave time to review your essay. Don’t turn it in without having read it over.

The last section we will go over is the math section. For some of you, this will be a joy. For others, a fear. Either way, we have some tips that can help you. First you want to make sure that you read the question carefully and underline the key points. It is hard to get the right answer if you aren’t clear on what the question is asking. Also make sure to show your work. Sometimes teachers will give only partial credit if the way you arrived at your answer isn’t demonstrated. For clarity’s sake, make sure your answer is circled. There will probably be a lot of numbers twirling around your answer space, and you want to make sure your teacher knows which one is the final answer. Also, be sure you plug the answer you get into the original question to make sure it fits.

When evaluating the question, especially word problems, make sure to break them down into their different parts. After you have done that, drawing a diagram can also be helpful. Other helpful tips are to write down any formulas for the variables in the problem so you can have them handy, make sure you include units of measure, put the answer in its simplest form, and round to the correct number of decimal places. Math is about being exact, so any little thing that you neglect can mean fewer points for you.

Mid-terms are certainly a stressful time of year, but that doesn’t mean you need to go in unprepared. Using some of these simple strategies, you can ensure that you get the most out of each question on your exams.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Study Skills | Comments Off

Don’t Let Mid-Terms Get You Down

Friday, January 21st, 2011

It’s that dreaded time of year: mid-term season. Parents and students alike dread mid-terms, but with a few tips, there is no reason to be afraid. The key— as in all things — is to be prepared.  Today we are going to cover some of the study skills you will need to get ready for exams.

The first step is to be organized. Don’t study in a slapdash manner. Instead plan out ahead of time how you want to tackle your studies. You should try to determine which topics are going to be most important on the exam. Often a teacher will give students some idea of what areas to focus on. Then, when setting aside time to study, give focus to those areas that will be most relevant on the exam. Additionally, if there are areas where you have more trouble than others set aside extra time for those. If you plan ahead and know just how much time and attention you want to give to each subject, your studies will be less stressful and more manageable.

It’s important in preparing for exams to take a look at old tests and study guides. Old tests can give you some idea of what types of subjects will be most relevant; and, additionally, they will show you what types of answers may be expected of you.  A parent or tutor can help guide a student in examining past tests to determine which topics are most important. You can do this by indicating which topics get more questions, and thus, higher priority on a test. Help your students examine the mistakes they made on their past tests and help them develop strategies to avoid making them again. Also, you can compare the study guides to old tests and see what kind of questions actually made it onto the test from the guide. A lot is revealed in writing, and by seeing how teachers constructed previous tests, you can get a good idea of what to expect from mid-terms.

The more connections that can be made to a topic, the better chance there is of recalling that information.  This can be seen in everyday tasks, such as learning a new friend’s name.  It is easier to learn a person’s name if you associate the name with another connection that you may have.  This principle is also true when studying for classes.  Develop graphic organizers or flow charts to make information manageable and to map the connections between topics. And of course, the tried and true method of putting information on index cards for rapid review is always a good move.

For those of you who learn better from pictures, it will be helpful to draw pictures of material to help better memorize what you’re studying.  This is especially helpful for visual learners when trying to learn new vocabulary.  Textbooks are an often overlooked resource.  A parent or tutor can help students better understand how to use textbooks as a valuable resource. For example, point out the importance of bolded words and graphics. Also, chapter reviews and tests at the end of the chapters can be good study tools. Finally, when a student has gone over a chapter, have that student summarize it in his or her own words.

Another helpful tactic is to give your children mini quizzes in timed environment so that they have practice working in time constraints.  Also, stress the importance of reviewing work for simple mistakes.    Parents can also help students understand how to think about tests. Guide them through the proper ways to approach a question based on the type of question. Try to explain to them what the thought process is when determining the answer to a question.

Finally, here are a couple common sense tactics for students:

Take breaks when you need them. Don’t slog through your studies without giving yourself a breather. And review study materials the morning before a test after having a good night’s sleep.

Follow these guidelines and you will find that preparing for mid-terms isn’t as scary as you may have thought.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Study Skills | Comments Off

Is Standardized Testing Doing Its Job?

Friday, January 7th, 2011

Standardized testing: Children fear it. Adults wonder about it. Officials support it. But is it effective? According to Todd Farley’s recent article on The Huffington Post, that answer is “no way.”

Farley is the author of Making the Grades: My Misadventures in the Standardized Testing Industry. Despite being an outspoken critic of standardized testing in the media, he has somehow procured a job in the testing industry. In the article, he points out that, since he had a child, his opinion of the testing industry has changed. Whereas he once thought it just an incompetent money-making business, he now looks at it as a growth industry with serious consequences for his family and its attempts to support a needy child.

The whole article is tongue-in-cheek. He doesn’t really think the standardized testing industry is any good. To support that belief, he talks about people who get fired at one testing company easily getting rehired at another. He mentions companies that are lacking in their testing standards easily picking up new contracts. And he points out how test questions have been recycled state to state, test to test. The picture he paints is of an industry interested in business and nothing more. Our children are but cogs in a money-making machine, he seems to say.

Read the article here.

From accusations that tests are biased to concerns that students’ futures are too dependent on the results, standardized testing is often made a rhetorical punching bag. Yet, the basic idea behind testing is a good one: To evaluate how well students are doing.

It seems simple. With all the students we have in each state of this country, it is near impossible to determine how well they are doing according to grade level, when compared with each other, and when held up against students in the rest of the world. Standardized testing is one way that has been found to evaluate the quality of American education. That it has its shortcomings is obvious. That it might not be implemented effectively is possible. That is should not exist… who knows? Regardless, concerns about the industry do deserve attention.

If the standardized testing industry is cutting corners in order to make money off our youth, then investigations must be started, reforms must be made, and school systems will need to adjust accordingly. Farley’s article is an interesting starting off point to begin a look at the testing industry and how well, or poorly, it may be doing.

To read a 2009 Time article about the history of Standardized Testing, go here.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Standards of Learning (SOLs) | Comments Off

South Carolina Survey Shenanigans

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

You may recall that in a previous blog post we discussed the benefits of single-gender classrooms. Well, an article over at slate.com tackles the subject as well. Only this one is focused on debunking the seemingly fantastic news coming from the South Carolina Department of Education.

The Department recently surveyed 7,000 students in its schools, asking them questions about single-gender classrooms. The responses were startling.  Seventy six percent of children K-9 say that being in a single-gender classroom has given them more confidence. Ninety three percent of girls in grades K-2 reported increased motivation.

Read more about the survey at the following sites:

The slate.com article goes on to point out some of the flaws in this survey, including what should be considered its biggest — who cares whether students say they are more motivated or confident? What’s important when studying the effectiveness of an education program is how well the students do academically. This survey had nothing to do with that.

The Slate article also listed other problems with the survey. For instance, the students couldn’t answer “no change.” Their only options were “decrease” or “increase” when answering questions about motivation and confidence. The article claims the lack of “no change” as an option makes it more likely that students would say something positive. It goes back to the youthful need to please one’s elders, the author says.

Also, the survey was only given to students in single-gender classrooms. However, in South Carolina, to be in a single-gender classroom one must opt-in. That basically means that the kids surveyed were more likely to give positive answers because they had chosen this form of education voluntarily.

The last problem cited by the Slate article was essentially the placebo effect. Apparently something similar to the placebo effect in drug trials turns up when measuring the effectiveness of education programs. Just saying that change is coming and will be studied is sometimes enough to increase people’s perception of how well a school is doing.

It seems this South Carolina survey essentially tells us nothing, except perhaps the state of mind of students. That is, no doubt, important, but when it comes to measuring how well a particular program is doing, something more than feelings are needed.

To read the Slate article, go here.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Educational Practices | Comments Off

Have No Fear

Saturday, January 1st, 2011

For Prince William County parents worried about their children’s education, perhaps they need have no fear.  Evidently it’s a great place for youth.

America’s Promise Alliance recently chose the county as one of its 100 best communities for young people. The group was founded by former secretary of state Colin Powell and his wife. A Washington Post article on the honor said that according to county officials, “Supportive educators, numerous after-school activities and volunteer opportunities that are available for students all make Prince William County shine as a place for young people…”

The mission of America’s Promise Alliance is to ensure students graduate from high school and are ready to move on to college. Indeed, graduation rates in Prince William County schools are not too shabby. In 2010, approximately 88 percent of students graduated on time. Of course, Virginia itself does pretty well graduation-wise. About 85 percent of students graduated on-time statewide in 2010. These figures are up from 2009. In that year, Prince William County graduated 84.3 percent of students while the state graduated 83.3.

But graduation from high school is just half the battle. That’s why the support of organizations like America’s Promise Alliance is so important. It is essential that students graduate high school prepared for the next stage of their education. America’s Promise Alliance does this by advocating for the five key supports children need:

  • Caring adults such as parents, teachers, mentors, coaches and neighbors
  • Safe places that offer constructive activities when young people are not in school
  • A healthy start and healthy development
  • An effective education that prepares young people for college and work
  • Opportunities to help others through service

Fortunately, it looks like Prince William County does a good job in these areas as well. So, keep up the good work, Prince William County. And all parents can ensure it does by keeping an eye on the facilities, services and support given to their children.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in School System Updates | Comments Off