Hate Math and Science? You Don't Anymore

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

These were on a pre-printed sheet. She didn't write them, I don't think. Mrs C is sending the teacher an email to inquire about it. He's done VERY well this year and I don't want him getting confused over what was likely an accident on the teacher's part.

[Orbert]

If it's a pre-printed sheet, then either they came with answers provided (of which two are wrong) or she "solved" them herself and scored the tests based on her answers (of which two are wrong).  It would be good to know which of these two scenarios is the case.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Hopefully she'll explain herself when she gets the email.

[Jamesman42]

That is one thing I fear, is marking papers down and having the wrong answer and everyone think I don't know how to do my job/do math over an answer. Test banks for the win.

[Orbert]

Test banks are nice if there is enough diversity in the types of problems but also enough of the type of problem you want to emphasize.  Or so I've heard.  Ironically, I worked on testbanking software as an undergrad to help pay the bills, but once I started teaching, I never used testbanks.  I always wrote my own tests.  It made so much more sense than trying to find pre-written problems which were exactly what I needed.  Might as well make my own.

[Fiery Winds]

Test banks are nice if there is enough diversity in the types of problems but also enough of the type of problem you want to emphasize.  Or so I've heard.  Ironically, I worked on testbanking software as an undergrad to help pay the bills, but once I started teaching, I never used testbanks.  I always wrote my own tests.  It made so much more sense than trying to find pre-written problems which were exactly what I needed.  Might as well make my own.

I find I'm doing that after writing a couple tests.  Much easier to tailor the difficulty, length, and scope if you do it from scratch.  Not to mention, it keeps you sharp on your skills by reviewing the problems so you can respond more effectively to questions instead of saying, "Uh, let me check the answer key."

[Orbert]

Good point.  Also, I just plain liked making tests up.  They were creative exercises, yet another opportunity for me to inject some weirdness and insanity into the course.  My "story problems" were a blast.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

They were incorrect on the answer key.  She realized after she'd finished grading them all, so by the time we emailed her, she'd already given every kid a few extra points to cover the answers she accidentally marked wrong.  Excellent.

[Jamesman42]

They were incorrect on the answer key.  She realized after she'd finished grading them all, so by the time we emailed her, she'd already given every kid a few extra points to cover the answers she accidentally marked wrong.  Excellent.

That's a great comeback. She must have seen that too many kids got the problem wrong (if many of them had actually gotten them right). Glad it got solved.

Test banks are nice if there is enough diversity in the types of problems but also enough of the type of problem you want to emphasize.  Or so I've heard.  Ironically, I worked on testbanking software as an undergrad to help pay the bills, but once I started teaching, I never used testbanks.  I always wrote my own tests.  It made so much more sense than trying to find pre-written problems which were exactly what I needed.  Might as well make my own.

I find I'm doing that after writing a couple tests.  Much easier to tailor the difficulty, length, and scope if you do it from scratch.  Not to mention, it keeps you sharp on your skills by reviewing the problems so you can respond more effectively to questions instead of saying, "Uh, let me check the answer key."

I have a feeling I'll be doing this as well. In the education classes, I always found writing the tests to be the best part. I've only ever used a test bank once, and I liked it, but it was a while ago. I'll find out next Fall for sure when I student teach.

[Orbert]

That's great news, Cozmo!  Glad she set things right.

[Kosmo]

Who the heck hates math?

I do.

People who don't understand it and probably won't make great efforts to do so.

Correct.

[Jamesman42]

I watched the video where he was talking about how students can watch these at home and learn the concepts there (where they can pause, rewind, and all that), and how the actual class time can be devoted to activities that use that knowledge and enforce it, as opposed to a "one-size-fits-all" teaching oriented classroom.

That is an approach I would love to use.

[blackngold29]

There's one video (this one) that's kind of the extended edition talk that he goes over pretty much everything about it. Had the time to watch it the other night. He talks about going back to a one room school house where everyone works at their own pace and how it's already been tested.

Good stuff if you're interested and have the time, it's a good watch. (And of course, you can pause and rewind. )

[blackngold29]

So in my spare time I've been going back through and doing the math exercises, starting at the beginning. Most of them so far have been laughably easy, but it's all for fun so what the heck.

I have picked up on a few things though, I never learned how to do long division in school (without a calculator obviously).

[Jamesman42]

I've started watching the physics ones...I've learned a ton of calculus but most of physics still eludes me, so it's about time I get caught up on it.