Google Forms for Assessments

How To’s and What NOT to Do With Google Forms

Process of making a test in Google Forms

• ·      Create form by adding your questions.   
•         Create and add title to the spreadsheet. (include timestamp and name only)
•    Choose destination on your form to link spreadsheet with form.
•    Get Flubaroo Add-on, if needed.
•    Take test with the name ANSWER KEY.
•    Create QR code or create shortened url.
•    Give test to students. 
•    Insert questions and standards in the Timestamp and Name row before grading. 
•    Grade with Flubaroo.
•    Do not assign points for empty questions.
•    Flubaroo will create a second sheet within your spreadsheet with the results.

1.         How do you insert a picture for a multiple choice question?

2.         When you create a question with pictures as answer choices, DO NOT set as required question.

3.        Type your question in the image title for larger font size.

4.         DO NOT make a picture multiple choice question the last question on the test.

  

5.        DO NOT fill the spreadsheet until after students have taken the test.

6.         DO NOT enter the question for incorrect image answers on the spreadsheet.  Leave blank.

7.        DO NOT grade until everyone has completed the test.

8.       Save a copy because Google has been revamping lately and I have lost some items.

Student Interviews

As our school gathers our end of the year data, I am reflecting on how well we listened to students strategies and problem solving techniques. Several teachers in our building are just beginning their journey and training with CGI. As a math coach and teacher I am beginning to realize that learning to listen can be a hard skill for teachers (and coaches) who have been the "voice" in the classroom for a long time. I recently found an article by Marilyn Burns that helped me focus on what we could be missing out on if we are not listening to students each and every day.

Click on Marilyn's picture to read the article for yourself.

Happy Listening!

Ms. Mathemagical

More on Interactive PDF's

Our Kindergarten crew has been thinking on how to best assess their students in the most appropriate ways.  They do lots of counting and oral assessment, but needed some way to track growth over time with a common assessment given on the same day for each kindergarten student in our building.  Also, with common core, we must begin preparing our students with computer assessments, as well as pencil paper assessments.

In my last blog about Interactive PDFs, I was trying to create a few assessments by playing around with a template I found online.  I also had a few snags that I was trying to figure out.  Well, I'm progressing.  I have made the last page white for easier printing.  Other snags such as the view can be changed to 100%, and the settings can be changed so the students cannot scroll the pages.  I am still learning about the settings and how to keep them from document to document.

Here is the latest PDF.  It is a Mid Year Assessment for Kindergarten.  At the top of each page, it tells you the standard being assessed. I would love some feedback on this item.  Please help me create better products for you and your students.
These are some questions that are on my mind:

• Do you like the layout? 
• Were your students engaged? 
• Was the grading/recording sheet helpful in analyzing student work? 
• Are there other assessments you would like to purchase?

Click on the picture to download.

At a RTI meeting last week, our team thought of Interactive PDFs as an intervention, especially if it was created with the student's specific goal in mind.  I will be playing around with a PDF for a student and his goal of increasing his sight word knowledge.  I look forward to sharing that with you next week.


Thanks for stopping by,

Ms. Mathemagical

Mr. Tricky Man

Just like hunting season has the guys and gals counting down to spend time in the woods, I count down the days that let students learn testing strategies with their content.  To those of you who just know me as Ms. Mathemagical, I also have another name, "Mr. Tricky Man"!

Mr. Tricky Man started years ago when I would visit classrooms and teach testing strategies at the request of teachers.  One of the phrases I would use would be, "Don't let that Mr. Tricky Man (the guy who makes the test) trick you!"  The students would say back, "He won't trick me!"  It felt like a scene from The Gingerbread Man.  It became something that students would say to me in the hallways. "I didn't let Mr. Tricky Man trick me today on my test."  Then one day, a smart student realized that I make some the tests and said, "Hey, you're Mr. Tricky Man! You can't trick me!"  From then on, when introducing "tricky" questions, I wear a different hat and use a deep man's voice.  The kids eat it up!

Why does test prep work for me?
When used correctly and not just for the practice of testing, test prep can help students grow.  You must teach testing and content strategies, not just how to bubble in a circle.  When we have done this type of test prep, our scores went up 30 points over a three year period.  I attribute some of that to test prep (and some really awesome teachers).

How do you get started with test prep?
About three years ago, my school started a school wide test prep day, once a week.  During that day the students learned strategies through mini-lessons and tried those and past strategies in context on a timed mock test in each tested area. After each test, the teacher would go over each answer and have a class discussion about "tricky" problems.  Each afternoon, there was an award, such as 10 minutes of playing Wii together in the auditorium, for those who made progress.  The incentive helped students who would normally give up, keep going.  Each week the incentive became harder to earn, because our expectation became more challenging.  Students also received their picture on the front wall.  Star stickers were displayed for every PROFICIENT or ADVANCED test score.  Students loved walking by and counting their stars. Our school usually planned for 10 weeks of test prep before our state standardized tests.  Believe it or not, the kids actually enjoyed watching themselves get better at test taking over time and not being tricked by Mr. Tricky Man.

I hope our example helps give you an idea of how a test prep day at your school can be beneficial.  The key is to keep the students movtivated and focus on the strategies that students are or are not using.  Base your lessons on strategies as well as spiraling your content.

Below you will find an example of a mini-lesson for a first grade test prep.  It is a free item on TPT.  Click on the picture to download.

I hope you find it useful during your season of test prep.  I am working on posting more including grade level packets for the entire test prep season.  Check back soon.

Ms. Mathemagical  

a.k.a.    MR. TRICKY MAN :)

Interactive PDFs

I hope you have had a great winter vacation.  For many of us, this is our last day before we must return to teaching.  I am excited to go back because I have learned something completely new over the holiday break.  I just can't wait to share it with you, so I'm including a few FREEBIES below!

Have you ever heard of interactive PDFs?  Until recently, I had not a clue that PDFs could be interactive. Powerpoint and Smart Notebook were always my go to places for interactive lessons and quizzes. Not too long ago, I came across a kindergarten assessment freebie online. It was a fabulous resource.  I used it for my kindergarten students to determine gap skills.  I started taking it apart to see how it was made, but some of my links would not work.  Over the break, I found a great friend who knew more about the links than me.  With his help, I was able to make the new one work.  Then, as we all do, I began thinking of other ways to create this.  I wanted to make it faster, more efficient for teachers to make.  Time is so valuable.  So, I played around and made another one.  This time from scratch.

The benefit of using the interactive PDFs is that each page can be heard by a click of a button for the students. This is very nice for students with limited reading ability.  They can replay the sound as many times as they need.  Students cannot move on until they choose an answer.  Yay!  No skipped problems. It also grades the work for you, so you can print a copy of the last page for your records.  This makes it great for an individualized intervention assessment and simply analyzing students answers.

Here is the Kindergarten Assessment.  I have it linked to the original site.  Click on the picture to download.

Here is my first re-creation. Click on the picture to download.

Here is the "from scratch" version.  Be sure to check out the flaws below before downloading.

There are still a few flaws:
1. You have to decrease the size before beginning to be able to see everything you need to take the assessment.
2. The grading page is blue, which is not nice for printing.  Who wants to use all their ink on printing graded papers.  I rather use my ink downloading new items from TPT.
3.  I cannot figure out how the first page asks you to choose full screen.  I do not want the kiddos to get lost in all the buttons up top.
4.  This does not work on Apple products.  I was hoping to be able to use it on classroom ipads, but the links become inactive.  If I can figure this problem out, it will open up a entire new way of assessing students, much like the Common Core plans to begin assessing!

If you have any ideas on how to fix these flaws, I appreciate comments!

These are my new goals for the week.  I hope you enjoy using these examples.  As soon as I learn how to fix the flaws above, I plan on making a how to video so you can create your own.  I also plan on making more for TPT.

See ya next week.  Enjoy time back with your students and fellow coworkers.

Ms. Mathemagical

A New Year, A Newly Used Blog

Well, my first attempt at blogging did not go very far, as you can see.  I started the blog and never returned.  My goal this year to post something new and mathy for you at least once a week.

HAPPY 2013!

As the new year starts, I want to show you an item for fractions that has been popular at TPT.

This smartboard lesson allows students to problem solve by allowing the students to place fractions on the number line correctly. Students could have their own fractions to work along for guided practice or this could be used as a introductory mini lesson to how numerators and denominators work together to make a certain value. This lesson goes with CC.3.NF.2, but could also be used for fourth and fifth grade as a gap skill lesson. Click on the picture to see more at TPT.

Since I'm still learning how to link things, please let me know if the link does not work.  I am a work in progress.  Thanks.  Also www.kevinandamanda.com supplies some of the fonts.  Hoping to add a widget soon.

In hopes of more to come...

Ms. Mathemagical

Welcome to my Blog!  Today begins my wonderful journey into to wide world of webbing and math!