5. “We miss those days.”  College and Career Readiness

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* Varied and ongoing assessments advance learning as well as measure it. Varied Assessments

This week our principal brought the eighth-grade teachers together. She shared that we must schedule the ACT (American College Testing) exam for our students. We have chosen to give it this Thursday. The exam takes about four hours to administer and consists of reading, math, science, and social studies. While some teachers suggested we take one a day, others wanted it completed in one day. By consensus, teachers agreed to take the exam on one day. The rationale for taking it on one day was to give students a chance to practice an extended-time setting.

There are practice exams online for all four of the subjects. The official website is what I am using (http://www.actstudent.org/sampletest/). I brought the first set of practice exams to my advisory group. During advisory time, we talked about the exam. I shared, “The exam uses multi-steps. It is not an exam such as 3x = 12.” One of my students sighed, a long sigh, and said, “I miss those days.” Three others chimed in. “I do too. It was soooo easy in elementary school.” Their innocence made me smile.

We carried on. I allowed them to sit where they wanted. (This is a class that I found must be strategically placed in order to gain maximum focus.) However, it was the end of the day and took place during our advisory period. I let them work on the whiteboards, instead of taking notes in their “spirals.” While they considered the problems, I gave more direct instruction than I had hoped.

I think we must help our students become more independent in their willingness to ponder and try something. I am using drawing as the medium. We start with looking at the question, draw, interpret, solve, then look at the question again.

One of the things I have discovered is that students need structure; they also need variety. Yesterday I gave the instruction. Tomorrow they will be working in teams to analyze problems and try to solve them. In my advanced class, I started by sharing, “When you get to college, you will most likely be working in teams to work on math problems. By working together, you deepen your own thinking.” What I found was that some students applied this method of teamwork immediately; others waited or fell completely off task. As a teacher I realize that we have to find ways to not only give students knowledge; we also must give them strategies. Using resources online not only gives them information but teaches them that information is at their fingertips.

Advice

1)            When it comes time to take exams, it is a good time to consider college and career options. Students can explore admission information on colleges.

2)            Consider working as a team to plan advisory activities that focus on college and career readiness. Discussions about setting goals and thinking about their future need to happen in middle school.

2)      The Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/k12/) offers a plethora of materials to use with students. One interest survey can be found under Career Information. There are additional resources (games, surveys, videos) for students and materials for teachers. The College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC.org) also has materials about admissions and expectations for college.

3)      Assessments are tools for students to see where they stand and should be used to help them consider their strengths and weaknesses. Assessments can be academic, learning styles, critical thinking skills, and Multiple Intelligences. Taking the time to teach student's test taking skills and helping them identifying their own learning styles will benefit them in high school and beyond. Approaching strategies in pairs and small groups helps students communicate about their knowledge. Celebrate the different ways of knowing. Taking time each week to scaffold student learning will increase their own independent skills and confidence.