Standards Quiz & Data Tracking

This year we are going to implement Standards Quizzes in Algebra 1.  I got this idea from reading Dan Meyer's blog and just loved it!  It's a great way to do formative assessment and the kids get to keep trying to better their grade to attain mastery.  The hardest part for us has been determining how to post the grades in the grade book.  I wondered if we'd get any  push back from parents when we entered a 3/5 grade, which looks like a 60%, or D- grade, even though they are very low points scores.  I've come up with a modified grading system that I think might work a little better, at least for our population.

The Quiz:

We decided to have six standards covered on each quiz.  Each standard is only one concept, which makes it easy to identify where a student is struggling.  The quizzes are spiraling, so quiz #1 might cover concepts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.  Then, quiz #2 might cover standards 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.  This gives the students from one to six times to see the concept on a quiz to attain mastery.  What's mastery?  In our class, getting "M" (for Dan Meyer's, this is a "4") twice - then they never have to take that concept again!  What if they don't attain mastery on the quizzes?  Well, they can come in at lunch or during a set meeting time and we can work on individual concepts and retest right then!  The student needs to set this up, taking ownership for their learning.

If you've figured it out, this means that each quiz is actually six different grades in the grade book, one for each standard.  Our three eighth grade math teachers have decided that we'll each come up with our own way to track this and will meet throughout the year to compare and see what's working best.

For our first quarter, we are going to test every other class period, taking the day between to discuss the previous class quiz and practice tracking their progress.  We are also going to repeat the standards on quiz #1/#2 as well as quiz #3/#4 just so they see the first two standards a couple of times before they spiral off.  It will look something like this:

Day #1 - Quiz #1 (Standards PR1, PR2, PR3, PR4, EE3.1A, EE3.1B)

• PR1 = Prerequisite #1 - something we wanted to see that the students retained from 7th grade
• EE3.1AB = Pertaining to Common Core Standard EE3.1, broken into two parts

Day #2 - Review and track Quiz #1

Day #3 - Quiz #2 (same standards as Quiz #1)

Day #4 - Review and track Quiz #2

Day #5 - Quiz #3 (Standards PR2, PR3, PR4, EE3.1A, EE3.1B, EE3.3)

Day #6 - Review and track Quiz #3

Day #7 - Quiz #4 (same standards as Quiz #1)

Day #8 - Review and track Quiz #4

Day #9 - Quiz #5 (Standards PR3, PR4, EE3.1A, EE3.1B, EE3.3, EE3.2)

This continues as above, except the standards will continue to spiral from here out and not repeat again.

Here is an example of our first quiz:

Data Tracking:

This has actually been the most difficult part to come up with.  We wanted to have a tracking system that was easy, but also meaningful.  After reading through a lot of the comments on the Dan Meyer's blog as well as the resources he'd posted, we decided that shading boxes and stamping for mastery would be the way we'd like to handle it.  Our problem, like I said above, was how to enter the data into the grade book so that it made sense to parents and students.  We didn't necessarily feel like a 3 out of 4 (which is a 75%), which would be a 3 out of 5 in the grade book (60%) was really a good reflection of knowledge.  And, getting a 4 out of 4 really isn't 100% until they've attained it twice.  This all sounds very confusing….

Anyway, this is an idea I came up with for student tracking along with grade book input that seemed to make sense (to me anyway…).  It uses something like standards-based grading for the students, so that they see their progression with out a "grade" getting in the way, but uses a percentage (based on 10 points) to reflect that within the grade book.  It will probably be easier if you just read through it yourself:

If you look at the second page (right above), kids will color in through the letter that is on their quiz and also record that letter on the blank line.  Each time they see that concept, they will add the letter that they get (this would be up to 6 times) and continue shading as the letters get higher.  Once they get two "M"s they can see me for a stamp and they have mastered that concept!  Here's an example of what I'll show my kiddos as an example of how it might look (they won't use colors necessarily - I just thought it was prettier :)).

So… your thoughts?

August Currently

Wowzers - it's August!  I can't believe how summer goes by so quickly.  I'm linking up with Farley for the August Currently today.  Hooray!!  I got it done by August 2nd - that might be a record :).

Listening:  I love quiet mornings.  Having two teens and a tween, I get a lot of time because they love to sleep in.  Even hubby does!  It's great and I get time to go through blogs and do my own reading (and ok…, I clean some too).

Loving:  I can't believe it, but so far, so good with the Air Force retirement!  Hubby isn't driving me crazy and is even going to start some projects around the house now that he's had some time off.  This weekend - building new cabinets for my laundry room.

Thinking:  Does your mind ever turn off?  I am constantly thinking about implementing math workshop and the curriculum planning that my 8th grade math team has been doing to get it all sorted out.  We hope to have the first quarter done an printed in the next three weeks!  I'm also spending a lot of time scrolling through Pinterest :).

Wanting:  A break from the rain!  Its rained almost every day in the afternoon/evening for the last two weeks.  We have amusement park season passes (water park included) and would love to be able to use them!  Or at least go on a hike...

Needing:  I just got my new Team Beachbody PiYo workout DVDs in the mail yesterday.  They are supposed to be low-impact, but high intensity and short enough (20 - 40 mins) that I can do them in the morning before getting ready (hello 5 am!).  I need to get going on them.  The box has been opened, at least…

1st Day:  Only 11 days left for me - need to get moving!!  Elementary and sixth/ninth grade start on the 18th (my youngest's first day of middle school) and all the rest on the 19th (that's the older two).

Thinking about the First Day of School….

I can't believe that tomorrow is August!  I've already been in my classroom for about 9 hours, prepping for the year.  However, I'm pretty excited because I've got a great team of math teachers who are all on board for new and exciting changes.

Recently, I've seen a neat activity floating around Pinterest for a first day of school math activity.  I actually got onto my Pinterest account this morning to locate it and create my own copy, but was lucky enough to stumble across a link to Donna at Math Coach's Corner who had already created a blank template!  Thanks, Donna :).  I actually love the idea that's in the picture of having the students use the activity as their insert of the front cover of their math binders.

I've been trying to think about other activities to do that day as well.  We get to see each class for about 55 minutes that day.  I don't want to bore them the very first day and I'll probably spend a bit each subsequent day going over different policies, so I'd like to have something where they can move around a bit and get to know each other.  What I've decided on (I think…), is this:

When students come in the door, they will be handed a piece of 8 ½ x 11" paper that has a single number written on it.  The number might be an integer, a square or cube root, a whole number with integer exponent, or some irrational number like pi or sqrt 2.  After some introductions and necessary paperwork, I'll have the students get up and try and put themselves in number line order from least to greatest.  It will be a little tough, because there may be some numbers they haven't been introduced to yet, but I think it will get them talking.  I did this last year (not for the first day) and they seemed to enjoy it.  There can be some good discussions about why a person/number might be in the wrong spot as they look around the room.

So basically, my day might look like this:

• Students enter classroom with number and pick up a copy of the By the Numbers activity above.
• Teacher/Student Introductions
• Pass out any paperwork.
• Introduce Number Line game and have students attempt to put themselves into the correct order.
• Class discussion about Number Line and if they are correct.
• Students return to seat and By the Number activity is introduces (I'll project my own copy).
• Students work on By the Number activity and complete as homework if not finished.

July Currently

I can't believe that July is already here.  Where did my June go??  I'm linking up with Farley for the July Currently, but will also try to do some more posts this month and get back into the blogging world!

Listening:  I'm up this morning working on some homework and my husband is digging up the pump to the bubbler in our backyard.  Little one (not so little anymore… she just turned 11!) also got up and is acting as "assistant"!  I love how patient he is with her and I love that she enjoys spending time with him, even if the job isn't playing with American Girl dolls :).  Oh… and of course the World Cup is also on!

Loving:  Summer time!  I love having time to just sit back and relax.  We just did a big vacation, seeing my brother-in-law get married in northern Idaho, visiting my sister in Seattle, and visiting my parents and in-laws in Sacramento.  Even though I had more homework to do, there weren't a lot of other responsibilities besides spending time with family.  It was so much fun and I still have about six weeks left to enjoy.  Oh… and my oldest got to do a bunch of driving on the trip.  That was also… exciting?? (Seriously, she did a great job - nine different states and various road conditions; not many fifteen year olds can say they've done that!)

Thinking:  I've got three weeks left in this second master's degree that I've been working on.  These two classes (Statistics for Teachers and Number Structures) are super intense, but I'm actually learning things.  They're both online, but I'm spending hours a day working on discussions and homework.  Three more weeks and I'm DONE!!  If anyone is looking for a great master's program for teachers of Mathematics, check out this program through Montana State University.

Wanting:  Just a day to read…. Usually I have time to read 10 - 15 books over the summer.  Up to now I've only read one :(.  Once these classes end I'll get to it, but some days I just want to take a break and get out a new novel.

Needing:   Nothing.  I'm feeling really blessed right now and everything seems to be going well.  There are things I would like (like a few more weeks of summer), but nothing that I really need.  I'm learning to be grateful for that!

4th Plans:  Since we just returned from vacation (after two days driving from California to Colorado) we don't have a ton of plans for the Fourth.  We're going to hang out with neighbors, maybe catch a movie, and enjoy some good food.

June 2014 Currently

Oh man… it's June!!  More to come on how quickly that happened, but for now, I'm linking up with Farley for the June Currently.

Listening - I love spring.  I love to hear the birds in the morning that let me know that the school year is soon coming to an end.  I especially love it because it means that I get some quiet time for breakfast and then play time with the kiddos.

Loving - Did I say 2 days?  Now it's just 1!!  So excited to be done, but already planning for the next year…

Thinking - I need to stop for a bit and just enjoy being me and a mom.  It's too easy to jump into all of the "what if I..." and "why don't we try's…".  I know it will get done, but I need to pull away and just take some time to relax, recuperate, and do some fun summertime things with my own kids.

Wanting - More time!  Already my summer looks packed.  I just want about 4 more weeks to play!

Needing - I need to go to the store.  We're out of cereal and the end of the year is soooooooo busy.  No one's going to starve, but I may have some rebellious family members if I don't get some key items soon :).

Summer Bucket List:

1. Sometimes I think I get mired down in a lot of little details.  I need to take some time and focus on me and my family for a bit this summer.  One of my priorities is to make time for exercise, which will probably have to be early morning to allow for the "enjoy my kids" part.  During summertime my kiddos tend to sleep late, so I can make that exercise/clean/plan time.  Then, I want to make doing fun things with them a priority, rather than the exception.  I can handle a messy room….., I can!
2. This year marks my husband's 20th and final year in the Air Force.  He's retiring in July, which means I have to plan a party!  This will be both stressful and fun, but after that, he's totally ours for a bit (before figuring out what he really wants to do when he grows up).  We are going to make the most of it with trips to the amusement park, hiking, swimming, etc, before the rest of us have to go back to school.
3. Math Workshop - I did a lot of reading about this last summer, but never really got my feet off the ground.  I know it takes a lot of pre-planning and so I pitched it to all of the 8th grade math department and everyone is on board.  So…. that means there's no way out and we have to get going.  Although this takes a lot of time, I'm going to try to balance this with #1 and #2 on the list.  Makes for a full summer!!!

After the Start: Interactive Notebooks - What I've Learned

So we're in about week four of school now and I've been working pretty hard at using interactive notebooks (Math Survival Guides - MSGs) within both my algebra 1 and geometry (both 8th grade) math classes.  I like where they are going and the kids seem to be on board, but I've learned some things and thought I'd pass that information on to you… (pictures at the bottom)

1) Taking time to help the kids get set up and organized: I started off pretty well with having them create their cover page and gluing their small paper for username and passwords.  We even counted out the next 5 pages for a table of contents and I gave them a paper clip on the first day of school to hold those together.  This helped a lot, but I should have had the kids fill out the first few entries for the table on contents instead of leaving it blank initially.  Some of the kids who lost their paper clips forgot that they needed 5 pages for the TOC and proceeded to put some of their foldables there.  We're slowly redoing things and catching them up, but if I'd had them enter a bit more I think we would have avoided it.

2) Don't skip pages: I designated the first four pages (after the TOC) as review pages for geometric formulas.  This would have worked great (and is still okay for some) if I'd taken the time to fill them out prior to starting curriculum work.  However, we jumped right into curriculum, which started on page 5 and that messed up some of the kids who didn't remember to leave the first four pages blank.  Next year:  either put the formula review pages in the back or fill them out prior to the first day of curriculum.

3) Post your titles every day: We try to fill out a two-page spread each class period with the left (odd pages) having foldables, drawings, or diagrams and the right with vocal, notes, and reflections.  I didn't start out by posting the titles on the board, just said them out loud.  I've learned to write the page and title on the board and have them copy it directly to their TOC (color coded hopefully) and to the correct pages.

4) Be very specific: This kind of goes along with #3, but you have to be very specific (especially if you're type A like my) with the kiddos about where you want things to go.  I actually write the page numbers on the copies of the foldables for them and I constantly state where they should go.  As they are cutting and gluing I am always walking around to make sure they are putting things in the right space.

5) INBs (MSG) take time! I initially started by having a warm-up as well as trying to teach and complete the MSG.  What I've found is that I need to incorporate their warm-up into their MSG.  For me, this means their warm-up might be completing vocabulary on the right side (in the "write" section), working some sample problems on the right, or completing their foldable activity or drawing on the left side.  By doing this I'm feeling less rushed for them to complete their MSGs.  Also, its making their MSGs something that they are always referring to and using rather than something we rush to fill out.

6) Neatness counts: This is one place where I'm going to have to decide how to grade.  There are students out there who just don't want to take the effort to make their notebook look nice and I need to decide where the line for neatness will be drawn.  I keep reminding them that neatness is part of their grade.  I'd love some feedback from you on how you deal with this part of INBs.

7) Be flexible! As much as I want to complete a two-page spread in one class period, sometimes we run out of time and I have to let things go.  Some days we'll come back to in the next class and some we end up skipping.  I'm still trying to find the right balance and over the next year am sure I'll come up with adjustments and other strategies to make it work.

8) Stay on top of things: I didn't want to complete the entire MSG over the summer so that I would have the flexibility to make changes.  That being said, I definitely have to take the time to stay several days ahead so that I know what's coming up, how to incorporate it into my lesson, and to have copies made and delivered on time.  I'm also posting pics of each spread into our class webpage, so I need to have those ready to go for the students as well.  Its a work in progress.

I think that so far, with a few tweaks, things are going fine.  I'm learning daily how to make the MSG a useful and engaging tool for the students.  I've had comments from other teachers who've come and seen them that they like both the foldables as well as the reflection pieces all in one place.  I'm going to keep using them and will update more as the year goes on.  I think that I'll have to redo it again next year, but I might create the pages in a binder with page protectors so that as the students take and use them they have less damage.  Any other feedback or suggestions you can provide would be great!

Here are some sample pages we've completed in both classes:

September Currently

Where has time gone???  It seems like I was just enjoying my summer and now I'm deeply entrenched into school, curriculum planning, and evening activities with my kids.  Summer went by too quickly!  I have so much to update, but thought I'd start with the late September Currently (go to Farley's page to see ALL of them).

Listening - Will the laundry ever get done??  I'm so good at washing and folding… then we end up just picking out of piles since they make it to the rooms but not put away.  Anyone with me on this??

Loving - With all the rains lately in Colorado, soccer fields are completely saturated.  Although I don't necessarily enjoy Sunday make-up games, it's nice to have a Saturday off from getting up early and shuffling the kids to their teams.  Not that I don't enjoy watching them - I do - but I was excited to not "have" to get out of bed today!

Thinking - This was really random, but it's fall and I'd love to go out and get a tall salted caramel mocha… :)  Just need to get off the computer, dry my hair, and talk hubby into going!

Wanting  - To finish grading the first tests of the year and update curriculum, but have to find the motivation to do so.  Maybe that coffee will help!

Needing - I don't know about you, but I eat great for breakfast and lunch, mostly because I pack them for school.  Once I get home, though, between soccer, dance, scouts, music lessons, theater, and all other activities, it seems like we're just a grab-and-go family.  I would love for dinner to be ready when I get home!

On that note… - I need to plan dinners better.  I want to find something fun to do with the kiddos this weekend (UNO anyone??).  I need to remember to take time for me!

Happy Fall!