I've had a few people ask me lately for tools to administer online exams. There are a lot of tools out there, some free, many paid. Here are my favorites: I really love Quia.com, a paid testing software, that also allows students to play review games as well. It gives you great reports, and is easy to create questions. There is a volume discount if you get a group of teachers together. Another online exam platform I have used is built into Canvas, a Learning Management System (LMS). I was able to create online exams, and it graded all the multiple choice and fill in the blank answers for me, and also made it easy to grade the short answer/essay type questions. However, this is just one part of the Canvas system, and you may not want to use a full LMS just for quizzes. A bonus, is that using Canvas is free. If you are not willing to pay for a system, or want to use an LMS just for the quiz/test feature, a great resource is Google Forms. You can create a quiz using a form, and then use Flubaroo to grade it for you. Below are instructions on how to great a Google form, and how to use the Flubaroo Add-on.
I must admit, sometimes I watch a little too much TV, especially when I should be cleaning my house, preparing a lesson, etc. But some TV can be a good thing - educators can get some great ideas for lessons based on TV shows. There are hundreds of Jeopardy style review games and templates on the web. The Exploratorium Teacher Institute runs an "Iron Science Teacher" web show each summer based on Iron Chef where teachers create science lessons using a secret "ingredient." Jennifer Kloczko, an administrator from Natomas, got inspiration for the Professional Development she leads from Food Network's "Chopped." Yard Crashers This summer, I watched a lot of HGTV and one of my favorites was Yard Crashers. The main premise of the show is that some home owners are shopping at a Home Depot type store, in the garden section, and the host sneaks up on them, volunteering to design and landscape their yard. The show provides the designer, supplies, and a construction/landscaping crew, and the home owners pitch in too. Lesson Crashers This gave me the idea to create my own spin on the show called "Lesson Crashers." The idea behind "Lesson Crashers" is that I would help a teacher reinvent a lesson, integrating technology. I'd meet with the teacher, we'd discuss a lesson or project that they have used before, and figure out what new goals they have or hopes for improvement. Working together, we'd then brainstorm some ideas on how we can meaningfully integrate technology to enhance the lesson. When the teacher then teaches the lesson, I can provide support if needed (ex. coteach, observe, etc.). Then, we'd debrief the lesson, and come up with next steps. Here is the first Lesson Crasher lesson. Michelle McKee, a psychology teacher at Carlmont, graciously volunteered to test this out with me, and we wrote up a description of the process. I am hoping that this lesson will spark some ideas that you can use in your own classes. If you would like to be on the "next episode" of "Lesson Crashers", please book an appointment with me and I'd be happy to help you integrate instructional technology in your curriculum.
