Chandra,
I can only speak for myself, but I never grade the pretest. In fact, students are much more willing to participate if they know their grade is not involved and we only want to see where the class stands as a whole.
Barry Westling
This might be a silly question, but if you are using it as a planning tool, then do you disgard the grade itself. I would think this could hurt their grade average so you would not want to use the grade from the pretest.
Karl,
Many schools do use pretesting - both as an admissions tool and and as a study tool. The results of pretests used in the classroom can help teachers when they know little about their students. It is a tool to help the teacher plan where the emphasis should (or should not) be in a given class.
Barry Westling
Pretests help to gauge where the students need to focus or refocus in attaining their academic/career goals. I would like to see pretests given prior to students being accepted into the programs they have chosen. They would provide an excellent insight to the individual's apptitude and whether they can successfully attain their career path goals.
Shelly,
Building on what is found from pretesting can determine how best a class is to be planned and where the best emphasis should be. It's really a great tool for teachers to use; for me, I use them when I don't know much about the prior learning status of the incoming students.
Barry Westling
Using pretests gives me a starting point for the class. If I see that students have some knowledge of a topic I know I can build upon what they already know. If they have no knowledge of a topic I know that I should spend more time introducing the topic. It also gives me a good understanding of my students as well as their backgrounds.
Loretta,
There are different kinds of pretests, too. Before a test, as a review is terrific. Other ways to pretest may involve at the beginning of a course to see where the students are in their prior learning, at the end of a course to encourage and to show how much progress has (or hasn't) occurred, at the beginning of a particulary difficult topic to see where special emphasis is needed, and to assess a teachers learning effectiveness. Pretesting is a great tool!
Barry Westling
Pretests helps is a good ideal for any type of exams, and I thinks it better prepare students. This way they will feel more confident when taking an exam.
Paul,
Yes, pretesting is a useful teacher tool, especially when the teacher is unfamiliar with the students.I don't pretest all the time. I do it when areas of emphasis are not completely apparent to me. Results from pretesting shows me those areas and allows me to adjust or modify the curriculum in order to meet student needs.
Barry Westling
Pretesting is a great tool to use to measure the knowledge level of the class and tailor your lessons to the class. It identifies the strong students and not so strong students. It provides you a understanding of the student landscape and what you have to work with.
Jodi,
Great! Most teachers pretest for this reson, as it helps planning, knowing what is important and what can be minimized.
Barry Westling
I like pretests because it helps me identify the material that students may or may not understand. I am able then to maybe put more of a focus on a subject matter that I had not orginally thought I would have needed to focus.
Charles,
Great! I think largely pretesting helps teachers plan for the reasons you state. We may have a fabulous curriculum, but we need an attentive, prepared cadre of students to receive it. So, finding where students are in their learning by pretesting is a great method to learn where our emphasis is needed.
Barry Westling
Pretesting is a good way for me to see how students coming to my semester are able to grasp material from previous semesters of prerequisite information. It is also a good way to jog the student’s memory of foundation material they will need for the upcoming courses.
Juan,
You have a real interest in being a good teacher. Be open to continued learning. Look for ways to improve. Be will willing and open to change. In doing so, students will go on to remember you as one their favorites. Good luck!
Barry Westling
You are correct, if we have had the students in a pevious class then we are pretty sure of they are in relation to the material. I teach several beginning IT classes thus very class is a new group of students. I, too, avoid statements that will put the students down and upset them. The best thing to do, as you have indicated, is that when we "sense" the students' struggling we need to do a pre-test. Determine what needs to be emphasis and set up the class to review the "past" information. You make a good point, the students do appreciate a chance to review. I will keep in mind and practice everything you have said. Thanks.
Juan,
If I have had the students in a recent class preceding the new one, I have a pretty good idea where students are, in general. If it's been a while, or they're new to me, a review of past information to build a foundation for upcoming topics in my class is helpful. I try to do this in a fun, non-threatening way. What I avoid is statements like "c'mon folks, this is basic information you had back in [insert class]", or "you should know this". Rather, as soon as I sense a majority of students are struggling with information, "whether they should know it or not", I'll pull together some review material, put it into a pre-test, assess results, then determine "OK, this, this, and this needs to have more emphasis. Repitition of past information is never redundant, and I think students appreciate getting a chance to review and reset their thinking for the current class.
Barry Westling
Barry,
You are correct, when we need to know where the students are at is the time to do the pretest. The question that comes to my mind is How do I determine If I do or do not pre-test - how do I know this class I pretest and this one I do not pretest? There's where the difficulty come in for me.
Juan.
Juan,
Great plan. Written out, it seems like a lot of work, but I've done just as you, and really not that much time is needed if I stay focused. Also, I don't pretest every class. Only when I need to know where the students are at for me to adequately present the material with the right amount of emphasis.
Barry Westling
I give a pre-test in the very first lesson I teach in my classes. I make it fun and topic chanllenging. No names on the tests. My first class I go over the syllabus, materials needed, homework turn-in process, late policy, and answer questions. This usually takes the entire first period. I review the pre-tests and get an idea of what level the students are in the lessons material. Using the results I keep the lesson plans the way I have developed them or re-structure the first few lessons to bring the students up to the needed level.
