Thing 8-Quizzes and Assessment Tools

This "thing" is one that I have been utilizing for quite some time to enhance the learning experience of my students.  Quizlet, Quizizz, and It's Learning (our district online platform) all offer unique ways to help teachers and students evaluate learning and modify instruction to best meet individualized needs of the students in my classroom.

Quizlet
Online tools such as Quizlet allow students the opportunity to practice skills repeatedly.  Students can own their own learning by utilizing the study and practice features, assessing, and studying more until mastery has been acquired.  In my room, I utilized several different methods for learning vocabulary including vocabulary magic (word, definition, image matching) in small groups, an Animato review of vocabulary, and Quizlet.  Students would choose the best way for them to practice, often rotating between them from day to day.  Quizlet offered students the opportunity to work alone and to practice the vocabulary in a variety of ways to better retain the words they were learning.  Most students enjoyed working with partner in the school day, but often utilized Quizlet and Animoto to review at home.

Unit 5 Quizlet

Unit 5 Vocabulary Animoto

Quizizz
Quizizz is a tool I have utilized often as a pre- and post-assessment tool to evaluate learning and to help students set goals in the classroom.  It's similar to Kahoot, which many teachers love, but unlike Kahoot, students are not racing to answer each question first.  I feel like it takes away a sense of urgency that often exists in other sites similar to this and allows students to think through questions at their own pace.  After completing the assessment, teachers can pull data by class and by student.  Teachers can write their own quizizz, or they can search the site library by skill and utilize quizizz created by other educators.

Me vs I Quizizz

Reports

Report by Student

Report by Question

It's Learning / Socrative
I have used many different online tests, including Socrative to help me identify student mastery of skill in order to meet the needs of learners in my classroom.  We talk often about identifying objectives with which students struggle and these test can truly help in this area, but I found them to also have great value in allowing me to enrich the educational experience of my high achieving and gifted students.  My campus has offered extensive enrichment programs during the school day, including reading challenge, coding, and maker's space.  Through the use of online tests, I was able to offer these opportunities to students who gave extra effort to completing lessons and demonstrating mastery of skills, and to my gifted students who often find themselves bored and unchallenged in a regular classroom.  Some students just don't need my mini lesson or multiple opportunities for practicing a skill.  These tools truly helped me to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of each of my students.