ME AND MY LAPTOP
  • My Blog
  • About Me

Create Facebook-Style Quizzes

10/13/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
Go To Quiz allows users to create free online polls, quizzes and tests.  My favorite feature, however, is the ability to create multi-answer quizzes--for example, which Harry Potter character are you?  This turned out to be a big hit with my students, many of which create Time Machine-inspired quizzes for quiz-takers to find out if they are Morlocks or Eloi.  The only drawback is that, because the service is free, there are a lot of ads that pop up on their website.  I also hope that, in the future, they offer an embed code so that quizzes can be directly embedded into websites.  Still, creating a quiz is a creative alternative book project, and the price (did I mention that it's free?) can't be beat!  


0 Comments

FREE BUBBLE SHEET GENERATOR

9/4/2011

10 Comments

 
Picture
Catpin Productions offers a free bubble sheet generator for educators.  I'll admit, I'm not the world's biggest supporter of multiple-choice-only tests, but for a quick assessment, they can be a wonderful thing and when it comes to the world of standardized testing, they are an absolute necessity.  The problem that I've run into in the past with standardized test prep is that Scantron does not offer a form that is set up in the same way that the ACT bubble sheet is formatted (alternating ABCDE with FGHJK).  Also, I like the option to create only the number of questions as the actual test contains; it tends to minimize the frequency of student error if there won't be any extra unused answer lines.  

Now, I know some people will argue that creating these bubble sheets will be a grading nightmare, but I assure you that each sheet can be graded in about 15 seconds as long as you have an old school-style overhead projector.  Just create an answer key by filling in the bubbles with a red pen.  Then, place the answer key on the projector; light will be shining up through the paper.  Next, place a student-filled bubble sheet on top of the answer key.  Any incorrect answers will show a red mark; all correct answers will have the red mark from your answer key hidden by the student's answers (as long as the two pieces of paper are lined up correctly).  Note: This is also a wonderful way to save time when grading word searches, as some students think teachers check to see which words are crossed off the list, rather than which words are actually circled.

Note: While you are on Catpin's website, check out the card trick--it's uncanny!

For more information on creating bubble sheets, check out my post on Grade Cam HERE.
Or, to create paperless tests, view my post on Classmarker HERE.


Picture
A bubble sheet for a practice ACT Reading test that I created in about 5 minutes using Catpin's Bubble Sheet Generator.

10 Comments

GRADECAM: Grade Multiple Choice Tests with Your Webcam

3/23/2011

3 Comments

 
Picture
According to their website, Grade Cam is "online software that allows teachers to scan grades directly into the gradebook that they are already using."  Today was my first day "test driving" GradeCam.  I chose one of my English I classes to be my guinea pigs, figuring that if it didn't work well, I wouldn't have invested too much time.  I used the free software, along with a Scantron-type bubble sheet that I printed off the website, and an inexpesive webcam that I already had in my classroom.  Total cost: FREE.  With Gradecam, students were able to scan their own quizzes when they were finished, and get instant feedback, including their overall score, and a list of questions that they missed.  Grades were immediately recorded for me in a GradeCam account.  I haven't figured out how to upload grades into my school's program yet, but the company claims that it can do just that--amazing!  One feature that I like about this software is that, as a teacher, I can go back and view an itemized list of test scores, showing me which questions students missed the most and showing me the frequency of each answer option.  This can help me see what concepts I need to review further, or what questions on the test are "bad" questions that confused students and might need to be reworded.  Overall, GradeCam is priced just right (free) and is relatively easy to use.  My students liked the immediate feedback, and I liked the in-depth results analysis.  Now, if only Grade Cam could grade my persuasive essays...


3 Comments

CLASSMARKER

1/30/2011

1 Comment

 
Picture
Classmarker allows the user to create online tests and quizzes.  Several formats are available (multiple choice, multiple response, true/false, correct punctuation, etc.) and quizzes are graded instantly and saved for the teacher to retrieve.  Students can immediately get their test results and view the questions that they missed.  Tests can be timed, and settings include options to randomize the order of both the questions and the answer options, so no two tests are exactly the same.  Tests can also be printed for students who prefer a hard copy.


1 Comment

QUIZLET

1/30/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
One of my amazing, tech-savvy coworkers presented a workshop about Quizlet at a district in-service last spring, but I did not take the time to try it for myself until recently.  This website is a great tool; I could see it being priceless for RtI and Special Education students who need accommodations, as well as any student who wants to know how to better prepare for tests and quizzes.  Quizlet allows you to create your own flashcards (which I have used Flash Card Machine to do before).  Where Quizlet surpasses other online flash card generators is in its ability to take the flash cards that you create and turn them into practice quizzes and games.  It also offers the option to print flash cards.  Once the teacher has created a set, he or she can supply students with a URL for direct access; or, you can have students collaborate to create their own cards.

Note: Apparently, Flash Card Machine has added a lot of new features, including printing options, quizzes, and an ipod app.  


0 Comments
    Picture

    Author

    Dr. Jessica Pilgreen, Ed.D. 
    lives in Southwestern Illinois with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. She teaches 9th & 12th grade English at a small rural public school where she continues to learn new things every day.

    Archives

    December 2020
    July 2018
    June 2018
    January 2018
    December 2013
    October 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011

    Categories

    All
    3d
    Art
    Astronomy
    Audio
    Augmented Reality
    Avatars
    Blogging
    Bloom
    Cell Phones
    Chat Rooms
    Citations
    Community
    Conferences
    Crazy Talk
    Data
    Differentiation
    Digital Storytelling
    Discussion Boards
    Document Cameras
    Edusim
    E Mail
    E-mail
    File Converter
    File Sharing
    Flashcards
    Flip
    Game
    Google
    Google Drive
    Google Earth
    Grammar
    Green Screen
    Literacy
    Literature
    Maps
    Multimedia
    Mythology
    Nbpts
    Nonfiction
    Nonprofit
    Parent Contact
    Pdf
    Photography
    Plagiarism
    Podcasting
    Poetry
    Polls
    Poster
    Presentations
    Publishing
    Puzzles
    Qr Codes
    Quiz
    Qwiki
    Research
    Scanner
    Screencasting
    Screencasts
    Screenshot
    Shakespeare
    Signs
    Smart Boards
    Smart Boards
    Smart Phones
    Social Networking
    Spelling
    Standardized Testing
    Tests
    Texting
    Twitter
    Video
    Videos
    Virtual Reality
    Visual Learners
    Vocabulary
    Webcam
    Webcams
    Websites
    Widgets
    Word Clouds
    Writing

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • My Blog
  • About Me