Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Self Evaluation
One thing I do to improve my teaching is self evaluation. After each class I make notes of what went well and what I have to improve on for the next time. I think students need to do the same thing to become better students. Today you took a test on trig topics. You should ask yourself how that went. What did you do while studying that helped you? Make note of that so you do the same thing next time. Did you study enough? What can you do for the next test that will make you even more successful? I want all my students to want more. Don’t be satisfied with minimum achievements. Reach as high as you can.
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25 comments:
This gets back to the idea that learning and trying are infinitely more important than grades. Grades may or may nor indicate what you know right now for a given exercise or concept. But, how well have you learned those things. Only if you truly learn them will you come close to mastery of the subject.
I agree with Mr. Dewar that learning and understnading concepts is more important thant he grades but if you truly understand somthing it should reflect in your grades. Also, I think that our trig test wasnt hard but I should have studied our past tests more so instead of just looking them over. I agree with Mrs. Taylor completely that your goals should never be lower thatn you can achieve or that you can push yyourself.
Hillary
The test today I think went well overall, although I wish that I looked over past tests also because I just skimmed them and thought the old stuff well enough. For this test I went onto edline (which is a really good resource :]) and printed everything from this chapter again to redo. It helped me because I could go over everything we did at the beginning and instead of just looking over my notes do the problems out.
I agree with Hillary and Mr. Dewar, I would rather understand a concept even if the grade is not what I would like it to be. There is always time to learn more and increase the grade on the next test or quiz, rather than have to learn a concept over.
Mrs. Taylor I couldn't agree with you more about reaching the highest potential. Honestly at first I thought about dropping down to level one but I reconsidered because I felt that I knew I could push myself to do better.
I have to agree with everyone again. I would also rather understand a concept than get a high grade. I'd rather be able to learn something and then be able to use it than be able to memorize something when I have no idea what it means or how to apply it.
I think that I definitely should have studied our previous tests more. I find that I lose the most points on those questions because I focus too much on worrying that I dont know how to do what the chapter teaches us, when I dont really need to. However, I did notice that the review sheets you put on edline were a big help, as always (Thank you :]) and I thought I did well on the test overall.
I think I did very well on the test today. I studied almost everything for chapter 4 and my previous tests and quizzes as well. I agree with Mr. Dewar that learning is the true value of education rather than what shows up on the report card. That is what makes our identity and the school so unique. Studying is always very important and especially in math when one has to know all of the concepts and how to apply them. I also agree with Mrs. Taylor as well that one must reach their highest potential at every opportunity they get, because in the end they will be glad instead of having disappointment knowing that it would be better if they tried a little harder at something. Trying for one's highest potential is an extremely important quality to have to reach true identity and being your own leader. It is a great value to have as a person.
~Brianna R.
I thought that this test went well. I thought I did well on it, but I know that I most likly made some silly mistakes that brought my grade down quite a bit.
I agree with what Mr. Dewar said about how understanding the concept is what is most important. I understand what is going on in math and I understand the concepts but my grade isn't as high as I would like it. This is mostly because of silly things that should not have been made. If I understand the concept then that is more important because I know that i can always improve on my tests/quizes.
I also agre with Mrs Taylor because I think that everyone should always reach to their highest potential and push themsleves to do better. Like Emma, I also thought about dropping down to a lower level in math in the beginning of the year. I decided not to because I knew that I could push myself to do better.
--Kristen
I think i did pretty good on the test. I probably could have studied more. I will probably study more for the next test.
I thought i did pretty well on the test. If nything i should have taken more time on looking over past topics. As to where i coud improve is not procrastnating. i always wait until the last minute to stud y for a test and maybe i could do better if i study steadily through the week. I agree with Mr.Dewar understanding a topic is much more important than the grapde you get on a test. Sometimes ill take a test and not know how i did well, and still not understand the topic, but othe times i dont exactly ace the test but still have a strong understanding for the subject.
~Jacklene
I think that the test today was pretty fair. Doing the worksheets on Edline really helped. Like Jacklene, I think that I could have done better if I studied throughout the week instead of the night before. I also agree with Kristina that understanding a concept is more important than earning a good grade, but sometimes it's frustrating to lose points because of careless mistakes.
Unlike Jacklene and Michelle, I find that I retain information better if I study the night before. I think the information is more ’fresh’ in my mind, so I’m less likely to make careless mistakes.
If the test on ed-line is the one we took last class, I could have done a lot better. I'll have to see the actual test before commenting on why I didn't do as well as I could have. I probably should have checked for careless mistakes a little more carefully. Though Mr. Dewar may be right that a grade is less important than actual knowledge, our education system rewards the knowledge that we retain much less than the letter on the top of our report cards.
Ben
I thought that test we took last week was fair. I mean, a lot of information was covered, but other that nothing was impossible. As for studying, I just look over past problems the night before. In math, you dont always get the same problems, so knowing just how to do a problem seems to generally for me. Next time, I would look over my test before handing it in more carefully, because I tend to make careless mistakes. By the time Im done with a test, Im so sick of looking it, I dont really go over problems, but rather make sure I answered all of them.
I agree with Mrs. Taylor, in that, everyone should always try to reach their highest potential. Sometimes its a struggle, but getting through it gives one such a feeling of accomplishment that it is worht the extra effort. As for grades reflecting understanding, as Mr. Dewar discussed, I belive that grades and understanding can be true reflections of understanding, but in some cases, they are not. One can defintiely have a decent grade, without understanding the major concepts. I find myself in that situation in a different class, its quite frustrating because while my grade is decent, I dont understand a lot of what goes on in the class, and that is what Ill be tested on in May. So, overall, I think it depends on how the teacher weighs assignments, and how tough he/she grades. Grades are numbers assigned to skill level. Each teacher and subject is different, so a grade may be higher or lower than the student's actual understanding of the topic.
I think that the test that we took last week was a fairly easy test for the topics that we had recently learned, due to the fact that I had gone to extra help the morning of the test to help me with the newer topics. Although I was able to go over the new material I didnt study old test at all which lead me to lose 10 points and kept me from getting an A. As Kelly said before me I also believe tat everyone should always try to reach their highest potential not only in school, but on the playing field as well, or in whatever extra ciricular activities you chose to participate in.
I think a big reason why I felt the test was fairly easy was because I learned the topics and were taught them well. Homework and classwork does help tremendously and that's honestly the best way I learn. Of course, I don't like homework but it's the most efficient. Studying for math is unlike studying for any other course. There isn't so many "facts" but just formulas and steps. Which can make studying for math tests a bit difficult. I normally look over my notes and previous problems.
I got a good grade on the test, but I probably could have studied a little bit more. I have awful study habits, but I've noticed that the amount of time I spend worrying/studying about/for a test depends on the subject matter and how well I understand it. Since I didn't spend a ton of time on this test and still got a good score, it stands to reason that I understood the content pretty well.
I agree with Mike about studying the formulas and steps; I find equations and formulas really easy (and sometimes even, *gasp*, fun!) to understand. That's why I don't mind the type of stuff we've been learning, because a good portion of it is learning to use formulas. I also agree with the general opinion of the class, like Ricky, Kelly, and Michelle, that the specific test we took last week was fair, but again, had I not had a research paper due the same day, I could've spent a little more time studying for it.
I have to agree with what ben said about Mr. Dewars. The knowledge that you gain is much more important than the grade at the topof you paper.
The trig test we took last week was not very hard for me. I recieved a decent grade though it was not as good as it could have been due to my careless errors. This seems to be my problem with most math tests/quizes. It is rare that I do not comprehend how to do a problem, I just seem to overlook a negative sign or something.
Studying for a math test for me has always been non-existant until this year. Usually I learn the lesson through the homework and classwork and do fine on the tests, this year is different however. The helpful review sheets and extra practice provided on edline make me feel like it would be wrong of me not to study. But like the discussion Mr. Dewar initiated, it is more important that i retain the imformation being taught rather than cramming the night before the test to get a good grade. -Casey:]
I think self evaluation is important because without it it's impossible to improve anything. Looking at test grades and remembering what you did to prepare really helps when you go to study for the next test, because you know what is effective and what you need to work on. Even though the material may be different, the study habits used to achieve the grades are the same.
Personally i found the using the practice sheets that are on edline really help because the questions on the test are usually very similar. In the future i know that i need to look over my past test more carefully, because i don't usually remember the past material as well as i should.
I don't study in the traditional sense of sitting down and reading through my notes/the text. I find that my mind has a certain capacity for math in the sense that I just don't find myself having to study.
In the long run, I don't know if this is a good or bad thing...
I look at math as (using that same analogy again) a puzzle. When I sit down and look at a test, I can reach a correct answer because the steps it takes to get there make sense. I find myself losing points over careless errors (forgetting a negative sign?); studying, in my opinion, really can't remedy that.
I don't know...I hope that didn't sound vain at all.
In regards to reaching your highest, there really is little that gets to me more than wasted potential. If you're able to do it, there really is no reason not to. People who just don't try slash just don't care really irk me. Honestly, everyone should reach to impress themselves and the people around them. There really is no better feeling than knowing you tried your hardest and succeeded as a result. Self-achievement for the win.
Self evaluation is an important concept to improve ones self. If you do not self evaluate yourself, then you will not know what to improve on in the futre. I agree with what Kelly has said, about looking over your old test and study habbites to see how you can improve for your next test.
I completely agree with Tim, on everything. First, i will start with the studying. like Tim, i dont study much for math, except maybe formula's, but that it. It seems to always be little things that i lose points for, yet i feel studying wont help that. one thing that i found to be very helpful is, while doing the test, mark on the number with a dot if you think you got it wrong. Or if you are just not sure put a dot next to the number too. when i am finished with the test, i always go back and check the dotted or stared questions to make sure they are right. then if i have time, i double check the entire test.That seems to really help me because it is easy to catch simple mistakes while "proofreading" the math.
Wasted talent also really annoys me, not just at school, but in life. there is nothing worse than someone with the potential to do something great wasting it by being lazy or not trying. well, this blog is getting a little long, so i'll get going.
---Gil
As the year progresses i find that i need to study less, although i do study, the information builds on itself into my memory, and i need not think about it, i simply know because of the use and repetition.
I think that Sam is right about the use and repetition of certain topics because some of is becoming second nature. The only problem is that usually by the time i understand something, it is after we are tested on it.
As the year goes on, I find my study routine that works. It's usually just doing some practice problems for each concept and looking at notes.
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