Taking tests

"The traditional way"
Individual tests
1. Each person gets a score
2. The class spends 45 minutes once a week to sit quietly and NOT TALK to each other
Benefits:  you practice writing. 
3. You do not work with another person
4. You are evaluated on your work.
5. The teacher spends 45 minutes reading or surfing the Internet and checking that nobody is cheating.

"The corporate way"
Team tests
1. Many corporations evaluate people on how they work together. 
2. The team shares the grade (the score on the test)
3. Procedure:  The team meets outside the class (Friday afternoon or Monday morning during the class) and completes the task.  The members can talk to each other and work together to find the solutions.
Benefits:  more talking
4. In the real world, we are not alone.  We can use the book, friends, teachers to solve the problems.
5. You get an extra 45 minutes in the classroom
6. The teacher has to work harder

CONSTANT EVALUATION
a) "But I want to tested for my own work."
The teacher is checking your pronunciation every time you speak.  The speaking grade in your report is an evaluation of your pronunciation, fluency and confidence in class.  The score is 0-10. 
Your grammar and classwork score is 0-100.  Your test score plus your participation plus your extra work is combined.  When I put the "test" score in the grade book, it includes your extra credit and my observation of your participation in class, plus the written test score.

If you do the "individual test" or the "team test," there is a number and I add the participation and extra work to that score to arrive at the individual grade for the week.

I look at the extra work (dialogs, vocabulary lists, five new words each week, composition, presentation (show a photo to the class), and any other work, such as organizing a field trip or making a video) and I add those points to your written test score.

TEST FOR THE WEEK
I usually select an exercise in the book.  I can also send you the book's test (an electronic copy) for you to print or complete on the computer screen.  If you love to take tests, I can send you more tests (search “English tests online” english-test.net).  Most students prefer to demonstrate their understanding by speaking.  Most students want to use in-class time for an activity, not a "don't talk" exercise (called "the weekly test").

You are constantly being evaluated by the teacher.  
When I was in a course to become a driver of a motorcycle, I spent 16 hours, 8 hours on Sat. and Sunday, listening, watching, practicing with a partner and then riding to show my ability.  At the end of the course I received a certificate.  The teacher said, "I test you when I give you exercises and you show me that you are competent because you didn't ask questions and you didn't fall.  When you fell, I asked you to repeat the exercise and then you showed me you could do it.  If someone needs an individual test, I can create the opportunity for that test.  Most people can show their control in the classroom and on the test course.  A test is not needed when the student shows that he can do something.  It's a waste of the student's time and the teacher's time.  We could be on the road."

"This team test is not a real test of me, the individual."
SOLUTION:  Do the test by yourself.  Write on the page, "I did this alone."  You will know that your score is an individual score.

HOW DO I IMPROVE MY TEST SCORE?
a. Write a composition each week (2 points)
b. Find three newspaper articles, talk about them in class and tell the class the "main idea" of each article (3 points)
c. Make video about a store or museum or place to visit or a restaurant for other students to watch. (1 point).  Show the video to the class or put it on youtube and answer questions about the video (2 more points)

As a class you can decide:
The teacher will ask you to take an individual test.  If you can persuade all of your classmates to take the Team Test, you will save 45 minutes for another classroom activity.

An Additional Classroom Activity
__ three more presentations
__ two more newspaper articles
__ a writing exercise
__ a conversation activity (Tell me about a place to visit in your country -- then show me on the Internet)
__ a visit to the Media Lab for more interesting activities
__ learn how to make a free website on Sites.google.com
__ listen to a visitor speak for 3 minutes and then spend 40 minutes asking questions
__ planning a field trip
__ extra grammar
__ new vocabulary
__ learn about new websites (how to find free English Lessons on the Internet)
__ prepare for a test (TOEFL, TOEIC, FCE, CAE, Cambridge, GRE, IELTS, SAT...)

__ Contact someone using Skype

­­­__ Write an article with a partner for the Internet (travel site, website)

__ Plan a book together using iUniverse

__ create a CD using cdBaby.com

__ create a DVD using filmbaby.com

__ Each student can sit with the teacher for 3 minutes for one-on-one “check of skills.”

or

__ you can sit for 45 minutes while the entire class does not talk to you.... and you cannot talk to anyone. 
It is your choice.

Check of Skills

What do you want to do in 45 minutes each week?

__ write a resume (C.V.)

__ improve pronunciation

__ more writing

__ more speaking

__ more business vocabulary

__ prepare for a conference

__ prepare for a test

__ prepare for a job or a task that you will do in your job 

__ practice doing team work

__ practice asking questions

__ practice answering questions

__ interview a local person

__ practice telephone skills

__ build a free web page

__ speak to a camera

__ create a youtube channel

__ create a playlist to study

__ get more “university” skills

__ more listening esL-Lab.com

__ Dictation npr.org “This I Believe”

__  Other:

Read this article on my PORTAL site

http://www.wisconsinjobcenter.org/publications/9446/9446.htm

a list of job skills

http://www.english-test.net/

a list of tests for English grammar and vocabulary

https://sites.google.com/site/welcometoourschool/Home/readings/readings-4

See this list on welcometoourschool (a fun website and portal)