One of the modifications that requires a lot of man power is oral administration of tests. Finding a place to send students who can have their tests read to them so they do not disturb other students is a struggle. Once a place is found, then finding the personnel to devote the time to read to those students. Each student works at a different pace or requires different levels of support, creating quite a headache to manage it all.
Solution: iPods. Each student can control the pace of support and how much support he needs. All of the student’s needs are met without leaving the classroom. While iPods may be an expensive solution for some schools, they probably cost less than a paraprofessional who could be utilized in other areas instead of reading tests all day. I have used the full sized video iPods as well as the Nanos.
The Process
The teacher gave me the test a week or so in advance, allowing me plenty of time to read the test into Garageband (GB) and edit it for iPod. Depending on the length of the test, recording the test questions is fairly quick and easy. I use a MacBook and Blue Snowball microphone and the quality is very professional. GB easily edits out coughs or mistakes or the occassional phone ring or school bell. Since GB works so seemlessly with iTunes and the iPods we have, I can have a test ready for 10 iPods in a day. Time was taken up for charging the iPods that have been stored all summer and taking a needs assesment of who need to use them when. As the year progress, this will all be streamlined and much more time/cost effective.
With my mic plugged in and GB running, I name each new track “Question 1, 2, 3…”. The album name is the name of the test, so I can create a playlist of just the questions I need. I save each GB project file in a folder that bears the name of the test so I can edit later if I need to. Since the tests can be used more than once, I can reuse the project I have already created or go back and make modifications from one year to the next.
Once all of the tracks (questions) are recorded and in iTunes, I create a playlist of the “album” I created and sync the playlist to the iPods. As more and more tests are added to the library, having each test set up as an album in a dedicated playlist will help synchronization from one test to another (that way I will not have more than one test on an iPod at one time).
The Results
Initial response to using iPods in the classroom was mixed. All of the teachers were grateful for the opportunity to keep all of their students in the classroom to monitor their testing. Some students were reluctant to use the iPod and chose not to. Others were very grateful for the tool. They were not ashamed by leaving the classroom. They were not embarrased to listen to questions over and over, because they had complete anonymity and control over the amount of time they spent on each question. ESL, 504, and Special Education students all benefited from this format for testing.
The Hurdles
I still have to work on how to read text that is in a chart or on a graph. While a live administrator can point to words being read, a recorded test does not have that ability. However, the teacher is still available to help out where the iPod cannot.
Some students who need reading assistance also require other modifications or accomodations. That would require different versions of the test that would lead to the need for different recordings. A combination of iPod and test administrator can still be utilized. While the iPod will not replace a live test administrator, it can still provide a large portion of the support needed for struggling readers.
In the near future, I see that I am going to need more iPods.
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September 9th, 2008 at 5:06 am
Do you realize that teachers in college do not allow their students to use any type of electronic devices. No cells phone, no calculators, nothing! Why? Kids are inventive now-a-days, and as much as we would love them to be honest, they seem to cheat. Have you had to overcome this obstacle with IPODs and all these electronic technology?
September 10th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
While there are teachers who frown on electronics in the classroom, there are those who allow it. Duke University used to give iPods to all of their incoming freshman. They halted the program because they discovered that most if not all incoming freshmen already had iPods. Many professors have their lectures online in the form of podcasts for students to download and listen to on the go. As far as cheating, the iPods that our students are using are school issued. The teacher gives them the preloaded iPod for the test and then takes them up after the test. There is the battle of cell phones and students using those to cheat on tests, but I am not aware of that problem on our campus (yet).
I am curious about a college that does not allow electronics in the classroom. And which college level Math class does not require the use of a calculator? What classroom will not allow a laptop for note taking, etc.?
October 29th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Hi Mr. James. I used to teach at KHS… go LIONS!!! I love the whole iPod, GarageBand idea. Our service center had a workshop on that very topic last year and I got to go. Neat stuff. (I got your Blog site from my good friend Lori)
October 31st, 2008 at 2:12 pm
I have had the opportunity to work with Mr. James and the iPods. I teach 8th grade math and have a variety of levels in my classroom. In the past, students would beg not to have to leave the room to receive the oral testing modications. Now, most of my students beg to get to use the iPods. I have found that my ESL students have really been successful with the aid of the iPod. Luckily, we have Mr. James on campus to organize this for all teachers!