Bianca's+5th+Grade+Test+Taking+Strategies+CBL

This CBL is for my 5th Grade class of 20 eager, technology starved students. The idea is to prepare student created podcasts, videos, audio, etc, of a “How to” and a ‘Hey, Try This Test Strategy” for the upcoming OCCT.

My Numerous List of “The Big Idea” which I have not yet narrowed down include:

• How To Of Test Strategies • My 3 Words and Learning Strategies • A How To of Learning Strategies (formally called Test Strategies)

Essential Questions:

• Why are test strategies helpful as you prepare for the OCCT’s. • Which test strategy will you select as your project? • Are test strategies only limited to taking tests at school? • In what other areas of your life can you apply or adapt the test strategies? • How many strategies do we want to use in our project? • Should we have a consensus of which strategies to model? • How many strategies could each group take on?
 * Why is the test important?
 * Why is it important that you do your best on the OCCT?


 * Do we want to include interviews with other students in other classrooms to seek a "what they know", "what do they do"....

These questions are a jumping off/beginning discussion point. More essential questions can be added. Narrowing down to a smaller workable list of questions may be necessary.

The Challenge:

To work in small teams to develop a technology based project that addresses and answers the big idea and its essential questions. The challenge is to create a student based podcast, video, photo slide show promoting the use of test strategies, to show/demonstrate actual test strategies being used by the students.

Students have been learning strategies for taking tests using a variety of methods for a successful outcome.

Using the resources we’ve used, along with additional, as yet to be determined web resources and student generated research, each team will select from a pre-determined teacher list (yes, I retain leadership domain for this)

Guided Questions:


 * Brainstorming the strategies
 * Brainstorming ideas for developing their project
 * Research: where, what kind, how, when
 * Review of Digital Citizenship
 * Brainstorm/develop a Rubric for Assessment
 * Brainstorm what kinds of resources we will use: internet, books, interviews with informed adults

Guiding Activities: Student teams will brainstorm, research web sources, smartboard lessons, etc. for simulations, games, and other types of activities that can demonstrate test strategies. Additionally, student driven short imovie demonstrating a strategy, making an iphoto slideshow, or garage band video are also part of this category. These lessons, simulations, games, and other types of activities help students answer the guiding questions and set the foundation for them to develop innovative, insightful, and realistic solutions.

Guiding Resources: This focused set of resources can include podcasts, websites, Videos, databases, experts, and so on that support the activities and assist students with developing a solution.

Students will use a teacher created Wiki space for students to post/publish their works in progress. This Wiki will be a place to “dump”/file their research, data, photos, videos. The Wiki is through the http://mid-delpodsquad.wikispaces.com and is a safe location for student posts.

Solutions: The ultimate goal of the student created CBL is to find a way to demonstrate/show test taking strategies, to impart this “how to” and “what some of the strategies are” and to be able to convey/communicate/share this with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes as a way to help other students as they prepare for the OCCT.

The student teams will become the “teachers” of the knowledge and present their project to others in the school.

Assessment: The solution can be assessed for its connection to the challenge, accuracy of the content, clarity of communication, applicability for implementation, and efficacy of the idea, among other things. In addition to the solution, the process that the individuals as well as teams went through in getting to a solution can also be assessed, capturing the development of key 21st century skills.

For this project, we as a class will develop a rubric prior to actually beginning the project. The rubric will be a consensus and reflective of the Big Idea and Challenge.

Publishing: The challenge process allows for multiple opportunities to document the experience and publish to a larger audience. Students are encouraged to publish their results online, via podcasts. The podcasts will also be published on my classroom web page. There will be a location for comments/discussions/questions.