Our school administers assessments (reading and math) at the beginning of each year to gauge a student's ability. Our Math assessment is our own teacher-made, and I've felt it wasn't the best indicator we could use. Perhaps the length (we test every standard per grade level)? Perhaps that it's subjective anyway. Don't get me started on our Reading assessment... Our school currently differentiates in several ways, one being to move high-achieving students to the next grade level for math class. Because I was at the starting grade level of moving students up (2nd grade), I usually lost half my class to them moving on in math class. A few years ago we stemmed the tide and began to differentiate in more meaningful ways. However, I was still running into students moving on regardless of their achievement on the teacher-made test. Frustration grew every year to say the very least...
Until last October when I found (2016 EdTech Digest award-winning) MobyMax! This curriculum/program is incredibly easy to use, and most importantly (for me) offers true standards-based assessments in Reading and Math! I set up my class immediately and had the kids take the tests regardless of the math class they currently attended. I was overwhelmed with the information (in a FANTASTIC way)!! The test is adaptive when they are completing the assessment. The results show the standards missing and gives a grade level equivalent. It was pretty on-target for what I expected. There are a few times teachers in my school felt it didn't truly reflect the student's ability so the tests were re-administered to those few students. In addition, our school is 1:1 iPads so this would be an easy go-to as well. However, if you are not 1:1, don't let that sway your decision! You could easily use Moby as a station, though the kids would need to sign in.
My students use Moby all the time, mostly as something constructive to do when they are finished with the class lesson/objective. There are a TON of subjects for the students to work with! *The best part is -- Moby fills in the holes in their understanding and skips the skills they are proficient with.* For example, I had a student who tested at 4.3 grade level in math. However, the test showed he was missing 1st - 3rd grade skills even though he was mostly at a 4.3 grade level! This was something incredibly important that I could show his parents at conferences, and was also objective proof that he was in the correct math class. Though I teach 3rd grade, our school generally teaches up a grade level.
I can't say enough *AMAZING* things about MobyMax and how it has transformed extra time in my class as well as direct instruction! Though there is a free version, we purchased the school version so that the progress looped with the kids among many other reasons. The school version allowed us to have access to all *extras* that were really helpful and engaging for the kids. The *extras* include sending direct messages (good & bad vibes and messages) through it to students, to seeing their progress in real-time, to printing their certificates as they achieve curriculum standards -- Moby has it all! Lots of contests, both teacher-made and through Moby's Facebook!
Please please do yourself a favor and take a look! Their website is incredibly detailed and the customer service is outstanding! Teachers, we have it in us to want to be everything to every student and sometimes that just isn't possible. Moby helps alleviate some of that and constructively fills in the gaps so that students can truly gain a firm understanding of necessary skills!
I could go on and on...! If you'd like me to share more of my experience with it, feel free to email me or comment below!
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