October 2007 — News
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Test Prep and Math Realities
5. Develop a database of content resources.
Have a series of technology resources at hand with content related to benchmarks students must master. According to Schneiderman (2006), digital content types for teaching mathematics fall within several categories, including tutorials, skill building/drill and practice, problem-solving, test prep, simulations and visualization, educational or serious games, and comprehensive courseware. The value of the latter is that skill mastery is often tracked and there is a student data management and reporting system to inform instruction.
Include virtual manipulatives for investigating concepts. Valuable resources include the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives, Project Interactivate, and Thinking Blocks, the last for interactive exploration of word problems. Many textbook publishers also provide online versions of their texts and/or free online resources with engaging interactive activities, multiple choice questions, video and guided explanations, and homework help, which are of value. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Glencoe Online Study Tools, and Saxon Student Online Activities (http://saxonpublishers.harcourtachieve.com/en-US/saxonpublishers.htm) are among those. Although some districts have banned YouTube.com because of its diverse offerings, there are some excellent math videos posted by classroom teachers and professors who explain concepts and provide examples for problem solving.
6. Provide intervention for learners in need.
Learners will benefit from a variety of intervention/remediation programs offered at various times during the school day and before and after school. Some districts are able to hire intervention specialists or reassign teachers to intervention classes or pay qualified individuals to conduct remediation programs. However, just as in the classroom, tutors need subject-matter expertise. Certification and prior teaching experience are plusses. Gordon (2006) suggested that a good tutoring program begins by checking whether the student has learning disabilities and ensures that tutoring is individualized and that tutors are recording progress and following the written curriculum. It also ensures parental support for good study habits and motivation for learning at home.
7. Use practice tests.
Don't be afraid to use practice tests from other states, as benchmarks in math are often similarly stated. As a starting point, you might consider Ohio's new portal to its statewide testing in grades 3 through 8 and high school and the Texas Education Agency's online interactive versions of its released tests and end of course examinations, some of which are in Spanish at grades 3 through 6. When students feel confident that they have mastered the objectives, they should take a few practice tests from your own state shortly before actual state testing.
