As you know, this year has been unlike any other. Some of us are still teaching online, some are in person, and if you’re like me, you’re in hybrid setting– teaching both in person and virtual students at the same time. If you’re still having state testing like we are in Georgia, check out some of the best ELA test prep resources in the middle school classroom.
As I started planning for test prep, I wanted to use a blended learning approach when it made sense for my students. If you aren’t familiar with blended learning, it is a mix of face-to-face instruction combined with tech-infused learning.
This strategy gives students additional control of their learning since it’s more student-centered. Additionally, it often helps students to be more engaged and to take ownership of the content.
This is how I plan to prepare my students for end of year | state testing:
Edpuzzle is an amazing tool for blended learning, and you can make any video your own with this platform. If you aren’t familiar with this program, I explain how it works here. Using Edpuzzle, I created a class specifically for review lessons. Students joined this class, and they were able to choose the videos they felt covered skills they needed to review. If I knew certain students needed to go back over specific areas, I would make sure to tell them the video(s) they needed to complete. Each video lesson included questions and/or notes for students to answer or jot down. This is perfect for both in person and online students. Check out the video below to see how I set this up.
As I’ve blogged about previously, digital escape rooms are always a hit with students. They don’t even realize they’re reviewing since it’s more like a game. You can read more about how I use digital escape rooms for test prep here. In a nutshell, I decide what standards middle school ELA students needed to go back over prior to the big test, and created interactive review activities for each “room” students needed to escape. Check out a video preview of one of my test prep digital escape rooms below:
What are some of your favorite test prep activities? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below. Best of luck on the rest of the school year! We’re almost there!!!
