The Unquiet Librarian

Test, test! 

EOCT?  GHSGT?  Do these acronyms create a sense of dread and worry for you as a teacher?  Wondering how to incorporate standardized test prep practice without resorting to “kill and drill”?  Worry no more!  You can integrate test prep activities without compromising your teaching philosophy or bowing at the altar of No Child Left Behind.  USA Test Prep has added many new fun and exciting student activities you can share with your students!  The traditional test prep materials such as printable quizzes and worksheets that you can generate as a teacher are still there, but more games in both printable and online format are now available.  New teacher features/activities for 2007-08 include:

• Wordfind puzzles (yes, kids still LOVE these even in high school!!!) for every strandon your subject area EOCT AND Georgia High School Graduation Test (with answer keys!)
• Student quiz data
• Study Guide Dojo—you can customize individual remediation activities and lessons for students
• Teacher Management Feature:  you can add yourself to the teacher roster so that students can select you when they take quizzes/practice activities/tests.  This feature will then allow you to track your students’ results more effectively.
• The USA Test Prep Blog:  use this blog to stay abreast of new features in USA Test Prep!

New activities accessible to students include:

• Online crossword puzzles for each domain area of your EOCT or GHSGT
• Online wordfind puzzles
• Super Graduation Kombat Smackdown game

If you have never used USA Test Prep with your students or have minimal experience with this subscription service and would like some help learning the teacher features, please see Mrs. Hamilton or Mrs. Fleet in the library—we would be glad to show you these new features and brainstorm ideas for integrating these tools into your instruction.  A little preparation with these activities each week will go a long way toward preparing your students for the big test days in the spring. 

B. Hamilton