Test Time, Game Time

It’s that time of year again. Spring break is over, the sun’s out, and for many, there’s one last dreaded obstacle in the way of summer break: end of year testing. As a former classroom teacher and testing coordinator, and a parent of grade-level children, here’s one thing I know — no one likes testing!

Desks move from small group setups to rows, project creation and collaborative work is put on hold in favor of drill and kill. Rote memorization, testing techniques, anti-anxiety practices are all commonplace during this time of year. Have you ever wondered how an environment could be so stressful and quiet at the same time? How can we smash this problem forever? Enter, Smashboard Edu.

As a former high School business teacher I made it a habit to be as honest as possible with my students. I tried to inform them that as high school students all the stakes were high because of their age and stage of life. I also tried to help them understand that because we operate in a capitalistic society, almost everything that is socially valued is because of financial gain. I even explained that schools receive funding based on student attendance and additional funding based on student performance. I think they appreciated me level-setting that we all operate within a system, and our goal is to master it. One of the clichés I told them was, “Life’s a game, you just need to know how to play it.” Without over-analyzing that statement, take into account just a few things: games are rules or guidelines that everyone must follow in order to win. But what defines winning in the classroom? Ask most teachers, and they will say that they teach to help young learners to become world-changing problem-solvers. Testing doesn’t define their success, it’s simply a necessary evil.

Before Smashboard Edu existed I felt the need to try something different when it came to content-review. Filling out worksheets, studying flashcards, bubbling scantrons was not my idea of fun. I hated it. So one day I decided to try something. I went to the local dollar store and bought a bunch of gaming materials. I got foam dice, spinners, dry erase mats, markers, and 3 x 5 cards. I set the materials out and made this declaration to my classes, “Let’s make a game.” I explained that we knew that the game had to incorporate the content, but that we needed to create a game that another class could play. This was my attempt at challenging the class to not just create a game, but a good game. A game that would be played and evaluated by their peers. They were all in. This was 2009, and it was my first time experimenting with gamification. I have tried to dig up those instructions many times in the past, but they were probably saved in Microsoft Word on a thumb drive buried in a box somewhere. Nonetheless, the memories are vivid. I remember my students co-creating a game that was a weird mashup of Monopoly and Pictionary. I remember us making and creating three days a week —  taking practice tests on Fridays, reviewing results on Monday, modifying the game and playing Tuesday-Thursday. You read that right, we still did practice tests and reviewed results. We didn’t pretend that end of year testing wasn’t coming up. We didn’t pretend that the test wasn’t important. We just prepared differently.

Here’s another thing I must confess. It would be hard for me to prove to you that my students did better on their exams than previous years. The state didn’t reward (or demerit) me for my students’ test results. I taught business, not math, language, or social studies. In the state’s eyes, my test scores didn’t count. Nevertheless, every student in the entire school had to eventually take my class and pass it in order to graduate. Furthermore, my principal required that every subject had an end of year test that she personally reviewed, so my test counted for something. I just didn’t get a (financial) bonus if my kids did well, and my job wasn’t necessarily on the line if they performed poorly. I understood all of these things very well because I was also the school testing coordinator. The biggest difference that occured in my gamified test prep approach was that I loved teaching in the spring again. My students took the same 100 multiple-choice test with short response and essay on the back as my students did in previous years. I was not in a position to eliminate my end of year testing, but I did have a choice in how I prepared my students. A memorable experience over memorization.

During my last year teaching full-time in the classroom, I co-created Smashboard Edu scoring cards for study review games with 3-5th grade science classes utilizing Smashboard Edu. Things have evolved immensely over the years, but the process has remained the same.

• Problem to smash: Test review is no fun.
• Research: Find existing analog or digital games to model after (see Smashboard Edu Creative Apps section and filter for Review).
• Solve: Have student groups create a content-review game.
• Share: Share with other classes to receive feedback.
• Review: Review feedback to make game more engaging.

Looking for digital game idea starters in creating your own game? See this Hyper Doc template or go the Smashboard Edu > Creative Apps > and filter for Review.

Originally from Southern California, “Sociologist turned Technologist,” Dee Lanier is a passionate and energetic educator and learner with over a decade of instructional experience on the K-12 and collegiate level. Dee holds Undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Sociology with special interests in education, race relations, and inequality. Dee served at Crossroads Charter High School as a full-time Vocational Studies teacher, Testing Coordinator and Title I Director then went on to become the Technology Catalyst for the Lower School at Trinity Episcopal School. He was also an Executive Director of a national nonprofit and a founding board member and tech coach at Charlotte Lab School. Dee is a Google Certified Trainer and Innovator and specializes in creative applications for mobile devices and Chromebooks, low-cost makerspaces, and gamified learning activities. Dee is currently a Program Coordinator for EdTechTeam. You can find him on Twitter @deelanier from Southern California, “Sociologist turned Technologist,” Dee Lanier is a passionate and energetic educator and learner with over a decade of instructional experience on the K-12 and collegiate level. Dee holds Undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Sociology with special interests in education, race relations, and inequality. Dee served at Crossroads Charter High School as a full-time Vocational Studies teacher, Testing Coordinator and Title I Director then went on to become the Technology Catalyst for the Lower School at Trinity Episcopal School. He was also an Executive Director of a national nonprofit and a founding board member and tech coach at Charlotte Lab School. Dee is a Google Certified Trainer and Innovator and specializes in creative applications for mobile devices and Chromebooks, low-cost makerspaces, and gamified learning activities. Dee is currently a Program Coordinator for EdTechTeam and Dynamic Learning Project Mentor. You can find him on Twitter @deelanier