Dimensions Math - how do you test?

[Milknhoney]

I don't test so I didn't really care at the time that I selected DM as our curriculum that there are no tests. But lately it has occurred to me that since it covers algebra and geometry, I should really start grading and giving tests so I can give high school credit. I was thinking about giving him half the review questions for review and then giving him half the review questions as a test. I kind of feel like he should really have the full review before being tested, though. My other thought is that I'm sure if I googled each topic, I'd find generic tests or worksheets that would work. But sometimes Singapore does things in a unique way, so that might not work out for every chapter. It could really take me a lot of time which I don't have. I'd like to hear how all of you handle this!

[kbutton]

I have been deliberating this for myself. One thought I had was to use the workbook for testing purposes. I figure if he rarely does the workbook exercises, it might work. I might also just be able to modify problems he's already had to save time.

 

Other potential sources for problem sets:

https://www.engageny.org/common-core-curriculum

http://www.regentsprep.org/Regents/math/ALGEBRA/math-ALGEBRA.htm

 

We don't live in NY state, but I am pretty sure they've been doing more integrated-style math for a long time, and the test prep site showed up in my search for something once, and I really thought some of the questions on it were pretty good.

 

I also thought I might start doing what I think is being called formative assessment along with testing. Basically, you give a grade of 1-5 on task-specific assignments. I think it's used in addition to testing and that kids can re-take formative assessments. The assessments basically break the CC standards down into individual tasks. The 1-5 system has descriptions online, but it's a rubric to help the student understand how well they understand a concept. It would take some thought and work to do that, but it has appeal to me. I am not a big fan of right/wrong percentage-based grading. I would rather the student have a motivation to work through a problem with a concept to achieve a certain level of understanding. I think this way of grading might be more motivating and provide more useful feedback to a student. I would base my assessments more on the tasks in the curriculum and not worry about how they match up to standards. 

 

I figure level 7 is practice for me with some kind of grading, and then level 8 would count. 

 

I have no idea if this rambling is helpful, lol!

 

Oh, I found a blog called Math = Love. It's a math teacher blog, but she uses interactive notebooks that seem like they are going to be very, very compatible with the Dimensions math. My son loves the ones we've done so far. Anyway, she has ALL OF HER PAGES available for download. I am not on the right computer to find the link for that. The individual pages are sprinkled throughout her blog, but there is a magic page where you can download the whole boatload. The papers have helped my son connect the verbal part of his brain to math, and they work on terminology, relationships between concepts, etc. and firm it up for him (he has trouble generalizing concepts as part of his 2e quirks). The pages often cover stuff that is on the In a Nutshell pages in the Dimensions math, but it's a reference created over time BY the student. 

[KellyMama]

We are in the same boat. I offered to give my DS the review questions as a grade for the chapter and he liked that idea because he's currently not struggling but as the work gets more challenging I may have to come up with another option. One thing for an Algebra I credit I thought about doing was using some tests from the Lial's algebra book we have to be sure his skills can translate. If that is successful (vs confusing) for him I will likely do that if I can determine how the skills and and chapters correlate.

Edited July 11, 2016 by KellyMama

[kbutton]

I don't have any mainstream algebra books hardcopy, but I do have a .pdf from Google books of Creative Publication's Algebra. I know next-to-nothing about it, and I can't tell you where I actually got it, lol! Oh, maybe a boardie posted it now that I'm thinking about it more. This appears to be the one: https://books.google.com/books/about/Algebra_Themes_Tools_and_Concepts.html?id=nejW803k3fYC 

 

It's VERY visual, which is nice because I bought a whole set of Bosse algebra tiles from Nasco, and I bought guides that will go through Algebra II to go with them.  

 

https://www.enasco.com/product/TB24569T

 

I have not tried to link up topics to Dimensions Math yet. I just remembered I had the resource.