Added by on 2013-03-23

quiz

As a teacher, getting your students excited for test time can be a drag. The students don’t always know what to study or how much of the material will be covered, despite what you try to outline for them. Plus, it’s a lot of organization just to get things up and running.
Quizzes are one of the best ways to test student’s mastery of specific material without letting them feel overwhelmed about a full test or exam, and they can help the students prepare for larger, more comprehensive tests that may be required by the curriculum. In addition to better mastery, online quizzes further support adoption of technology in the classroom.

Take advantage of online learning opportunities

With today’s interconnected world, students are already familiar with the web. They use smartphones, tablets, and computers to interact with friends and family, learn about the world around them, and discover new and interesting things.
So, how do you incorporate online quizzes into your classroom? While there are tons of options, here are five of my favorite applications:
1. History Lessons
What happened in 1956 vs. 1978? That’s where online quizzes come in. For your history students, quiz them on what happened in certain time periods, famous quotes or even town history.
2. Chapter Recap
Are your students having trouble giving you summaries of what happened in the last chapter? Use online quizzes to help them remember events, characters and plot lines. This way, when they read the rest of the book, they’ll have better memory of what’s already happened.
3. Chemistry Class
Chemistry was always tough for me in grade school. Having a quiz to know the difference between electrons, protons and neutrons would have helped. Or better yet, how about a quiz on ionic bonds vs. covalent bonds or even lab safety protocols before new experiments?
4. Foreign Language
Think online quizzes can only be in English? Nope. They’re perfect for learning a foreign language. Create quizzes on different types of product at the market, how to navigate a city, or French vs. Spanish. The repetition helps your students memorize new words and apply what they’re learning in a real-life conversation.
5. Quotes by Writers, Speakers, and Activists
Almost everyone loves inspiring quotes. Here are a couple examples of how to incorporate quotes into online quizzes: Quotes from a famous speech like Martin Luther King, Jr., quote comparisons from Emerson and Thoreau, or for fun, quotes from comedians or favorite role models.
6. Class Project Participation
The most exciting application for online quizzes is encouraging class participation. Get students who are normally quiet to interact with a fun and engaging online quiz. Or, if you’ve got group projects coming up, make an online quiz part of the rubric.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to use online tools in the classroom. Online quizzes are just one way to get started integrating technology into your lesson plans.
How have online tools influenced the way you teach?
Author Bio: Michael Adams is the Marketing Guy at QuizPoo, an online this-or-that quiz maker perfect for your classroom. Make class participation and test-taking more interesting by making your own quiz at quizpoo.com.
Photo courtesy of Eagle Brook School on Flickr