How to do this with Alg 2?
Posted by mrwaddell on 25 June, 2008
H tried this with Intermediate Algebra (my district’s Alg 3-4) and found it to be lacking. That makes sense to me, because Alg 3-4 is more complex. At least Alg 4 is. The first semester of Alg 3 is really just a review of Alg 1-2.
Well, not to be discouraged with what H found out, I am going to try it as well in my Alg 3-4 classes as well. I think, however, that H is right on the money when she says that Alg 3-4 covers HUGE amounts of math more than Alg 1-2 does. This means that the objectives either need to be very vague and all encompassing (kind of like the standards are) or I need to have 40 or 50 skills to assess.
Obviously there is a problem here. I have worked over my district’s blueprint once, and then went back and read what H had to say on the matter as well as Dan Greene and looked at the amazing video project that Sam did with his class. My bottom line is that I think it is possible, but not easy to do.
I have a rough draft of my skills checklist done right now. I am not sure I am going to post it yet. I am not happy with it. I think I am stuck in the “do I have to assess everything?” mode.
More on this later after I yank myself out of that mode into a more productive setting.
June 26th, 2008 at 6:27 am
I made a list of skills for pre-calc last year. Once I hit the third page, I knew there was a problem. I didn’t take the time to try to get out of it. I’m looking forward to your solution.
June 26th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Looking forward to your list as well. I would think that the objectives list might focus on the larger skills. IE taking all the skills involved in one of the conic figures and testing for that specific conic. I can see however that there will still be 40-50 skills that way (assuming that an Alg-2 class covers graphing, trig identities, solving triangles, polar, imaginary numbers, conics,……)
June 26th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Jackie and Bill,
Thank you for your suggestions. Bill, I think your class goes more in depth than mine does. That is why I posted my blueprints, so there was something to compare against.
I did have to trim the number of skills and group some skills, but that is the nature of Alg 2. It is a more indepth class than Alg 1 is.