Quiz and Test Generator

I'm transitioning to Standards Based Grading (SBG) this year. One essential element of SBG is allowing students to reassess on any of the standards. I tried SBG last year, but the reassessments were unmanageable.

Over the summer I wrote software to automatically make quizzes and tests for me simply by clicking links on my class webpages. The links are set up with parameters specifying what kind of assessment it is, the title of the assessment, the skill or skills to be assessed, and the number of freeform and multiple-choice questions for each skill.

The software reads the parameters, selects skills from a test bank, selects random questions for each skill, and selects random variants of each question. It formats the assessment to be displayed on a screen, so that I can give a randomized quiz to a class on a whim. When I print an assessment, the software formats it differently, optimized for taking the test on paper instead of from a screen. The software will also display and print the answer key for me.

The random selection of questions and the randomization of variants gives me a countless variety of assessments. Even if a test gets out in the public, students who would cheat will see random variations on the questions. They will soon figure out that they must actually learn how to do the problems because the answers on their test will be different from the answers on the test from their friend's class.

You can see the links in the Assessment sections of my lesson plans. My test bank is hidden behind passwords, so you won't be able to see actual assessments by clicking on the links there.

But I have put up a publicly accessible sample so that you can play with it. Try these links to see samples:

• Quiz: Motion Graphs (has a bug making graphics unreliable)
• Quiz: Motion Graphs (with a workaround for the bug)
• Quiz: Triangle Review
• Quiz: Vectors (has a bug making graphics unreliable)
• Quiz: All Three (with a workaround for the bug)

I'm writing the test bank as I go this year. Since I'm writing the questions, they correspond exactly to the specific skills I'm teaching. If I don't happen to like the mix of questions on an assessment, I simply reload the page to get a new randomization.

For One Who is Grieving

You're safe in my arms, daughter — safe to cry.
Cry, daughter. Crying is good. Crying is your love for her.
One day you'll finish crying, but not today. Today, let your love for her cry.

You're safe in my arms, daughter — safe to grieve.
Grieve, daughter. Grieving is good. Grieving is your love for her.
One day you'll finish grieving, but not today. Today, let your love for her grieve.

You're safe in my arms, daughter, — safe to feel the emptiness.
Feel the emptiness, daughter. Feeling the emptiness is good. The emptiness is her love for you.
How she must have loved you to leave such emptiness behind!

One day you'll finish crying.
One day you'll finish grieving.
But you'll always feel the emptiness.
When you feel the emptiness, know that it is her love for you.
The emptiness will remind you that her touch on your life is forevermore.
And the emptiness will remind you that your touch on her life is forevermore,
for how she must have loved you to leave such emptiness behind.

It Wasn't Very Long Ago

For my children on their coming of age

It wasn't very long ago I used to set you in my lap
and read you picture books.

It wasn't very long ago you needed me to hold your hand
to take you to new places.

I wasn't very long ago you needed me to teach you how
to understand the world.

Now look at you.
Now look at you!

A little bit of time went by and now
you stand here facing me, a young adult!

I'm not sure I'm ready.

You're not sure you're ready.

But here we stand together side by side,
a single path behind us,
a double path before us.

Let us reminisce upon the single path
we trod together to this place.
And let us contemplate the double path
we've yet to take into uncertain futures.

May we tarry here a moment — a moment more.

May we tarry here a moment more.

For though we hand-in-hand resume our walk from here,
the windings of our separate paths must
draw and break our grasp.

And from afar I'll watch you tread alone
the way to your success.

And I'll recall the time,
and I'll recall the place,
where our one path became two.

And I'll feel the sadness,
and I'll feel the happiness,
of my love for you.

But I'll be satisfied I knew you when you were a child,
and I'll be proud to know you as adult,
off on your own.