“And now what do we do?” Life after the Final Exam

I know I have referenced this before, but given where we are, I think its reference is appropriate. The film, The Candidate, has always intrigued me. Robert Redford plays a man running for Governor of California. The race between he and his establishment foe, Crocker Jarmon, is an intense one and on election night, when polls indicate that he has won, there is a celebratory mood around campaign headquarters. In a vintage Robert Redford moment, he pulls his campaign advisor into a private room and asks him the very same question that many 7-1 students might ask themselves now with the conclusion of the Final Exam:
“Now, what do we do?”

Celebration, spirits, and absolute pandemonium drown out any hopes of a meaningful answer.

While there is much to be mirrored from 1970s American cinema, I can only hope that we, as 7-1 stakeholders, answer our question differently.

The Final Exam is done. There are some students who will need additional time due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances to complete their exam. Yet, the vast majority of 7-1 students completed the week’s worth of testing their understanding of concepts in American History and showed a great deal of character and strength in the process. The use of the small piece of paper, the focus, and the discussion amongst peers about questions such as, “What did Harlan mean by that quote?” or “Who talked about freedom and chains?” were the types of discussion starters that I hoped would be generated by the exam. I also felt very proud about how students fought through an exam that constituted the very essence of “challenge.”

The grades for the exams have been posted at www.mygradebook.com and have been sent out to all stakeholders in an email “blast.” The trimester grades posted right now constitute where students would be if the trimester ended today. Obviously, in the short term, students might wonder what can be done to move their grades upwards or, perhaps if within close proximity, how to advance their status. I would think that one option that can be pursued would be to undertake the Constitution Extra Credit tasks that are going to be due on Friday, 3/6. This gives students just under a week to complete work samples that would expand their understanding of the Constitution and the issues related to it. Another option would be for students to complete a series of short answer prompts that will be assigned this week concerning chapter 8 reading. These are not mandatory, but will be worth about 10 to 15 points each. Finally, students will receive a progress report on Tuesday and is due with a parent/ guardian signature on Friday. This will be worth 20 points. These can be undertaken in the short term.

If students are concerned with a long- term focus of what to do now in the wake of the Final Exam, there are options available in this domain. Students have been given a copy of the Final Exam. If students make appointments with me, I am happy to go through a student’s answer sheet against the exam so that students can understand why their particular choice was incorrect, or engage in a conversation about “what happened.” If approached by students, I will be happy to rework their exam with them in an individualized manner. It should be noted that there will not be any revision opportunities for the exam, but if students are interested in sensing how they can improve in the multiple choice test taking domain, I would be happy to facilitate this process. Another option would be for students to harness their energies into the next assessment. After the week of ISATs, we will be starting our next unit, a student led teaching assignment on Chapter 9. This will be detailed in next week’s blog. In total, this assessment will be worth over 800 points into 3rd trimester.

If there is any lingering legacy from the Final Exam, I think it would lie in the validation of the importance in completing extra credit and additional work. Students who undertook extra credit opportunities prior to the exam found themselves the benefactors both in points and knowledge. I witnessed instances where students who completed the extra credit opportunities present before the exam did not need a strong exam score in order to maintain their high standard of work. I also witnessed cases of students who completed extra credit opportunities and fared very well on the exam (A record number of “A”’s were scored on this exam. In years past, we only saw four “A”s on this exam, while this year we saw over 10 A’s alone.) These students who scored so very well also were mavens of extra credit. Finally, I saw cases of students who might have not fared very well on the exam, but had completed extra credit in such strong quality and quantity whereby the exam’s effect was benign.

Yet, there is a flipside to this coin.

For students whose focus were elsewhere in the weeks leading up to the exam and failed to undertake extra credit, adequate preparation, or nightly study during the week of the exam, the effects were quite disastrous on a student’s grade. In addition, students who failed to complete any of the extra credit made available, there was a sense of opportunity lost and a sense of regret entering their psyche. Perhaps, this was the lasting testament of the Final Exam. While there will always be looming and rather large assessment, there will be an equal amount of opportunities made available prior to such high stakes assessment. At some points, all students have to make choices in demonstrating their commitment to success. This is the reality that confronts all learners, and played itself out in the life of 7.1 Social Studies Students.


We have short term and long term options that lie in front of us. Students will choose their paths and it is my hope that they choose well. Naturally, all of us await the choices of our students, 7.1’s emerging scholars. To all of them, I can only wish the best in their choices as we approach the last leg of our collaborative journey.
All best and happy hunting,
Mr. Kannan

P.S. In the attempts of gearing student choice towards taking a more active role in class discussions or ideas, please invite your students to visit and add to the class wiki whose link is found in the top left hand pane of the blog. As we strive to integrate technology and teaching into a new form or “teachnology,” contributing and adding to the class wiki might be one such way to bring together both domains.

The calm before the storm: The moments before the Final Exam

If you listen closely, you can hear it. You can sense it in the air, feel it in the water. It is the sense that all 7-1 students share in a collective entity at this time, at this precise moment.

The Final Exam approaches.

The last month and a half of blog entries has been devoted to the Final Exam. What it is, why it is present, how to prepare for it and what to expect during it. This is what we have building towards from the start of the year.

The exam starts on Monday and continues until Friday. Students should use the interim to review essential concepts and important points that are on the exam. In addition to this, students can also work on the extra credit tasks on the Constitution that are due on Wednesday, March 4.

I wish all 7-1 students all the best in completing this exam and in rising to one more challenge in their 7-1 experience.

All best and happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan

“Here they come around the turn…” One week before the Final Exam

The following is a reprint from the blog entry exactly one year ago today. The focus for that blog entry, as this one, is preparation for the final exam. I find it interesting that similar challenges from last year’s (now former) scholars, are ones faced by this year’s emerging scholars. I have altered some of the dates to fit in with this sequence, but the helpful tips are still highly applicable. Next week’s blog entry will be a small sampling of words of wisdom while the following week’s entry will be thoughts observed in “real time” as students complete their exams.

We are closing out strong. The Social Studies final exam starts on Monday, 2/23 and lasts until Friday, 2/27 For this week’s blog, I thought I would focus on 10 things that can be done this week for all students to enhance their chances of doing well on this important exam and help strengthen their status in the class for second trimester. All of these items should be integrated into student academic habits not merely this week, but throughout their remaining time in this class.

* Focus on this week’s in class and on nightly assignments- With one week to go, students should pay attention to all the nightly tasks this week. Our discussion will address the Civil Rights amendments and final points that need to be made on the Constitution. I believe that while students are studying all that will be present on the Final Exam, there might be a tendency to forget the items discussed this week. This would be a mistake, so being mindful of this week’s content might prevent such a miscalculation from happening.

* Work on the study guide each night- Students were given a five page study guide which addressed all pertinent items on the final exam on the week of 2/9. (Extra copies can be found on this blog under the hyperlink of “Handouts.”) It is strongly advised that students make nightly progress on this packet, one section at a time. Students should use their notes, any work they have created, as well as their textbook in addressing what each concept is and why it is important. Naturally, since the format of the test is multiple choice, students should be able to state specific facts relating to each concept as well as its overall general importance or significance. The study guide is comprehensive, so time should be devoted to it on a nightly and incremental basis.

* Generate questions about study guide and compose them on a separate list, segmented out by chapter/ concept. As students work on their study guides, any areas of question or wonderment should be noted in a separate list. My hope is that they understand much of the study guide, as it is review of material that we have discussed throughout the trimester. Yet, areas that require further analysis should be noted on a separate list, and as these areas are addressed, there should be a stronger sense of confidence developed about these topics.

* Attend study sessions with questions to be answered. There will be lunchtime study sessions held this week, as well as a Thursday and Friday morning study session. This puts the number of study sessions at 4. Students can attend any and all of these, as all study sessions will be generated by student questions which make them all uniquely distinctive and different. The study sessions could be excellent opportunities where student questions can be answered. While these are informal question and answer sessions, where there will be no formalized reteaching of concepts, attendance will be taken. Students who are having challenges with the format of the exam, or the concepts presented should use these sessions as opportunities to open the dialogue and minimize confusion about what is being presented. Passes will be made available on the chair outside of my room. It will require a sacrifice from students, as they will have to make a choice between the opportunity to socialize with colleagues and gain further understanding about the exam and what is expected form students on it. This is a choice they will have to make. The opportunities to maximize student success are there, and the hope is that students will seize it.

* Examine the blog- Complete some of the extra credit offered this week. As we are taking stock of where students are and what is laid in front of them, the reality is that at the time of composing this blog, there are over 1200 points for this trimester. In addition to this, there have been over 200 points of extra credit offered. Perhaps, this week would be one week where students might seek to bolster their standing in the class before the final exam by completing some of the extra credit offered on this blog. The “Wacky Metaphoric Analysis” could yield up to nine points of extra credit for well composed written answers, and identifying the speaker of the quotations has proven to be quite lucrative for a handful of 7-1 students. Finally, if we generate 100 votes on this week’s poll question, every student on the team will receive 10 points for exercising their democratic sensibilities. All of these could be dismissed as “easy points,” but the looming storm of a 640 point exam might require students to secure their grade before it hits. I see little wrong with building up some “rainy day” points, in the event it pours next week.

* Extra credit, part 2- As long as there have been teachers and students, there has been the question of extra credit. I think there is little doubt as to where I stand. Extra credit is an opportunity for all students, made available to all students, and designed in order to assist all students. At this point in their academic careers, I believe students must understand that academic success can take different forms. Students can be proficient at taking tests, demonstrate strength in their writing, and excel at assembling projects. I also believe that students should strive to go beyond the content in acquiring as many points as possible. Perhaps this means doing more work, or opening a dialogue with parents/ guardians about what is transpiring in the classroom via obtaining signatures. This week, students will be given a series of extra credit tasks offered on the Constitution and the current political climate. Exploring one or more of these options could prove to be both academically lucrative and intellectually enlightening for all students. The due date for completed tasks to be submitted is Wednesday, March 4, 2009. While these reside in the long term, students can get this week’s syllabus and progress report signed for extra credit. Again, this opportunity is made available to all students in the hope of helping all students.

* Completing the daily points- Another opportunity open to all has come in the form of daily points. Over the last two weeks, students have been greeted with their entrance into class with “Daily Points.” These are random questions on the Constitution and serve as an excellent source of test question material on the Constitution. Each student receives one random question and a successful answer yields fifteen points. If a student wanted to test their knowledge base on the Constitution, many of these questions have been given to students in the packet received last week. In a larger sense, completing these questions helps to gauge student understanding on a concept that will be prevalent on the Final Exam.

* Examine the blog- As long as I have taught, I have always featured a “Final Exam.” I think there is something quite powerful about demonstrating what is known in one setting, displaying focused energy throughout. This week, I will be posting previous Final Exam questions from the last couple of years on the blog (under the handouts link.) Former final exam questions will be on the exam. These questions will be posted on Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night. I will have the answer keys posted in the Team 7-1 Team area, so students can check how they fared with these and any questions can start a discussion. While the questions will be different on this year’s final exam, I think it might help to serve as a good guide to familiarize students with topics covered. Exam questions will be posted on Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night.

* Pay attention to the guide on how to study- Students were given a handout last week which outlines a method on “how to study” for this Final Exam. I realize that all of our students have their own methodology for exam studying. Yet, in giving students some of my personal advice on how to prepare for this comprehensive assessment, I believe that it might help students engage in a worthy internal discussion of metacognition; How do I know what I know? I believe that some professionals simply “assume” students “know” how to study, and while this might be true for some, I believe that other students simply have been told to “study.” This document might offer some strategies on how to proceed with this element of being told to “study.”

* Make the commitment and keep the commitment to doing well- As students focus on wanting to do well on the final exam, the reality is that students will have to work as hard as they can to do so. I have told students to assume or take as a fact that this exam will be the hardest exam they have ever taken. I sense that a tendency of 7th grade students is to demonstrate a sense of pride, sometimes hubris, indicating that little can surprise them. My hope is that we can seek to minimize this. Students who anticipate challenge and embrace its reality are lifelong learners and true scholars. 7th grade students who choose not to study because they believe that they “know it all” demonstrate arrogance. One need only examine literature such as Sophocles or Shakespeare or examine the narratives of American History to see what happens when one demonstrates hubris when modesty should be displayed. I sense that if students want to do well, they must make a commitment to doing their best in preparing and ensuring comprehension of the components on the final exam. If they do and are willing to uphold their commitments in the face of those who might not possess the same sense of zeal, they will find success.

When I envisioned all the goals for this year’s Social Studies classes, taking this final exam was one of the benchmarks that would serve to measure our journey. We continue our voyage this week with final preparations and execution next week.

The nightingales are waiting to sing their songs. In the silence of preparation, one can hear emerging notes whose harmonies remind us of the promises and possibilities of what we do and to what idylls we commit ourselves.

Happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan

P.S. Due to a family emergency on Tuesday, I was not in school. Students were advised to continue to work on their study guides and prepare for the final exam. There will be study sessions tomorrow (Wednesday) during lunch and Thursday and Friday in the mornings. Extra credit due on Tuesday will be due on Wednesday and progress reports in Social Studies will be sent home on Wednesday, with a parent/ guardian signature for extra credit due on Friday.

“It is accomplished:” The Final Exam has been written

This blog entry will be truncated. There is not much left for me to say.

I have finished writing the final exam. The exam ended up at being 33 pages, 160 questions. I feel very comfortable with the material presented on it. I sense it is challenging and quite a daunting assessment. As it is sent off for duplication, I will be giving students a study guide and introductory letter for it this week. We will start the process of concluding the unit on the Constitution, and my hopes are that students will start the process of conferring with me on issues that need clarification. I hope students will heed my advice in advancing in their cause of scholarship by enhancing their advocacy skills through asking for help and ensuring that no academic stone is left unturned.

Study sessions for this week will be held on Thursday morning, 2/12. Next week, there will be study sessions Tuesday morning, 2/17 (the last one for extra credit), and during lunch Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. There will be one last morning study session Friday morning, 2/20.

Next week’s blog entry will be devoted to what should be done to prepare for this exam, one that might prove to be the most difficult any of our emerging scholars have ever had the pleasure to confront. Another milestone approaches, and another benchmark reached.

Is this fun or what?

Mr. Kannan