Stenchmark Pests (a.k.a. Benchmark Tests)

So here's how I spent my 6th period this afternoon. And, coincidentally, how I will likely spend my 1st period tomorrow morning...

I take my kids down to the computer lab for their math benchmark exams, to be completed on Blackboard. It takes a few minutes just to sit them down. Then we endure the ardorous task of getting them registered on Blackboard, which means entering in their username and password. Easy, right? Hah.

No less than eight hands shot up when students were asked if they had trouble logging in. They couldn't remember their username, didn't know they had a username, weren't entering the right sequences, the keyboard didn't like them...

Needless to say, it's 2:20 before we finally got most everyone up and running, and the tests could commence. I could tell our supporting teacher was getting frazzled - I can't say I blame her - and the kids weren't helping by being their chatty little selves. Thankfully, I settled their butts down under threat of detention.

When the period finally came to an end, a handful of students still hadn't finished. A few of those who had, I glanced at their results. Sigh.

After this, I need to be reminded...exactly how is this benchmark test thing supposed to be even remotely helpful?

The kids hate it because they can't study for it (never mind that they are geared to hate tests in general - again, who can blame them?). I don't like it because it's merely another cog in the high-stakes testing machine that is chewing up our kids' individual worth and spitting out meaningless factoids. And it's darn tough to work it, even when we try to incorporate technology.

Oh well. Decent day otherwise.