Here is what the kids had to say about the tests:
- Most of the kids said they were boring.
- Some of the kids found some parts of the tests difficult.
- Some of the kids got to do creative writing and they thought that part was fun.
- Most of the kids had issues with staring at the screen for extended periods--hurt eyes, the need to get up and stretch often, just the feeling of it not being normal.
- They said it was really frustrating that the tools for the test were NOT the same tools the kids are familiar with from Word. For example, the Spellcheck on the test operated differently (and much less efficiently) than Spellcheck in Word. It didn't happen automatically. Plus there was no grammar check. The system was far less functional than what they were used to.
- About half the class thought it would be WAY better if the tests were on paper and pencil--especially the math. The tools in math were HORRIBLE. It was necessary to use the tools, and they were appallingly clunky. It was really, really easy to make a mistake on the TOOLS, which meant a mistake on the answer.
- Some of the questions were super unclear. It wasn't that the kids didn't know the information, it was just that the language on the test was ambiguous.
