Open note final exam for high school Spanish I?

Question

Last year, I gave my Spanish I students a chance to take a pre-final with as many notes as they could find that were at least 50% in their own writing. I scored the things & gave them back to review before the actual final the next week, with a day to go over the most common errors I saw.

Also, this test had 50% of exactly the same questions as the final.

This year, however, we are crunched for time. The final exam testing time was extended, but this means that we have 2 fewer days for review. This means also a day less to get the pre-final graded AND to review major mistakes.

I have 3 days to work with before finals begin, but my Spanish I exams will be on Wed. and Thurs. of the next week.

My main question then breaks down into the following:
1 Do I let them use notes on pre-final? On the final?
2 Do I need to give back the pre-final before exams begin?
3 Do I GIVE a pre-final?

My final IS cumulative; I want them to be able to speak w/o notes, but they may need help recalling.

Answer 1

I teach Spanish and I do not think that kids should have notes. Spanish I is not that hard. HOWEVER, if there is a section where a kid cannot recall how to get started I will do one answer for them, but it costs a point. This way they have an example and do not miss the entire section. They can demonstrate that they are capable of doing the work; they just needed a reminder.

I do not do a prefinal. I do practices but it is up the kids to study. No one ever fails. I would save your time and not do a prefinal. Do practices and tell them "There is a section EXACTLY like this on your exam."

If you opt to let them use a notecard then they must put their name on it and staple it to their test when they are done. This way they do not write answers on it and pass it to someone in the next class. If someone opts not to use the notecard then you can give them a bonus point.

Really you know what the most common errors are. Give them practices that include the questions that kids miss often and point it out as you go over it. You do not have to give 50 practice questions on conjugating -ar verbs. Give 10. It is fast and enough of a review for them to know if they understand it or if they need extra studying on their own. You could always have an extra one and give it to kids who ask for extra help. Then the next day have the answers and they can check it themselves. If they do not understand what they missed then you can quickly explain it.

Answer 2

If your final is mostly just straight up translation, then notes on the final seems entirely too easy. If, however, the final is mostly being able to apply what they've learned through conversations and writing sentences, I don't see notes being a problem. Maybe you could section off the final and have one part in which they CAN use notes and one in which they can't. I'd skip the pre-final due to lack of time.

Answer 3

1) No, don't let them use notes on the final, and on the pre-final, maybe let them use notes.
2) Si, I would give back the pre-final beforre the final begins.
3) Si, I would give a pre final, so the kids know a little taste of what the final is going to be.
Good luck, Senora!
PS- I think you are a great teacher!

Answer 4

agreed. but there's a flip side to that. You may think that open note would be easier, but you're wrong. You're not the only one getting the advantage, so the teacher would make it harder. You would have to recall things that aren't in your notes. But, either way you look at it, exams suck.

Answer 5

well what my teachers do is that they give us a 3x5 notecard and tell us we can write any notes we have on it. We can write anywhere on the card but it has to be in our handwriting and not typed. The writing can be whatever size. We give it to the teacher to check it, then we can use it on the finals. (By the way, I'm in 11th grade).

Answer 6

take it w/ out notes in my class we lost like week and i did fine