Reaction to the "Testing Mom" website. by Ms. Searcy https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5 Please double click anywhere on the screen. FIRST, TYPE YOUR NAME and then your reaction to what you saw on the Testing Mom website, both pro and con. Read what other class members have written and feel free to respond by typing @ followed by the person's name to whom you are responding. (Double click to post.) en-us 2017-03-04 19:28:38 UTC 2024-07-29 17:20:48 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Lightdecrease.png Marissa Donker - After exploring the TestingMom website, I noticed that the site does a great job of going into great specifics of each type of test. From the history and characteristics of the major tests to allowing parents to become familiar with various common mistakes or myths, from providing challenging and rigorous enrichment activities to identifying areas of weaknesses and suggesting helpful remediation practice, the site does seem to provide a helpful platform for parents and students when it comes to high stakes testing. Now while the site does provide very helpful resources, I did wonder how providing all of this information and details might skew the results of students and if all of this information may overload a student. Does allowing parents to know all of the ins and outs of the tests ahead of time lead to inaccurate test results? Is it borderline cheating if the students and parents know what is coming before the students takes the test or is it simply preparing, like giving a student a study guide? I can't help but to think that providing this much information ahead of time causes the student's performance on the tests to be misleading and inaccurate because it may be flawed. Are the results really showing what the student naturally knows or what they have been trained to know because they were taught how to master the test itself? https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/237696803 2018-03-03 15:15:48 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/237696803 Michelle Howard howardm4 https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/237873410 I had no idea this was out there. I think if students actually practice how to take the test and the format, there scores should improve thus letting more students into TAG that might not really be TAG students.]]> 2018-03-04 23:41:59 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/237873410 Anu Bhardwaj anubhardwaj1992 https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238813898 A very impressive site with great information. I am just surprised students and parents have access to various practice questions to do better on the test. The introduction video pretty much implied that anyone could be a TAG student if guided the right way.]]> 2018-03-06 18:45:33 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238813898 Brooke Suma https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238923292 This website does a great job of letting parents know what the tests are like, how they are scored, and  how to help their children prepare for the test.  I don't like the implication made by the video that students could go from needing special ed to being gifted just by being taught or trained to take the test.  I think there is a certain amount of training that can help a student perform better on a test and actually show their intelligence.   I think that this website is trying to make money though and is making some pretty big claims.  I think that students who have access to this site might perform on a test and be improperly placed on TAG.  I hate to see that parents would put so much pressure on their child to just do well on a cognitive test.

]]> 2018-03-06 22:13:42 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238923292 Elise Kreitner https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238923408 I found this site to be a total turn-off. Obviously, this mom has found a sure way to make money. By telling parents that their child can go from special education to the 94% by practicing the test questions is a bit extreme. Telling parents they need to be "active" in order to make sure their kids qualify does not sit well with me. On the other hand, I did find it extremely interesting and even beneficial to see the type of questions, to be able to pratice questions, and to have information about how the scores would be determined. ]]> 2018-03-06 22:14:09 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238923408 Maria Alvarez https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238923855 This was an interesting site full of useful information about the tests, test sample questions and scoring methods. However, it was surprising to see the small video clip where the lady spoke of her own personal experience with her child. I understand that not all students test well, but this gave the impression that all parents can work with their kids and achieve positive results - this is not always the case. ]]> 2018-03-06 22:15:52 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238923855 Mary Olson https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238932042 I was bothered a bit by this site. Especially the remarks by the mother who commented that her son accessed the Testing Moms website while waiting in line, at a restaurant, down time at home, etc. I question why we can't let our children be kids. Plus "buy our program and get 100 free questions."  I do think this information could be useful if you are uncertain as to what testing is all about, how tests are scored, etc.but this can also be overused. Especially concerned about the remark about using this site to get out of special education into gifted. ]]> 2018-03-06 22:45:45 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238932042 Tracy Brunetto https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238932157 Interesting website.  I agree with Elise that this was a turn-off. I just feel that is this one more example of helicopter moms trying to one-up the system. I feel this website diminishes the validity of these types of tests. The more 'public' they become, the less unbiased they are. However, used as a resource for us (as students) I think this website is a great tool. There is a lot of useful information in one spot. This information is straightforward and written on a level that most people can understand. ]]> 2018-03-06 22:46:22 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238932157 Julie Zahner Bailey https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238932253 The Testing Mom website was full of information. I found it most helpful for my purposes to better understand the types of tests. Listening to the testimonials from parents who regularly use the site for prepping their children for cognitive ability tests seems a bit over the top. One of the mom's noted that they use the site daily, morning, noon and night and that her children just love the site. "they think of it as a game". And while I can see the value of this for providing children opportunities to stretch their minds and ways of thinking, it did strike me as perhaps a bit over the top.  I suspect it is a positive revenue generator for the creator of the site given how many parents in today's society are pushing their kids to achieve at higher and higher levels.

]]> 2018-03-06 22:46:50 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238932253 @Brooke https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238933560 We are on the same page!  I totally agree with your assessment that this is a site to make money.  Who doesn't want their child to do well in school?
Mary]]> 2018-03-06 22:53:17 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238933560 @Anu https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238933896 I totally agree with you.  This website is disturbing because NOT EVERYONE IS TAG!!!!   Everyone gets a trophy!
Tracy Brunetto]]> 2018-03-06 22:54:53 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238933896 @Brooke https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238934012 I concur.  Someone is making some money pushing parents to push their kids more. 
Julie Zahner Bailey]]> 2018-03-06 22:55:31 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238934012 @Michelle https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238934492 Practice makes perfect! Just make sure your child is in TAG.
Mary]]> 2018-03-06 22:57:49 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238934492 Carl Winter https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238953044 Knowledge is power so it's nice to prepare parents, but it seems like they're out to make a buck. @Mary]]> 2018-03-07 00:37:21 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238953044 Steve Jones https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238953325 I feel like I need a shower after visiting that site.
The site had some great information on what can be expected on the different tests, but isn't this like "teaching to the test?"  I didn't get far enough in to find out how much they charge....

]]> 2018-03-07 00:38:37 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238953325 @Julie https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238954015 Definitely. This site makes me feel sorry for the kids. It would be great for those helicopter parents that are really just needing a new tennis partner....]]> 2018-03-07 00:41:41 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/238954015 Trinita Gillespie https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/239122002 I did not know such a site exist. I can see some positives.  As a student of TAG classes, I found the site to be very informative as to the numerous test and what to expect. The testing mom has definitely invested a lot of time in doing her homework. The level of drive parents have to ensure that their child has the TAG label is mind blowing.  If I was a parent looking for resources, I would definitely check out the testing mom site.  ]]> 2018-03-07 13:29:30 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/239122002 @Marissa While I can see the positives I can also see the negative aspects as well. This site helps to prepare potential non-TAG kids for TAG. I too agree that this skews the results for true TAG scholars. https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/239144829 Trinita Gillespie]]> 2018-03-07 14:12:35 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/239144829 Joey Waller https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/240510778 I found the site helpful in giving parents an idea of what the tests look like and ways to encourage critical thinking in their children...not all kids are gifted, but all kids can benefit from being exposed to higher order thinking activities.

]]> 2018-03-11 01:28:04 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/240510778 Laura Moore https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/241162181  I like that it explains how the tests are scored and what everything means. However, I don't like that it is basically teaching to the test and preparing nearly any student to pass the tests. ]]> 2018-03-13 00:24:45 UTC https://padlet.com/searcy/sfavdhx1ghk5/wish/241162181