Vocabulary and Writing for tests

No student likes taking tests. However the textbook brings up some very interesting ideas that made me think more about them. For example, I never really realized how students write their responses to teachers, but now that I have read that, it is definitely true. Just last semester I had to "write a letter to a congressman" and I definitely doctored my letter so that my professor would approve. I like the idea of doing oral presentations in order to combat this limitation. I think that would be a good alternative assessment. I think the way tests are designed are very important. I agree with the authors of the textbook who say we should focus more on the big ideas that should stay with students for a long time. I think this is very applicable for history class especially. I always appreciated when teachers did not expect you to list dates, but wanted to see that you get a big concept as a cause and what the various effects of that particular event were. I'm not sure I am completely sold on the idea of take-home tests. I always saw those as a gift from God as a student, because I knew I could get my mom or dad to help me if I was in dire need of it. It is important to keep in mind that take home tests may incorporate some knowledge that is not unique to the student, so personally I would prefer to make a test shorter, but allow more class time to complete it.
Many of the graphic organizers that are given in chapter 8 can be very useful. I think not only useful for definitions of words, but definitions or explanations of events as well. From a history stand point I could easily use something like a CD word map for students to show me what events like Watergate or the Battle of Gettysburg are. I think these graphic organizers can also be helpful in a history classroom if students are reading some kind of primary source text where the vocabulary is a little strange because it is an old text. These tools can be a way for students to learn what they mean on their own so that they can get a better understanding of the meaning of the word itself as well as the context it is being used in.