The Complete
Certaminer
by Steve Perkins, North
Central High School, IN
Original text
© 2000 Steve Perkins
Once teachers have established their goal
for leading students in this enterprise, they are able to begin
considering how their classroom program can support certamen.
It is important to consider what will be the primary textbook
in different levels when building a certamen program. During
a textbook presentation as part of a district adoption program,
I once heard a representative talk about how students who used
a particular book were just as successful with certamen as they
had been when using their previous text. All textbooks have proven
useful in the hands of capable teachers, and all textbooks must
be supplemented with other resources. Certamen teachers must
decide which text they are most comfortable with and what areas
they are best prepared to supplement. If re-writing the textbook
becomes a principal activity, then perhaps a different primary
source should be considered.
Certamen, in its essence, is another type
of assessment, different only in form from traditional quizzes
and tests. Just as good instruction begins with the end in mind,
but does not allow the test to set the limits of what is taught,
so certamen teachers need to be aware of the typical content
covered at various levels. Students will engage much more of
the language and culture of the Romans during a class than would
ever be presented in three rounds of twenty questions, but successful
certaminers must encounter a significant portion of this material
before practice during actual classroom experiences. When this
happens, the confidence of certamen players rises as they recognize
in the competitive environment of practice concepts they already
know. Such confidence cannot be over estimated when considering
the stress of actual competition.
The advantage of certamen over traditional
forms of assessment can be seen again during practices, when
concepts soon to be addressed in the classroom are previewed.
Certaminers often enjoy learning new concepts in advance, and
such previous exposure can prove a benefit in the classroom as
these students work to assist and tutor others.
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