Category Archives: Assessment
Common Core Standards Demand Written Response!
This week, discussion and evidence far more authoritative than my assurances to teachers about the future of writing in Common Core assessment abounded. Had I read PARCC’s March Progress Update before April, I would have had the same information published … Continue reading
Filed under Assessment, Common Core State Standards, EdTech, Pedagogy
The CCSS and KWL: Reading to Learn and Confirm
“If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants” (Isaac Newton, 1676). A close reading of the College and Career Readiness anchor standards and the grade level CCSS reveal the integrated nature of … Continue reading
Filed under Assessment, Common Core State Standards, Literacy, Pedagogy
Critical Thinking, Political Demands, and the Common Core
Many charge high stakes accountability as the culprit in the narrowing of American curriculum. Most notably among these critics is Diane Ravitch:“Our schools will not improve if we continue to focus only on reading and mathematics while ignoring the other … Continue reading
Filed under Assessment, Curriculum, Literacy, Pedagogy
PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE CLASSROOM
With the education’s current emphasis on accountability, why not use learning contracts with students to make teaching goals and learning outcomes crystal clear? Contract grading is nothing new; I had my first experience with classroom contracting as a college freshman … Continue reading
Filed under Assessment, Pedagogy
Galesburg Initiative SACs the High School
The work of an educational consultant is not unlike that of a teacher. We work with learners and administrators just as teachers do. We share in the struggles of engaging learners who have a variety of modalities and background knowledge. … Continue reading
Filed under Assessment, Curriculum, Pedagogy
New Year–New Approach for Assessment
Many educators feel under pressure to provide daily grades for students, but is that kind of pressure conducive to evaluation? I don’t think so…not for teachers and not for students. I don’t want to be measured or evaluated everyday, and … Continue reading
Filed under Assessment, Differentiation, Pedagogy
Technology and Understanding
Checkout Wordle! This website is an easy way to create a visual representation of words through “clouds.” I tripped over this website while reading Jan Hart’s blog, E-Learning Pick of the Day (check this blog out!). Once I had … Continue reading
Filed under Assessment, Differentiation, EdTech, Pedagogy, Rti
High School Challenge: Challenging Schools to Challenge their Own Thinking!
Attended a two-day seminar in Bloomington, Illinois this week–the High School Challenge. The event was sponsored by Coalition for Illinois High Schools, a medley of twenty+ educational groups, among them the Illinois Principals Association. The keynote speakers were top-notch: Debra … Continue reading
Filed under Assessment, Differentiation
On-line Databases of Student Performance
Attended a great meeting today that offered an overview of several student achievement databases. Illinois Interactive Report Card once held the spotlight in online tools for comparing academic performance, but there are a growing number of intriguing and user friendly sites … Continue reading
Filed under Assessment
Notions about Assessment. 538 Final Post
I really enjoy posting to this blog and though the class that required I begin this writing ends next week, I vow to continue posting to this blog site. I have decided (Oh, reminds of me of a choir song….”to follow…” … Continue reading
Filed under Assessment
