Speaking Out Against Graduation Exams
Educators and school board members alike are speaking out against the proposed graduation exam requirements in Pennsylvania. With the number of benchmark assessments on the rise across the country, there are many who feel that assessments are the only way to hold both teachers and students accountable for their learning. But in Pennsylvania, they disagree.
0 Comments Posted Tuesday, January 22, 2008
It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a….Reading Teacher?!
According to a New York Times article, "Superman Finds New Fans Among Reading Instructors," the Maryland State Department of Education is planning on expanding a literacy program which employs comic books as part of its curriculum after seeing positive results in a pilot program...
2 Comments Posted Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Don’t Look a Gift-Horse in the Mouth! The Dilemma of the ‘Gifted.
When there isn't an attempt to explore and capitalize on what makes children unique, "gifted" or otherwise, all children are left behind.
2 Comments Posted Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Calculators in the Classroom
Since the invention of the calculator forty years ago, educators have debated the value of such tools in the classroom.
3 Comments Posted Thursday, December 13, 2007
U.S. Flatlines on PISA
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development recently released the results of its Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
0 Comments Posted Monday, December 10, 2007
Building our Children’s Brains
Carol S. Dweck identifies two different mindsets in students: the fixed mindset, which believes that success stems from ability, and the growth mindset, which believes success comes from growth. Dweck's research has shown that students who are spoken to with a growth mindset are the students for whom growth is more likely, and success greater.
0 Comments Posted Thursday, December 06, 2007
Are Influential Teachers Becoming Extinct?
According to figures released by the United Federation of Teachers in New York City, teacher resignations have increased steadily since 2001.
2 Comments Posted Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Another Vote against Oral Reading Measures
Teachers have long used oral reading measures as a standard of reading assessment. Meanwhile, opponents have launched a variety of criticisms, pointing to the social stigma associated with reading out loud and claiming too great a focus on "sounding right." But new research from the University of Maryland presents fresh, concrete data against oral reading measures and in favor of silent reading comprehension in student assessment.
1 Comments Posted Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Myth of Bad Behavior and “Model” Students
According to a New York Times article, "Bad Behavior Does Not Doom Pupils, Studies Say," research from two separate studies indicates that our fears that children with poor behavior will not succeed in the upper grades are exaggerated.
0 Comments Posted Thursday, November 22, 2007
Never Underestimate the Importance of Informal Assessment
Documenting student reading behavior has always been a challenge, and with the stress now on formal reading assessments, it's important to remember that reading is a distinctly personal process--and to remember that we're not teaching reading; we're teaching children.
4 Comments Posted Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Pinky Promises
In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, forget for a moment about tests, NCLB, and what our kids can't do; instead, think about what your kids are capable of doing, what they're really thinking about the things we throw at them, and the various blessings they offer you.
0 Comments Posted Friday, November 16, 2007
Problem Solving: More than Meets the Eye
Math teachers have long struggled to find methods to help students focus not just on getting the right answers, but on how to solve problems. In fact, problem-solving skills are becoming more and more of a hot topic in math instruction. So how exactly do you teach a child to think through the elements of solving any given problem?
0 Comments Posted Thursday, November 15, 2007