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
But Why Do We Read?
If we can agree that most adults who are responsible for children's education want children ultimately to read independently for multiple purposes, to feel agency in how they think about what they read, and to get some enjoyment out of reading, then why is it that so much of what we throw at them at school seems counter-intuitive to accomplishing those things?
0 Comments Posted Monday, November 05, 2007
Separate the Chaff from the … What? – The Irony of Reading Research
"Scientifically-based reading research" (SBRR) is a term that has been widely used since the passage of NCLB and the Reading First Act, and the publication of the National Reading Panel's five essential elements of reading instruction in their report "Teaching Children to Read." Unfortunately, SBRR today, as informative and unbiased as it sounds, is not used by the powers that be to truly tease out the very complex nature of reading and learning to read.
0 Comments Posted Thursday, October 25, 2007