Category: Education
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Why do we still have computer “labs?”
Read MoreLately I have been wondering why the “computer lab” is still so prevalent, and I wonder how long these groups of computers (in what could be used as classroom space) are going to last. Is it the beginning of the end for the computer lab? I did a little research on how the computer lab started, […]
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Why Simply “Saving Teacher Time” is not Enough
Read MoreWhen a software company is trying to sell their product to a corporate manager, the salesperson will often say that the product will “save employee time.” The manager’s response is usually “Sure, but will my employees actually get more done because of your product?” The conventional wisdom is that minutes here and there do not actually add-up […]
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One Big Idea
Read MoreThe central and core idea underlying formative assessment is that evidence of what students are learning is used to adjust instruction in order to better meet each student’s learning needs. Yet, something is missing from this idea. The focus is on instruction. What about the student? For assessment to be formative, both the teacher and […]
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Technology “in” the Classroom
Read MoreRecently Arne Duncan spoke at “Digital Learning Day,” where he encouraged schools to get digital textbooks in the hands of every student within five years. Apple’s iBook 2 announcement a few weeks ago, suddenly makes this seem like a possibility. This is a fantastic vision – and another positive step – in a series of […]
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Formative Assessment
Read MoreWhat It Is and What Classroom & Schoolwide Practices Ensure Its Success For the next three blogs I am going to focus on formative assessment. Why this focus? Simple. A significant body of research has concluded that student-learning gains garnered by classroom formative assessment practices were among the largest ever reported for educational interventions (e.g., Black […]
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eSchoolNews – Readers’ Choice Awards
Read MoreWe are thrilled to have been named an eSchool News Readers’ Choice Honorable Mention! We really want to thank everyone who nominated us. Awards like this one mean a lot. We are grateful for customers who take time from their busy day and mention us to their peers and others. Thank You! You can see the […]
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Co-Active Leadership
Read MoreThe Essential Ingredient for Creating a Balanced Assessment System The creation of a district- and schoolwide balanced assessment system requires change. And here, I’m not really talking about tinkering around the edges, making incremental adjustments. I’m talking about changing relationships—significantly changing the way superintendents, principals, lead teachers, teachers, staff, students, parents, and the community relate […]
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Three Levels of Assessment
Read MoreQuestions to Ask at Each In the previous Blog, I attempted to go inside the classroom and look at using assessment practices that promote student learning—assessment for learning. I’d like to take a step back and look at the balanced assessment system, this time at the three levels of assessment, the information about student learning […]