Assessment is a Bad Word?
Many teachers in many districts have the same reaction to the word assessment. Mention it, and you could very well elicit a visual cringe. That’s interesting. The most oft cited criticism of assessment is that we don’t have time for it. I don’t really get that. I can’t say it any better than Grant Wiggins […]
Can Standardized Test Data be Formative?
Very often we refer to state standardized testing data as summative. It is used to determine if a student, and an institution, meet AYP. We apply the data, much as the somewhat tired analogy goes, as a learning autopsy. We identify problems and areas of health, and perhaps even the cause of learning death, but […]
Airplanes and Education
A couple things ran through my mind today as I flew into San Antonio for the 2010 ASCD conference. Both related to education. On the trip, I started reading 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in our Times by Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel. Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of the name. I don’t […]
Communication and Collaboration
This week I had the distinct privilege of presenting two sessions on Communication and Collaboration at District 30 in Illinois with Andy Kohl. Although we had enough material to last us through the day, we tried to cram it all in a 90 minute time slot. Needless to say, we didn’t get to everything. I […]
UbD and Technology
Notes from the session “Understanding by Design and Technology Integration” by Mark Fijor. Presented at the ICE 2010 conference on Friday, February 26. Wiki link: http://sd25tech.pbworks.com/Understanding-by-Design-and-Tech Start off with an essential question. Something that is debatable. For example, “Can technology really enhance and support standards-based curriculum or is it just a passing fad?” Determine whether […]