Category: assessment
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Hope for differentiated assessment in Texas?
The article “NO MORE TAKS: Frustrated by standardized test, Raymond develops legislation to dump it” from Laredo last week breaks the mold for typical newspaper articles about education: Worried about the growing amount of time and resources spent by school districts on getting students to pass the TAKS, state Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, said Tuesday…
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Our voices DO matter
I posted the following as a comment response to Andrew Pass, who was commenting on Angela Stevens’ post “Laptop Initiatives and Standardized Testing.” I feel strongly about this, so I’m reposting here with a few additional thoughts. The part of Andrew’s comment I responded to was: Perhaps educational bloggers haven’t discussed this topic [standards and…
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Podcast77: Learning As Conversation and Messy Assessment
This presentation was shared at the Mid-America Technology Institute in Winfield, Kansas on July 28, 2006. Truly educative experiences are often in short supply in schools today. Interactive experiences become engaging when they are meaningful for the learner. To help students authentically learn both the content and the process skills of the curriculum, educators should…
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The best of Wes
I’m sure those that subscribe to Wes’ blog aren’t use to having 3 days without a post. Wes seems to post about 3 times a day. Anyway, picking up on a suggestion from Miguel, I’m going to ask you for some help. (Miguel suggested a Skypecast but I’m too lazy) Choose your favourite post from…
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Technocratic, Texas leaders want to prepare kids for the 1800s
When are our leaders going to realize that the traditional, “tried and true” methods of instruction are not adequate to prepare students for the 21st century workforce environment and for success as a global citizens in a network economy? According to the July 5th article in the Houston Chronicle, “How English is taught in Texas…
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Guidelines for Educational Revolutionaries
I am in the middle of a multi-part podcast series I have titled, “Guidelines for Educational Revolutionaries.” This is not an educational policy discussion: These are specific suggestions for classroom teachers, campus principals, district administrators, school board members, parents, and anyone else interested in constructively championing the cause of educational reform in the early 21st…
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Opposing NCLB renewal
Doug Noon posted about input the Aspen Institute is seeking relating to the renewal of NCLB. The following is what I submitted to them online this evening. I encourage you to also collect and share your thoughts. We should repeal NCLB and stop the counter-productive, myopic focus on summative, high-stakes assessment encouraged by this legislation.…
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Getting beyond copy and paste
Bernajean Porter (author of the website resource “DigiTales”) offers some great advice and suggestions for teachers at all levels using digital storytelling in the classroom or contemplating its use in her recent skypecast interview with Tim Wilson. I love the following exhortation she shares (at minute mark 28:57 of the podcast) regarding the importance of…
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Podcast55: High Stakes Testing is the Enemy
This is an audio-only podcast of Dr. David Berliner’s presentation at the Texas Tech University College of Education on Friday, April 28, 2006. The title of Dr. Berliner’s keynote address for the college’s annual research conference was, “Troubles for the NCLB Act: It may not be improving achievement and it corrupts the profession.” Dr. Berliner…
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Podcast55E: High Stakes Testing is the Enemy
This is an enhanced podcast of Dr. David Berliner’s presentation at the Texas Tech University College of Education on Friday, April 28, 2006. The title of Dr. Berliner’s keynote address for the college’s annual research conference was, “Troubles for the NCLB Act: It may not be improving achievement and it corrupts the profession.” Dr. Berliner…