Purpose of Formative Assessment
According to Lang, et al (2008), the formative assessment process came about from educators working on ways to accelerate student achievement and to help predict how well students will perform on standards-based statewide tests.
Lang is right on target, however, the general perception often is that standard-based learning and formative assessments […]
Teaching Tip: Computer Keyboarding or Typing
First of all, what IS keyboarding? Isn’t it just typing? The answer is simple: yes, keyboarding and typing are the same thing. Keyboarding is the updated term for what used to be typing on a typewriter. While keyboarding might not be a glamorous part of technology today, it’s a necessary skill that eases […]
Teaching Tip: Pronouncing Spanish Names
Imagine the first day of class and being able to pronounce all of your student’s names with confidence. In this section, we’ll examine the Spanish alphabet (el alfabeto or el abecedario) by focusing on pronunciation of the sounds made by each letter. It is recommended to practice repeating these sounds aloud several times. […]
Classroom Behavior Technique: Student Interview
Questions similar to these are asked to help the student understand the impact of their behavior on others:
How does this behavior impact your grades?
Are you able to make and keep friends?
Do you like school? Why or why not?
Is your current behavior working for you?
How does this behavior make you […]
Range of Readers in 1 Classroom
For any teacher it is critical to recognize that in any given classroom, the range of reading ability is approximately 2/3 of the students’ chronological age. This means that in a classroom of mostly 15 years old, the range of reading ability, and “inability” across the class will span 10 years!
In […]
What Principals Must Know About Information Technology
KUTZTOWN, Pennsylvania — They’re being called the Kutztown 13 — a group of high schoolers charged with felonies for bypassing security with school-issued laptops, downloading forbidden internet goodies and using monitoring software to spy on district administrators.
– WIRED.com
As a school administrator you have many responsibilities that support a […]
Participatory Literacy Practices
There is a need to move away from traditional notions of texts as repositories of learning and toward participatory literacy practices.
In the traditional “transmission” model of teaching, texts are viewed as dispensers of knowledge. Subject matter textbooks are the defacto curriculum.
In a participatory approach to learning, texts are used […]
Diagnosing Autism
Autism is usually diagnosed through symptom checks by a specialist. One checklist used is called the ADOS or Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. The ADOS checklist scores social, communication and play behaviors in a given 45 to 60 minute period. Because these observations are short and not totally objective, diagnosing […]
Understanding Achievement & IQ Testing in School
Sometimes we encourage administering achievement and intelligence tests to find out what’s going on with children who struggle in the classroom. To understand these tests, here’s a simple definition of what IQ and achievement tests show:
INTELLIGENCE (IQ) Tests measure cognitive mental skills and basic processing ability.
ACHIEVEMENT Tests determine […]
Video Games as Curriculum
As models and simulations for developing scientific habits of mind. This content unit gives an overview of the use of STARLOGO free software for education from MIT. With this software, you can develop the scientific habits of mind to do science with mathematical modeling the easy way! Create models, simulations, and crazy computations […]
