How do We Measure Goal Mastery in Student Assessments?
Goal mastery is determined by the course of study or curriculum guides. For example, in a United States History course, the student may be expected to “name three reasons the American Revolutionary War began.” The state has already predetermined the goal mastery rate in regards to this course objective. Or possibly, the course […]
What is the Difference between Content Standards and Performance Standards?
Standards can be presented in many ways. You can have content standards, benchmarks, and even performance standards. The first challenge is understanding what each term means. It is difficult to define all the key words without the terms overlapping. Some states have fused all the different types of standards into one, some are […]
How do I Decide on Backgrounds for Classroom Bulletin Boards?
Once you have planned your overall design for your classroom bulletin boards, you can work out the specifics like the background that you want. The background is an important part of a bulletin board and will need to be in coordination with your design.
The first step is to decide on the color theme […]
How can I use Infographics in the Classroom?
There is nothing more powerful than information. It is what makes the world go around. However, ever so often, information in itself gets a little stale and needs a creative shake to look attractive again. Infographics does just that. This is especially true in a classroom with students whose attention span seems to […]
How can I Implement the Mastery Learning Model in my Classroom?
Mastery Learning is a model where students are expected to master a learning objective or goal, before they can move on to the next goal. This is a model that was first described in the 1960’s and has been proven effective by many researchers.
Process
In a mastery learning classroom, teachers break up their curriculum […]
How can I use Pre-assessment for Gifted Students in the Classroom?
Teachers have the option to administer the end of the chapter test before the content has been taught, in order to validates what the learner knows. Unfortunately, this does not offer direction on where the student should be headed. Pre-assessment, which takes many forms other than pre-testing, is a preferred approach.
One of the […]
How do I Use Book Trailers in the Classroom?
A digital book trailer is usually a short digital video (less than 2 minutes) that combines characteristics of a movie trailer and a book advertisement. It is an interesting and fun alternative to a book report. While many students may not listen to a book report, they would watch a book trailer that […]
What are the Challenges in Implementing Standards Based Instruction?
In recent years, many states have dispatched new versions of curriculum documents and a lot of work has been done to clean up and more clearly articulate standards.
Despite these efforts, some challenges still remain:
Quality can vary between regions.
Unclear or vague standards.
A disciplinary aspect of standards can encourage segregation and/or hierarchy between subject areas.
Too […]
How can I use Digital Storytelling in the Classroom?
Digital Storytelling in the classroom is about using technology to tell a story. It is similar to traditional storytelling, but in this case, we use computers to complement and add to the storytelling experience by using a variety of tools and aids like Microsoft Word, blogs and other websites. It allows the author, […]
What are the Different States of Attention in the Classroom?
It is essential that students know exactly what the expectation is for the different states of attention and what behavior is appropriate for that state. Often students are not sure what level of attention or amount of interaction is appropriate at a given time. It may be useful to be explicit when changing […]
