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Focus on Student Learning is a series of teaching resources created to support teachers and save them time. Each booklet within the series takes one aspect of instruction and suggests multiple ways of using that instruction practice in the classroom. Book Three: Summative Assessment - 50 Ways to Gather Evidence of Student Learning provides teachers with ideas of evidence they can collect to show the curriculum mastery levels of their students.

Keeping students captivated and ready to learn throughout the year is no small task. Here's a list of articles, videos, links, and other resources that offer strategies and advice for keeping them engaged in learning.

Over the past several years, there has been tremendous interest among educators in the use of digital games as serious learning. Advocates of game-based learning for K-12 students cite the value of digital games to teach and reinforce skills that prepare students for college and career, such as collaboration, problem solving, creativity, and communication. Not as often discussed is our ability to use students' in-game actions as evidence for the assessment of skills and knowledge, including those not easily measured by traditional multiple-choice tests.

Game designers understand how to make games memorable and "sticky" in the sense that, even when you aren't playing the game, you're still thinking about solving its problems and puzzles. As teachers, how might we make our projects and content as sticky as games? How can we engage kids in thoughtful learning even after they leave the classroom? Here are game designers' top five secrets and some tips on using these same game dynamics to make learning in your classroom as addictive as gaming.

For fifteen years, the presenter has engaged college students in discussions and writing assignments that pertain to the outstanding characteristics of their most effective teachers-"effective" meaning that these teachers made the most significant impact on their lives. Based on those recurring themes, the conclusion is that effective teachers share at least twelve clear characteristics. Those characteristics consistently affected students in positive ways. This article results from a longitudinal, qualitative, quasi-research study of students in education, including in-service as well as pre-service teachers. An out-of-class essay assignment asked this question: What were the qualities of the most memorable teacher who encouraged you to teach?

Assessment practices have started to change over the last several years with teachers building a larger repertoire of assessment tools and strategies. There is a greater understanding of the importance of timely assessments for learning as well as regular assessments of learning. One type of assessment that has been shown to raise students' achievement significantly is student self-assessment (Black & William, 1998; Chappuis & Stiggins, 2002; Rolheiser & Ross, 2001; White & Frederiksen, 1998).

Focus on Student Learning is a series of teaching resources created to support teachers and save them time. Each booklet within the series takes one aspect of instruction and suggests multiple ways of using that instruction practice in the classroom. Book One: 50 Pre-assessment Strategies provides teachers with a wealth of strategies they can use to pre-assess the students in their classrooms.

In its simplest terms, a performance assessment is one which requires students to demonstrate that they have mastered specific skills and competencies by performing or producing something. Advocates of performance assessment call for assessments of the following kind: designing and carrying out eperiments; writing essays which require students to rethink, to integrate, or to apply information; working with other students to accomplish tasks; demonstrating proficiency in using a piece of equipment or a technique; building models; developing, interpreting, and using maps; making collections; writing term papers, critiques, poems, or short stories; giving speeches; playing musical instruments; participating in oral examinations; developing portfolios; developing athletic skills or routines, etc.

Focus on Student Learning is a series of teaching resources created to support teachers and save them time. Each booklet within the series takes one aspect of instruction and suggests multiple ways of using that instruction practice in the classroom. Book Two: 60 Formative Assessment Strategies provides teachers with a variety of strategies to gather information about their students during instruction.

The Authentic Assessment Toolbox is a resource to help K-12 teachers, especially new teachers, create authentic tasks, rubrics, and standards for measuring and improving student learning. What is Authentic Assessment? defines and gives examples of authentic assessment, compares it to traditional assessment, and suggests that a combination will most likely meet teacher and student needs.

Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids." Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like.'" A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.

The strategy for reading and writing nonfiction, or the R.A.N. strategy, is an excellent tool for students to use as writers when researching a specific topic for either class or individual projects.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) was founded in 2002 as a coalition bringing together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to position 21st century readiness at the center of US K-12 education and to kick-start a national conversation on the importance of 21st century skills for all students.

How do you engage students deeply in the content of the curriculum? How do you make them hungry for knowledge? How do you keep them coming back for more? By asking essential questions.

The standards represent clear expectations about what all teachers should know and be able to do if they are going to improve achievement for our next generation of students.

All of Edutopia's downloadable and printable back-to-school resources are collected here for easy classroom reference. Check back weekly for updates!

Teachers' level of confidence about ability to promote learning can depend on past experiences or on the school culture. Principals can help develop a sense of efficacy for individual teachers and for the entire school.