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Taylor Pelletier

U.S. Ed. Dept. Issues Guidance on 'Double-Testing' Flexibility - 2 views

blogs.edweek.org/..._department_issues_guidan.html

education ebtl2

shared by Taylor Pelletier on 19 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • Taylor Pelletier on 19 Sep 13
     
    According to this blog from Education Week, the Department of Education gives states the option of suspending their current tests if they choose to adminster the PARCC field test instead. I wondered whether MA and/or Reading would be interested in this option or whether we'd be adminstering the MCAS again this year. According to the article, when California expressed that they'd like to use only field tests this spring, they were threatened with losing Title 1 funding. It will be interesting to see what states and districts across the country decide to do!
  • John Doherty on 22 Sep 13
     
    Hi Taylor, Great link. This is currently a much discussed topic in our state. The Commissioner has given Superintendents the authority to excuse those students from the MCAS who are piloting that particular test on the PARRC. At first, it seemed like a good idea to do it, but there has been a lot of discussion as to whether or not there will be backlash for those students, grade levels, and schools that do not take the MCAS. Questions are being asked about how the scores will be determined if there is not as great a sample size. Does this penalize students if they do not take the MCAS? More to come.
Taylor Pelletier

Diane Ravitch: NAEP Nonsense: Don't Believe the Hype - 0 views

www.huffingtonpost.com/...ucation-testing_b_4246708.html

shared by Taylor Pelletier on 15 Nov 13 - No Cached
  • Taylor Pelletier on 15 Nov 13
     
    I've been a big fan of Diane Ravitch ever since reading her book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education. Here, she maintains that the recent NAEP reports on reading and math that indicate the success of "carrot and stick" reforms are just not accurate. I think she makes some good points that align well with our class readings and discussions. If this is a topic that interests you, you might also want to check on Diane Ravitch on Dan Pink's Office Hours where she discusses the detriments of merit pay http://bit.ly/1b8Spl7
Kerry Gallagher

Better News in New Study That Assesses U.S. Students - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...that-assesses-us-students.html

math science testing

shared by Kerry Gallagher on 25 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • Kerry Gallagher on 25 Oct 13
     
    Latest results released by the National Center for Education Statistics. Massachusetts is #1 in science and math again! Amid growing alarm over the slipping international competitiveness of American students, a report comparing math and science test scores of eighth graders in individual states to those in other countries has found that a majority outperformed the international average.
JDeeatRMHS

Kindergarten teacher: My job is now about tests and data - not children. I quit. - 5 views

www.washingtonpost.com/...s-and-data-not-children-i-quit

assessment literacy teaching learning

shared by JDeeatRMHS on 28 Mar 14 - No Cached
  • JDeeatRMHS on 28 Mar 14
     
    I think this is an important read about a local school system and early childhood assessments.
  • Julie Merrill on 29 Mar 14
     
    Thank you for sharing this, Janet. I also think it's an important read for everyone. While I'm in the middle school, it does often seem that expectations are moving to lower and lower ages. What our students are doing in math this year is what I remember struggling with in 8th grade. Many are successful, but others may not be developmentally ready for it. It's worth noting that as things have changed over the years, schools have felt more and more of a need to focus on mental health - are we pushing these kids too far, beginning in early childhood? I even see it in the demands of preschool with my three year old nephew. He was already marked as "behind" on a few skills. Really? I'm not sure that I'd agree, and not just because he's my nephew. I do think it's important to have high expectations for all students, but we also need to make sure that they're realistic, and in process, that we're not losing sight of the children in front of us, and their immediate needs.
annemariecory

Develop Multi-Sensory Study Skills - 1 views

blog.iqmatrix.com/multi-sensory-study-skills

shared by annemariecory on 25 Jan 14 - No Cached
  • annemariecory on 25 Jan 14
     
    So I know that we all have heard about multi-sensory learning for a long time now, but this blog post about multi-sensory study skills has some good insights and explanations about why some of these things work. You can never really have too many alternative, multi-sensory approaches to use with your students and it's sometimes hard to stay fresh with these ideas.
  • Julie Merrill on 25 Jan 14
     
    I like the idea of working with the students to figure out which ways they learn best, and how they can customize studying to fit their needs. I think too often we're guilty of pushing methods that have worked for us personally, but they may not work for someone else. It's a good reminder to be open, and to continually ask kids what makes information more memorable for them. I'd also love to see real study skills instruction in the middle school (as a course). I think many times teachers tell kids to "study" for a test, but we haven't really taught them what that means, or what that looks like.
JDeeatRMHS

iOS 7: how to install the new software for iPhone and iPad - 3 views

www.telegraph.co.uk/...tware-for-iPhone-and-iPad.html

iOS7 iPhone iPad

shared by JDeeatRMHS on 19 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • JDeeatRMHS on 19 Sep 13
     
    This is an excellent how to article for installing iOS 7. I found it on Twitter using the #iOS7. Here are my favorite lines from the article: "If you backed up before you updated then all is not lost. Simply restore from a prior backup to get all your data back and then try again. If you did not backup, then what were you thinking? Go back to the top of this article, read it again and don't be so impatient next time."
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Sharon Burke on 20 Sep 13
     
    Very cute. Does this we're taking the plunge an updating without letting other crash test it first?
  • Jan Rhein on 21 Sep 13
     
    Thanks for the article. There is some helpful advice. I think I'll wait to update my devices. I'm not in a hurry, and the new operating system seems to be getting mixed reviews.
  • Kathy Santilli on 22 Sep 13
     
    Janet, thanks for posting this. It will be very helpful when I'm ready to update my devices (and help others) and all the iPads that will be updating on the Apple Configurator. Here's my favorite line..".Apple devices are very pretty, but they are much better when they run smoothly, so avoiding any potential hitches will keep your stress levels down. " We've never experienced this.. have we.. ;-)
  • Kerry Mullen on 22 Sep 13
     
    Thanks for posting this. I updated my home iPad, but I think I am going to wait on the others. Any advice is welcome.
Kerry Gallagher

A Teacher's Defense of Homework - 6 views

www.theatlantic.com/...279967

shared by Kerry Gallagher on 26 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • Kerry Gallagher on 26 Sep 13
     
    This is a real and current issue. I assign homework. I believe it helps me assess that students have mentally digested what happened in class through their reflections, and helps my students prepare for class when we are operating in a flipped capacity. Tough issue with people who feel strongly on all sides. This is one teacher's perspective.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Laura Warren on 26 Sep 13
     
    I give homework too, Kerry. for some of the same reasons that you do. I think the issue of homework is often simplified in the media (I don't think elementary kids need much-certainly not all of these "creative" projects that kids can't do without Mom and/Dad helping them and believe me, I've often been angry at my children's teachers for the fifty math problems when ten would have sufficed!), But I get also tired of all of these "kids need the time to unwind and play" arguments that seem to come out of affluent parent's mouths. Many (not all!) kids when they are not in school (especially in our community!) have lives that make me exhausted. Kids are on millions of teams and seem to spend lots of their lives in structured activities. When I ask kids if they enjoy these activities, many (not all) seem very unenthusiastic about them. So I don't think they are doing a lot of "unwinding: or play. I have never done anything in my life that was worthwhile that didn't involve of lot of hard and sometimes routine work. I don't want to see young kids stressed and burned out-but I think the debate over homework sometimes is so intense because it is a diversion from the larger issue how we are raising our children today which is more nuanced and painful debate.
  • Sharon Burke on 27 Sep 13
     
    I like to think of Homework as "enrichment." What could be more interesting than an inspiring or provocative or beautiful lecture, reading, podcast, data set, etc., to inform the subject matter being taught in class. History has so much to teach us and we are unbelievably privileged to live in a time where information is plentiful and accessible in whatever format appeals to us. I had the best experience this summer reading Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies on my iPad. Being able to tap on a word for a definition (hello etymology!!) and Googling English royalty and the schism between the Catholic church, Henry VIII, and Thomas Cromwell role, i.e., the rise of the middle class, was a total blast. And completely self-directed. Who owns the learning, yup.
  • Jan Rhein on 29 Sep 13
     
    I was going to stay out of this because it is such a hot button issue, but in the end, I decided to comment. I think we all know there is no easy answer. I have a daughter in high school here in Reading who does 7-8 hours of homework per night and spends at least half her weekend, every weekend, studying and doing more homework. It has become a real issue for my daughter and my family. It is September, and to say she is burnt out is an understatement. More balance is needed. An hour and a half to two hours of homework in each class per night equals 7 or so hours minimum every night after attending school for 6 1/2 hours each day. This normally means getting to bed well after midnight each night, and up again by six the next morning to do it all again. She is exhausted. It's not mentally or physically healthy for anyone, let alone an adolescent. This is just my perspective as a teacher and the parent of a high schooler. I am not against homework, and have always instilled a strong work ethic in my kids, but the time and stamina needed to complete the pure volume of homework, study for tests, complete individual and group projects, day in and day out, is not sustainable.
  • Kerry Gallagher on 29 Sep 13
     
    Thanks for posting your perspective, Jan. Indeed, 7 hours of homework after a full day of school sounds staggering. There are other articles at the Atlantics website in which teachers argue against assigning any homework at all (see http://m.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/09/should-i-stop-assigning-homework/279803/). Both perspectives are interesting and both talk about what their research shows. I think 7 hours a night is too much. I think assigning mere "worksheets" is not helpful. I posted this because I have been considering my own practice. I don't think it has to be 2 hours a night or nothing, though. There is no easy answer.
Christopher Twomey

The Metz Family: Why My Kids Are NOT the Center of My World - 5 views

themetzfamilyadventures.blogspot.com/...re-not-center-of-my-world.html

Parents

shared by Christopher Twomey on 29 Nov 13 - No Cached
  • Christopher Twomey on 29 Nov 13
     
    I agree with most of what this mother has to say. I like to think that I will feel the same way when I have kids. I'm curious what other parents think...
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Christopher Twomey on 29 Nov 13
     
    I agree with most of what this mother has to say. I like to think that I will feel the same way when I have kids. I'm curious what other parents think...
  • Kerry Mullen on 01 Dec 13
     
    I also agree with most of what this mother says. I encourage my girls to play together and being almost 5 years apart have found similar interests that enable them to do so. I also have them help around the house with chores, not for any allowance, but because that is what a family does, help each other and share with each other. The girls will bring technology on long car rides, but not in restaurants or at family gatherings. They play and more often than not create art projects.
  • annemariecory on 02 Dec 13
     
    I definitely agree with the core of what this mother says. I feel that the time that our kids are with us, now, is their training ground for when I'm not there, and it's not fair for me to protect them from taking any "lumps". Sometimes that can mean leaving my 12 year old to manage a situation with her teacher on her own, or resisting making a call or email to the teacher to ask about an assignment that seems too difficult or confusing - this is not anyone in 7th grade! ;) It takes discipline on my part not to jump in to help her, and to let her feel the discomfort of doing something the wrong way or messing up a test because she was so sure that she had studied enough even though I was pretty sure she hadn't. My kids are the center of my world in that I am constantly aware of what's going on for them and constantly monitoring them to make sure all is well; the difference is that most of the time they don't know that I'm paying that kind of attention, because my husband and I work really hard to choose good situations for them where we feel confident to let our kids loose to sort it out (in school, activities, etc.) without jumping in to "save" them all the time.
  • Amy Dyment on 05 Dec 13
     
    Wow this was an interesting article. I totally want to share it out on facebook but I try not to be too controversial out there. I had a friend one time that talked about the feminization (if that's a word) of today's male. I guess I'm wondering if kids are not allowed to play rough how will that impact our society later. Will it impact our military.
R Ferrazzani

What Is An Infographic? A Graphic to Define Infographics - 2 views

www.customermagnetism.com/...what-is-an-infographic

visual literacy infographic

shared by R Ferrazzani on 05 Dec 13 - No Cached
  • R Ferrazzani on 05 Dec 13
     
    This is a great site for anyone interested in learning about infographics. I like the fact that it is a marketing company and they use their actual examples to "sell" their product to others. Visual literacy is another 21st century skill that we should be teaching students especially because we are increasingly asking them to produce their own visuals for their work. Like coding, this could be of interest to many kids if they are exposed to it.
  • R Ferrazzani on 05 Dec 13
     
    I've been searching for some great examples this week and am really impressed with what I've found on Google and this site. I'm co-teaching an ABC class with an 8th grade teach and am hoping to have students use Newsela articles as the source of the infographic. I did one myself and it's not as easy as it looks. I was surprised that it took me as long as it did, which will help me determine and appreciate how much time this will take students to complete. The challenge is synthesizing the information without using much text. You could easily use Glogster with an assignment like this.
  • Kerry Gallagher on 09 Dec 13
     
    I haven't tested this out yet, but here is a post by. A blogger I follow and respect (Byrne) on a tool that allows you to make your own infographic. http://feedly.com/k/1bKskyv
Christopher Twomey

WILLIAMS: Getting better teachers requires thorough education reform - Washington Times - 3 views

www.washingtontimes.com/...ter-teachers-requires-thorough

Education

shared by Christopher Twomey on 09 Nov 13 - No Cached
  • R Ferrazzani on 09 Nov 13
     
    Would schools get better results if they were run like a corporation?
  • ...2 more comments...
  • R Ferrazzani on 09 Nov 13
     
    Would schools get better results if they were run like a corporation?
  • Christopher Twomey on 09 Nov 13
     
    I sent this while signed into Robyn's account. Sorry Robyn!
  • Christopher Twomey on 12 Nov 13
     
    Would schools get better results if they were run like corporations?
  • Kerry Gallagher on 20 Nov 13
     
    The biggest problem with this author's opinion is that his only measure is test scores. There are quite a few other problems, of course. It was frustrating to read this. I wonder if he has ever tried to do what a teacher does, even for a week. I wonder if his expertise about education comes from merely being a student once when he was a child and perhaps even having children who are students. He doesn't seem to cite any evidence about what teachers really do day-to-day. Does he even know?
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