Designing Better Tests for Students
By Ben Johnson
7/3/09
I am taking a class with Cisco Networking this summer and we are doing the equivalent of a semester of a high school course in one week. We spend two hours listening to a lecture of the key points and then we take a test. In order to continue in the program, we have to pass the test with an 85 percent. Talk about high stakes!
How to Go Global in Your Classroom
By Bob Lenz
6/30/09Given the level of technical sophistication of today's students, why not use technology to extend the classroom and collaborate globally?
How to Make Planning for Next Year Fun
By Elena Aguilar
6/27/09The end of the school year has finally arrived. You can start fantasizing about the novels you'll read, the closets you'll clean, the places you'll go. However, pulsing in the recesses of your mind is a whisper: You know you should plan next year.
Learners Thrive with a Public Audience
By Jim Moulton
6/21/09I drove over to Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine, this morning. I had been invited to see a set of culminating presentations of collaborative research projects by college students and alternative-education students from a local middle school.
Setting Boundaries Can Mean a Happier Teaching Career
By Heather Wolpert...
6/18/09Yes, there are many problems in education. But many of them boil down to the fact that we are a cadre of professionals who are often taken advantage of as part of the job requirement.
How to Bring Service Learning to Your School
By Maurice Elias
6/17/09I have found myself drawn to the topic of systematically fostering civic engagement in youth, especially high school and college-age students.
Why After-School Programs Matter
By Katie Klinger
6/12/09Society today seems more likely than ever to accept the idea of holistic solutions to educational and community problems. Each day, foundations are created to reach out to populations that are unable and unprepared to empower themselves.
How to Foster Student Feedback
By Elena Aguilar
6/9/09At the end of the year, the student survey can be your best friend -- that honest and supportive friend that gives you meaningful feedback and leaves you with something to think about.
What Parents Think About Student Achievement
By Bob Lenz
6/4/09When I talk about student achievement in the academic community, the first thing that usually comes to mind is test scores: How well does this school perform relative to others? Are students on track for college? How prepared are they for the SAT?
Surprisingly, the discussion shifts when I talk to parents.
Spring Cleaning Your Classroom
By Heather Wolpert...
6/2/09There's been so much talk lately of education reform, but we neglect to discuss just how powerful a simple makeover can be.
