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We share evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that empower you to improve education.

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School Transformation Through Arts Integration at Bates Middle School

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Constance Steinkuehler on Interest-Driven Learning (Big Thinkers Series)

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Blogs on Formative Assessment

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PD for the Holiday Break: 7 Lessons and Blogs

Eric BrunsellDecember 21, 2011

Tags Formative Assessment, Teacher Development, Middle (6-8), High (9-12), Math

During my first year of teaching, I assigned students homework over the holidays. The week before we left for break, I handed out a packet on thermodynamics. It was due three weeks later. Some of my students left the room singing, "You're a mean one, Mr. B."

Courageous Conversation: Formative Assessment and Grading

Andrew MillerDecember 15, 2011

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Formative Assessment, Performance Assessment, Student Engagement, Teacher Development, All Grades

With all the education action around Standards-Based Instruction, Understanding By Design, Assessment for Learning, Grading for Learning, Project-Based Learning, Competency-Based Instruction and more, we need to have a frank conversation about formative assessment and grading. This may be a difficult conversation to have.

Three Ways Student Data Can Inform Your Teaching

Rebecca AlberDecember 6, 2011

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Formative Assessment, Mental Health, Standardized Testing, All Grades

The job of a teacher is to be faithful to authentic student learning. Currently, our profession is fixated on results from one test, from one day, given near the end of the school year. And, yes, that is data that can be useful, however, we teachers spend the entire year collecting all sorts of immediate and valuable information about students that informs and influences how we teach, as well as where and what we review, re-adjust, and re-teach.

K-5 iPad Apps for Evaluating Evaluation: Part Five of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy

Diane DarrowSeptember 22, 2011

Tags Classroom Technology, Comprehensive Assessment, Formative Assessment, Game-Based Learning, Integrated Studies, Performance Assessment, Primary (K-2), Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), English Language Arts, Math, Science

The cognitive domain Evaluating focuses on skills necessary to judge the value of ideas, techniques, products, or solutions. Students must evaluate the credibility or functionality of given content with clearly defined criteria and standards.

New Teacher Boot Camp Week 5 - Using Blogs

Lisa Michelle DabbsAugust 2, 2011

Tags Classroom Technology, Formative Assessment, Free School Supplies, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Editor's note: See the full archive of the five-week boot camp.

Welcome to our fifth and final week of New Teacher Boot Camp! Today we're going to be exploring blogging. Not only for students, but for educators as well.

Web Tools Blog Series: Tools to Help Students Create

Eric BrunsellJuly 19, 2011

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Formative Assessment, Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

In "Collecting, Organizing, and Making Sense of Information," I suggested some tools and resources for helping you and your students collect and organize information. But, what do you do with it? In this post, I will present tools and resources that will help students synthesize information and create new things.

Great Tech Expectations: What Should Elementary Students Be Able to Do and When?

Mary Beth HertzJuly 13, 2011

Tags Classroom Technology, Comprehensive Assessment, Formative Assessment, Performance Assessment, Primary (K-2), Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8)

First off, let me clarify that I am not a proponent of expecting all children to learn at the same pace. Why all third graders are expected to be at x reading level by January is beyond me. That said, I think it's a fair assumption that there are certain skills that we hope our students have by a certain age in order to help them reach their full potential. This also applies to tech skills.

Understanding How the Brain Thinks (Part 1 of 7)

Judy Willis MDJune 13, 2011

Tags Brain Research, Comprehensive Assessment, Formative Assessment, Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), All Grades

Former neurologist and teacher Judy Willis will be presenting a 5-part series on how young brains develop neurologically; she'll also offer some research-based classroom strategies to teach critical thinking and other 21st century skills.

Understanding How the Brain Works

For 21st century success, now more than ever, students will need a skill set far beyond the current mandated standards that are evaluated on standardized tests. The qualifications for success in today's ever-changing world will demand the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, use continually changing technology, be culturally aware and adaptive, and possess the judgment and open-mindedness to make complex decisions based on accurate analysis of information. The most rewarding jobs of this century will be those that cannot be done by computers.

How to Plan Instruction Using the Video Game Model

Judy Willis MDMay 24, 2011

Tags Curriculum, Differentiated Instruction, Formative Assessment, Multiple Intelligences, Student Engagement, Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12), Math

Imagine you are placed in the following scenarios:

You are dropped off at the top of a ski resort's steepest run when you've only had experience on the beginner slopes.
You have to spend your day on the bunny hill when you're an expert skier.
You play a game of darts with the target two feet away.
You play a game of darts with the target 200 feet away.
You are a 3rd grade student trying to do a crossword puzzle designed for experts.
You are an adult trying to do a crossword puzzle designed for children.

Going Beyond NCLB and Assessing Schools Differently

Anne OBrienMay 10, 2011

Tags Accountability, Comprehensive Assessment, Formative Assessment, Performance Assessment, Standardized Testing, All Grades, New Hampshire

We all know that reading and math standardized test scores do not truly represent how good a school is. But thanks to No Child Left Behind -- the current version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) -- they are just about all we consider while judging a school's performance.