So…You STILL Want to Publish a Book
In So…You Want to Publish a Book? I previously wrote that Audience and Reason are the first two components in catching an editor’s eye and taking the first step in publishing a book. Bottom line
CCSS Pushback: Is It Well-Deserved or a Misunderstanding?
Contributed by Joe Crawford About everywhere one looks or reads these days, some entity is pushing back against the CCSS, questioning their validity, their development process, and even, ultimately, their relevance to and very application to improve student performance. Many express fears that this is the
Feedback from Common Formative Assessments Reveals Educators’ Impact
This post was originally published on Common Formative Assessments by Larry Ainsworth. How can teachers really know what their impact is on student learning? As educators, we want to make learning visible to our students. We constantly look for new ways to maximize our impact. We have
Gathering Evidence for Teacher Evaluation
Contributed by Kelley King As states work feverishly to roll out summative teacher evaluation systems in alignment with new federal guidelines, much of the discussion has centered on sources of evidence. Specifically, policy makers and school districts are asking, “What evidence should we seek (and what
Defining Progress in Learning
One of the most confounding issues that schools face is the development of a common definition of progress. In many of our current accountability systems, we focus much more on levels of achievement (Advanced, Proficient, Basic, or Minimal) than we do on the progression of
5 Simple Steps to Bring the World Into YOUR Classroom – Without Cost or Complication
An ongoing communication with an enthusiastic Social Studies teacher in a large Midwestern school district ended abruptly when she emailed me: “Due to NCLB corrective action our district will need to channel our professional development time and funds toward this goal. I’m so sorry that
Risk Taking: From a Former Rule Follower
It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between that we fear…It’s like being between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold on to.
Google: More Than a Search Engine
Contributed by Michael J. Graham Google is taking over education as millions of students and teachers worldwide are using Google Apps to help their students create, collaborate, and share their learning. At last count, there are 20 million Google Apps for Education users in the United
Evaluation Fix Needed
Of all the changes facing busy educators across the nation presently, few if any have caused as much concern and angst as the new teacher evaluation systems nearly all states have rushed to adopt. Many of these system adoptions have been in response to state applications
Student Achievement at Stonefields School
Stonefields School is a newly established school in Auckland, New Zealand. It opened its doors to a richly diverse and multicultural group of learners in February 2011 and has embraced a future-focused approach to learning. The school has been fortunate to begin from scratch—to embrace