It’s been two full school years. Has normal come back? Maybe the old ‘normal’ shouldn’t be the new normal? When something as traumatic as a pandemic happens, it is easy to throw out everything associated with it, but instead of scrapping all of it, let’s reflect on some of the positive changes that contribute to the new normal.
Assessing Distance Learning: A Virtual 101
Teaching and learning connect through assessment. Whether virtual or in person, basic principles apply. Getting and receiving good feedback on distance learning is possible, doable, and potentially meaningful to teachers and students.
What If Assessment Was A Gift?
Each fall when I teach a graduate course in assessment, I begin by having my students engage with a powerful article by Elaine Brouwer called “Assessment as Gift: A Vision,” in which she posits that assessment should be a gift that honors our students as image bearers. My students and I wrestle with this idea throughout the course. It is … Read More
For the Love of…
For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10) “If you want to build a ship, don’t herd people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work but rather, teach them to … Read More
Kingdom Assessment
Joanna (my wife and principal of New Covenant School in Arlington, MA) and I had the privilege of facilitating two institutes this summer on Deeper Learning in Christian Schools. The first was a week with 30 teachers and school leaders at a beautiful retreat center in North Andover, MA. The second was a three-day institute with teachers and administrators from … Read More
Did You Ever Wonder…
Why students (and their parents) are so grade obsessed? In a previous post: What Happened to the E?, I noted my lack of surprise when students petition for an extra point or two on an assignment or request extra credit opportunities. Some readers responded with notes of similar experience and frustration. One reader asked the question “how do students become so … Read More
Finish Your Final Assessment Now: A Professional Thank You to Grant Wiggins
As an educator, I love the summers not only for the vacation time and opportunity to go to baseball games, but more so for the opportunity to reflect on the past year and prepare for the upcoming year. There are not many professions that afford such opportunities for significant reflection, revision, and development, but too often we find ourselves in … Read More
Getting Real about Differentiation
This past year, I was privileged to attend the Association for Middle Level Education conference. This is a huge, national conference in which thousands of educators interested in teaching young adolescents come together to share ideas and strategies and stories of life in the middle. One of the best sessions I had the chance to attend was on formative assessment, summative … Read More