Download or read book Knowing What Students Know written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-10-27 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Education is a hot topic. From the stage of presidential debates to tonight's dinner table, it is an issue that most Americans are deeply concerned about. While there are many strategies for improving the educational process, we need a way to find out what works and what doesn't work as well. Educational assessment seeks to determine just how well students are learning and is an integral part of our quest for improved education. The nation is pinning greater expectations on educational assessment than ever before. We look to these assessment tools when documenting whether students and institutions are truly meeting education goals. But we must stop and ask a crucial question: What kind of assessment is most effective? At a time when traditional testing is subject to increasing criticism, research suggests that new, exciting approaches to assessment may be on the horizon. Advances in the sciences of how people learn and how to measure such learning offer the hope of developing new kinds of assessments-assessments that help students succeed in school by making as clear as possible the nature of their accomplishments and the progress of their learning. Knowing What Students Know essentially explains how expanding knowledge in the scientific fields of human learning and educational measurement can form the foundations of an improved approach to assessment. These advances suggest ways that the targets of assessment-what students know and how well they know it-as well as the methods used to make inferences about student learning can be made more valid and instructionally useful. Principles for designing and using these new kinds of assessments are presented, and examples are used to illustrate the principles. Implications for policy, practice, and research are also explored. With the promise of a productive research-based approach to assessment of student learning, Knowing What Students Know will be important to education administrators, assessment designers, teachers and teacher educators, and education advocates.

Download or read book The Knowledge Gap written by Natalie Wexler and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-08-04 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.

Download or read book Visible Learning for Teachers written by John Hattie and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-03-15 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In November 2008, John Hattie’s ground-breaking book Visible Learning synthesised the results of more than fifteen years research involving millions of students and represented the biggest ever collection of evidence-based research into what actually works in schools to improve learning. Visible Learning for Teachers takes the next step and brings those ground breaking concepts to a completely new audience. Written for students, pre-service and in-service teachers, it explains how to apply the principles of Visible Learning to any classroom anywhere in the world. The author offers concise and user-friendly summaries of the most successful interventions and offers practical step-by-step guidance to the successful implementation of visible learning and visible teaching in the classroom. This book: links the biggest ever research project on teaching strategies to practical classroom implementation champions both teacher and student perspectives and contains step by step guidance including lesson preparation, interpreting learning and feedback during the lesson and post lesson follow up offers checklists, exercises, case studies and best practice scenarios to assist in raising achievement includes whole school checklists and advice for school leaders on facilitating visible learning in their institution now includes additional meta-analyses bringing the total cited within the research to over 900 comprehensively covers numerous areas of learning activity including pupil motivation, curriculum, meta-cognitive strategies, behaviour, teaching strategies, and classroom management Visible Learning for Teachers is a must read for any student or teacher who wants an evidence based answer to the question; ‘how do we maximise achievement in our schools?’

Download or read book Seeing Students Learn Science written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-03-24 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science educators in the United States are adapting to a new vision of how students learn science. Children are natural explorers and their observations and intuitions about the world around them are the foundation for science learning. Unfortunately, the way science has been taught in the United States has not always taken advantage of those attributes. Some students who successfully complete their Kâ€"12 science classes have not really had the chance to "do" science for themselves in ways that harness their natural curiosity and understanding of the world around them. The introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards led many states, schools, and districts to change curricula, instruction, and professional development to align with the standards. Therefore existing assessmentsâ€"whatever their purposeâ€"cannot be used to measure the full range of activities and interactions happening in science classrooms that have adapted to these ideas because they were not designed to do so. Seeing Students Learn Science is meant to help educators improve their understanding of how students learn science and guide the adaptation of their instruction and approach to assessment. It includes examples of innovative assessment formats, ways to embed assessments in engaging classroom activities, and ideas for interpreting and using novel kinds of assessment information. It provides ideas and questions educators can use to reflect on what they can adapt right away and what they can work toward more gradually.

Download or read book The Perfect Assessment System written by Rick Stiggins and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2017-03-24 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's time to move our assessment practices from the 1950s to the century we're living in. It's time to invest in our teachers and local school leaders instead of in more tests. It's time to help all students understand how to unleash their strengths and gain a sense of themselves as learners capable of choosing their own paths to success. In The Perfect Assessment System, Rick Stiggins calls for the ground-up redevelopment of assessment in U.S. education. Speaking from more than 40 years of experience in the field—and speaking for all learners who hope to succeed, the teachers who want them to succeed, and the local school leaders whose aspirations for success have been thwarted by assessment traditions—Stiggins maps out the adjustments in practice and culture necessary to generate both accurate accountability data and the specific evidence of individual mastery that will support sound instructional decision making and better learning in the classroom. He addresses Assessment purpose—how (and why) to clarify the reason for every assessment and the users it will serve. Learning targets to be assessed—how to make sure we focus on the right competencies and set consistent definitions of success. Assessment quality—how to ensure every assessment, at every level, is an excellent one. Communication of assessment results—how to share information in ways that best support diverse purposes. Assessment impact—how to link assessment to truly productive, universal student motivation. We have not yet begun to explore assessment's true potential to enhance both school quality and student well-being. Stiggins kicks off this critical conversation and charts a course for a new system that promises much higher levels of student success at a fraction of our current testing costs. The door is open for assessment reform; here is a bold plan for getting it right.

Download or read book Seven Myths About Education written by Daisy Christodoulou and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-03-14 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this controversial new book, Daisy Christodoulou offers a thought-provoking critique of educational orthodoxy. Drawing on her recent experience of teaching in challenging schools, she shows through a wide range of examples and case studies just how much classroom practice contradicts basic scientific principles. She examines seven widely-held beliefs which are holding back pupils and teachers: Facts prevent understanding Teacher-led instruction is passive The 21st century fundamentally changes everything You can always just look it up We should teach transferable skills Projects and activities are the best way to learn Teaching knowledge is indoctrination In each accessible and engaging chapter, Christodoulou sets out the theory of each myth, considers its practical implications and shows the worrying prevalence of such practice. Then, she explains exactly why it is a myth, with reference to the principles of modern cognitive science. She builds a powerful case explaining how governments and educational organisations around the world have let down teachers and pupils by promoting and even mandating evidence-less theory and bad practice. This blisteringly incisive and urgent text is essential reading for all teachers, teacher training students, policy makers, head teachers, researchers and academics around the world.

Download or read book Classroom Assessment and the National Science Education Standards written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-08-12 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The National Science Education Standards address not only what students should learn about science but also how their learning should be assessed. How do we know what they know? This accompanying volume to the Standards focuses on a key kind of assessment: the evaluation that occurs regularly in the classroom, by the teacher and his or her students as interacting participants. As students conduct experiments, for example, the teacher circulates around the room and asks individuals about their findings, using the feedback to adjust lessons plans and take other actions to boost learning. Focusing on the teacher as the primary player in assessment, the book offers assessment guidelines and explores how they can be adapted to the individual classroom. It features examples, definitions, illustrative vignettes, and practical suggestions to help teachers obtain the greatest benefit from this daily evaluation and tailoring process. The volume discusses how classroom assessment differs from conventional testing and grading-and how it fits into the larger, comprehensive assessment system.

Download or read book Classroom Assessment Techniques written by Thomas A. Angelo and published by Jossey-Bass Incorporated Pub. This book was released on 2005-04 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This revised and greatly expanded edition of the 1988 handbook offers teachers at all levels how-to advise on classroom assessment, including: What classroom assessment entails and how it works. How to plan, implement, and analyze assessment projects. Twelve case studies that detail the real-life classroom experiences of teachers carrying out successful classroom assessment projects. Fifty classroom assessment techniques Step-by-step procedures for administering the techniques Practical advice on how to analyze your data Order your copy today.

Download or read book Assessment as Learning written by Lorna M. Earl and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a book for teachers and school leaders on formative assessment i.e., assessment as learning where assessment occurs throughout the learning process to inform learning as opposed to assessment that occurs at the end of a learning unit to measure what students have learned (summative assessment). Formative assessment emphasizes the role of the student, not only as a contributor to the assessment and learning process, but the critical connector between them. It defines assessment of learning, assessment for learning and assessment as learning, making a case for assessment as learning. It addresses assessment in the context of what learning is. It shows how to use formative assessment to motivate student learning, help students make connections so that they move from emergent to proficient, extend their learning and to help them become reflective self-regulators of their own learning. It explores how teachers can make the shift to formative assessment by engaging in conceptual change.

Download or read book Why We Assess Students And How written by James E. McLean and published by Corwin. This book was released on 1996-01-18 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The authors have applied their extensive expertise in the area of assessment to create an easily read, powerful book. Put it on your desk and use it frequently. It's a keeper." From the Foreword by Jerry J. Herman and Janice L. Herman Profiles the role assessment plays in education. Outlines purposes and types and how you can best implement them. Explores how to use assessment programs to address the sometimes conflicting concerns of parents, teachers, school administrators, and the voting public. Here you'll find detailed descriptions of norm-referenced tests, criterion-referenced tests, and alternative assessment strategies. The authors also provide guidelines to help you to deal with special populations and reduce student bias. They offer examples of model assessment programs and show you what steps to take to establish them in your school or classroom. If your teachers, parents, and community leaders are clamoring for better assessment in your school or district, and you need to satisfy their competing demands of accountability and instruction, this book is for you.

Download or read book Assessment and Feedback in Higher Education A Guide for Teachers written by Teresa McConlogue and published by UCL Press. This book was released on 2020-05-01 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teachers spend much of their time on assessment, yet many higher education teachers have received minimal guidance on assessment design and marking. This means assessment can often be a source of stress and frustration. Assessment and Feedback in Higher Education aims to solve these problems. Offering a concise overview of assessment theory and practice, this guide provides teachers with the help they need.

Download or read book Bringing Math Students Into the Formative Assessment Equation written by Susan Janssen Creighton and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2015-01-21 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Make formative assessment work for you—and your math students! Finally, formative assessment that adds up! Bringing Math Students Into the Formative Assessment Equation is the ultimate resource for helping teachers implement formative assessment in the middle school mathematics classroom. And it’s much more than that. With this research-based, teacher-tested guide, you won’t just learn effective teaching strategies—you’ll turn your students into self-regulated learners. They’ll monitor and assess their own progress—and communicate to you about it! Features include: A clear and manageable six-aspect instructional model Detailed strategies for helping students own their successes Real-life examples from middle school mathematics teachers Useful resources and a companion website to help you implement formative assessment in your classroom Formative assessment isn’t just for teachers anymore. With the help of this essential resource, you’ll work together with your students toward a common goal of math success. "This book is outstanding. I would recommend it to any math educator. The depth of research integrated into practice is extensive and, as a result, it is the most practical book I have come across related to formative assessment and mathematics The self-regulation aspects, as well as the ownership and involvement emphasized in the book, went beyond the traditional cognitive strategies endorsed in most books." Marc Simmons, Principal Ilwaco Middle School, Ocean Beach School District, Long Beach, WA "The ideas in this book are brought to life with examples of teachers and students in the classroom. The teacher voices, comments, and quotes lend credibility and are a big component of the book’s strengths as well as the visuals and graphics." Rita Tellez, Math Coordinator Ysleta Independent School District, El Paso, TX

Download or read book Assessment as Learning written by Zi Yan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-08-14 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on a solid theoretical basis of assessment-as-learning and updated empirical evidences, this timely book significantly expands the existing scope of assessment-as-learning typically developed in Western contexts. This edited volume updates theoretical and empirical advances in assessment-as-learning in complex learning processes, brought together by an international panel of authors. The contributors provide a wide range of practical ways to harness the power of assessment-as-learning to make it work more effectively not only in the classroom, but also across other achievement-related situations (e.g. examinations, learning processes before and after classes). Assessment as Learning provides a deep contemporary insight into the field of formative assessment, and brings much-needed international perspectives to complement the current Western-focused research. This is a valuable contribution to the discussion, and provides useful insight for researchers in Education.

Download or read book Understanding by Design written by Grant P. Wiggins and published by ASCD. This book was released on 2005 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is understanding and how does it differ from knowledge? How can we determine the big ideas worth understanding? Why is understanding an important teaching goal, and how do we know when students have attained it? How can we create a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on understanding and leads to improved student performance in today's high-stakes, standards-based environment? Authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and many other questions in this second edition of Understanding by Design. Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have greatly revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K-16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks. Readers will learn why the familiar coverage- and activity-based approaches to curriculum design fall short, and how a focus on the six facets of understanding can enrich student learning. With an expanded array of practical strategies, tools, and examples from all subject areas, the book demonstrates how the research-based principles of Understanding by Design apply to district frameworks as well as to individual units of curriculum. Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, this new edition of Understanding by Design offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike.

Download or read book Assessing Learners in Higher Education written by Sally Brown and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study examines the factors influencing the changes in teaching assessment at the higher education level and studies the range of techniques and methods available to the assessor. It evaluates the effectiveness of certain methods and discusses their implementation.

Download or read book Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher written by Stephen D. Brookfield and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2017-02-13 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A practical guide to the essential practice that builds better teachers. Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher is the landmark guide to critical reflection, providing expert insight and practical tools to facilitate a journey of constructive self-critique. Stephen Brookfield shows how you can uncover and assess your assumptions about practice by viewing them through the lens of your students' eyes, your colleagues' perceptions, relevant theory and research, and your own personal experience. Practicing critical reflection will help you… Align your teaching with desired student outcomes See your practice from new perspectives Engage learners via multiple teaching formats Understand and manage classroom power dynamics Model critical thinking for your students Manage the complex rhythms of diverse classrooms This fully revised second edition features a wealth of new material, including new chapters on critical reflection in the context of social media, teaching race and racism, leadership in a critically reflective key, and team teaching as critical reflection. In addition, all chapters have been thoroughly updated and expanded to align with today's classrooms, whether online or face-to-face, in large lecture formats or small groups. In his own personal voice Stephen Brookfield draws from over 45 years of experience to illustrate the clear benefits of critical reflection. Assumptions guide practice and only when we base our actions on accurate assumptions will we achieve the results we want. Educators with the courage to challenge their own assumptions in an effort to improve learning are the invaluable role models our students need. Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher provides the foundational information and practical tools that help teachers reach their true potential.

Download or read book Assessing Students written by Derek Rowntree and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-11-30 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Assessment methods can largely determine what and how students learn, so it is vital that our assessment methods are appropriate to our true educational purposes. This book examines the issues underlying assessment procedures, such as truth, fairness, trust, humanity and social justice and goes on to consider the five key dimensions of assessment: * why assess? * what to assess? * how to assess? * How to interpret? * How to respond? Having guided us through the many conceptual and terminological traps, the book ends constructively with seventeen proposals for making assessment work in the best interests of our students.