Sep 08 2020

Student Leaders Seek Program Development

COVID-19 Leadership Challenges for College Ready Students: Part 1 of 3

In response to protecting students from Covid-19, many colleges will not be using SAT and ACT examinations as part of the college acceptance process. Schools will continue to be challenged on how they will grade students as they rely on more distance learning assignments. Even though some students will struggle on how they will demonstrate their leadership and community service, others will pursue significant learning activities through school-based, community, and project-based learning activities. [Read more…]

Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert

Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D., Digital Education Expert, is a substitute distance learning teacher for Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California and the author of STUDENT-ENGAGED ASSESSMENT: Strategies to Empower All Learners (Rowman & Littlefield: 2020). Dr. Burke creates digital language arts and substitute teaching K – 12 activities for teachers and parents. She is the Cofounder of the Genparenting.com blog. Burke is the former Director II of Categorical & Special Projects for the Santa Clara County Office of Education that supports 31 school districts serving 272,321 students in Santa Clara County. She is also a previous Director – State & Federal Compliance for Oakland Unified School District, the former Director – Grantwriter for the Compton Unified School District, and was the initial VISTA Director for the Community Partnership Coalition in southern California. Much of her work focuses on creating innovative digital trainings and partnership programs for teachers and families to support students’ learning. These programs were featured as a best practice at a National Title I Conference, California’s Title I Conferences, AERA Conferences, an ASCD Conference, the NASSP Conference, and statewide educator conferences.

Aug 11 2020

Performances Document Student Learning

Measuring Academic Progress series, Part 3 of 3

Welcome to another school year of changed schedules and routines as our students modify their daily lives in response to social distancing and the coronavirus. Most students will be asked to use alternative assessment strategies that include authentic performances in learning.

Alternative Assessment Examples

RUBRICS: Scoring scales for assessing learning using a defined set of criteria ranging from spelling to creativity

CHECKLISTS: A register of essential goals and learning outcomes during learning

LEARNING CONTRACTS: Agreements between students and teachers that describe mutual learning goals, strategies for achieving them, and expected outcomes of learning

SELF ASSESSMENT: Review of learning when considering evidence of learning, progress towards mastery, lingering confusion, and a plan of next steps to improve outcomes

PEER REVIEW: Provides an alternative perspective on learning that relies on rubrics, checklists, or open-ended prompts for feedback and advice

CONCEPT MAP: Graphic models of learning that illuminate the progression of knowledge from essential content, to applications, and creative/constructive processes of learning

PORTFOLIOS: Compilations of learning in an evidence-based system of process, progress, and outcomes [Read more…]

Laura Greenstein, Ed.D.

Laura Greenstein has been an educator for over 30 years serving as a teacher, department chair, and school leader in multiple grades and subjects. She combines this background with her experience as a school board member and professional development specialist to bring fresh and original ideas to educators about teaching, learning, and assessing. She consults with schools and districts and presents at workshops and conferences locally and nationally. As an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut and the University of New Haven, she teaches Human Development and Assessment to undergraduate and graduate students and more recently, Teaching, Learning, and Assessing with Technology in the 6^th year Digital Literacy program. She has a B.S. from the University of Connecticut, an M.S. from the State University of New York at Oneonta in education, a 6th year from Sacred Heart University in administration, and an Ed.D. from Johnson and Wales University in Educational Leadership. Her website, http://www.assessmentnetwork.net, is a valuable source of information on issues and topics in assessment. She is the author of multiple books on assessment including What Teachers Really Need to Know About Formative Assessment, Assessing 21st Century Skills: A Guide to Evaluating Mastery and Authentic Learning, Restorative Assessment: Strength-Based Practices to Support all Learners, and Sticky Assessment: Classroom Strategies to Amplify Student Learning.

Jul 28 2020

New Ways to Help Our Kids Document Learning

Measuring Academic Progress series, Part 2 of 3

Parents can help children track their progress through alternative assessments. This is an effective way to help our children document their learning during these challenging times as well as when children do not attend a “brick and mortar” school during extended vacations. Alternative or authentic assessments rely on a foundation of learned knowledge and skills that learners integrate in their understanding and evidence of mastery. Alternative assessments ask the student to use what they have learned for a purpose rather than simply reiterating it. [Read more…]

Laura Greenstein, Ed.D.

Jul 14 2020

Why It Is Important That Students Measure Their Academic Progresss

Why It Is Important That Students Measure Their Academic Progress

Measuring Academic Progress Series, Part 1 of 3

This past spring, distance learning disrupted classroom learning for millions of students. As we think about how to improve their educational experience, we must consider how students can self-assess. There is a recognition that engaging students in assessment and having them become assessors of their own learning has significant benefits for academic growth. Research supporting this new focus in learning can be found at https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/resources/teaching/evaluating-students/assessing-student-learning/student-self-assessment.

Alternative Assessments

Families who have sheltered in place and have become “COVID homeschool teachers” of their children generally rely on feedback from teachers regarding day to day assessments rather than large-scale tests to monitor progress. These large-scale tests may include performance assessments, authentic assessment, portfolio assessments, and assessments that allow students to display, demonstrate, and explain their learning. Samples of these alternative types of assessments can be reviewed at https://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/alternative_assessment/. [Read more…]

Laura Greenstein, Ed.D.

Jul 07 2020

Preparing for High School and Beyond

This summer, my oldest is preparing to enter her 8^th grade year of school. While it is certainly a milestone year and we will celebrate the end of the middle school years, we don’t want high school to arrive and then be caught off guard that we weren’t prepared! So, even while one stage in life ends, we are looking forward to the next. This summer, we are getting her prepared to know what to expect for high school and beyond.

Remediation

Our first step is to look back and think about her weaknesses. Looking at her educational path, are there areas that may need more review or support? Will she need more repetition in an academic area so she doesn’t lose skills over the summer and be a victim of the “summer slide”? [Read more…]

Jaime Koo, Encouraging Literacy

Discovering the joy of teaching while in high school, Jaime pursued her B.A. in English at Santa Clara University. She also received a teaching credential and a M.A. in Education Administration from Santa Clara University. Jaime taught English Language Arts at Rancho Middle School, motivating and inspiring young people to become effective communicators and contributors in their community. From being a Middle School English Language Arts/English Language Development teacher to becoming a stay-at home mom, Jaime is an education consultant who presents literacy workshops. Her workshops focus on a combination of her ten years of teaching expertise with tried-and-true experiences that she uses with her own children. Jaime is also a Teacher Consultant with the San Jose Area Writing Project. Jaime’s mission is to share effective reading and writing strategies with families to encourage literacy.

Parenting

Secondary School

Student Leaders Seek Program Development

Student Leaders Seek Program Development

COVID-19 Leadership Challenges for College Ready Students: Part 1 of 3

Performances Document Student Learning

Performances Document Student Learning

Measuring Academic Progress series, Part 3 of 3

Alternative Assessment Examples

New Ways to Help Our Kids Document Learning

New Ways to Help Our Kids Document Learning

Measuring Academic Progress series, Part 2 of 3

Why It Is Important That Students Measure Their Academic Progresss

Why It Is Important That Students Measure Their Academic Progress

Measuring Academic Progress Series, Part 1 of 3

Alternative Assessments