http://edge.ascd.org/service/getFeed.kickAction?quantity=25 New blogs from Mark_Barnes on ASCD EDge Sun, 05 May 2013 16:00:06 GMT Sun, 05 May 2013 16:00:06 GMT website@ascd.org (ascdAdmin) website@ascd.org (ascdAdmin) KickApps Feed Builder 2013-05-05T16:00:06Z 36 http://edge.ascd.org/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=127586&sortType=recent&tags=null 0 http://edge.ascd.org/_Want-to-Elliminate-Cheating-It39s-Easy/blog/6523130/127586.html Recently, my 8th grade English language arts students were writing our guiding question at the beginning of class. This is a routine activity that takes about two minutes. Some students write faster than others and finish in as little as 60 seconds.   As I meandered my way around the tables, looking in and chatting with small groups and individuals, I noticed one student, who had finished the task and was copying a friend’s homework. “I see something important is due in science today,” I said. The two girls looked up sheepishly and nodded. The copier asked if I was going to take the papers. “Why?” I queried. “I’m not hurt by your cheating; you are.” The cheater only shrugged and went back to copying. Her cohort grinned and shrugged, right along.   Are educators responsible for cheating?   Research indicates that cheating is on the rise, especially in high schools and colleges. Donald McCabe, a Rutgers professor, believes rampant cheating is due to the stress of competition that schools present. “I don’t think there’s any question that students have become more competitive, under more pressure, and, as a result, tend to excuse more from themselves and other students, and that’s abetted by the adults around them,” McCabe told The New York Times last year.   McCabe and other luminaries, like Harvard researcher Howard Gardner, believe the Internet may also shoulder some of the blame. Students, they claim, don’t understand honor codes and plagiarism, so they are quick to “borrow” content they find in a simple Google search.   It’s not the Internet, it’s grades!   I would argue that there is a much larger root to this problem. When I asked the girls in my class why they were so willing to copy their science worksheet, they quickly acknowledged that they needed the points to maintain a good grade. “Hmm,” I wondered aloud, “you never cheat in my class. Why is that?” They didn’t contemplate the question for even two seconds. “There are no points or grades on your assignments,” the copier quickly said, “so there’s no reason to cheat.”   A smile quickly brightened my face. “So, what do I value?” I asked, beginning to move away, so I could engage another group of students. “Learning,” the two said, almost in unison.   So, would you like to eliminate cheating in your class? It’s easy! All you have to do is abolish grades. Give your students feedback about their work, and allow them the opportunity to revisit activities and projects and improve them, in order to indicate mastery learning.   Cheating will disappear, and, best of all, your students will become independent learners.  To learn more, get Mark Barnes' new book, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom (ASCD 2013) here. Recently, my 8th grade English language arts students were writing our guiding question at the beginning of class. This is a routine activity that takes about two minutes. Some students write faster than others and finish in as little as 60 seconds.   As I meandered my way around the tables, looking in and chatting with small groups and individuals, I noticed one student, who had finished the task and was copying a friend’s homework. “I see something important is due in science today,” I said. The two girls looked up sheepishly and nodded. The copier asked if I was going to take the papers. “Why?” I queried. “I’m not hurt by your cheating; you are.” The cheater only shrugged and went back to copying. Her cohort grinned and shrugged, right along.   Are educators responsible for cheating?   Research indicates that cheating is on the rise, especially in high schools and colleges. Donald McCabe, a Rutgers professor, believes rampant cheating is due to the stress of competition that schools present. “I don’t think there’s any question that students have become more competitive, under more pressure, and, as a result, tend to excuse more from themselves and other students, and that’s abetted by the adults around them,” McCabe told The New York Times last year.   McCabe and other luminaries, like Harvard researcher Howard Gardner, believe the Internet may also shoulder some of the blame. Students, they claim, don’t understand honor codes and plagiarism, so they are quick to “borrow” content they find in a simple Google search.   It’s not the Internet, it’s grades!   I would argue that there is a much larger root to this problem. When I asked the girls in my class why they were so willing to copy their science worksheet, they quickly acknowledged that they needed the points to maintain a good grade. “Hmm,” I wondered aloud, “you never cheat in my class. Why is that?” They didn’t contemplate the question for even two seconds. “There are no points or grades on your assignments,” the copier quickly said, “so there’s no reason to cheat.”   A smile quickly brightened my face. “So, what do I value?” I asked, beginning to move away, so I could engage another group of students. “Learning,” the two said, almost in unison.   So, would you like to eliminate cheating in your class? It’s easy! All you have to do is abolish grades. Give your students feedback about their work, and allow them the opportunity to revisit activities and projects and improve them, in order to indicate mastery learning.   Cheating will disappear, and, best of all, your students will become independent learners.  To learn more, get Mark Barnes' new book, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom (ASCD 2013) here. Sun, 05 May 2013 16:00:06 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Want-to-Elliminate-Cheating-It39s-Easy/blog/6523130/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2013-05-05T16:00:06Z Blogs ASCD EDge Recently, my 8th grade English language arts students were writing our guiding question at the beginning of class. This is a routine activity that takes about two minutes. Some students write faster than others and finish in as little as 60 seconds.   As I meandered my way around the tables, looking in and chatting with small groups and individuals, I noticed one student, who had finished the task and was copying a friend’s homework. “I see something important is due in science today,” I said. The two girls looked up sheepishly and nodded. The copier asked if I was going to take the papers. “Why?” I queried. “I’m not hurt by your cheating; you are.” The cheater only shrugged and went back to copying. Her cohort grinned and shrugged, right along.   Are educators responsible for cheating?   Research indicates that cheating is on the rise, especially in high schools and colleges. Donald McCabe, a Rutgers professor, believes rampant cheating is due to the stress of competition that schools present. “I don’t think there’s any question that students have become more competitive, under more pressure, and, as a result, tend to excuse more from themselves and other students, and that’s abetted by the adults around them,” McCabe told The New York Times last year.   McCabe and other luminaries, like Harvard researcher Howard Gardner, believe the Internet may also shoulder some of the blame. Students, they claim, don’t understand honor codes and plagiarism, so they are quick to “borrow” content they find in a simple Google search.   It’s not the Internet, it’s grades!   I would argue that there is a much larger root to this problem. When I asked the girls in my class why they were so willing to copy their science worksheet, they quickly acknowledged that they needed the points to maintain a good grade. “Hmm,” I wondered aloud, “you never cheat in my class. Why is that?” They didn’t contemplate the question for even two seconds. “There are no points or grades on your assignments,” the copier quickly said, “so there’s no reason to cheat.”   A smile quickly brightened my face. “So, what do I value?” I asked, beginning to move away, so I could engage another group of students. “Learning,” the two said, almost in unison.   So, would you like to eliminate cheating in your class? It’s easy! All you have to do is abolish grades. Give your students feedback about their work, and allow them the opportunity to revisit activities and projects and improve them, in order to indicate mastery learning.   Cheating will disappear, and, best of all, your students will become independent learners.  To learn more, get Mark Barnes' new book, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom (ASCD 2013) here. blogs, cheating, copying, grades, grading, homework, plagiarism, worksheets nonadult false Want to Elliminate Cheating? It's Easy! text blog blogs,cheating,copying,grades,grading,homework,plagiarism,worksheets 345 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 1 Blogs 0 6523130 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Twitter-Friends-are-Like-Movie-Stars/blog/6518404/127586.html Have you ever had the chance to meet your favorite celebrity? To shake his or her hand and even have a casual chat over lunch? I have. . . well, sort of.    I recently attended the ASCD Annual Conference in Chicago. This was a tremendous weekend, filled with fun and learning opportunities. As an ASCD author and presenter, I spent time with luminaries at the education publishing and professional development giant, including the publisher, editors, department heads, publicists and other authors. These people are solid professionals and smart educators. I presented on results-only learning, signed copies of my book, Role Reversal, and I even participated in a videotaped interview for the ASCD website. All of these were thrilling experiences.    The most amazing part of the weekend, though, was meeting people I interact with often on Twitter, people I hadn't met in person until the conference. I have communicated on Twitter and via email with some of my favorite authors and thought leaders -- people like Daniel Pink, Alfie Kohn and Donalyn Miller. Meeting any of these remarkable individuals would be thrilling, for sure, but I felt no less awed, when I met some key educators I follow on Twitter.    At the ASCD author press luncheon, which I was honored to be part of as a new book writer, I sat down with @TomWhitby, Steven Anderson (@web20classroom), Josh Stumpenhorst (@stumpteacher), @KristenSwanson and @PaulaWhite, among others. These people may not be as recognizable as Pink or Kohn, but they are clebrities in education to me, and meeting them in person was sort of like talking to movie stars.    They may not be seen walking the red carpet at the Oscars -- though some might mistake Swanson for Kate Beckinsale and Stumpenhorst for Brad Pitt -- but these intelligent teachers, bloggers and speakers are true celebrities in their field.   So, when you get the chance to meet the fantastic educators you follow on Twitter, enjoy the experience, and be careful not to be starstruck.       Cross posted at Resultsonlylearning.com   Have you ever had the chance to meet your favorite celebrity? To shake his or her hand and even have a casual chat over lunch? I have. . . well, sort of.    I recently attended the ASCD Annual Conference in Chicago. This was a tremendous weekend, filled with fun and learning opportunities. As an ASCD author and presenter, I spent time with luminaries at the education publishing and professional development giant, including the publisher, editors, department heads, publicists and other authors. These people are solid professionals and smart educators. I presented on results-only learning, signed copies of my book, Role Reversal, and I even participated in a videotaped interview for the ASCD website. All of these were thrilling experiences.    The most amazing part of the weekend, though, was meeting people I interact with often on Twitter, people I hadn't met in person until the conference. I have communicated on Twitter and via email with some of my favorite authors and thought leaders -- people like Daniel Pink, Alfie Kohn and Donalyn Miller. Meeting any of these remarkable individuals would be thrilling, for sure, but I felt no less awed, when I met some key educators I follow on Twitter.    At the ASCD author press luncheon, which I was honored to be part of as a new book writer, I sat down with @TomWhitby, Steven Anderson (@web20classroom), Josh Stumpenhorst (@stumpteacher), @KristenSwanson and @PaulaWhite, among others. These people may not be as recognizable as Pink or Kohn, but they are clebrities in education to me, and meeting them in person was sort of like talking to movie stars.    They may not be seen walking the red carpet at the Oscars -- though some might mistake Swanson for Kate Beckinsale and Stumpenhorst for Brad Pitt -- but these intelligent teachers, bloggers and speakers are true celebrities in their field.   So, when you get the chance to meet the fantastic educators you follow on Twitter, enjoy the experience, and be careful not to be starstruck.       Cross posted at Resultsonlylearning.com   Sun, 31 Mar 2013 15:18:16 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Twitter-Friends-are-Like-Movie-Stars/blog/6518404/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2013-03-31T15:18:16Z Blogs ASCD EDge Have you ever had the chance to meet your favorite celebrity? To shake his or her hand and even have a casual chat over lunch? I have. . . well, sort of.    I recently attended the ASCD Annual Conference in Chicago. This was a tremendous weekend, filled with fun and learning opportunities. As an ASCD author and presenter, I spent time with luminaries at the education publishing and professional development giant, including the publisher, editors, department heads, publicists and other authors. These people are solid professionals and smart educators. I presented on results-only learning, signed copies of my book, Role Reversal, and I even participated in a videotaped interview for the ASCD website. All of these were thrilling experiences.    The most amazing part of the weekend, though, was meeting people I interact with often on Twitter, people I hadn't met in person until the conference. I have communicated on Twitter and via email with some of my favorite authors and thought leaders -- people like Daniel Pink, Alfie Kohn and Donalyn Miller. Meeting any of these remarkable individuals would be thrilling, for sure, but I felt no less awed, when I met some key educators I follow on Twitter.    At the ASCD author press luncheon, which I was honored to be part of as a new book writer, I sat down with @TomWhitby, Steven Anderson (@web20classroom), Josh Stumpenhorst (@stumpteacher), @KristenSwanson and @PaulaWhite, among others. These people may not be as recognizable as Pink or Kohn, but they are clebrities in education to me, and meeting them in person was sort of like talking to movie stars.    They may not be seen walking the red carpet at the Oscars -- though some might mistake Swanson for Kate Beckinsale and Stumpenhorst for Brad Pitt -- but these intelligent teachers, bloggers and speakers are true celebrities in their field.   So, when you get the chance to meet the fantastic educators you follow on Twitter, enjoy the experience, and be careful not to be starstruck.       Cross posted at Resultsonlylearning.com   blogs, leadership, networking, teacher leaders, twitter nonadult false Twitter Friends are Like Movie Stars text blog blogs,leadership,networking,teacher leaders,twitter 614 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 2 Blogs 0 6518404 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Fight-the-Bureaucracy-with-Best-Practices/blog/6516160/127586.html A little over 20 years ago, I was a bright-eyed new teacher, ready to save the world one student at a time. Armed with textbook, curriculum guide and folders full of activities, shared from some generous colleagues, I bounced into my classroom daily, certain that I was making a difference.   My students arrived on time, brought materials and were largely respectful. We completed interdisciplinary group projects, played games, laughed, joked and ended each day looking forward to the next. Learning was fun, and teaching was easy, because no one was telling me how to do what I was carefully-trained to do.   Ten years passed, class sizes ballooned, and No Child Left Behind changed things. Inundated with standards, teachers began discarding projects, in favor of workbooks and worksheets, designed to help students pass high stakes tests. As each year came and went, students became more and more disgruntled, and the fun was squeezed out of the classroom.   Today, we have 30-40 students in our rooms. Our professional development consists of lectures about the Common Core, Teacher Evaluation, Positive Behavioral Intervention and a variety of other systems -- all designed to help teachers educate their tired and bored students. Like the students, many teachers are unhappy, because the bureaucracy has taken the fun out of teaching.   The days of small classes and students entering the door thrilled at the prospect learning may indeed be over, but the fun doesn't have to stop. It's up to teachers to ignore the bureaucracy and do what's right for students and for education.    Instead of bemoaning teacher evaluation and standardization, we have to do what we did decades ago -- teach the way we know is best. Instead of encouraging students to recite standards, because an evaluation rubric says principals should look for understanding, we must create engaging activities that help students flesh out the learning objectives on their own.    Throw out the worksheets and workbooks that misguided curriculum directors believe lead to high test scores. Replace them with collaboration, interactive web tools and strategies that encourage critical thinking.   Most of all, we have to laugh. We have to sing. We have to dance. We have to do anything that ignites passion in our students. And when administrators suggest that our practices aren't up to par with the Common Core and state-mandated teacher evaluation systems, we must tell them we're doing what we as the true professionals know is best for our kids -- helping them love learning.    In the end, these best practices are our best weapons. How can the bureaucrats fight that? A little over 20 years ago, I was a bright-eyed new teacher, ready to save the world one student at a time. Armed with textbook, curriculum guide and folders full of activities, shared from some generous colleagues, I bounced into my classroom daily, certain that I was making a difference.   My students arrived on time, brought materials and were largely respectful. We completed interdisciplinary group projects, played games, laughed, joked and ended each day looking forward to the next. Learning was fun, and teaching was easy, because no one was telling me how to do what I was carefully-trained to do.   Ten years passed, class sizes ballooned, and No Child Left Behind changed things. Inundated with standards, teachers began discarding projects, in favor of workbooks and worksheets, designed to help students pass high stakes tests. As each year came and went, students became more and more disgruntled, and the fun was squeezed out of the classroom.   Today, we have 30-40 students in our rooms. Our professional development consists of lectures about the Common Core, Teacher Evaluation, Positive Behavioral Intervention and a variety of other systems -- all designed to help teachers educate their tired and bored students. Like the students, many teachers are unhappy, because the bureaucracy has taken the fun out of teaching.   The days of small classes and students entering the door thrilled at the prospect learning may indeed be over, but the fun doesn't have to stop. It's up to teachers to ignore the bureaucracy and do what's right for students and for education.    Instead of bemoaning teacher evaluation and standardization, we have to do what we did decades ago -- teach the way we know is best. Instead of encouraging students to recite standards, because an evaluation rubric says principals should look for understanding, we must create engaging activities that help students flesh out the learning objectives on their own.    Throw out the worksheets and workbooks that misguided curriculum directors believe lead to high test scores. Replace them with collaboration, interactive web tools and strategies that encourage critical thinking.   Most of all, we have to laugh. We have to sing. We have to dance. We have to do anything that ignites passion in our students. And when administrators suggest that our practices aren't up to par with the Common Core and state-mandated teacher evaluation systems, we must tell them we're doing what we as the true professionals know is best for our kids -- helping them love learning.    In the end, these best practices are our best weapons. How can the bureaucrats fight that? Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:13:31 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Fight-the-Bureaucracy-with-Best-Practices/blog/6516160/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2013-03-13T23:13:31Z Blogs ASCD EDge A little over 20 years ago, I was a bright-eyed new teacher, ready to save the world one student at a time. Armed with textbook, curriculum guide and folders full of activities, shared from some generous colleagues, I bounced into my classroom daily, certain that I was making a difference.   My students arrived on time, brought materials and were largely respectful. We completed interdisciplinary group projects, played games, laughed, joked and ended each day looking forward to the next. Learning was fun, and teaching was easy, because no one was telling me how to do what I was carefully-trained to do.   Ten years passed, class sizes ballooned, and No Child Left Behind changed things. Inundated with standards, teachers began discarding projects, in favor of workbooks and worksheets, designed to help students pass high stakes tests. As each year came and went, students became more and more disgruntled, and the fun was squeezed out of the classroom.   Today, we have 30-40 students in our rooms. Our professional development consists of lectures about the Common Core, Teacher Evaluation, Positive Behavioral Intervention and a variety of other systems -- all designed to help teachers educate their tired and bored students. Like the students, many teachers are unhappy, because the bureaucracy has taken the fun out of teaching.   The days of small classes and students entering the door thrilled at the prospect learning may indeed be over, but the fun doesn't have to stop. It's up to teachers to ignore the bureaucracy and do what's right for students and for education.    Instead of bemoaning teacher evaluation and standardization, we have to do what we did decades ago -- teach the way we know is best. Instead of encouraging students to recite standards, because an evaluation rubric says principals should look for understanding, we must create engaging activities that help students flesh out the learning objectives on their own.    Throw out the worksheets and workbooks that misguided curriculum directors believe lead to high test scores. Replace them with collaboration, interactive web tools and strategies that encourage critical thinking.   Most of all, we have to laugh. We have to sing. We have to dance. We have to do anything that ignites passion in our students. And when administrators suggest that our practices aren't up to par with the Common Core and state-mandated teacher evaluation systems, we must tell them we're doing what we as the true professionals know is best for our kids -- helping them love learning.    In the end, these best practices are our best weapons. How can the bureaucrats fight that? best practices, blogs, bureaucracy, common core, teacher evaluation nonadult false Fight the Bureaucracy with Best Practices text blog best practices,blogs,bureaucracy,common core,teacher evaluation 1127 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 1 Blogs 0 6516160 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Top-5-questions-for-a-national-teacher-exam/blog/6494877/127586.html According to the Chicago Tribune, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers wants educators to pass a rigorous teacher exam, before they are licensed to enter the classroom. The Tribune calls this “a terrific idea.” After much consideration, I created this short list of questions that might be appropriate for such an exam:   5 -- What will you tell the angry parent of your student who never reads a book, because you spend all of your time teaching to a government-imposed standardized test, using basal readers?   4 -- Your student fails a unit test on the solar system, telling you she couldn’t study because she’s been home alone every night caring for her two-year-old sister, while her mother is gone for days on a drug binge. Why didn’t you get her to pass the test?   3 -- Administration mandates nightly homework for your first graders, and half don’t turn it in; they are failing. What are you going to do about it?   2 -- Explain in detail the value-added system and how you can get your students to demonstrate one-year’s growth using it. (A baffled would-be teacher won’t realize the treachery of this question, until someone tells her later that the convoluted value-added system is one of America’s best-kept secrets.)   1 -- You will be given outdated materials, a handful of old computers (all useful web sites will be filtered, of course), dilapidated desks and 30-45 students in a room that is 90 degrees in summer and 50 in winter. If your students don’t pass the test, you will be fired. Explain how you’ll prepare your students to be competitive in today’s global economy.   Do you have other samples we can send to Randi Weingarten and the Tribune for what they believe to be a "terrific idea?"   Mark's new book, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom is available for preorder from ASCD here. According to the Chicago Tribune, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers wants educators to pass a rigorous teacher exam, before they are licensed to enter the classroom. The Tribune calls this “a terrific idea.” After much consideration, I created this short list of questions that might be appropriate for such an exam:   5 -- What will you tell the angry parent of your student who never reads a book, because you spend all of your time teaching to a government-imposed standardized test, using basal readers?   4 -- Your student fails a unit test on the solar system, telling you she couldn’t study because she’s been home alone every night caring for her two-year-old sister, while her mother is gone for days on a drug binge. Why didn’t you get her to pass the test?   3 -- Administration mandates nightly homework for your first graders, and half don’t turn it in; they are failing. What are you going to do about it?   2 -- Explain in detail the value-added system and how you can get your students to demonstrate one-year’s growth using it. (A baffled would-be teacher won’t realize the treachery of this question, until someone tells her later that the convoluted value-added system is one of America’s best-kept secrets.)   1 -- You will be given outdated materials, a handful of old computers (all useful web sites will be filtered, of course), dilapidated desks and 30-45 students in a room that is 90 degrees in summer and 50 in winter. If your students don’t pass the test, you will be fired. Explain how you’ll prepare your students to be competitive in today’s global economy.   Do you have other samples we can send to Randi Weingarten and the Tribune for what they believe to be a "terrific idea?"   Mark's new book, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom is available for preorder from ASCD here. Sun, 30 Dec 2012 22:01:27 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Top-5-questions-for-a-national-teacher-exam/blog/6494877/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-12-30T22:01:27Z Blogs ASCD EDge According to the Chicago Tribune, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers wants educators to pass a rigorous teacher exam, before they are licensed to enter the classroom. The Tribune calls this “a terrific idea.” After much consideration, I created this short list of questions that might be appropriate for such an exam:   5 -- What will you tell the angry parent of your student who never reads a book, because you spend all of your time teaching to a government-imposed standardized test, using basal readers?   4 -- Your student fails a unit test on the solar system, telling you she couldn’t study because she’s been home alone every night caring for her two-year-old sister, while her mother is gone for days on a drug binge. Why didn’t you get her to pass the test?   3 -- Administration mandates nightly homework for your first graders, and half don’t turn it in; they are failing. What are you going to do about it?   2 -- Explain in detail the value-added system and how you can get your students to demonstrate one-year’s growth using it. (A baffled would-be teacher won’t realize the treachery of this question, until someone tells her later that the convoluted value-added system is one of America’s best-kept secrets.)   1 -- You will be given outdated materials, a handful of old computers (all useful web sites will be filtered, of course), dilapidated desks and 30-45 students in a room that is 90 degrees in summer and 50 in winter. If your students don’t pass the test, you will be fired. Explain how you’ll prepare your students to be competitive in today’s global economy.   Do you have other samples we can send to Randi Weingarten and the Tribune for what they believe to be a "terrific idea?"   Mark's new book, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom is available for preorder from ASCD here. accountability, assessment, blogs, homework, randi weingarten, standardized test, teacher exam, test nonadult false Top 5 questions for a national teacher exam text blog accountability,assessment,blogs,homework,randi weingarten,standardized test,teacher exam,test 1349 0 0.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6494877 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Ten-how-to-videos-for-education-technology/blog/6494447/127586.html Friday, December 28, 2012 Based on a variety of factors, here are the most popular Learn it in 5 how-to videos and content pages of 2012. Feel free to comment on your own favs. Twitter and Diigo make for remarkable PD -- this video demonstrates how to locate amazing sites with Twitter and then bookmark them with Diigo. Make student feedback easy with Dragon's speech-to-text -- the remarkable Dragon tool types what you say with remarkable accuracy. Encourage your students to share content on KidBlog -- the popular student blogging program rolled out lots of new features in 2012, and this video demonstrates some from a student's point of view How to easily follow great people on Twitter -- this video shows how to locate people of interest on Twitter and add them to your Personal Learning Network (PLN). Easily create slide shows, set to music, with Slid.ly -- creating slide shows with your own content or content you find on the Internet is extremely easy with Slide.ly. Get quick student response to learning with Socrative -- a quick-response feedback tool that can be accessed from any device with Internet access. Qwiki is a remarkable content sharing tool -- Qwiki is a content sharing application, and it couldn't have a more appropriate name. Create pictures, video, and more in seconds with Qwiki. Students love the social network Goodreads -- Goodreads is a wonderful community of readers that students love, because not only does Goodreads help students organize what their reading online, it gives them a place to share their opinions about books. Have students create 30-second videos with Animoto --  Students can register for Animoto for free and add their own pictures and videos or those provided by Animoto to create a brief video. Create fun online sticky note projects with Lino -- Similar to Glogster and Wallwisher, Lino is a remarkably easy-to-use web-based project creation tool.   This is cross-posted at www.learnitin5.com Friday, December 28, 2012 Based on a variety of factors, here are the most popular Learn it in 5 how-to videos and content pages of 2012. Feel free to comment on your own favs. Twitter and Diigo make for remarkable PD -- this video demonstrates how to locate amazing sites with Twitter and then bookmark them with Diigo. Make student feedback easy with Dragon's speech-to-text -- the remarkable Dragon tool types what you say with remarkable accuracy. Encourage your students to share content on KidBlog -- the popular student blogging program rolled out lots of new features in 2012, and this video demonstrates some from a student's point of view How to easily follow great people on Twitter -- this video shows how to locate people of interest on Twitter and add them to your Personal Learning Network (PLN). Easily create slide shows, set to music, with Slid.ly -- creating slide shows with your own content or content you find on the Internet is extremely easy with Slide.ly. Get quick student response to learning with Socrative -- a quick-response feedback tool that can be accessed from any device with Internet access. Qwiki is a remarkable content sharing tool -- Qwiki is a content sharing application, and it couldn't have a more appropriate name. Create pictures, video, and more in seconds with Qwiki. Students love the social network Goodreads -- Goodreads is a wonderful community of readers that students love, because not only does Goodreads help students organize what their reading online, it gives them a place to share their opinions about books. Have students create 30-second videos with Animoto --  Students can register for Animoto for free and add their own pictures and videos or those provided by Animoto to create a brief video. Create fun online sticky note projects with Lino -- Similar to Glogster and Wallwisher, Lino is a remarkably easy-to-use web-based project creation tool.   This is cross-posted at www.learnitin5.com Fri, 28 Dec 2012 21:50:55 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Ten-how-to-videos-for-education-technology/blog/6494447/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-12-28T21:50:55Z Blogs ASCD EDge Friday, December 28, 2012 Based on a variety of factors, here are the most popular Learn it in 5 how-to videos and content pages of 2012. Feel free to comment on your own favs. Twitter and Diigo make for remarkable PD -- this video demonstrates how to locate amazing sites with Twitter and then bookmark them with Diigo. Make student feedback easy with Dragon's speech-to-text -- the remarkable Dragon tool types what you say with remarkable accuracy. Encourage your students to share content on KidBlog -- the popular student blogging program rolled out lots of new features in 2012, and this video demonstrates some from a student's point of view How to easily follow great people on Twitter -- this video shows how to locate people of interest on Twitter and add them to your Personal Learning Network (PLN). Easily create slide shows, set to music, with Slid.ly -- creating slide shows with your own content or content you find on the Internet is extremely easy with Slide.ly. Get quick student response to learning with Socrative -- a quick-response feedback tool that can be accessed from any device with Internet access. Qwiki is a remarkable content sharing tool -- Qwiki is a content sharing application, and it couldn't have a more appropriate name. Create pictures, video, and more in seconds with Qwiki. Students love the social network Goodreads -- Goodreads is a wonderful community of readers that students love, because not only does Goodreads help students organize what their reading online, it gives them a place to share their opinions about books. Have students create 30-second videos with Animoto --  Students can register for Animoto for free and add their own pictures and videos or those provided by Animoto to create a brief video. Create fun online sticky note projects with Lino -- Similar to Glogster and Wallwisher, Lino is a remarkably easy-to-use web-based project creation tool.   This is cross-posted at www.learnitin5.com blogs, content sharing, edtech, education technology, how-to, social media, twitter nonadult false Ten how-to videos for education technology text blog blogs,content sharing,edtech,education technology,how-to,social media,twitter 575 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6494447 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Twitter-is-the-best-education-PD-Period-And-it39s-free/blog/6445261/127586.html Since I was wake at 5 AM on a Saturday (don't ask), I figured it was a good time to update my Personal Learning Network on Twitter. For years, I've been saying Twitter is the best free professional development tool available; I even teach an online course at two colleges on the subject. Not familiar with the power of Twitter? You doubt the veracity of my proclamation? Check out the amazing PD and personal enrichment I got on an early Saturday morning. With the intention of growing my PLN, I went to one of my favorite educators, Shelly Terrell. One of the most energetic and brilliant teachers I know (by the way, I met Shelly on Twitter and later at the ISTE conference), I know she follows remarkable people in education, business, leadership and entrepreneurship, so I figured I couldn't go wrong following some of the people in Shelly's PLN. Soon, I found Jordan Hamel, an engineering student, who is working on an education technology app. Since I recently launched a mobile app of my own, I reached out to Jordan so we could connect and share ideas. Next, I found Jeff Herb, an Instructional Technology Director at a high school in Illinois. Jeff's Twitter profile led me to his web site, Instructional Tech Talk, a veritable treasure trove of technology resources. Jeff's site guided me to an article about the educational tool, eBackpack, a site that provides an online storage area where students can easily maintain and organize activities. Next, I found Roxanna Elden, a teacher and writer. Her Twitter profile routed me to a website that describes her book, See Me After Class. I read a review by Education Week, which said Elden's book has "a heavy dose of practicality, a dash of cynicism, and wry humor." I was intrigued and moments later, I was on Amazon.com downloading See Me After Class to my Kindle. In about 45 minutes of perusing the Twitter PLN of one of my favorite teachers, I found an educator with a common interest, an edtech teacher who edits a powerful website, and I discovered a new online tool I may wish to use with my own students. Oh, and I found a new author and added an education book to my library. By the way, all of this was free professional developmet (although I did purchase Elden's book). I could have attended a day-long workshop, which would have cost hundreds of dollars and consumed my entire Saturday. The learning would have been negligible. Instead, I spent a wonderful 45 minutes in the comforts of my own home, sipping hot coffee, and I learned more than I have in the last five workshops I've attended. So, you see, if you're not using Twitter, you're missing out on the best free education PD, period! Learn more about Twitter today.   Mark's new book, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom is available for preorder from ASCD here. Since I was wake at 5 AM on a Saturday (don't ask), I figured it was a good time to update my Personal Learning Network on Twitter. For years, I've been saying Twitter is the best free professional development tool available; I even teach an online course at two colleges on the subject. Not familiar with the power of Twitter? You doubt the veracity of my proclamation? Check out the amazing PD and personal enrichment I got on an early Saturday morning. With the intention of growing my PLN, I went to one of my favorite educators, Shelly Terrell. One of the most energetic and brilliant teachers I know (by the way, I met Shelly on Twitter and later at the ISTE conference), I know she follows remarkable people in education, business, leadership and entrepreneurship, so I figured I couldn't go wrong following some of the people in Shelly's PLN. Soon, I found Jordan Hamel, an engineering student, who is working on an education technology app. Since I recently launched a mobile app of my own, I reached out to Jordan so we could connect and share ideas. Next, I found Jeff Herb, an Instructional Technology Director at a high school in Illinois. Jeff's Twitter profile led me to his web site, Instructional Tech Talk, a veritable treasure trove of technology resources. Jeff's site guided me to an article about the educational tool, eBackpack, a site that provides an online storage area where students can easily maintain and organize activities. Next, I found Roxanna Elden, a teacher and writer. Her Twitter profile routed me to a website that describes her book, See Me After Class. I read a review by Education Week, which said Elden's book has "a heavy dose of practicality, a dash of cynicism, and wry humor." I was intrigued and moments later, I was on Amazon.com downloading See Me After Class to my Kindle. In about 45 minutes of perusing the Twitter PLN of one of my favorite teachers, I found an educator with a common interest, an edtech teacher who edits a powerful website, and I discovered a new online tool I may wish to use with my own students. Oh, and I found a new author and added an education book to my library. By the way, all of this was free professional developmet (although I did purchase Elden's book). I could have attended a day-long workshop, which would have cost hundreds of dollars and consumed my entire Saturday. The learning would have been negligible. Instead, I spent a wonderful 45 minutes in the comforts of my own home, sipping hot coffee, and I learned more than I have in the last five workshops I've attended. So, you see, if you're not using Twitter, you're missing out on the best free education PD, period! Learn more about Twitter today.   Mark's new book, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom is available for preorder from ASCD here. Sat, 03 Nov 2012 20:40:04 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Twitter-is-the-best-education-PD-Period-And-it39s-free/blog/6445261/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-11-03T20:40:04Z Blogs ASCD EDge Since I was wake at 5 AM on a Saturday (don't ask), I figured it was a good time to update my Personal Learning Network on Twitter. For years, I've been saying Twitter is the best free professional development tool available; I even teach an online course at two colleges on the subject. Not familiar with the power of Twitter? You doubt the veracity of my proclamation? Check out the amazing PD and personal enrichment I got on an early Saturday morning. With the intention of growing my PLN, I went to one of my favorite educators, Shelly Terrell. One of the most energetic and brilliant teachers I know (by the way, I met Shelly on Twitter and later at the ISTE conference), I know she follows remarkable people in education, business, leadership and entrepreneurship, so I figured I couldn't go wrong following some of the people in Shelly's PLN. Soon, I found Jordan Hamel, an engineering student, who is working on an education technology app. Since I recently launched a mobile app of my own, I reached out to Jordan so we could connect and share ideas. Next, I found Jeff Herb, an Instructional Technology Director at a high school in Illinois. Jeff's Twitter profile led me to his web site, Instructional Tech Talk, a veritable treasure trove of technology resources. Jeff's site guided me to an article about the educational tool, eBackpack, a site that provides an online storage area where students can easily maintain and organize activities. Next, I found Roxanna Elden, a teacher and writer. Her Twitter profile routed me to a website that describes her book, See Me After Class. I read a review by Education Week, which said Elden's book has "a heavy dose of practicality, a dash of cynicism, and wry humor." I was intrigued and moments later, I was on Amazon.com downloading See Me After Class to my Kindle. In about 45 minutes of perusing the Twitter PLN of one of my favorite teachers, I found an educator with a common interest, an edtech teacher who edits a powerful website, and I discovered a new online tool I may wish to use with my own students. Oh, and I found a new author and added an education book to my library. By the way, all of this was free professional developmet (although I did purchase Elden's book). I could have attended a day-long workshop, which would have cost hundreds of dollars and consumed my entire Saturday. The learning would have been negligible. Instead, I spent a wonderful 45 minutes in the comforts of my own home, sipping hot coffee, and I learned more than I have in the last five workshops I've attended. So, you see, if you're not using Twitter, you're missing out on the best free education PD, period! Learn more about Twitter today.   Mark's new book, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom is available for preorder from ASCD here. blogs, books, edtech, pln, professional development, social media, technology, twitter nonadult false Twitter is the best education PD, Period! And it's free! text blog blogs,books,edtech,pln,professional development,social media,technology,twitter 2746 1 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6445261 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_KidBlog-makes-content-sharing-easy/blog/6346549/127586.html KidBlog rolls out Secret Code for simple student registration   KidBlog, arguably the easiest, safest and best education blogging platform available, has upgraded its features. There's lots of fun for students with a library of avatar graphics and new themes, but what teachers will likely enjoy most is KidBlog's new Secret Code feature. When the Secret Code feature is enabled, teachers can share the code with their students, and students simply click the Secret Code button on KidBlog's home page, and type in the code. From there, students are taken to a simple registration page, where they type in their display name and a password that they select.   Teachers no longer have to create student logins, which saves time and frustration. Now, your students can be blogging in minutes. Best of all, they'll love learning more than ever.   This is cross posted at www.learnitin5.com. KidBlog rolls out Secret Code for simple student registration   KidBlog, arguably the easiest, safest and best education blogging platform available, has upgraded its features. There's lots of fun for students with a library of avatar graphics and new themes, but what teachers will likely enjoy most is KidBlog's new Secret Code feature. When the Secret Code feature is enabled, teachers can share the code with their students, and students simply click the Secret Code button on KidBlog's home page, and type in the code. From there, students are taken to a simple registration page, where they type in their display name and a password that they select.   Teachers no longer have to create student logins, which saves time and frustration. Now, your students can be blogging in minutes. Best of all, they'll love learning more than ever.   This is cross posted at www.learnitin5.com. Tue, 18 Sep 2012 02:51:16 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_KidBlog-makes-content-sharing-easy/blog/6346549/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-09-18T02:51:16Z Blogs ASCD EDge KidBlog rolls out Secret Code for simple student registration   KidBlog, arguably the easiest, safest and best education blogging platform available, has upgraded its features. There's lots of fun for students with a library of avatar graphics and new themes, but what teachers will likely enjoy most is KidBlog's new Secret Code feature. When the Secret Code feature is enabled, teachers can share the code with their students, and students simply click the Secret Code button on KidBlog's home page, and type in the code. From there, students are taken to a simple registration page, where they type in their display name and a password that they select.   Teachers no longer have to create student logins, which saves time and frustration. Now, your students can be blogging in minutes. Best of all, they'll love learning more than ever.   This is cross posted at www.learnitin5.com. blogging, blogs, how-to, kidblog, sharing, student blogging, tutorial, writing nonadult false KidBlog makes content sharing easy text blog blogging,blogs,how-to,kidblog,sharing,student blogging,tutorial,writing 1028 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6346549 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Web-Tools-to-Get-Students-Sharing/blog/6307653/127586.html Engaging students with Web 2.0 tools is a wonderful way to get them sharing content. Here are a few easy-to-use, amazing free tools. VoiceThread -- VoiceThread allows teachers to create a Welcome Board, where students can easily answer questions by typing or speaking a message. Have them introduce themselves on a classroom VoiceThread, and they'll be talking up a storm. Animoto -- A web-based movie creation tool, Animoto provides a platform for uploading pictures and text, which can then be set to music. Students can create brief, 30-second videos that share their interests. Animoto offers an educator account, so teachers can create student accounts for longer video mixes. Lino -- An online post-it note application, Lino is great for adding photos, video, text and graphics. Students can create cork boards that introduce themselves and easily share them with the class. Slide.ly -- Creating slide shows with your own content or content you find on the Internet is extremely easy with Slide.ly. Have students upload pictures from their computer, from Facebook, Google Images, Flickr and other places, arrange the pictures, add music and share with peers or friends. Thinglink -- A great tool students can use to find images that they like, while demonstrating their tagging/writing abilities. Thinglink allows quick location and tagging of photos around the Internet. Easy and fun to use. Wallwisher -- One of the quickest ways to get students talking about themselves and sharing with peers is with Wallwisher. This web-based cork board, creates a backdrop for quick post-it notes and pictures. Teachers create the board and students simply click on it, get a post-it note and add their name and content for all to see. Qwiki -- Students can share pictures, videos and content from around the Internet with Qwiki. Students can create a topic of interest, locate pictures and other content, that Qwiki finds. Then, students can quickly narrate their video. Qwiki is easy and fun. Stixy -- Another quick-and-easy post-it program, Stixy is a fun way for students to add content in a variety of ways. Unlike some post-it programs, Stixy allows documents to be added, which is nice for returning students who have content saved on a school's server that the students might want to share with the class. Do you have any amazing web tools that you'd like to share? If so, please tell us in the comment section.   This is cross-posted at www.learnitin5.com Engaging students with Web 2.0 tools is a wonderful way to get them sharing content. Here are a few easy-to-use, amazing free tools. VoiceThread -- VoiceThread allows teachers to create a Welcome Board, where students can easily answer questions by typing or speaking a message. Have them introduce themselves on a classroom VoiceThread, and they'll be talking up a storm. Animoto -- A web-based movie creation tool, Animoto provides a platform for uploading pictures and text, which can then be set to music. Students can create brief, 30-second videos that share their interests. Animoto offers an educator account, so teachers can create student accounts for longer video mixes. Lino -- An online post-it note application, Lino is great for adding photos, video, text and graphics. Students can create cork boards that introduce themselves and easily share them with the class. Slide.ly -- Creating slide shows with your own content or content you find on the Internet is extremely easy with Slide.ly. Have students upload pictures from their computer, from Facebook, Google Images, Flickr and other places, arrange the pictures, add music and share with peers or friends. Thinglink -- A great tool students can use to find images that they like, while demonstrating their tagging/writing abilities. Thinglink allows quick location and tagging of photos around the Internet. Easy and fun to use. Wallwisher -- One of the quickest ways to get students talking about themselves and sharing with peers is with Wallwisher. This web-based cork board, creates a backdrop for quick post-it notes and pictures. Teachers create the board and students simply click on it, get a post-it note and add their name and content for all to see. Qwiki -- Students can share pictures, videos and content from around the Internet with Qwiki. Students can create a topic of interest, locate pictures and other content, that Qwiki finds. Then, students can quickly narrate their video. Qwiki is easy and fun. Stixy -- Another quick-and-easy post-it program, Stixy is a fun way for students to add content in a variety of ways. Unlike some post-it programs, Stixy allows documents to be added, which is nice for returning students who have content saved on a school's server that the students might want to share with the class. Do you have any amazing web tools that you'd like to share? If so, please tell us in the comment section.   This is cross-posted at www.learnitin5.com Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:08:31 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Web-Tools-to-Get-Students-Sharing/blog/6307653/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-08-29T11:08:31Z Blogs ASCD EDge Engaging students with Web 2.0 tools is a wonderful way to get them sharing content. Here are a few easy-to-use, amazing free tools. VoiceThread -- VoiceThread allows teachers to create a Welcome Board, where students can easily answer questions by typing or speaking a message. Have them introduce themselves on a classroom VoiceThread, and they'll be talking up a storm. Animoto -- A web-based movie creation tool, Animoto provides a platform for uploading pictures and text, which can then be set to music. Students can create brief, 30-second videos that share their interests. Animoto offers an educator account, so teachers can create student accounts for longer video mixes. Lino -- An online post-it note application, Lino is great for adding photos, video, text and graphics. Students can create cork boards that introduce themselves and easily share them with the class. Slide.ly -- Creating slide shows with your own content or content you find on the Internet is extremely easy with Slide.ly. Have students upload pictures from their computer, from Facebook, Google Images, Flickr and other places, arrange the pictures, add music and share with peers or friends. Thinglink -- A great tool students can use to find images that they like, while demonstrating their tagging/writing abilities. Thinglink allows quick location and tagging of photos around the Internet. Easy and fun to use. Wallwisher -- One of the quickest ways to get students talking about themselves and sharing with peers is with Wallwisher. This web-based cork board, creates a backdrop for quick post-it notes and pictures. Teachers create the board and students simply click on it, get a post-it note and add their name and content for all to see. Qwiki -- Students can share pictures, videos and content from around the Internet with Qwiki. Students can create a topic of interest, locate pictures and other content, that Qwiki finds. Then, students can quickly narrate their video. Qwiki is easy and fun. Stixy -- Another quick-and-easy post-it program, Stixy is a fun way for students to add content in a variety of ways. Unlike some post-it programs, Stixy allows documents to be added, which is nice for returning students who have content saved on a school's server that the students might want to share with the class. Do you have any amazing web tools that you'd like to share? If so, please tell us in the comment section.   This is cross-posted at www.learnitin5.com animoto, blogs, presentation, resources, sharing, voicethread, web20, web tools nonadult false Web Tools to Get Students Sharing text blog animoto,blogs,presentation,resources,sharing,voicethread,web20,web tools 837 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6307653 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Top-five-reasons-to-eliminate-guided-reading/blog/6246557/127586.html For more than a decade, I bored my language arts students to tears with guided reading activities. We'd read one novel for six weeks, analyzing every chapter, completing vocabulary worksheets and fill-in-the-blank plot charts. Then, after one truly amazing summer of research, I decided to stop the guided reading madness forever. Here are the top 5 reasons to eliminate guided reading in your classroom.   5. Guided reading does not teach reading -- The most undeniable research on this subject has been completed in over 40 years of study by literacy expert Stephen Krashen, who says that the best way to teach reading is to put books in kids' hands and get out of their way. See www.sdkrashen.com for plenty on this subject.   4. Guided reading work is boring -- Put a fill-in-the-blank worksheet in a student's hands and watch how quickly she rolls her eyes. Students driven to get good grades may complete the work, but they'll hate it for sure, as they long to read books they enjoy.   3. Guided reading stifles readers -- While you're spending 4-6 weeks on that one so-called classic novel, enthusiastic readers are dying to move on to something different. Instead of encouraging a love of reading, teachers who spend several fortnights in one book are inhibiting good readers' abilities to get better.   2. Guided reading is about teacher control -- When teachers tell students what they have to read and what they should think the theme of a novel is, this is about teacher control, which is really an extension bad discipline practice. Guided reading inhibits independent reading, which is always best, as it encourages a love of books.   1. Guided reading teaches students to hate books -- All those years that I used guided reading, maybe 20 percent of my students read more than one or two novels in a year. The avid readers might have read five to 10 on their own. Since I've abandoned guided reading and gone to an aggressive, year-long independent reading program, my average student reads 30 books during the school year. Some read 60-90, and those who enter the year as reluctant readers finish 10-15 books. After mini-lessons on book structure and context clues, they read, write about and discuss their books daily. A year-long independent reading progect is the best teacher and should always be the choice over guided reading. For more than a decade, I bored my language arts students to tears with guided reading activities. We'd read one novel for six weeks, analyzing every chapter, completing vocabulary worksheets and fill-in-the-blank plot charts. Then, after one truly amazing summer of research, I decided to stop the guided reading madness forever. Here are the top 5 reasons to eliminate guided reading in your classroom.   5. Guided reading does not teach reading -- The most undeniable research on this subject has been completed in over 40 years of study by literacy expert Stephen Krashen, who says that the best way to teach reading is to put books in kids' hands and get out of their way. See www.sdkrashen.com for plenty on this subject.   4. Guided reading work is boring -- Put a fill-in-the-blank worksheet in a student's hands and watch how quickly she rolls her eyes. Students driven to get good grades may complete the work, but they'll hate it for sure, as they long to read books they enjoy.   3. Guided reading stifles readers -- While you're spending 4-6 weeks on that one so-called classic novel, enthusiastic readers are dying to move on to something different. Instead of encouraging a love of reading, teachers who spend several fortnights in one book are inhibiting good readers' abilities to get better.   2. Guided reading is about teacher control -- When teachers tell students what they have to read and what they should think the theme of a novel is, this is about teacher control, which is really an extension bad discipline practice. Guided reading inhibits independent reading, which is always best, as it encourages a love of books.   1. Guided reading teaches students to hate books -- All those years that I used guided reading, maybe 20 percent of my students read more than one or two novels in a year. The avid readers might have read five to 10 on their own. Since I've abandoned guided reading and gone to an aggressive, year-long independent reading program, my average student reads 30 books during the school year. Some read 60-90, and those who enter the year as reluctant readers finish 10-15 books. After mini-lessons on book structure and context clues, they read, write about and discuss their books daily. A year-long independent reading progect is the best teacher and should always be the choice over guided reading. Sat, 28 Jul 2012 01:25:52 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Top-five-reasons-to-eliminate-guided-reading/blog/6246557/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-07-28T01:25:52Z Blogs ASCD EDge For more than a decade, I bored my language arts students to tears with guided reading activities. We'd read one novel for six weeks, analyzing every chapter, completing vocabulary worksheets and fill-in-the-blank plot charts. Then, after one truly amazing summer of research, I decided to stop the guided reading madness forever. Here are the top 5 reasons to eliminate guided reading in your classroom.   5. Guided reading does not teach reading -- The most undeniable research on this subject has been completed in over 40 years of study by literacy expert Stephen Krashen, who says that the best way to teach reading is to put books in kids' hands and get out of their way. See www.sdkrashen.com for plenty on this subject.   4. Guided reading work is boring -- Put a fill-in-the-blank worksheet in a student's hands and watch how quickly she rolls her eyes. Students driven to get good grades may complete the work, but they'll hate it for sure, as they long to read books they enjoy.   3. Guided reading stifles readers -- While you're spending 4-6 weeks on that one so-called classic novel, enthusiastic readers are dying to move on to something different. Instead of encouraging a love of reading, teachers who spend several fortnights in one book are inhibiting good readers' abilities to get better.   2. Guided reading is about teacher control -- When teachers tell students what they have to read and what they should think the theme of a novel is, this is about teacher control, which is really an extension bad discipline practice. Guided reading inhibits independent reading, which is always best, as it encourages a love of books.   1. Guided reading teaches students to hate books -- All those years that I used guided reading, maybe 20 percent of my students read more than one or two novels in a year. The avid readers might have read five to 10 on their own. Since I've abandoned guided reading and gone to an aggressive, year-long independent reading program, my average student reads 30 books during the school year. Some read 60-90, and those who enter the year as reluctant readers finish 10-15 books. After mini-lessons on book structure and context clues, they read, write about and discuss their books daily. A year-long independent reading progect is the best teacher and should always be the choice over guided reading. blogs, books, guided reading, independent reading, reading, ssr, top 5 reasons nonadult false Top five reasons to eliminate guided reading text blog blogs,books,guided reading,independent reading,reading,ssr,top 5 reasons 5266 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 2 Blogs 0 6246557 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Common-Core-Standards-The-Monster-Approaches/blog/6232923/127586.html The education blogosphere is rife with posts about the Common Core State Standards. This monster is approaching fast, and it's scarier than any of Spiderman's evil foes (pick your movie version). Think I'm overstating? Check out what one blogger says: "Ultimately, state leaders—educators among them—need to decide what expectations students across the state will be held to." This perspective underscores the danger that the monster presents. Why should a state leader, who has never been in my classroom, who has no idea of the needs of my students, decide what the expectations are? This arrogant notion CCSS authors have -- that they know what's best for my students -- is as bad, perhaps worse, than the monster we currently have. The education blogosphere is rife with posts about the Common Core State Standards. This monster is approaching fast, and it's scarier than any of Spiderman's evil foes (pick your movie version). Think I'm overstating? Check out what one blogger says: "Ultimately, state leaders—educators among them—need to decide what expectations students across the state will be held to." This perspective underscores the danger that the monster presents. Why should a state leader, who has never been in my classroom, who has no idea of the needs of my students, decide what the expectations are? This arrogant notion CCSS authors have -- that they know what's best for my students -- is as bad, perhaps worse, than the monster we currently have. Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:39:04 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Common-Core-Standards-The-Monster-Approaches/blog/6232923/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-07-19T00:39:04Z Blogs ASCD EDge The education blogosphere is rife with posts about the Common Core State Standards. This monster is approaching fast, and it's scarier than any of Spiderman's evil foes (pick your movie version). Think I'm overstating? Check out what one blogger says: "Ultimately, state leaders—educators among them—need to decide what expectations students across the state will be held to." This perspective underscores the danger that the monster presents. Why should a state leader, who has never been in my classroom, who has no idea of the needs of my students, decide what the expectations are? This arrogant notion CCSS authors have -- that they know what's best for my students -- is as bad, perhaps worse, than the monster we currently have. blogs, ccss, common core state standards nonadult false Common Core Standards: The Monster Approaches text blog blogs,ccss,common core state standards 1006 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6232923 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Top-five-reasons-to-eliminate-classroom-rules/blog/6205171/127586.html Classroom rules and their accompanying consequences are old school; they are crutches used by teachers who are afraid to move into a student-centered, progressive classroom. Here are my top five reasons for eliminating rules and consequences in the classroom.   5. Classroom rules are about control - The best way to create an adversarial relationship with kids is to control them. Using "if-then" procedures will make for a controlling, combative atmosphere that students will hate. 4. Classroom rules impede freedom - Listing a bunch of Do's and Don'ts creates an environment in which students feel they have no choices. They can't chew gum, can't move from their seat, can't talk to their neighbors. This makes them wonder what they can do. 3. Classroom rules discourage learning - A room that is governed by rules and consequences keeps students on edge. The controlling, combative teacher makes students nervous. They can't move, they can't talk, and they don't dare ask to go to the bathroom. Who on earth could concentrate on learning in this environment? 2. Classroom rules make teaching integrity impossible - French philosopher Albert Camus said, "Integrity has no need for rules." Integrity is a difficult concept to teach kids, and a classroom founded on rules and consequences makes understanding it difficult. After all, as Camus suggests, people of integrity shouldn't need rules and consequences. 1. Classroom rules create disruption - Rules and consequences inspire the very thing that teachers want to eliminate, class disruption. With all of their freedoms taken away and faced with a controlling adult, many students feel challenged to disrupt. After all, they certainly aren't encouraged to learn in a rules-and-consequences world. Classroom rules and their accompanying consequences are old school; they are crutches used by teachers who are afraid to move into a student-centered, progressive classroom. Here are my top five reasons for eliminating rules and consequences in the classroom.   5. Classroom rules are about control - The best way to create an adversarial relationship with kids is to control them. Using "if-then" procedures will make for a controlling, combative atmosphere that students will hate. 4. Classroom rules impede freedom - Listing a bunch of Do's and Don'ts creates an environment in which students feel they have no choices. They can't chew gum, can't move from their seat, can't talk to their neighbors. This makes them wonder what they can do. 3. Classroom rules discourage learning - A room that is governed by rules and consequences keeps students on edge. The controlling, combative teacher makes students nervous. They can't move, they can't talk, and they don't dare ask to go to the bathroom. Who on earth could concentrate on learning in this environment? 2. Classroom rules make teaching integrity impossible - French philosopher Albert Camus said, "Integrity has no need for rules." Integrity is a difficult concept to teach kids, and a classroom founded on rules and consequences makes understanding it difficult. After all, as Camus suggests, people of integrity shouldn't need rules and consequences. 1. Classroom rules create disruption - Rules and consequences inspire the very thing that teachers want to eliminate, class disruption. With all of their freedoms taken away and faced with a controlling adult, many students feel challenged to disrupt. After all, they certainly aren't encouraged to learn in a rules-and-consequences world. Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:51:36 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Top-five-reasons-to-eliminate-classroom-rules/blog/6205171/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-07-02T00:51:36Z Blogs ASCD EDge Classroom rules and their accompanying consequences are old school; they are crutches used by teachers who are afraid to move into a student-centered, progressive classroom. Here are my top five reasons for eliminating rules and consequences in the classroom.   5. Classroom rules are about control - The best way to create an adversarial relationship with kids is to control them. Using "if-then" procedures will make for a controlling, combative atmosphere that students will hate. 4. Classroom rules impede freedom - Listing a bunch of Do's and Don'ts creates an environment in which students feel they have no choices. They can't chew gum, can't move from their seat, can't talk to their neighbors. This makes them wonder what they can do. 3. Classroom rules discourage learning - A room that is governed by rules and consequences keeps students on edge. The controlling, combative teacher makes students nervous. They can't move, they can't talk, and they don't dare ask to go to the bathroom. Who on earth could concentrate on learning in this environment? 2. Classroom rules make teaching integrity impossible - French philosopher Albert Camus said, "Integrity has no need for rules." Integrity is a difficult concept to teach kids, and a classroom founded on rules and consequences makes understanding it difficult. After all, as Camus suggests, people of integrity shouldn't need rules and consequences. 1. Classroom rules create disruption - Rules and consequences inspire the very thing that teachers want to eliminate, class disruption. With all of their freedoms taken away and faced with a controlling adult, many students feel challenged to disrupt. After all, they certainly aren't encouraged to learn in a rules-and-consequences world. blogs, classroom management, classroom rules, consequences, discipline, disruption, rules, rules and consequences nonadult false Top five reasons to eliminate classroom rules text blog blogs,classroom management,classroom rules,consequences,discipline,disruption,rules,rules and consequences 3477 11 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 6 Blogs 0 6205171 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Encouraging-independent-learning/blog/6195393/127586.html Several times, I've commented on blog posts that a teacher's ultimate goal should be to create a love of learning in students. Students should want to learn for learning's sake -- not because I tell them to learn something and certainly not for a grade. My contention that creating a lifelong independent learners is paramount in education is often a point of contention in the blogosphere. "Why should creating independent learners be the ultimate goal in education?" one inquisitive reader recently asked. This seems so easy that I'm amazed by the question. Is there another, better, goal for teachers?  Several times, I've commented on blog posts that a teacher's ultimate goal should be to create a love of learning in students. Students should want to learn for learning's sake -- not because I tell them to learn something and certainly not for a grade. My contention that creating a lifelong independent learners is paramount in education is often a point of contention in the blogosphere. "Why should creating independent learners be the ultimate goal in education?" one inquisitive reader recently asked. This seems so easy that I'm amazed by the question. Is there another, better, goal for teachers?  Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:01:07 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Encouraging-independent-learning/blog/6195393/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-06-27T13:01:07Z Blogs ASCD EDge Several times, I've commented on blog posts that a teacher's ultimate goal should be to create a love of learning in students. Students should want to learn for learning's sake -- not because I tell them to learn something and certainly not for a grade. My contention that creating a lifelong independent learners is paramount in education is often a point of contention in the blogosphere. "Why should creating independent learners be the ultimate goal in education?" one inquisitive reader recently asked. This seems so easy that I'm amazed by the question. Is there another, better, goal for teachers?  blog, blogs, grades, independent learners, learning nonadult false Encouraging independent learning text blog blog,blogs,grades,independent learners,learning 531 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6195393 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Am-I-a-great-teacher-or-am-I-an-awful-one/blog/6189217/127586.html The new trend in public education is to measure teacher accountability, based on standardized test results. Using this year's results, the state of Ohio must deem me an awful teacher. Wait a minute, Ohio must think I'm a great teacher. Hmm., which am I?   The list of problems with this ill-conceived system is far too long to place in one blog  post, so I'll discuss the one issue that would top the list that makes teacher accountability based on a test impossible.   I call this issue, uncontrollable factors.   For example, one of my students who failed the reading test -- solely my fault, according to the state of Ohio -- had many personal problems that severely minimized her interest in language arts and other subjects. She missed 25 days of school. She was suspended from school four times. She received 14 grades of D or F on her report card throughout the year. Her parents never responded to any of my innumerable calls during the second half of the year.    While my average student read 28 books during the school year, she read two.What could possibly motivate this child to put in her best effort on a two and a half hour reading test?   Conversely, I have many students who scored close to perfect on the reading test. They are avid readers, scholar-athletes, student government leaders and have marvelous parents who encourage a love of  learning both in and out of school. According to the state of Ohio, I am solely responsible for their fine efforts on the achievement test.   I have little, if any, control over the out-of-class lives of either the poor students or the excellent ones.   So, am I an awful teacher or am I a great one?   To continue the conversation, follow me on Twitter. Cross-posted at The Results Only Learning Blog The new trend in public education is to measure teacher accountability, based on standardized test results. Using this year's results, the state of Ohio must deem me an awful teacher. Wait a minute, Ohio must think I'm a great teacher. Hmm., which am I?   The list of problems with this ill-conceived system is far too long to place in one blog  post, so I'll discuss the one issue that would top the list that makes teacher accountability based on a test impossible.   I call this issue, uncontrollable factors.   For example, one of my students who failed the reading test -- solely my fault, according to the state of Ohio -- had many personal problems that severely minimized her interest in language arts and other subjects. She missed 25 days of school. She was suspended from school four times. She received 14 grades of D or F on her report card throughout the year. Her parents never responded to any of my innumerable calls during the second half of the year.    While my average student read 28 books during the school year, she read two.What could possibly motivate this child to put in her best effort on a two and a half hour reading test?   Conversely, I have many students who scored close to perfect on the reading test. They are avid readers, scholar-athletes, student government leaders and have marvelous parents who encourage a love of  learning both in and out of school. According to the state of Ohio, I am solely responsible for their fine efforts on the achievement test.   I have little, if any, control over the out-of-class lives of either the poor students or the excellent ones.   So, am I an awful teacher or am I a great one?   To continue the conversation, follow me on Twitter. Cross-posted at The Results Only Learning Blog Sat, 23 Jun 2012 15:52:11 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Am-I-a-great-teacher-or-am-I-an-awful-one/blog/6189217/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-06-23T15:52:11Z Blogs ASCD EDge The new trend in public education is to measure teacher accountability, based on standardized test results. Using this year's results, the state of Ohio must deem me an awful teacher. Wait a minute, Ohio must think I'm a great teacher. Hmm., which am I?   The list of problems with this ill-conceived system is far too long to place in one blog  post, so I'll discuss the one issue that would top the list that makes teacher accountability based on a test impossible.   I call this issue, uncontrollable factors.   For example, one of my students who failed the reading test -- solely my fault, according to the state of Ohio -- had many personal problems that severely minimized her interest in language arts and other subjects. She missed 25 days of school. She was suspended from school four times. She received 14 grades of D or F on her report card throughout the year. Her parents never responded to any of my innumerable calls during the second half of the year.    While my average student read 28 books during the school year, she read two.What could possibly motivate this child to put in her best effort on a two and a half hour reading test?   Conversely, I have many students who scored close to perfect on the reading test. They are avid readers, scholar-athletes, student government leaders and have marvelous parents who encourage a love of  learning both in and out of school. According to the state of Ohio, I am solely responsible for their fine efforts on the achievement test.   I have little, if any, control over the out-of-class lives of either the poor students or the excellent ones.   So, am I an awful teacher or am I a great one?   To continue the conversation, follow me on Twitter. Cross-posted at The Results Only Learning Blog accountability, blogs, common core, standardized tests, teacher accountability, testing nonadult false Am I a great teacher or am I an awful one? text blog accountability,blogs,common core,standardized tests,teacher accountability,testing 493 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6189217 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Is-a-national-homework-policy-possible/blog/6182737/127586.html The organization Race to Nowhere is taking serious action against the never-ending homework that is crushing students' love of  learning. The group will meet with the National PTA, in hopes of gaining traction in a movement to create an acceptable national homework policy. They will show this amazing video at the converence. What are your thoughts on a national homework policy, and what should it be?     The organization Race to Nowhere is taking serious action against the never-ending homework that is crushing students' love of  learning. The group will meet with the National PTA, in hopes of gaining traction in a movement to create an acceptable national homework policy. They will show this amazing video at the converence. What are your thoughts on a national homework policy, and what should it be?     Tue, 19 Jun 2012 22:26:34 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Is-a-national-homework-policy-possible/blog/6182737/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-06-19T22:26:34Z ASCD EDge The organization Race to Nowhere is taking serious action against the never-ending homework that is crushing students' love of  learning. The group will meet with the National PTA, in hopes of gaining traction in a movement to create an acceptable national homework policy. They will show this amazing video at the converence. What are your thoughts on a national homework policy, and what should it be?     homework, homework policy, national pta, race to nowhere nonadult false Is a national homework policy possible? text blog homework,homework policy,national pta,race to nowhere 350 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 0 6182737 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Five-Reasons-I-Hate-the-Common-Core/blog/6174687/127586.html It seems that educators and bureaucrats nationwide are putting every spin possible on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), in an effort to get teachers to accept the idea that the common core movement will revolutionize education. I, for one, am not buying this. In fact, I'll give you five reasons I hate the common core. 5 -- Common Core State Standards discourage creativity. Teachers have been teaching X + Y = Z forever. However, the way a teacher in Ohio teaches it will, in most cases, be far different from how a teacher in Florida teaches it. Isn't this what makes education unique and interesting? 4 -- Common Core State Standards discourage reading fiction - By 2015, the goal is that 70 percent of what students read will be nonfiction. A love of reading helps students learn. My 105 students read over 3,000 books this school year. Eighty percent of those were novels. 3 -- Common Core State Standards narrow the curriculum - It's difficult to explore the nuances of a subject, when you are chained to a book of standards that administrators say must be taught in one 9-month school year. 2 -- Common Core State Standards are poorly written - This is a second-grade standard: "Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section." Seriously? Did a second-grader write this? 1 -- Common Core State Standards are unnecessary - The notions that accountability is necessary and that students are achieving less than in past years are created by bureaucrats and encouraged by the publishing lobby. College enrollment was at an all-time high in 2009 and is holding steady in 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fewer students are dropping out of high school now than they did prior to No Child Left Behind. So, why do we need Common Core State Standards? Could it be to build the coffers of the publishing companies, who create the "teach-to-the-test" tutorial programs?   Follow me on Twitter, where we can continue the conversation. It seems that educators and bureaucrats nationwide are putting every spin possible on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), in an effort to get teachers to accept the idea that the common core movement will revolutionize education. I, for one, am not buying this. In fact, I'll give you five reasons I hate the common core. 5 -- Common Core State Standards discourage creativity. Teachers have been teaching X + Y = Z forever. However, the way a teacher in Ohio teaches it will, in most cases, be far different from how a teacher in Florida teaches it. Isn't this what makes education unique and interesting? 4 -- Common Core State Standards discourage reading fiction - By 2015, the goal is that 70 percent of what students read will be nonfiction. A love of reading helps students learn. My 105 students read over 3,000 books this school year. Eighty percent of those were novels. 3 -- Common Core State Standards narrow the curriculum - It's difficult to explore the nuances of a subject, when you are chained to a book of standards that administrators say must be taught in one 9-month school year. 2 -- Common Core State Standards are poorly written - This is a second-grade standard: "Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section." Seriously? Did a second-grader write this? 1 -- Common Core State Standards are unnecessary - The notions that accountability is necessary and that students are achieving less than in past years are created by bureaucrats and encouraged by the publishing lobby. College enrollment was at an all-time high in 2009 and is holding steady in 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fewer students are dropping out of high school now than they did prior to No Child Left Behind. So, why do we need Common Core State Standards? Could it be to build the coffers of the publishing companies, who create the "teach-to-the-test" tutorial programs?   Follow me on Twitter, where we can continue the conversation. Sat, 16 Jun 2012 01:27:59 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Five-Reasons-I-Hate-the-Common-Core/blog/6174687/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-06-16T01:27:59Z Blogs ASCD EDge It seems that educators and bureaucrats nationwide are putting every spin possible on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), in an effort to get teachers to accept the idea that the common core movement will revolutionize education. I, for one, am not buying this. In fact, I'll give you five reasons I hate the common core. 5 -- Common Core State Standards discourage creativity. Teachers have been teaching X + Y = Z forever. However, the way a teacher in Ohio teaches it will, in most cases, be far different from how a teacher in Florida teaches it. Isn't this what makes education unique and interesting? 4 -- Common Core State Standards discourage reading fiction - By 2015, the goal is that 70 percent of what students read will be nonfiction. A love of reading helps students learn. My 105 students read over 3,000 books this school year. Eighty percent of those were novels. 3 -- Common Core State Standards narrow the curriculum - It's difficult to explore the nuances of a subject, when you are chained to a book of standards that administrators say must be taught in one 9-month school year. 2 -- Common Core State Standards are poorly written - This is a second-grade standard: "Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section." Seriously? Did a second-grader write this? 1 -- Common Core State Standards are unnecessary - The notions that accountability is necessary and that students are achieving less than in past years are created by bureaucrats and encouraged by the publishing lobby. College enrollment was at an all-time high in 2009 and is holding steady in 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fewer students are dropping out of high school now than they did prior to No Child Left Behind. So, why do we need Common Core State Standards? Could it be to build the coffers of the publishing companies, who create the "teach-to-the-test" tutorial programs?   Follow me on Twitter, where we can continue the conversation. accountability, blogs, ccss, common core state standards, standardized assessment, standardized tests, standards nonadult false Five Reasons I Hate the Common Core text blog accountability,blogs,ccss,common core state standards,standardized assessment,standardized tests,standards 2190 11 4.81818 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6174687 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Administrators-need-to-figure-out-21st-century-assessment/blog/6116749/127586.html Many of my colleagues understand me. They don't agree with all of my methods, but the logic behind results-only learning is clear. Why, then, can't administrators get it? I've made it clear in many places, that narrative feedback is far more objective than grades. The SE2R method I use, eliminates the subjectivity that comes with numbers and letter grades. I tell a student what she did, explain how it matches learning outcomes, redirect her to a prior lesson if necessary and request a resubmission of any changed activity. Simple and objective enough, right? Not to a principal. Today, I was asked to share my "grades" on a particular student with a principal. After one quick glance at the lengthy, detailed narrative feedback left on our online grade book, she said, "So, it's just all of these subjective comments?" Of course, I quickly explained that my feedback was not subjective at all. In fact, I proclaimed, my feedback is far more objective than any points or percentages would be. The principal persisted. After reading feedback that ended in 'You have demonstrated mastery learning on this activity,' she looked at me quizzically and wondered aloud what the points on that activity would be. "I  assume it would be 100%," she stated. When I persisted that there are no points, percentages or grades, she strode off shaking her head. I started shaking my head, too, wondering when, and if, administrators will ever figure out 21st-century assessment.    This video is cross posted at www.resultsonlylearning.com Many of my colleagues understand me. They don't agree with all of my methods, but the logic behind results-only learning is clear. Why, then, can't administrators get it? I've made it clear in many places, that narrative feedback is far more objective than grades. The SE2R method I use, eliminates the subjectivity that comes with numbers and letter grades. I tell a student what she did, explain how it matches learning outcomes, redirect her to a prior lesson if necessary and request a resubmission of any changed activity. Simple and objective enough, right? Not to a principal. Today, I was asked to share my "grades" on a particular student with a principal. After one quick glance at the lengthy, detailed narrative feedback left on our online grade book, she said, "So, it's just all of these subjective comments?" Of course, I quickly explained that my feedback was not subjective at all. In fact, I proclaimed, my feedback is far more objective than any points or percentages would be. The principal persisted. After reading feedback that ended in 'You have demonstrated mastery learning on this activity,' she looked at me quizzically and wondered aloud what the points on that activity would be. "I  assume it would be 100%," she stated. When I persisted that there are no points, percentages or grades, she strode off shaking her head. I started shaking my head, too, wondering when, and if, administrators will ever figure out 21st-century assessment.    This video is cross posted at www.resultsonlylearning.com Sat, 26 May 2012 02:26:38 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Administrators-need-to-figure-out-21st-century-assessment/blog/6116749/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-05-26T02:26:38Z Blogs ASCD EDge Many of my colleagues understand me. They don't agree with all of my methods, but the logic behind results-only learning is clear. Why, then, can't administrators get it? I've made it clear in many places, that narrative feedback is far more objective than grades. The SE2R method I use, eliminates the subjectivity that comes with numbers and letter grades. I tell a student what she did, explain how it matches learning outcomes, redirect her to a prior lesson if necessary and request a resubmission of any changed activity. Simple and objective enough, right? Not to a principal. Today, I was asked to share my "grades" on a particular student with a principal. After one quick glance at the lengthy, detailed narrative feedback left on our online grade book, she said, "So, it's just all of these subjective comments?" Of course, I quickly explained that my feedback was not subjective at all. In fact, I proclaimed, my feedback is far more objective than any points or percentages would be. The principal persisted. After reading feedback that ended in 'You have demonstrated mastery learning on this activity,' she looked at me quizzically and wondered aloud what the points on that activity would be. "I  assume it would be 100%," she stated. When I persisted that there are no points, percentages or grades, she strode off shaking her head. I started shaking my head, too, wondering when, and if, administrators will ever figure out 21st-century assessment.    This video is cross posted at www.resultsonlylearning.com assessment, blogs, feedback, grades, grading, narrative feedback nonadult false Administrators need to figure out 21st century assessment text blog assessment,blogs,feedback,grades,grading,narrative feedback 420 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6116749 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Top-five-reasons-to-use-project-based-learning/blog/6096363/127586.html A Results Only Learning Environment is built on project-based learning. We collaborate daily in my classroom, and students work on year-long projects. Here are the top 5 reasons you should convert to a project-based class, if you haven't done so already. 5 - Project-based learning eliminates rows of desks. Pods of desks invite cooperation, which helps build a community of learners. 4 - Students take ownership of projects. Have you ever seen a student take ownership of a worksheet? 3 - Projects make it easy to throw out homework. Students enjoy projects, so they will choose to work on them outside of school. So, there's no need for useless homework. 2 - When students collaborate, discipline issues vanish. When students are actively working on an important project, in which they take pride, they become too engaged in the related activities and classroom management is never an issue. 1 - Projects help students develop a thirst for learning. Students are creating their own path to learning. They want to see their work grow, so they're willing to branch out, beyond teacher guidelines. This is what education should be.  A Results Only Learning Environment is built on project-based learning. We collaborate daily in my classroom, and students work on year-long projects. Here are the top 5 reasons you should convert to a project-based class, if you haven't done so already. 5 - Project-based learning eliminates rows of desks. Pods of desks invite cooperation, which helps build a community of learners. 4 - Students take ownership of projects. Have you ever seen a student take ownership of a worksheet? 3 - Projects make it easy to throw out homework. Students enjoy projects, so they will choose to work on them outside of school. So, there's no need for useless homework. 2 - When students collaborate, discipline issues vanish. When students are actively working on an important project, in which they take pride, they become too engaged in the related activities and classroom management is never an issue. 1 - Projects help students develop a thirst for learning. Students are creating their own path to learning. They want to see their work grow, so they're willing to branch out, beyond teacher guidelines. This is what education should be.  Sun, 20 May 2012 04:25:54 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Top-five-reasons-to-use-project-based-learning/blog/6096363/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-05-20T04:25:54Z Blogs ASCD EDge A Results Only Learning Environment is built on project-based learning. We collaborate daily in my classroom, and students work on year-long projects. Here are the top 5 reasons you should convert to a project-based class, if you haven't done so already. 5 - Project-based learning eliminates rows of desks. Pods of desks invite cooperation, which helps build a community of learners. 4 - Students take ownership of projects. Have you ever seen a student take ownership of a worksheet? 3 - Projects make it easy to throw out homework. Students enjoy projects, so they will choose to work on them outside of school. So, there's no need for useless homework. 2 - When students collaborate, discipline issues vanish. When students are actively working on an important project, in which they take pride, they become too engaged in the related activities and classroom management is never an issue. 1 - Projects help students develop a thirst for learning. Students are creating their own path to learning. They want to see their work grow, so they're willing to branch out, beyond teacher guidelines. This is what education should be.  assessment, blogs, grades, pbl, project-based learning, projects nonadult false Top five reasons to use project-based learning text blog assessment,blogs,grades,pbl,project-based learning,projects 1495 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6096363 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_It39s-time-to-abandon-rules-and-consequences/blog/6093565/127586.html If you are a product of Teach for America, you likely have all sorts of rules and consequences posted around your classroom. Your students may routinely write their names on the board -- branding themselves as troublemakers on the verge of doom. Subscribers of assertive discipline allow their students to think they are part of creating the discipline system -- a subtle manipulation. Teachers in these classrooms may be caught lavishing praise on the do-gooders and giving gentle reminders of punishments to the offenders. In a classroom based on results-only, there are no posted rules, and there is no praise when Sally brings her materials or Johnny comes  to class on time. This new classroom disdains these embarrassing methods, completely eliminating rules and consequences. A rule and its accompanying consequence is  nothing  more than a crutch for a teacher, who struggles to provide effective guidance within a learning community. Rules and consequences give a teacher a perceived sense of control. If you are skeptical about eliminating rules and consequences, try it for a while, even if you don't announce the experiment to your students. Replace reminders of rules with one-to-one discussions about the mutual respect that makes a learning community successful. For specific ways to eliminate rules and consequences, refer to this post. So, what do you think? Is a classroom with no rules and consequences possible?   We can discuss this further on Twitter. Cross posted at www.resultsonlylearning.com If you are a product of Teach for America, you likely have all sorts of rules and consequences posted around your classroom. Your students may routinely write their names on the board -- branding themselves as troublemakers on the verge of doom. Subscribers of assertive discipline allow their students to think they are part of creating the discipline system -- a subtle manipulation. Teachers in these classrooms may be caught lavishing praise on the do-gooders and giving gentle reminders of punishments to the offenders. In a classroom based on results-only, there are no posted rules, and there is no praise when Sally brings her materials or Johnny comes  to class on time. This new classroom disdains these embarrassing methods, completely eliminating rules and consequences. A rule and its accompanying consequence is  nothing  more than a crutch for a teacher, who struggles to provide effective guidance within a learning community. Rules and consequences give a teacher a perceived sense of control. If you are skeptical about eliminating rules and consequences, try it for a while, even if you don't announce the experiment to your students. Replace reminders of rules with one-to-one discussions about the mutual respect that makes a learning community successful. For specific ways to eliminate rules and consequences, refer to this post. So, what do you think? Is a classroom with no rules and consequences possible?   We can discuss this further on Twitter. Cross posted at www.resultsonlylearning.com Sat, 19 May 2012 04:53:56 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_It39s-time-to-abandon-rules-and-consequences/blog/6093565/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-05-19T04:53:56Z Blogs ASCD EDge If you are a product of Teach for America, you likely have all sorts of rules and consequences posted around your classroom. Your students may routinely write their names on the board -- branding themselves as troublemakers on the verge of doom. Subscribers of assertive discipline allow their students to think they are part of creating the discipline system -- a subtle manipulation. Teachers in these classrooms may be caught lavishing praise on the do-gooders and giving gentle reminders of punishments to the offenders. In a classroom based on results-only, there are no posted rules, and there is no praise when Sally brings her materials or Johnny comes  to class on time. This new classroom disdains these embarrassing methods, completely eliminating rules and consequences. A rule and its accompanying consequence is  nothing  more than a crutch for a teacher, who struggles to provide effective guidance within a learning community. Rules and consequences give a teacher a perceived sense of control. If you are skeptical about eliminating rules and consequences, try it for a while, even if you don't announce the experiment to your students. Replace reminders of rules with one-to-one discussions about the mutual respect that makes a learning community successful. For specific ways to eliminate rules and consequences, refer to this post. So, what do you think? Is a classroom with no rules and consequences possible?   We can discuss this further on Twitter. Cross posted at www.resultsonlylearning.com blogs, consequences, praise, punishment, rules, teach for america nonadult false It's time to abandon rules and consequences text blog blogs,consequences,praise,punishment,rules,teach for america 288 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6093565 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Put-away-that-mobile-device-or-else/blog/6027009/127586.html I recently suffered through one of those days that makes a teacher wonder if it isn't time to move to a different work place.   I work at a grade 7 and 8 middle school that is filled with wonderful teachers, counselors, administrators and support staff, many of whom will stop at nothing to help students learn. Some of them are quirky; some are funny. Some have marvelous ideas about how to make education better; some just wear a never-ending smile that always makes your day. Sounds great, right? So why would anyone complain about a place like this? The problem, you see, is that while these marvelous people are willing to go the extra mile for kids, many of them think the best way to do this is to control students. As I watched my students work cooperatively, independently, quietly and noisily in my results-only classroom, an e-mail landed in my inbox, quickly followed by another and several more -- all on the same subject. "This place is out of control, and it has to stop," was the gist of the lot. The students, it seems, are listening to their Mp3 players and iPods in the hallways, and the safety of the school, perhaps even that of the entire civilized world, is at stake. (Okay, that las part was poetic license run amok.) Still, a steady stream of loud complaints cascaded throughout teachers' email, demanding a change. By the end of the day, new policy was in place, scaring the bejesus out of any student who might give further thought to walking the halls with earbuds dangling. As you may have guessed, my take on this was quite different. Sadly, my suggestion to teach the students appropriate use, rather than take the devices away, was met with criticism. It makes me wonder, will we ever join the 21st century digital age? Or, do I need to look for a new place to hang my hat. . . and my iPod.    Follow me on Twitter, where we can continue the conversation. I recently suffered through one of those days that makes a teacher wonder if it isn't time to move to a different work place.   I work at a grade 7 and 8 middle school that is filled with wonderful teachers, counselors, administrators and support staff, many of whom will stop at nothing to help students learn. Some of them are quirky; some are funny. Some have marvelous ideas about how to make education better; some just wear a never-ending smile that always makes your day. Sounds great, right? So why would anyone complain about a place like this? The problem, you see, is that while these marvelous people are willing to go the extra mile for kids, many of them think the best way to do this is to control students. As I watched my students work cooperatively, independently, quietly and noisily in my results-only classroom, an e-mail landed in my inbox, quickly followed by another and several more -- all on the same subject. "This place is out of control, and it has to stop," was the gist of the lot. The students, it seems, are listening to their Mp3 players and iPods in the hallways, and the safety of the school, perhaps even that of the entire civilized world, is at stake. (Okay, that las part was poetic license run amok.) Still, a steady stream of loud complaints cascaded throughout teachers' email, demanding a change. By the end of the day, new policy was in place, scaring the bejesus out of any student who might give further thought to walking the halls with earbuds dangling. As you may have guessed, my take on this was quite different. Sadly, my suggestion to teach the students appropriate use, rather than take the devices away, was met with criticism. It makes me wonder, will we ever join the 21st century digital age? Or, do I need to look for a new place to hang my hat. . . and my iPod.    Follow me on Twitter, where we can continue the conversation. Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:27:11 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Put-away-that-mobile-device-or-else/blog/6027009/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-04-28T17:27:11Z Blogs ASCD EDge I recently suffered through one of those days that makes a teacher wonder if it isn't time to move to a different work place.   I work at a grade 7 and 8 middle school that is filled with wonderful teachers, counselors, administrators and support staff, many of whom will stop at nothing to help students learn. Some of them are quirky; some are funny. Some have marvelous ideas about how to make education better; some just wear a never-ending smile that always makes your day. Sounds great, right? So why would anyone complain about a place like this? The problem, you see, is that while these marvelous people are willing to go the extra mile for kids, many of them think the best way to do this is to control students. As I watched my students work cooperatively, independently, quietly and noisily in my results-only classroom, an e-mail landed in my inbox, quickly followed by another and several more -- all on the same subject. "This place is out of control, and it has to stop," was the gist of the lot. The students, it seems, are listening to their Mp3 players and iPods in the hallways, and the safety of the school, perhaps even that of the entire civilized world, is at stake. (Okay, that las part was poetic license run amok.) Still, a steady stream of loud complaints cascaded throughout teachers' email, demanding a change. By the end of the day, new policy was in place, scaring the bejesus out of any student who might give further thought to walking the halls with earbuds dangling. As you may have guessed, my take on this was quite different. Sadly, my suggestion to teach the students appropriate use, rather than take the devices away, was met with criticism. It makes me wonder, will we ever join the 21st century digital age? Or, do I need to look for a new place to hang my hat. . . and my iPod.    Follow me on Twitter, where we can continue the conversation. blogs, gadgets, mobile learning, technology nonadult false Put away that mobile device, or else text blog blogs,gadgets,mobile learning,technology 1328 11 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 6027009 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Would-you-stop-grading-just-for-one-unit/blog/5972113/127586.html What if you stopped grading, just for one unit of study? Don't put a number, percentage or letter on an activity, project, quiz or test. How would you evaluate your students? Is it even possible? What would replace the grading? Would you speak to your students more? Could they evaluate each other? Themselves? One unit. Three or four weeks. Change what you do. What's holding you back? Could it be a fear of learning that you never needed the grades in the first place?    This is cross-posted at ROLE Reversal: the results-only learning blog What if you stopped grading, just for one unit of study? Don't put a number, percentage or letter on an activity, project, quiz or test. How would you evaluate your students? Is it even possible? What would replace the grading? Would you speak to your students more? Could they evaluate each other? Themselves? One unit. Three or four weeks. Change what you do. What's holding you back? Could it be a fear of learning that you never needed the grades in the first place?    This is cross-posted at ROLE Reversal: the results-only learning blog Sat, 14 Apr 2012 03:42:14 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Would-you-stop-grading-just-for-one-unit/blog/5972113/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-04-14T03:42:14Z ASCD EDge What if you stopped grading, just for one unit of study? Don't put a number, percentage or letter on an activity, project, quiz or test. How would you evaluate your students? Is it even possible? What would replace the grading? Would you speak to your students more? Could they evaluate each other? Themselves? One unit. Three or four weeks. Change what you do. What's holding you back? Could it be a fear of learning that you never needed the grades in the first place?    This is cross-posted at ROLE Reversal: the results-only learning blog assessment, grades, grading, percentages, points, quiz, test nonadult false Would you stop grading, just for one unit? text blog assessment,grades,grading,percentages,points,quiz,test 261 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 0 5972113 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_How-to-use-Google-Docs-for-powerful-feedback/blog/5946637/127586.html Learn how to use Google Docs to provide detailed, meaningful feedback to students. Not only can you create a two-way teacher-student conversation with Google Docs, you can also link to powerful presentations within the feedback, creating a virtual lesson that the student can apply immediately. This is 21st century learning at its finest. Learn how to use Google Docs to provide detailed, meaningful feedback to students. Not only can you create a two-way teacher-student conversation with Google Docs, you can also link to powerful presentations within the feedback, creating a virtual lesson that the student can apply immediately. This is 21st century learning at its finest. Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:08:08 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_How-to-use-Google-Docs-for-powerful-feedback/blog/5946637/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-04-08T00:08:08Z ASCD EDge Learn how to use Google Docs to provide detailed, meaningful feedback to students. Not only can you create a two-way teacher-student conversation with Google Docs, you can also link to powerful presentations within the feedback, creating a virtual lesson that the student can apply immediately. This is 21st century learning at its finest. assessment, feedback, formative assessment, google docs, how-to, narrative feedback, technology nonadult false How to use Google Docs for powerful feedback video blog assessment,feedback,formative assessment,google docs,how-to,narrative feedback,technology 1115 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 0 5946637 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Do-You-Suffer-from-the-Lemming-Condition/blog/5934823/127586.html Award-winning actor and author, Alan Arkin, tells a brilliant tale in his young adult novel, The Lemming Condition. The story is an allegory on conformity, as Bubber, a lemming, is faced with following his entire race to self-induced extinction. Bubber struggles to decide if he should participate in what appears to be an insane death walk, only to constantly be told by family and friends that this is just the way things are.   I won't ruin the ending, but let's just say that Bubber isn't your garden variety conformist.   Several conversations with colleagues have me wondering if Arkin's lemmings could easily have been today's teachers -- legions of people who conform daily to the principles of traditional methods and administrative pressure to teach to the test.   Like Bubber, we are constantly told this is just the way things are.   Bubber was faced with extinction. One must wonder, are we next?   This is cross-posted at the Results Only Learning Blog Award-winning actor and author, Alan Arkin, tells a brilliant tale in his young adult novel, The Lemming Condition. The story is an allegory on conformity, as Bubber, a lemming, is faced with following his entire race to self-induced extinction. Bubber struggles to decide if he should participate in what appears to be an insane death walk, only to constantly be told by family and friends that this is just the way things are.   I won't ruin the ending, but let's just say that Bubber isn't your garden variety conformist.   Several conversations with colleagues have me wondering if Arkin's lemmings could easily have been today's teachers -- legions of people who conform daily to the principles of traditional methods and administrative pressure to teach to the test.   Like Bubber, we are constantly told this is just the way things are.   Bubber was faced with extinction. One must wonder, are we next?   This is cross-posted at the Results Only Learning Blog Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:09:24 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Do-You-Suffer-from-the-Lemming-Condition/blog/5934823/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-04-05T06:09:24Z Blogs ASCD EDge Award-winning actor and author, Alan Arkin, tells a brilliant tale in his young adult novel, The Lemming Condition. The story is an allegory on conformity, as Bubber, a lemming, is faced with following his entire race to self-induced extinction. Bubber struggles to decide if he should participate in what appears to be an insane death walk, only to constantly be told by family and friends that this is just the way things are.   I won't ruin the ending, but let's just say that Bubber isn't your garden variety conformist.   Several conversations with colleagues have me wondering if Arkin's lemmings could easily have been today's teachers -- legions of people who conform daily to the principles of traditional methods and administrative pressure to teach to the test.   Like Bubber, we are constantly told this is just the way things are.   Bubber was faced with extinction. One must wonder, are we next?   This is cross-posted at the Results Only Learning Blog blogs, conformity, homework, standardized tests, traditional learning, worksheets nonadult false Do You Suffer from the Lemming Condition? text blog blogs,conformity,homework,standardized tests,traditional learning,worksheets 690 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 5934823 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Five-Reasons-I-Never-Teach-to-the-Test/blog/5932517/127586.html The conversation about standardized test preparation is a popular one at my school. The discussion is typically about how to practice for the test, which is something I simply refuse to do. Here are the top 5 reasons I never teacher to the test. 5 - Standardized tests fail to measure learning. In the long run, this thing isn't much more than a glorified guessing game. How can we possibly get a good read on learning in one two-hour test? 4 - Why on Earth should learning be standardized? Shouldn't it be unique? If learning is the same everywhere, students could just stay home and read web-based texts. 3 - Practicing for standardized tests steals time from far more valuable learning experiences. I plan exciting, interactive lessons and projects for my students. We read, write and collaborate daily. I can't afford to give this up. Plus, my students wouldn't forgive me if I did. 2 - Standardized test practice isn't fun. If you've ever read anything I've written, you know I am a firm believer that learning should be fun. When it stops being fun, it's not learning; at this point we should all just go home. 1 - I have a responsibility to my students to be better than this. Spending class time on drill-and-kill standardized test practice makes teachers nothing more than mindless automatons, which is exactly how the bureaucrats are labeling us. If I spend most of my time on standardized test practice, not only will they be right, but I'll be guilty of the greatest injustice of all -- failing my students.  The conversation about standardized test preparation is a popular one at my school. The discussion is typically about how to practice for the test, which is something I simply refuse to do. Here are the top 5 reasons I never teacher to the test. 5 - Standardized tests fail to measure learning. In the long run, this thing isn't much more than a glorified guessing game. How can we possibly get a good read on learning in one two-hour test? 4 - Why on Earth should learning be standardized? Shouldn't it be unique? If learning is the same everywhere, students could just stay home and read web-based texts. 3 - Practicing for standardized tests steals time from far more valuable learning experiences. I plan exciting, interactive lessons and projects for my students. We read, write and collaborate daily. I can't afford to give this up. Plus, my students wouldn't forgive me if I did. 2 - Standardized test practice isn't fun. If you've ever read anything I've written, you know I am a firm believer that learning should be fun. When it stops being fun, it's not learning; at this point we should all just go home. 1 - I have a responsibility to my students to be better than this. Spending class time on drill-and-kill standardized test practice makes teachers nothing more than mindless automatons, which is exactly how the bureaucrats are labeling us. If I spend most of my time on standardized test practice, not only will they be right, but I'll be guilty of the greatest injustice of all -- failing my students.  Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:18:35 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Five-Reasons-I-Never-Teach-to-the-Test/blog/5932517/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-04-03T22:18:35Z Blogs ASCD EDge The conversation about standardized test preparation is a popular one at my school. The discussion is typically about how to practice for the test, which is something I simply refuse to do. Here are the top 5 reasons I never teacher to the test. 5 - Standardized tests fail to measure learning. In the long run, this thing isn't much more than a glorified guessing game. How can we possibly get a good read on learning in one two-hour test? 4 - Why on Earth should learning be standardized? Shouldn't it be unique? If learning is the same everywhere, students could just stay home and read web-based texts. 3 - Practicing for standardized tests steals time from far more valuable learning experiences. I plan exciting, interactive lessons and projects for my students. We read, write and collaborate daily. I can't afford to give this up. Plus, my students wouldn't forgive me if I did. 2 - Standardized test practice isn't fun. If you've ever read anything I've written, you know I am a firm believer that learning should be fun. When it stops being fun, it's not learning; at this point we should all just go home. 1 - I have a responsibility to my students to be better than this. Spending class time on drill-and-kill standardized test practice makes teachers nothing more than mindless automatons, which is exactly how the bureaucrats are labeling us. If I spend most of my time on standardized test practice, not only will they be right, but I'll be guilty of the greatest injustice of all -- failing my students.  achievement tests, best practices, blogs, methods, standardized testing, standardized tests, testing, top 5 nonadult false Five Reasons I Never Teach to the Test text blog achievement tests,best practices,blogs,methods,standardized testing,standardized tests,testing,top 5 680 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 5932517 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_How-number-and-letter-grades-punish-students/blog/5888681/127586.html During our nine-week grading periods, I never put a  number, percentage or letter grade on any activity or project that my students complete. I supply detailed narrative feedback, asking students to return to activities and demonstrate mastery, if necessary. After all, shouldn't learning always trump grades and GPAs? When our quarters end, my school, like most traditional American institutions, requires a letter grade for a report card. Instead of randomly picking a grade, I invite my students to participate in this evaluation process and tell me what their grade should be. Most students are remarkably accurate with this process. Some, however, are so stuck in the world of numbers and letters, that they can't comprehend how to come up with a grade, without the aid of points and percentages. A remarkable lesson In an attempt to demonstrate the problem with grades, I tried a new approach, and we revisited the the points world at the end of the third grading period. I gave my students a list of all activities and projects, for which I had arbitrarily applied a point value (years ago, I never understood how strange this practice is). I then asked my students to decide how many points they should be awarded for each activity, based on their effort and feedback from me. As the process ensued, there were plenty of complaints. Some students looked for ways to circumvent the system, because the math didn't provide any wiggle room. Fifty percent on a major project, crushed their overall grade. It didn't matter that they may have gone above and beyond in other areas. Many hated the process, arguing that "we don't do it this way." Of course, in the end, seeing how clearly the numbers and letters punish students, we left the points world, returning to the comforts of the Results Only Learning Environment, where punishment is abandoned in favor of real  learning.    Learn more at my upcoming session at the ASCD annual conference, Using Narrative Feedback to Replace Grades: One Step in Results Only Learning Environment (ROLE). Monday, March 26, 10:30-11:30 am Room 112A, Pennsylvania Convention Center, First Level. During our nine-week grading periods, I never put a  number, percentage or letter grade on any activity or project that my students complete. I supply detailed narrative feedback, asking students to return to activities and demonstrate mastery, if necessary. After all, shouldn't learning always trump grades and GPAs? When our quarters end, my school, like most traditional American institutions, requires a letter grade for a report card. Instead of randomly picking a grade, I invite my students to participate in this evaluation process and tell me what their grade should be. Most students are remarkably accurate with this process. Some, however, are so stuck in the world of numbers and letters, that they can't comprehend how to come up with a grade, without the aid of points and percentages. A remarkable lesson In an attempt to demonstrate the problem with grades, I tried a new approach, and we revisited the the points world at the end of the third grading period. I gave my students a list of all activities and projects, for which I had arbitrarily applied a point value (years ago, I never understood how strange this practice is). I then asked my students to decide how many points they should be awarded for each activity, based on their effort and feedback from me. As the process ensued, there were plenty of complaints. Some students looked for ways to circumvent the system, because the math didn't provide any wiggle room. Fifty percent on a major project, crushed their overall grade. It didn't matter that they may have gone above and beyond in other areas. Many hated the process, arguing that "we don't do it this way." Of course, in the end, seeing how clearly the numbers and letters punish students, we left the points world, returning to the comforts of the Results Only Learning Environment, where punishment is abandoned in favor of real  learning.    Learn more at my upcoming session at the ASCD annual conference, Using Narrative Feedback to Replace Grades: One Step in Results Only Learning Environment (ROLE). Monday, March 26, 10:30-11:30 am Room 112A, Pennsylvania Convention Center, First Level. Fri, 23 Mar 2012 07:47:08 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_How-number-and-letter-grades-punish-students/blog/5888681/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-03-23T07:47:08Z Blogs ASCD EDge During our nine-week grading periods, I never put a  number, percentage or letter grade on any activity or project that my students complete. I supply detailed narrative feedback, asking students to return to activities and demonstrate mastery, if necessary. After all, shouldn't learning always trump grades and GPAs? When our quarters end, my school, like most traditional American institutions, requires a letter grade for a report card. Instead of randomly picking a grade, I invite my students to participate in this evaluation process and tell me what their grade should be. Most students are remarkably accurate with this process. Some, however, are so stuck in the world of numbers and letters, that they can't comprehend how to come up with a grade, without the aid of points and percentages. A remarkable lesson In an attempt to demonstrate the problem with grades, I tried a new approach, and we revisited the the points world at the end of the third grading period. I gave my students a list of all activities and projects, for which I had arbitrarily applied a point value (years ago, I never understood how strange this practice is). I then asked my students to decide how many points they should be awarded for each activity, based on their effort and feedback from me. As the process ensued, there were plenty of complaints. Some students looked for ways to circumvent the system, because the math didn't provide any wiggle room. Fifty percent on a major project, crushed their overall grade. It didn't matter that they may have gone above and beyond in other areas. Many hated the process, arguing that "we don't do it this way." Of course, in the end, seeing how clearly the numbers and letters punish students, we left the points world, returning to the comforts of the Results Only Learning Environment, where punishment is abandoned in favor of real  learning.    Learn more at my upcoming session at the ASCD annual conference, Using Narrative Feedback to Replace Grades: One Step in Results Only Learning Environment (ROLE). Monday, March 26, 10:30-11:30 am Room 112A, Pennsylvania Convention Center, First Level. assessment, blogs, grades, letter grades, points and percentages, punishment, rewards nonadult false How number and letter grades punish students text blog assessment,blogs,grades,letter grades,points and percentages,punishment,rewards 913 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 5888681 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320 http://edge.ascd.org/_Five-Reasons-I-Don39t-Give-Grades/blog/5809267/127586.html One of the focuses of a Results Only Learning Environment is the elimination of grades. Like homework, there are many reasons that grading is detrimental to learning. Here are the top 5 reasons I don't give grades. 5 -- Grades are always subjective. The teacher decides how material is taught and assessed. You can argue that many activities and test questions are either right or wrong, but if you don't give students a variety of ways to show what they know, as well as chances to relearn lessons, then objectivity is compromised. 4 -- A points and percentages system discriminates. Students who are motivated by grades complete assignments. They always turn them in, earn their points and get high grades. Students who don't see any value in the activities that garner points don't complete them. They, in turn, receive zeroes and failing grades. Hence, the grades create a culture of "good" and "bad" students. The high achievers are promoted to advanced classes, while the low achievers are placed in remediation. This sort of academic discrimination can scar a child for life. 3 -- Poor weighting of activities punishes some students while rewarding others. Most teachers struggle with weighting activities (another practice that should be banned). I've seen teachers whose tests are 75 percent of a marking period's grade, while others value homework at 50 percent or higher. Consider the student who does all of his homework but is scared out of his wits on test day. In Mr. 75 Percent's class, this kid fails. Conversely, an intelligent student, who wants to manipulate a bad system, will ignore all of the activities and projects, ace the tests, and easily pass. 2 -- Grades turn even honest kids into cheaters. In the study hall that I supervise daily, I see an inordinate amount of cheating. I have asked students I've seen copying a peer's work why they do it. The answer is always some version of the same thing: "It's due next period, and I'll get a zero, if I don't hand it in." In a class with no grades, students never have a reason to cheat. There's no punishment awaiting them, if something isn't done. 1 -- When students perform for points or letters, they lose any interest in real learning. Grades are nothing more than the carrots and sticks of education. They reward the "good" kids, whose parents browbeat them nightly to complete all activities, study hard and get those coveted A's. Promises of Honor Roll, Merit Scholar and other elite badges await those cunning enough to maneuver the flawed system of grading. They may even get to the Ivy League, having learned very little about learning. Meanwhile, their counterparts, many of them likely impoverished, hungry and struggling to comprehend the value in the assignments and tests they see daily, face a life of remediation, retention and ridicule. Sadly, some of these kids are the brightest of them all, but they are doomed by letters, the numbers and the grades.  There's much more on this subject in my book Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-centered Classroom, by ASCD in February, 3013. One of the focuses of a Results Only Learning Environment is the elimination of grades. Like homework, there are many reasons that grading is detrimental to learning. Here are the top 5 reasons I don't give grades. 5 -- Grades are always subjective. The teacher decides how material is taught and assessed. You can argue that many activities and test questions are either right or wrong, but if you don't give students a variety of ways to show what they know, as well as chances to relearn lessons, then objectivity is compromised. 4 -- A points and percentages system discriminates. Students who are motivated by grades complete assignments. They always turn them in, earn their points and get high grades. Students who don't see any value in the activities that garner points don't complete them. They, in turn, receive zeroes and failing grades. Hence, the grades create a culture of "good" and "bad" students. The high achievers are promoted to advanced classes, while the low achievers are placed in remediation. This sort of academic discrimination can scar a child for life. 3 -- Poor weighting of activities punishes some students while rewarding others. Most teachers struggle with weighting activities (another practice that should be banned). I've seen teachers whose tests are 75 percent of a marking period's grade, while others value homework at 50 percent or higher. Consider the student who does all of his homework but is scared out of his wits on test day. In Mr. 75 Percent's class, this kid fails. Conversely, an intelligent student, who wants to manipulate a bad system, will ignore all of the activities and projects, ace the tests, and easily pass. 2 -- Grades turn even honest kids into cheaters. In the study hall that I supervise daily, I see an inordinate amount of cheating. I have asked students I've seen copying a peer's work why they do it. The answer is always some version of the same thing: "It's due next period, and I'll get a zero, if I don't hand it in." In a class with no grades, students never have a reason to cheat. There's no punishment awaiting them, if something isn't done. 1 -- When students perform for points or letters, they lose any interest in real learning. Grades are nothing more than the carrots and sticks of education. They reward the "good" kids, whose parents browbeat them nightly to complete all activities, study hard and get those coveted A's. Promises of Honor Roll, Merit Scholar and other elite badges await those cunning enough to maneuver the flawed system of grading. They may even get to the Ivy League, having learned very little about learning. Meanwhile, their counterparts, many of them likely impoverished, hungry and struggling to comprehend the value in the assignments and tests they see daily, face a life of remediation, retention and ridicule. Sadly, some of these kids are the brightest of them all, but they are doomed by letters, the numbers and the grades.  There's much more on this subject in my book Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-centered Classroom, by ASCD in February, 3013. Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:59:33 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Five-Reasons-I-Don39t-Give-Grades/blog/5809267/127586.html Mark_Barnes 2012-02-26T00:59:33Z Blogs ASCD EDge One of the focuses of a Results Only Learning Environment is the elimination of grades. Like homework, there are many reasons that grading is detrimental to learning. Here are the top 5 reasons I don't give grades. 5 -- Grades are always subjective. The teacher decides how material is taught and assessed. You can argue that many activities and test questions are either right or wrong, but if you don't give students a variety of ways to show what they know, as well as chances to relearn lessons, then objectivity is compromised. 4 -- A points and percentages system discriminates. Students who are motivated by grades complete assignments. They always turn them in, earn their points and get high grades. Students who don't see any value in the activities that garner points don't complete them. They, in turn, receive zeroes and failing grades. Hence, the grades create a culture of "good" and "bad" students. The high achievers are promoted to advanced classes, while the low achievers are placed in remediation. This sort of academic discrimination can scar a child for life. 3 -- Poor weighting of activities punishes some students while rewarding others. Most teachers struggle with weighting activities (another practice that should be banned). I've seen teachers whose tests are 75 percent of a marking period's grade, while others value homework at 50 percent or higher. Consider the student who does all of his homework but is scared out of his wits on test day. In Mr. 75 Percent's class, this kid fails. Conversely, an intelligent student, who wants to manipulate a bad system, will ignore all of the activities and projects, ace the tests, and easily pass. 2 -- Grades turn even honest kids into cheaters. In the study hall that I supervise daily, I see an inordinate amount of cheating. I have asked students I've seen copying a peer's work why they do it. The answer is always some version of the same thing: "It's due next period, and I'll get a zero, if I don't hand it in." In a class with no grades, students never have a reason to cheat. There's no punishment awaiting them, if something isn't done. 1 -- When students perform for points or letters, they lose any interest in real learning. Grades are nothing more than the carrots and sticks of education. They reward the "good" kids, whose parents browbeat them nightly to complete all activities, study hard and get those coveted A's. Promises of Honor Roll, Merit Scholar and other elite badges await those cunning enough to maneuver the flawed system of grading. They may even get to the Ivy League, having learned very little about learning. Meanwhile, their counterparts, many of them likely impoverished, hungry and struggling to comprehend the value in the assignments and tests they see daily, face a life of remediation, retention and ridicule. Sadly, some of these kids are the brightest of them all, but they are doomed by letters, the numbers and the grades.  There's much more on this subject in my book Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-centered Classroom, by ASCD in February, 3013. assessment, blogs, cheating, grades, homework, percentages, points, punishments, rewards nonadult false Five Reasons I Don't Give Grades text blog assessment,blogs,cheating,grades,homework,percentages,points,punishments,rewards 1890 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=32580745&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_16962517_127586_32580745_ap_160X120.jpg false United States OH South Euclid 0 Blogs 0 5809267 32580745 ASCD EDge Member 320