Assessment 2.0

 I found the article Beyond the Bubble Tests: The Next Generation of Assessments to be interesting and encouraging.  When my son, Nick, was in third grade, he was in the first group of third graders that were taking the PSSA tests.  He is in 11th grade now, and every year all year, all we hear at school meetings is about the test, how we are doing,what we are doing to prepare.  On one hand, the administrators were telling us not to stress our kids out about it, but on the other stressing how important it is.   I can't say whether or not to school's attitude will change with Assessment 2.0, but it sounds like progress is being made to assess higher order thinking and writing. 


The article mentions different ways of testing, including smart technology, computer adaptive tests and higher order thinking skills which are vital to our future prosperity.   This should be good news to Business Education, because we offer a curriculum that helps prepare students for the workforce and college.  


I like the idea of more realistic assessment and hope it could work.  The examples given seem to relate to the science curricula, which would definitely be a practical application of realistic assessment.  We have learned that everyone is different in their learning styles and their best assessment style.  That is a concern as well, but using a more skills based assessment could be a truer reading compared to a bubble test.   


I think anything is difficult to 'standardize' across the nation, because of bureaucracy and red tape.  There needs to be a checks/balance system within the consortium that is developing standards and assessments.   This iteration of assessment appears to be taking into account special needs and language barriers, more than PSSA tests do.   I think the tests could be reliable but they have to be tested for reliabliilty.  Here is an article that discusses reliability and validity.  http://www.suite101.com/content/the-importance-of-test-reliability-and-validity-a308864


Pennsylvania has adopted the Common Core Standards - here is a link to an article http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10183/1069766-454.stm .   It sounds like the standards address history/social studies, science and technical material - but do not yet define the content that should be covered.  


As Business Educators, I think we should keep doing what we have been taught in our courses.  Engage the students in the learning process by finding out who they are and what interests them.  Use those interests to teach them critical thinking and writing skills.  If Prezi is fun, give them an assignment to research and present using Prezi.   It is a way to disguise the learning that is taking place by making it fun.  We are already teaching students the skills they need to be successful in the 21st century.

First Days of School

As a student, going back to school was always exciting and scary for me at the same time.  I was always a little apprehensive about who would be in my class,whether the teacher would be nice, and how much work would I have to do. It was exciting because I would see all my friends and start something new.  I always liked school.  

As a teacher, the first few days of school are important because what you do will set the stage for the rest of the year.  In my Classroom Management course, we watched the Harry Wong Videos "The First Days of School" and they clearly illustrated all of the things that you need to consider in setting your stage - the classroom.  The first days of school are a time to set your expectations and start teaching the key procedures to the students that will make the year run more smoothly.  At the beginning of a new year or a semester, you can tweak your procedures to make them more effective.  

The first days of school are the ideal time to start developing your classroom relationships.  It is important to learn the students names early, and get to know their interests.   You may also need to take time for students to get to know each other.  The school district where my children go is small and they have known their classmates since kindergarten, so this type of activity may not be as critical as it is for students in a very school district.  

Preparation is important for the first day of school.  You should spend time planning, in the summer, to make sure you have enough of everything you need (textbooks, syllabuses, handouts, etc).   Having a plan and all of your materials organized and ready, will help the first day go smoothly. 

The first day of school sets the tone for the rest of the year. The list below has some tips to use on the first day of school.   Several of these were demonstrated at the beginning of Clinical Studies last Tuesday.

1.  Greet Students at the door and welcome them into your classroom.  
2. If you are using assigned seats, plan it in advance, and direct students to their seats as they come in.  This will give you a jump start in getting to know your students names.  
3. Hand out a survey so you can get to know your students.  Ask for nicknames, hobbies, interests, etc to find out what the students are interested in.
4. Have an activity planned to use so students can get to know one another.   
5. Have a course outline prepared that discusses course expectations and grading.  This will cover some of the students key questions and put them at ease.  
6. Introduce students to your classroom - what areas are off limits, where supplies for them are located, where assignments will be posted, etc.
7. Discuss classroom rules and procedures.  These should include start of class procedures, lavatory passes, pencil sharpening, question asking, and dismissal procedures.  

I found some great blogs on the Internet that focus on the First Days of School.  Here are some of the links:
Smart Classroom Management web site -
http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2010/08/14/your-first-days-of-school-classroom-management-checklist/
http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2010/08/21/a-forbidden-classroom-management-strategy/
Preparing for the First Day of School:
http://www.suite101.com/content/preparing-for-the-first-day-of-school-important-for-new-teachers-a234153
http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-get-ready-for-the-first-day-of-school-a127361
http://www.suite101.com/content/ten-things-to-remember-the-first-day-of-school-a129276

The textbooks used in my Classroom Management class are great references:
Building Classroom Discipline by C.M. Charles
Classroom Management for Middle and High School Teachers by Edmund T. Emmer & Carolyn M. Evertson
          

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