Tag Archives: assessment

A Daily Reminder

assessment, curriculum; teachers, education, literacy, Reflections, Social Justice, , , , ,

I (Pooja) work at a higher ed. institute with a population that is very diverse. I have many mature students, with a history of interrupted education, who are looking to make a fresh start with school after work many years in unfulfilling jobs. Even though school has failed them in the past, they come in hoping to form a new relationship with school. This cartoon and this quote are taped up above the photocopier in our office. It is a daily reminder of my work and the students I serve.

comic

Everybody is a Genius. But If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid. –Einstein

What To Do Until the Evidence Arrives

assessment, curriculum; teachers, , ,

A common refrain internationally today is that teaching should be evidence-based, and certainly, that is the ideal. However, it will be a long time before all the evidence is in. It can take millions of dollars and many years to test the impact of just a few teaching strategies; yet teachers must daily use a large repertoire of strategies. So what to do in the meantime?checkmark images

Teachers must rely largely on their judgment about what is most likely to have a positive impact (drawing of course on their training, PD, and years of experience). This isn’t ideal, but it’s better than waiting until the evidence is complete.

We commonly use our judgment in evaluating teachers and teacher candidates. We say things like “So and so is one of the best teachers I’ve seen,” without having detailed student outcome data. Equally, we must let teachers exercise judgment about what and how to teach. We should give them our advice, evidence-based or not; but it should build on their current judgment and practices. Clive