From Degrading To De-Grading – (Lecture Topic)

FROM DEGRADING TO DE-GRADING:  Basic Questions About Assessment  Research has found three consistent effects of traditional grades: students think less creatively, they lose interest in what they’re learning, and they try to avoid challenging tasks. Thus, rather than trying to improve techniques for grading, we should be looking for alternatives -- and rather than complaining that too many students are ... Read More

Turning Children into Data (##)

EDUCATION WEEK August 25, 2010 Turning Children into Data: A Skeptic’s Guide to Assessment Programs By Alfie Kohn Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. - Albert Einstein Programs with generic-sounding names that offer techniques for measuring (and raising) student achievement have been sprouting like fungi in a rainforest:  “Learning Focused Schools,” ... Read More