The Best Laid Plans

As teachers, we plan, we assess, we adjust and we do it all again; but sometimes even our best lesson plans, that seem to work so well on paper, just don't work with students. What do we do when we create a great lesson but students don't become engaged and don't participate in a meaningful way? What do we do when an entire class doesn't seem to be involved in our lesson? I believe this is the time we go back to the basics.As I write this, we have just returned from a week-long Thanksgiving break, and as might be…

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Assessment with Purpose

Student assessment takes on many forms in the classroom but no matter what type of assessment we use, it is important that the results be examined and studied to determine what student learning has occurred and what actions should take place next. Effective examination of results is made possible through the design of the assessment and careful correlation to standards, intentional evaluation of results and pre-determined actions based on levels of mastery. Before an effective examination of results can occur, the design of the assessment piece must ensure that desired knowledge and skills are being assessed. An assessment does not have…

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Sharing with Google Docs

This post will be a little different from my usual posts in that I'm going to share an effective teaching strategy, using technology, that I often share with teachers in coaching cycles and often employ myself in team collaboration meetings--shared Google Docs.Google Docs is a free word processing application available to anyone with a Google account (free to anyone who wants to sign up) and is part of a suite of applications available to Google users. The power of Google Docs for students, and teachers alike, comes from its sharing capabilities. A doc can be created and shared with other…

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