Posted inCurrent Events in Education

Is It Fair to Test Learning Loss?

Executive director of FairTest weighs in on standardized testing reform Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! The Nation’s Report Card  As I prepared to interview Harry Feder, the new executive director of FairTest, the latest Nation’s Report Card was published. As a result, our chat felt especially timely.  […]

Posted inInstruction & Curriculum

It’s time to talk about the culture of fear around standardized testing

The temperatures are warming. The skies are bright. The birds are chirping. Spring fever is in full effect, and everyone is awaiting summertime! Unfortunately for educators and students, there is a huge hump to get over…standardized testing. End of the year assessments are looming over us. It seems like the entire school year comes down […]

Posted inAdult Learning

Teaching With Minecraft EDU

I’m one of those crazies that actually enjoy professional development workshops, at least the ones that we don’t have to do every single year like blood-borne pathogens and diabetes.  Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the best professional development: Minecraft EDU. This session was based on the popular game Minecraft but with an educational […]

Posted inHow to Fix Education

In Defense of Standardized Testing: A Reflection

Standardized testing: just the thought of these assessments strikes terror in the hearts of teachers. If only our students cared as much about how they score on state-mandated tests. Most of the educational literature reflects a negative view of standardized testing, but they serve an important purpose in American education: to indicate teacher effectiveness through […]