Recently a reader emailed us this question: What Does a Quality Social Studies Assessment Look Like? Well, reader, I’ll be the first to admit – my instruction tactics have evolved much over the years, but nothing has changed more in the way in which I test students. What once began as fill-in questions with some true/false […]
social studies
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Opinion
Former IN Governor Daniels Attempts to Censor Educators
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Though former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels declared that he supported academic freedom when he became President of Perdue University this last January, it was revealed last week that he spent considerable […]
Posted inParents
Summer Brain Drain–Activities to Keep Kids Learning
So, school is out and your children are home. You have a two month break to look forward to baseball, swimming, playing outside, and enjoying family time. During that time, remember the importance of reading and practicing academic skills. Children who read, and are read to, will increase their vocabulary knowledge many times over children […]
Posted inSocial Studies, Uncategorized
The Social Studies Problem
New York has a serious social studies problem. A few years ago cuts were made due to the economy. One of the causalities of the cuts was the 5th and 8th grade social studies exams. If you look at the New York State social studies curriculum that means that the very first social studies test […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Current Events in Education, Featured, High School
What Are We Assessing? (Charter School Diaries # 10)
Week 3/11 – 3/15 One of the things that I love doing as a teacher, to keep my students focused on reading their notes from class when at home, is giving pop quizzes in class. My kids hate it… I hated it as a student, but I understand the purpose and I do it often. […]
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, Uncategorized
What Interdisciplinary Writing Assessments Can Learn from Saturday Night Live
This post completes a trilogy of reflections on the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) which will be terminated once the new Smarter Balance Assessments tied to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are implemented. There will be at least one more year of the same CAPT assessments, specifically the Interdisciplinary Writing Prompt (IW) where 10th […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Languages, Literacy, Social Studies
Whit's Lit Tips: The Tools of Rhetoric
One of the best reasons for teaching is watching students transform, empowered with skills and knowledge that they did not realize existed. Introducing students to studies of rhetoric and oration has never failed to capture the best in every student. The right combination of wit and wisdom can make every student a superhero. Who doesn’t […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Social Studies
Teaching Human Rights
by: Ric Domingo Like any profession, we teachers have to keep up-to-date with our craft. Content, methodology and, of course, testing, all go through phases of creation, disfavor, re-creation, and evolution. One trend that is very likely here to stay, especially for the social studies and humanities, is “global” education. State and federal standards don’t […]