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The topic of homework definitely causes debate between educators around the globe and sometimes conflict between parents and their children. Homework in John Hattie's research has an effect size of 0.29. The debate is not whether we should give it or not but making sure that homework reinforces the learning. Check out these top ten tips from the teacher toolkit to remind you to set homework that is based on quality not quantity here.
The debate on assessment continues with a release of a draft bill by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn to renew the law that outlines two different potential paths to take on the sticky issue of whether to continue with the law's annual, statewide assessments. Option A gives flexibility for how to assess which means opportunities to cater for individual student needs while option B keeps the status quo with assessment language. Read more about the discussion here.
Which learning techniques are the most effective for improving educational outcomes? John Dunlosky has evaluated the most effective strategies in his research based on psychological science to help struggling students learn. Each learning technique is described in detail with the conditions under which each technique is most successful here.
Read this post co-authored by Marcus Conyers who, with Donna Wilson, is co-developer of the M.S. and Ed.S. Brain-Based Teaching to learn more about strategies to get and more importantly keep students attention and effectively screen out distractions. Coupled with understanding keys to social and emotional learning, teachers can help engage their students to improve achievement.
Are we ready to give students more power in schools and truly utilise student voice. If we think about how much we in schools are still the decision makers how does this challenge our own growth mindsets? Carol Dweck discusses how a school applies a rule of not yet instead of telling a child they have failed. Imagine the power of this to develop growth mindsets so that learners can go beyond passing the next test score and learn to develop resilience by rewarding yet.
Debates continue about the use of over testing. Accountability and assessment have become synonymous at many public schools with high-stakes testing. How we measure learning depends on how we define learning. There are alternatives to making kids spend so much time with taking tests. Kaycee Eckhart states “there are so many ways to measure student growth,” watch the full interview here. This article suggests four alternative approaches to standardised testing, click here to learn more.
Education policymakers around the world are asking - what lessons can I take from other countries in order to improve performance in my own? Sir Michael Barber, Chief Education Advisor of Pearson, tells us in his Introduction to the latest report of The Learning Curve. This site brings together discussions from different countries with different education systems.
“It is obviously important, Tanith Carey writes, that we must help children reach their potential but that this ought to be based on their individual strengths and not be set by ‘the standards of schools intent on boosting their reputations on league tables – or the economic goals of governments’.” Summarised is the latest research on the damage that competitive parenting is doing to our children here.
Brad Phillips has compiled 10 education trends to watch in 2015 and beyond. Some are existing trends and others are aspirational, challenging us to make 2015 a year of quantum education progress.Read and explore them here.
