Apr 29
Last year our middle school standardized tests went online. The test changed from being called the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) to the MSP (Measure of Student Progress). A huge change from the WASL to the MSP was cutting out the four point extended response questions. They were actually pretty good questions asking our …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2012/04/29/time-spent-on-test-prep/
Apr 28
Sometimes tripling something can be good. Maybe not all that good for you, but good. Other times tripling something isn’t all that good for you and isn’t good any way you slice it. Sometimes it only benefits those in power. That tends to be the case with the form of assessment known as standardized testing. …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2015/04/28/sbac-triples-time-testing/
Mar 26
Here’s a copy of a letter I just wrote and emailed to my legislators regarding their upcoming vote on ESSB 5748, which would tie our student’s standardized test scores to our teacher evaluation. We can hold students accountable and track and report their learning without standardized testing. We can graduate students from high school without …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2015/03/26/do-not-tie-test-scores-to-teacher-evaluation/
Feb 07
I have question about standardized test remediation courses. I know the answer to my question but I still have a strong, almost masochistic, desire to ask it. So let me start with the answer to my question. “You’re right, Al, and I agree with everything you say but (yes, I, Al, know there is a …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/02/07/test-remediation/
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2014/01/30/another-problem-with-standardized-testing/
May 20
State testing is over! My 6th graders took a Math and Language Arts test and my 8th graders took a Math, Language Arts, and Science test. The Science test, the subject that I teach, has questions on Earth, Physical and Life Science. Our curriculum, for better or for worse, includes Physical and Environmental Science in …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2013/05/20/testing-is-over/
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2012/11/18/alternative-to-testing/
Oct 20
Monday, Oct 22, sixth grade classes will begin conducting their water quality testing on Chimacum Creek. We will go down to the creek early in the period, after some preparation, where the groups that use probes will do their testing. The groups that use kits will collect water samples and then wait to return to …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2007/10/20/chimacum-creek-testing-begins/
Apr 19
I was so happy to be asked by Larry Ferlazzo to be his Q and A BAM Radio show again! This time we tackled the topic of how to end a school year! I got to be on the show with Pernille Ripp, a teacher I’ve been learning from for years on Twitter and on …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2017/04/19/how-to-end-the-school-year-strong/
Dec 05
What is the allure of gaming? In thinking about this I wondered what things I would do instead of playing games. When the weather is nice (and it’s not dark by 4:30 pm – Pacific Northwest short days) I could be doing outdoor things. Being outdoors and exercising beats out gaming so there needs to …
Permanent link to this article: https://educatoral.com/wordpress/2013/12/05/why-game/
I'm a Curipod Ambassador! :)
I've presented at NCCE
2016, 2017, 2019, 2022,
2023 and 2024!
I presented at WSTA 2015!
