ELonline
www.ascd.org/el
Every Day in Every Classroom
Laura Greenstein
Daily assessment techniques to use before,
during, and after instruction.
Perspectives Audio
The Tests That Won’t Go Away
Marge Scherer
Listen to the audio version of
this monthly column.
The New Teacher’s Guide to
Better Assessment
Mary Jo Grdina
Three basic steps can help teachers avoid
common pitfalls.
Video Bonus
Feed Up, Back, Forward
Douglas B. Fisher and Nancy Frey
View a video of a lesson described in the
November EL article.
EL Study Guide
Naomi Thiers
November Conversations
We want to hear from you! Here are
a few topics we’ll be talking about
this month. Log on to share your
thoughts:
At EL Exchange ( www.ascd
.org/el, scroll down for the Exchange
box), we’ll be asking what you think
is the best way to measure student
learning.
The November guest blogger on
Inservice (www/ ascd.org/blog) will
be Gerald Bracey. Check the blog
throughout the month to read
Bracey’s post and other posts
related to the November issue.
Our Twitter feed ( www.twitter
.com/ed_leadership) features regular
reminders about EL content and
other topics of interest.
Bits From the Blog
What have Educational Leadership
readers been talking about? Read these
comments from Inservice, the ASCD
blog ( www.ascd.org/blog), and then
visit the blog to share your thoughts.
Why Creativity Now?
In response to our September interview
with Sir Ken Robinson:
Creating requires both a strong foundation in content knowledge and the
ability to apply that knowledge in new
ways—usually across a variety of disciplines. And it requires using all of
Bloom’s skills from remembering
through creating. It begins with a firm
grasp of the basics and includes
analyzing patterns and needs, evaluating alternatives and finally creating
something new. When seen as “a new
combination of old elements,” creating
is not limited to the “creative.” It’s
something that all students can do.
—Peter Pappas
Almost anyone can copy, but to
create—wow! Unfortunately, we have
moved away from creativity in school
as teachers, schools, and parents have
been misled to believe that you cannot
have a creative classroom and
curriculum and actually do well on
state-mandated tests. I know that it’s
important to have all students make
progress and learn, but multiple-choice
tests are a poor way to test knowledge.
How many businesses offer multiple-choice tests to employees or customers?
—Gary Hewgley
The ABCs of the XYZs
In response to Marilee Sprenger’s guest
post related to her September EL article,
“Focusing the Digital Brain”:
In my experience, the best digital experiences are those that allow people to
connect as learners and as people
engaged in service. How we connect
online should enrich our face-to-face
interactions, the work that we do in our
communities, and the conversations we
have at our dinner tables.
Your article prompted me to begin
thinking of strategies that I can share
with others. For instance, I’ve established a ning for a writing community
that I facilitate, as a way to enrich (not
simply replace) our face-to-face experiences. Everyone is able to remain
connected and continue learning even
while we are apart, but the fact that
they first came to know one another
face-to-face prepared them to engage
within the ning much better.
—Angela Stockman
Remember 5 years ago when we were
worrying that kids would become
addicted to the Internet and get no
socialization? What a difference Web
2.0 makes. Just try to keep them from
socializing!
The issue is that we are blocking
many opportunities for collaboration
and productive social networking.
The “stand and deliver” lecture method
where the teacher has to be in control
of every moment and the students are
sweating over worksheets must change.
If we are stuck in the ’50s, our students
will go on without us, but they won’t
have some of the important skills and
knowledge they need. Teachers must
become naturalized citizens of the
digital world.
—David Phillips
