A colleague of mine, a biologist, (let’s call him Ken) teaches an upper-level college course on genetics. Course requirements include the usual—class participation, quizzes, exams, and …a scientific paper. Each semester, when Ken mentions the paper the classroom erupts in shrieks and murmurs. Immediately after the noise dies down, hands shoot into the air and Read More
You’ve heard about all the disadvantages of teaching to standardized tests or assessments. Some educators use the content and skills that will be on a standardized test to plan classroom instruction. It narrows instruction to only what’s on the test. Once instruction is focused on the test, the creativity and dynamism of teaching is reduced. Read More