Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 01/08/2012
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Will 'National Opt Out Day' Spark a Testing Backlash? - Education - GOOD
Be aware. here comes national Opt out day where students and their parents choose to opt out of tests. It is shocking that superintendent John Kuhn from Texas says that students spend 45 out of 180 school days administering standardized tests. At my school it is 3 days of 2-3 hours each per class. That is it. Perhaps that is why our test scores are so good - we actually have time to teach.
A new grass roots movement is underfoot. -
Mozilla seeks designers to supercharge learning in digital badges competition « o p e n m a t t
Graphic designers, web designers, and educational technologies are invited to design badges for Mozilla's Open badge project. This is going to be an exciting program.
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Newport Beach, California Students Caught Cheating On Exam, Bought Answers From Amazon
OK, time to blog Amazon. (not really) Students are buying test banks from them. Honestly, if a student really wants to find a test bank, they will be able to in this day and age. They're able to get alcohol and cigarettes, what makes us think they can't get the test if it is available for purchase online? We have to be better than just giving a test that is in a test bank. Even if I start with a test bank, I always customize it and make sure that the knowledge that students have to share can't be condensed to multiple choice.
About 10 sophomores at Corona del Mar high school in Newport Beach, Calif. purchased test banks, which provide chapter-by-chapter answers for the exam -- designed to help teachers write tests that properly measure student learning, the Daily Pilot reports. A total of 180 students took the exam. -
It is so hard to admit you are wrong. There are those who never admit it and I steer clear of them. Then, there are those who do. Others just blame everyone else. Seth says it well:
"Two elements of successful leadership: a willingness to be wrong and an eagerness to admit it."
Eagerness would be hard for most people because it means we screw up and we're afraid others will point it out more often, but it is something we must be willing to do. -
Do school librarians have "enduring values?" - Home - Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog
Doug Johnson writes about the values of librarians by starting with Michael Gorman's ALA enduring core values that he shared with the association in 2000 but added to by Doug's 10 values of his own. At the heart of what Doug believes beats the pulse of a true democratic society. A great read and discussion post for librarians.
