Tag Archives: assessment

Students’ Self-Assessment and Reflection

By Mary Bigelow | Published: July 31, 2017

Do you have ideas on how to help my middle school students become more thoughtful, independent learners? —J., Michigan In my experience, self-assessment and reflective activities gave students ownership in their learning. Self-assessment is more than students “correcting” their own papers. When students self-assess, they reflect on the results of their efforts and their progress […]

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Explore the Power of Investigating

By Carole Hayward | Published: May 28, 2017

How can a teacher build and maintain a learning environment that will help students investigate meaningful questions? That’s the central question of The Power of Investigating: Guiding Authentic Assessments by Julie V. McGough and Lisa M. Nyberg. The pedagogical picture book for K–5 teachers provides practical advice for building investigations that integrate both STEM and […]

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Ed News: Idaho Releases Revamped Science Standards Proposal

By The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) Team | Published: May 26, 2017
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This week in education news, Idaho releases revamped science standards proposal; two University of Florida professors explain how the taunting of minority students in a robotics competition are part of a cultural idea that minority students don’t belong in STEM classes; new 3-minute videos highlight new research in STEM education; next-generation science tests slowly take […]

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Science education “trifecta”

By Mary Bigelow | Published: February 12, 2017

I’m looking for creative ways for students to share what they know, other than traditional written reports or essays.  —K., Michigan The creative process in science involves novel ways of thinking, problem solving, and communicating. When students are given the opportunity, encouragement, and support, their creativity can be astounding. I found reworking information and/or experiences […]

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The Feedback Loop

By Carole Hayward | Published: June 8, 2016

There’s a lot of talk about using data to drive teaching and learning, but what data and how should these numbers be used? Are you confused? So were the authors of NSTA Press’ new book, The Feedback Loop: Using Formative Assessment Data for Science Teaching and Learning.  Erin Marie Furtak, Howard Glasser, and Zora Wolfe, […]

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My students don’t study!

By Mary Bigelow | Published: January 17, 2016

I struggle with getting my biology students to prepare for assessments. What are your thoughts?  — J., Arizona This is not an uncommon problem and J. was able to provide some additional details: “I give them study ‘helps’ that outline the concepts to be tested and extra points if they complete them. I do flashcards […]

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Student writing in science

By Mary Bigelow | Published: November 29, 2015

My mentor and I are discussing if we should grade science notebooks, lab reports, and assessments for correct usage, punctuation, and spelling. Or should we ignore these errors and just grade for content?  —G., Maryland My contribution to your discussion would fall toward the content end of the continuum. It’s important to assess students’ content […]

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Finding out what students know and can do

By Mary Bigelow | Published: July 14, 2015

I teach sixth grade science, and my students come from five district elementary schools and several private schools. Some schools emphasize science more than others, so it’s hard to know what knowledge and experience each student has. My principal suggested giving a pretest at the beginning of the year or for each unit, but that […]

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Teaching for Conceptual Understanding in Science

By Carole Hayward | Published: May 19, 2015

Author Richard Konicek-Moran spent years studying and researching children’s alternative conceptions in science and author Page Keeley acquired her passion for improving conceptual understanding using formative assessment tools. They realized that their respective work had so much in common that they decided to put their thoughts and ideas gleaned from their experiences, research findings, and […]

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Reviewing during a unit

By Mary Bigelow | Published: May 6, 2015

Do you have any suggestions on how to help students review and apply what they learn during a unit? I’ve tried creating games and contests, but the students don’t seem to get much out of them.   —C., Minnesota Many teachers have special review sessions prior to a test. With my middle and high school students, […]

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