Tag Archives: assessment

Translating the NGSS for Classroom Instruction

By Carole Hayward | Published: November 18, 2013

Rodger Bybee’s new book Translating the NGSS for Classroom Instruction gives science teachers a powerful tool for moving the new science standards into classroom practices. Having the NGSS is a critical piece, but they will only go so far in affecting true reform if the standards aren’t applied to how science education is delivered in [...]

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NSTA’s K-College Journals: Live for November

By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Social Media Director | Published: November 13, 2013

You’ve turned the clocks back an hour, but you’re still short on time—that’s what most teachers tell us! How can the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) help? With grade-level journals targeted to your needs, written by educators who know what works. Our November journals are live online (with select articles being free for all, and [...]

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Assessment products and processes

By Mary Bigelow | Published: November 7, 2013

What is the purpose of an assessment? The featured articles in this issue show assessment as a true part of the instructional process, not an add-on to get a score for a grade. As I read the articles, I was impressed at how the assessments were designed to match the learning goals and the instructional [...]

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Assessments: Part of the learning process

By Mary Bigelow | Published: September 29, 2013

Do you have advice on assessments that would be helpful for sharing with my mentee, a new teacher? —Shirley, Lexington, Kentucky Assessing student learning can (and should) include more than final tests. The process has components before, during, and at the end of the unit of instruction. You might find my archived posts with questions [...]

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What are science teachers reading in September?

By Amy America | Published: September 26, 2013

Check out this month’s most popular books, e-books, and children’s science trade books! Click over to our NSTA Recommends Catalog app to see what’s new. Between now and October 31, 2013, save $10 off your order of $40 or more of NSTA Press books by entering promo code SAVE10 at checkout through the online Science [...]

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Uncovering Student Ideas in Science Workshops at NSTA’s Area Conferences This Fall

By Wendy Rubin, Managing Editor, NSTA Press | Published: September 3, 2013

“Uncovering Student Ideas is highly recommended for teachers at every level; it contains a set of essential tools that cross discipline, grade, and ability levels. There’s no better way to guide your planning and decision-making process.” —from Juliana Texley’s review of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Vol. 4 Are you looking for ways to transform [...]

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Examples of science assessments

By Mary Bigelow | Published: June 19, 2013

Last year I gave a pretest to my classes, consisting mostly of vocabulary. I’ve decided to change the assessment and focus more on determining how students think. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, I’m looking for existing tests or test items I could use or adapt. —Melissa, Wilmington, Delaware I’ve been involved in several [...]

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Test make-ups

By Mary Bigelow | Published: April 21, 2013

I am a student teacher in sixth grade earth science. My question is about makeup exams.  I have several ideas, but can you suggest other systems or procedures for allowing students to make up exams? —Dawn, San Jose, California Student absences are a given. It’s frustrating when students miss a class (or two or three) [...]

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Comprehending science text

By Mary Bigelow | Published: April 4, 2013

I’m incorporating several strategies this year to help my life science students understand written information. I provide study guides with questions to answer, graphic organizers, and quizzes on the information, but they still don’t seem to comprehend what they read. Do you have any other suggestions? —Mary, Abilene, Texas For many of our students, reading [...]

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It’s a puzzlement

By Mary Bigelow | Published: April 2, 2013

How many of us in the K-12 science environment use word puzzles to help students review concepts and learn vocabulary? I haven’t been convinced of the value of find-a-words or jumble puzzles are effective learning tools, but crossword puzzles and others that ask students to think of words to fit the clues could be useful. [...]

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