Tag Archives: Testing

I Was Wrong About Tests

Tests are good. Very good. But we use them incorrectly. Most educators I know and politicians I hear about use them incorrectly as well. But I had one teacher who knew the truth about tests. Mr. Corson -- the brilliant … Continue reading

Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Teach to the Child

There are pros and cons to homeschooling just as there are with any education choice. But one of the greatest benefits that I found when home educating my children was the ability to teach *to* a student ... not to … Continue reading

Tagged , , | Leave a comment

I Care More About My Student Than the School District

My phone chirps. A stranger is calling me. The school calls frequently -- catch up on the story of our ward here, here, and here. Typically, the district wants me to know about a night where we can come learn … Continue reading

Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Prioritize Learning Over Performance

The biggest flaw within the public education system, if I had to narrow it down to one thing, would be the natural focus on performance over learning. In school, how much you learn doesn't really matter. What matters is that … Continue reading

Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

How Will the Common Core Affect Standardized Testing?

Karen asked a great question after reading my post on Sonlight and the Common Core: Will the revisions of the standardized tests and college entrance exams become so curriculum-specific as to set up independent learners for failure? Even if our … Continue reading

Tagged | Leave a comment

The Myth of a Standardized Education

Her pale blue eyes burn icy cold as she recounts her latest test results. "They changed professors three days before the test. How does that make sense? It's good that they let the other professor go, he wasn't teaching us … Continue reading

Tagged , | Leave a comment

Grades: the less-helpful metric

We went to Prom together over a decade ago. Yesterday we chatted in the church hallway while we waited for the kids in the Christmas play to finish rehearsal. I don't even know how the topic came up. "At our … Continue reading

Tagged , , , | 1 Comment