Formative Assessment Tools and the Science of Teaching There are two critical keys to exceptional teaching. The first, effective transmission of content and skills as measured by formative assessment (short and medium cycle) and summative assessment. This scientific approach to student mastery relies on rigorous measurement. It is the key to identifying what doesn't work and improving on what does. [...]
October 2014 October Brings End of the Quarter Testing, and Quick Key Mobile Can Help! Quick Key Mobile turns your mobile device into a scanner and eliminates hand-grading of paper assessments, even for teachers working in classrooms without a computer or an internet connection. Analytics and data exports are fast and easy, so you can focus on your [...]
Both the Middle School for Arts and Philosophy and Kings Collegiate Charter School are housed at PS 588 in Brownsville, N.Y. Credit Christopher Gregory for The New York Times It is not an understatement to say that there is tension between Charter Schools and Public Schools. According to the New York Times, “'It’s like putting a Burger [...]
This week Quick Key Mobile closed on a private placement with global education venture fund ARC Capital Development, LLC. And the hits just keep on coming! April was a big month for us here at Quick Key. We crossed over 250,000 total quizzes scanned since our launch in September, and over 5 million student responses recorded [...]
According to NPR, "The government released the latest national test scores on Wednesday, and the news isn't good: 12th-graders are headed toward graduation, but many don't have the skills they need to succeed in college or work." What is shocking is how anyone can be surprised. In the last few years the emphasis on high stakes [...]
Teacher Appreciation week has arrived! For many of us, that means a Starbucks gift card or even the occasional apple. This year the Center for Teaching Quality has launched an interesting social media campaign. According to the CTQ, "Participating is easy! Tell the world what #TeachingIs to you. Share your definitions, stories, small (and big!) wins, and manifestos [...]
Today George Lucas shared a blog post that touches on the most important aspect of teaching. In the era of high stakes testing and finger pointing it is easy to forget about the "Art of Teaching". Lucas hits the nail on the head, according to Lucas "When you really think back about your best teachers, they [...]
It is no surprise that student data privacy is of great concern to schools, teachers, and parents. According to an article http://thenextweb.com/google/2014/04/30/google-turns-gmail-scanning-education-users-permanently-removes-ads-option/ from The Next Web "Google Apps for Education users will no longer have their emails scanned for use in advertising". This announcement was greeted as good news by many educators and concerned parties, who are committed [...]
In its education section, the New York Times reminded us again, that teachers are being asked to do more with less. According to the Times "A $216-million budget shortfall could force Philadelphia’s public schools to make further staffing cuts next year, school officials said on Friday." The results would be devastating as, "the deepest cuts will [...]
Today the New York Times reported on the plight of New York City Schools' attempts to move away from "teaching to the test" in spite of "baked-in" and deeply entrenched practices. Times reporter Al Baker reported on P.S. 126 in Queens, and all the work students and teachers there are doing to prepare for the SAT. [...]
