The Importance of Getting Organized

Many high school graduates will be heading off to their first semester of college before long. Many of those students are well grounded and have a strong hold on what they want in their future. However others do not. For that group of students who do not have a strong hold on their goals and dreams, college may take them for a whirl. Buckling down and studying and getting a grip on class work may be a little harder for these students. There are some things that students can do to enhance their success in college (and these tips will … Continue reading

More about Portfolios

Previously I had discussed how teachers are being pushed now more than ever to create individualized student plans. In this creation of individualized planning, many suggest tracking your students’ progress through portfolios. While there is much research to suggest that portfolios do provide benefits to both teachers and students, many teachers are reluctant to begin them with their class. I had begun talking about some of the reasons that teachers are hesitant to use portfolios in my last article. Another reason why some teachers do not use portfolios in class is because they are uncertain how to assess them or … Continue reading

How Will You Grade Your Students?

One major aspect about school that concerns teachers, students, and parents alike is grades. States and school districts all have a set standard for grades and grading. They have a grading scale for all schools that places a numerical number with a letter grade. While teachers are bound to these numbers and letters to try to ensure that all students are grade as equally as possible, there are still many different levels of grading. Within their own classroom teachers can use many different methods and styles to grade their students. In addition to having different methods of obtaining grades, teachers … Continue reading

The Education Blog in Review Nov. 20-Dec. 5th

We start off with an update from Myra Turner regarding kindergartners receiving letter grades. It seems that research confirms what many parents commented on her original blog–letter grades for five year olds is simply unnecessary. Check here to read the first blog in this set. Next, we tackled a hot button issue in ethnically diverse schools, in Are English Language Only Laws Really Helpful? There are laws in various parts of the country that actually dictate that students are not allowed to speak their native tongue anywhere on school property. One student was even suspended for saying, “No hay problema!” … Continue reading

The Education Blog in Review: Nov. 6 through Nov. 19

Since our great education blogger, Kaye Siders, left us at the end of October, the Education blog has been missing some reviews. The day before yesterday, I had written the first Education in review since the end of October. Make sure you check those out if you need to catch up! Thanks to Sherry Holetsky who told us about Edline in Does Your Child’s School Offer Edline? I didn’t know about it, and like she points out, it sounds like a great way to keep on top of your child’s progress. Myra Turner talked to us a little about Kindergartners … Continue reading

Update: Should Kindergarteners Receive Traditional Letter Grades

Last week I wrote a blog about whether kindergarteners should receive traditional letter grades as opposed to pass/fail grades. The idea was spurred by an article in our local paper debating the merits of this new policy here in Mobile. In Sunday’s paper, a retired child management specialist for the Mobile Mental Health Center and a former public school teacher wrote a guest editorial concerning this new policy. The headline was Grading Too Soon, so I knew right away what his opinion was. In the article he wrote that kindergarteners need encouragement not labeling. He went on to say that … Continue reading