Three criteria I use when deciding what material to include on retrieval practice opportunities.
An Honest Assessment
Assessment Isn’t A Bad Word
Earlier today on twitter, Tom Bennett (@tombennett71) launched a small thread on assessment. You can check it out here. Essentially, he argues that testing doesn’t have to just mean an end of unit/chapter or course assessment and courses shouldn’t exist simply to focus on or teach to the test. I completely agree. I believe… Continue Reading →
Student Assessment of Learning in the Classroom
In my AP Psychology classroom, most of my students are great at memorizing facts and regurgitating them on quizzes/tests. I spend a considerable amount of time introducing learning strategies to my students and incorporating them into their studying/practicing habits. I discuss this further here and here. Under the umbrella of discussing learning strategies with my… Continue Reading →
2 Evidence-Based Learning Strategies
The following article originally featured on Edutopia January 23, 2018 at the following link: https://www.edutopia.org/article/2-evidence-based-learning-strategies Spaced and retrieval practice help students retain content and give them a sense of what they know—and what they don’t. I often say to my students, “If a test is the first time you’re made to think about or with the class material,… Continue Reading →
365 Days As A Blogger
Exactly one year ago today, my first ever blog article was published by the wonderful researchers/educators, The Learning Scientists. Since that day, I’ve had the bug…the reading research-writing-learning-growing bug. It’s been an amazing journey so far. A world of education, that I never knew existed, has been exposed to me and it’s changed everything about… Continue Reading →
Color Coding Recall Attempts to Assess Learning
Due to Hurricane Irma, I have not seen my students in four days. We are right in the middle of the most difficult unit of study for the entire year. To combat this difficulty, I make things easier…but not in the way you may be thinking. I make it easier with more frequent low-stakes assessments… Continue Reading →
Dual Coding in the Classroom
Let me begin by saying that dual coding, or at least my initial understanding of this learning strategy, is completely foreign to me. I am the antithesis of creative. While others were playing with action figures and creating distant galaxies to be conquered in their mind, I was outside playing some sport. Add to this… Continue Reading →
Retrieval Practice in the High School Classroom
One of the largest gaps in my students’ learning that I encounter regularly is a lack of study/learning skills. I am extremely fortunate to teach at a school that has high expectations for all and produces some amazing kids. About 90% of each graduating class attends a 2 or 4 year college/university every year with… Continue Reading →
Defeating Bias in the Classroom: Lessons Learned from the Army
We all fight biases. Some are learned through interactions with peers and family; others are more intuitive and somewhat unknowingly cloud our judgement. At a minimum, biases have the ability to negatively affect our perception of others’ disposition and lead to false beliefs and judgement. Biases also shape the classroom. Expectations of teachers and… Continue Reading →