Why I love these blogs....and not some others

Blogs on the bright (brilliant, fruitful) side that inspire, provoke, and inform are my favorites. Blogs on the dark (barren, gloomy) side that rant, promote self-worth, and are void of information are my unfavorites. Here are some of my favorite ones on education and assessment. Feel free to add yours

Curriculum Matters Catherine Gewertz http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/

            Takes a broad view of curriculum, instruction, standards, and assessment

Dangerously Irrelevant Scott McLeod http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/

            Emphasizes education reform, 21^st century schools, and testing

Education Sector http://www.quickanded.com/

            Multiple bloggers write about challenges facing k-16+ education

TeachThought www.teachthought.com

            A bountiful compilation of ideas from the best thought leaders in education

Education by the Numbers www.educationbythenumbers.org

            Insights into when, how, and whether data can improve education

Discovery Education http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/blog/category/assessment/

            Comprehensive review of issues in educational assessment

PDK Gallup Poll

The 45^th Annual PDK/Gallup Poll shows widespread confusion and changing views about current issues and trends in education. In relation to assessment, here is their summary of American’s knowledge and beliefs.

•          62% percent of respondents hadn’t heard of the Common Core
•          77% believe testing hurts or makes no difference education
•          58% are opposed to using test scores to evaluate teachers
•          70% have trust and confidence in teachers
•          90% believe electives and extra-curricular activities are essential to a well-rounded education
•          The majority of parents want schools to also build motivation, character, and goal setting skills
•          Parents value 21^st century skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity

·         Attitudes about local schools are higher than attitudes about our country’s schools in general

o   Parents of school age children rate their own schools higher than they rate schools nationally

o   They have a more positive attitude towards the safety of schools and the quality of education

Analysis:

American’s support fundamental goals and key ideas, but don’t really understand the complexity of educational initiatives and policies. The results depict a gap between knowledge and beliefs and also show the power of the media to trump trustworthy sources of information: Those who gave schools low grades cited negative media commentary as their primary source. This data indicates a disconnect between the decisions of policymakers and the constituents they represent.