We often worry about getting behind, and we celebrate getting ahead. But what does that mean? Many of our measurements for “on target” were set by norms – where you have to have some people above average, and some below average, because that’s how norms work. Other goals were arbitrarily set, just because somebody decided… (—Read more—)
Beware Interference with Assessment Accuracy
Many things can interfere with your ability to accurately measure how well your child has mastered a concept. Becoming aware of how different variables can interfere with this is your first step in countering this problem. Let’s look at a couple of examples of how assessment structure can potentially undermine its accuracy.
The Good Earth: Example of How Assessment Comes in Many Forms
Assessment can come in many forms! It doesn’t need to be a multiple-choice test. Okay, if you want an Accelerated Reader Koosh ball prize it does. For education purposes, however, you have many options for knowing and showing whether or not your student truly read, completed, and/or learned a particular lesson unit. The segment below… (—Read more—)
Homeschool Quickstart Class – Origin Story
The Homeschool Quickstart class was years in the making. It began as a series of resources and presentations from Tamra and Cass, created to help “accidental” homeschooling parents. These were parents who didn’t plan on homeschooling, but something happened, so now what? The class navigates parents through that “now what?” moment, and helps them take… (—Read more—)
Why Homeschooling? And Why So Pushy?
In the above video segment, Cass asks for my perspective on what led to me homeschooling. It was a joy to look back on that sequence of events, and to laugh at the absurdity of several moments. Below is an article I wrote a few years back that answers a similar question about my motivation…. (—Read more—)