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A PowerPoint about Developing classroom materials

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training-material-development-guide

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5 Best Digital Whiteboard Tools for Your Classroom

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Design Principles of Blended Learning Environments - Ourboox

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Instructional strategies that involve students as active participants in the classroom are challenging; these challenges are amplified in a virtual space where online tools are the primary means of engaging students. An evaluation of low- and high-tech active learning classrooms concluded that several problems emerged with high-tech active learning, most of which were related to the instructors' experiences and the extent of their abilities to deal with technological obstacles.

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Kahoot as a useful tool for creating quizzes, etc..

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Kahoot as a useful tool for creating quizzes, etc..

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn - any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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Alternative Assessment Tools for Teachers

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Alternative Assessment Tools for Teachers

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You can explore some of the alternative assessment tools that can be used as online

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Alternative Assessment

Alternative assessment using web 2.0 tools can be used for initial and formative assessment to aid and inform the teacher, as well as students, during the learning process. It can also be used for summative assessment to measure or describe student achievements.

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Alternative assessment using web 2.0 tools can be used for initial and formative assessment to aid and inform the teacher, as well as students, during the learning process. It can also be used for summative assessment to measure or describe student achievements.

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A short quiz tool as an alternative assessment method. Click and attend please..

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why do we need Assessment

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Asking students to demonstrate their understanding of the subject matter is critical to the learning process; it is essential to evaluate whether the educational goals and standards of the lessons are being met. From Edutopia.org’s Assessment Professional Development Guide.

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6 types of assessment (Michigan educators)

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6 types of assessment (Michigan educators)

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This video describes the different types of assessments that are available for educators to use to make informed decisions.

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As individuals, we constantly evaluate our decisions and options to know how well they meet specific goals, hence assessment. However, in formal contexts like schools and the workplace, assessments happen on a larger scale, and you need particular tools to pull them off.

In this article, you'll learn about different assessment tools that will help you evaluate performance in various contexts. We'd give an overview of each method, its pros and cons, and specific features to look out for as you decide.

What is an Assessment Tool?

An assessment tool is a technique or method of evaluating information to determine how much a person knows and whether this knowledge aligns with the bigger picture of a theory or framework.

Assessment methods differ based on context and purpose. For example, personality tests use your responses to discover character traits, and financial assessments measure how much you know about concepts like saving and investments.

Regardless of the context, all assessment tools depend on a set of well-thought-out questions to gather insights and arrive at informed conclusions by i nterpreting these insights.
Read: Motivation Assessment: Definitions, Types, Tools + [Questionnaire Examples]
Characteristics of an Assessment Tool

1. Reliability

The right assessment tool produces the same results over time. So there's a consistency, or accuracy in these results. Here, you should consider whether the test can replicate results whenever it is used.

For example, if the students perform the same tasks simultaneously, then such assessment passes as reliable.

2. Validity

The validity of an assessment boils down to how well it measures the different criteria being tested. In other words, it is the idea that the test measures what it intends to measure.

This means your assessment method should be relevant to the specific context. For example, if you're testing physical strength, you shouldn't send out a written test. Instead, your tests should include physical exercises like pushups and weightlifting.

3. Equitable

A good assessment tool is equitable, which means it doesn't favor or disfavor any participant. Fair assessments imply that students are tested using methods and procedures most appropriate to them. Every participant must be familiar with the test context so they can put up an acceptable performance.

4. Standardization

Standardization means applying consistency to your testing methods. For example, if you're sending out a questionnaire, it should have the same set of questions for all participants, and all the answers should be graded using the same criteria.

Other characteristics of assessment tools include:

A good assessment tool should provide a window for high-quality feedback.

It is feasible and accounts for equivalence.

It should motivate participants to be involved in the testing.

It should be transparent, non-discriminatory, and match expectations.

Types of Assessment Tools

Educational Assessment Tool

An educational assessment tool is used for evaluating students' performance and their level of knowledge in a particular subject. Educational assessment tools can be used during the learning process or on an ongoing basis.

For example, in formative assessmen t, the teacher deploys different methods to track a student's performance as learning progresses. This allows the instructor to identify and fix knowledge gaps as they move from one learning phase to another. But in summative assessment, the teacher waits till the end to measure the student's performance using a rubric of expected learning outcomes.

Expectedly, different assessment tools work for different types of educational assessment. So, while quizzes and straw polls are suitable for formative evaluation, end-of-term examinations with close-ended questions are better-suited for summative assessments.

Examples of Educational Assessment Tools

1.ASSISTments: This is a free online platform that teachers can use to assign Maths tests to students, whether during the learning process or outside the classroom. ASSISTments allow instructors to provide immediate feedback as students turn in their tests.

Pros of Educational Assessment Tools

Educational assessment tools help teachers to track and evaluate progress throughout the learning process.

They provide enough data for improving the overall teaching and learning experiences.

Cons of Educational Assessment Tools

Educational assessment tools can cause anxiety or affect students' motivation, mainly when they do not perform as well as they wanted.

It is not always an accurate reflection of how much progress the students have made.

Research Assessment Tool

A research assessment tool is used to measure the impact of a systematic investigation based on specific criteria. These criteria could be the research results, level of participation from research subjects, and other similar metrics.

For example, after a systematic investigation, you can send out an internal survey to gather feedback from key players in the process. A research assessment tool can also help you determine the extent to which the research outcomes solve the identified problem.

Examples of Research Assessment Tools

2. AAC&U Value Rubrics: This assessment tool allows you to measure key learning outcomes, including critical thinking, inquiry, and analysis, communication, literature comprehension, as part of your research evaluation process.

Pros of Research Assessment Tools

Research assessment tools help you to identify gaps in your process.

They allow you to determine the extent to which your systematic investigation solves the problem.

Cons of Research Assessment Tools

Research assessment tools are subjective and easily affected by bias.

It is time-consuming.

Project Assessment Tool

A project assessment tool is a method of evaluating the success of your project. These tools can be used in different contexts, such as launching a new product, introducing an additional feature in an existing product, and launching a new branch of your business.

Before choosing a project assessment tool or method of evaluation, you should consider different factors like the project scale, how much money you've invested into it, and if you have the resources to pull it off. For example, a simple project might not require a complex evaluation with complex assessment tools.

You should also define the project's success parameters. If success is quantitative, you need a tool that can measure numerical data like the number of people who signed up for an event. If success is qualitative, then the assessment tool should evaluate the participants' perceptions and impressions of the project.

Examples of Project Assessment Tools

1. Surveys: Tools like Formplus allow you to send out surveys, questionnaires, and polls for opinion sampling and feedback. Before launching your project, you can send out a baseline survey, and after the project, you can administer a post-event survey. This allows you to compare project outcomes with the issues raised in the baseline survey.

2. Observation: Participant and non-participant observation methods can be used to gather first-hand feedback from participants after your project launch.

3. Case Studies: A case study is an in-depth exploration of a subject matter related to real-life occurrences.

Pros of Project Assessment Tools

Project assessment tools help you identify when the goals of a project have been achieved.

It helps you to measure the ROI of your project.

Con of Project Assessment Tools

HR Assessment Tool

An HR assessment tool evaluates employees' workplace performance to help organizations provide the best support for their teams. At the same time, these tools help employers develop strategies that improve the human resource system and make it more effective.
Examples of HR Assessment Tools
Tools like Adface, Berke, and Athena Quotient can identify the most suitable candidates for roles during the recruitment process. HR assessments cut across psychometric testing, personality tests, and 360-degree feedback.

2. Assessment Center: This method requires employees to perform tasks in groups, together with their managers, assessors, and other team members.

3. HR Accounting: Here, the HR manager examines how much money is spent on training, research, and employee development against their level of productivity and whether the training and development programs have resulted in a higher yield for the company.

Pros of HR Assessment Tools

These tools help you to monitor labor law compliance and other administrative functions.

HR assessment tools can review employee compensation packages to ensure that workers are paid their worth.

These tools help you map out training and development strategies for staff.

Cons of HR Assessment Tools

These tools require significant effort and coordination.

The data sets may be complex to analyze.

Importance of Assessment Tools

1. In educational research, assessment tools help instructors evaluate students' knowledge and make informed decisions that improve their learning experience.

2. Assessment tools help participants measure their progress towards specific outcomes and modify their behavior to meet those goals.

3. They provide an opportunity for valuable feedback that improves the lives of the participants.

4. An assessment tool is a lens for understanding learning, identifying invisible barriers, and helping instructors to improve their approach to evaluation.

5. They clarify the expectations for participants in different contexts.

Why Should You Use Formplus as an Assessment Tool?

Quizzes

Formplus supports multiple data gathering functionalities, including creating quizzes and exams for assessments. Quizzes come in handy for formative assessments where you have to evaluate the participants' knowledge of the subject matter as they learn.

You have access to different field options to help you create a suitable quiz. Checkboxes and radio fields come in handy, plus you can add image options to make the quiz more interactive. As participants send in their responses, you can review them and provide feedback.

Offline Capability

Formplus allows you to collect data from participants in offline mode. All Formplus forms are automatically available offline which means respondents can fill and submit responses when they have poor or no access to the internet.

For example, in the classroom, students can complete quizzes and surveys without access to the internet. Any responses received in offline mode are uploaded on our secure servers or your preferred cloud storage system when there's an internet connection.

Research/Survey

As a research tool, Formplus is an effective way to create surveys for systematic investigation. In some way, assessments are forms of research since they involve collecting and analyzing data to arrive at results. Formplus can help you build different surveys and other research tools for data collection.

After creating your survey on Formplus, you'll have different sharing options for survey distribution. Asides from sharing it on social media using the direct share buttons, you can share your survey via QR code or send out email invitations to preselected participants.

Calculation

With calculation fields, participants can perform simple arithmetic processes in your Formplus forms. Calculation fields come in handy during Mathematical assessments-students can add and subtract variables to arrive at the correct answers.
Conclusion
They also process payments on product order forms, event registrations, online bookings, expense reimbursements, online donation forms and calculate date ranges for appointment bookings.

The most important thing you should consider when choosing your assessment tool is context. Although specific tools overlap, you still need to tailor them to suit particular, suitable use cases. For example, surveys for educational research are quite different from the ones used for 360-degree feedback.

Once you tie the tool to the context, you can choose the right questions to help you to gather valuable data. Most importantly, the results from assessments should inform improvements, whether at school, at work, or for your projects.

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Assessment Tools: Types, Examples & Importance

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As individuals, we constantly evaluate our decisions and options to know how well they meet specific goals, hence assessment. However, in formal contexts like schools and the workplace, assessments happen on a larger scale, and you need particular tools to pull them off.

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Impact of formative evaluation on fostering learning

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Impact of formative evaluation on fostering learning

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How Differentiated Instruction and Formative Assessment Work at Forest Lake Elementary

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The goal of computational thinking is really about getting students to use computer type thinking to solve real world problems. So often we are the users of algorithms, but rarely are we creating them. Facilitating this skill for our students will allow them to innovate, understand, and find purpose. Most of all they will be equipped to fast a world which is constantly changing. It is from the book The Power of Computational Thinking by Paul Curzon and Peter W. McOwan we find the following quote:

"The beauty of Algorithms is that steps can be followed without those involved having any idea of what they are doing and why"

Paul Curzon and Peter W. McOwan

I can personally relate with this quote. I found myself many times in school following algorithms of which I had no idea for their meaning. I did pass the ACT because I had answers for which I had no understanding of. We as educators must go that next step, providing students a way to problem solve and come up with algorithms that provide the solutions.

For this reason I provide to you some resources I hope you will find valuable. Keep in mind that Computational Thinking can use devices, robots, and computers to support learning. It also is valuable to do some "unplugged" activities that allow students to dive deep into their own thinking leaving the digital object to the side. I have tried to provide resources that support both. Last, the ability to understand the workings of a computer is only half of the algorithm. Keep in mind that human element. How do we find a way to use the power and speed of the computer along with the comprehension and meta-cognitive ability of the human mind. Enjoy the quote and resources that follow.

"The computer is incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid. Man is incredibly slow, inaccurate, and brilliant. The marriage of the two is a force beyond calculations"

Main Site Computational Thinking Resources:

Puzzles for Computational Thinking

Articles, Information, Ideas

Booking Info - It is time to think about your school or conference needs. Are you looking for a practical and affordable professional development workshop for your school or conference? I have traveled the country delivering PD relating to technology integration, PBL, STEM, Digital Literacy, and the 4 C's. I have delivered hundreds of workshops and presentations. Check out my Booking Page. Please contact me soon if you have an interest. My 2019 calendar is filling fast. In fact, it might be time to begin thinking about the summer and start of school of 2019! Look for contact information at the Booking Site.
cross-posted at 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com Michael Gorman oversees one-to-one laptop programs and digital professional development for Southwest Allen County Schools near Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is a consultant for Discovery Education, ISTE, My Big Campus, and November Learning and is on the National Faculty for The Buck Institute for Education. His awards include district Teacher of the Year, Indiana STEM Educator of the Year and Microsoft's 365 Global Education Hero. Read more at21centuryedtech.wordpress.com.

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Computational Thinking: Over 50 Resources To Teach CT Across the Entire Curriculum, Part 2

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The goal of computational thinking is really about getting students to use computer type thinking to solve real world problems. So often we are the users of algorithms, but rarely are we creating them. Facilitating this skill for our students will allow them to innovate, understand, and find purpose.

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it provides what type of assessment that suits to the learners on how they monitor their learning and performance.

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Tut2Learn - GK, Exam Tips, Job Tips, Biography

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Traditional Education Vs Modern Education - Comparision

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ResearchGate is a network dedicated to science and research. Connect, collaborate and discover scientific publications, jobs and conferences. All for free.

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Educational Technology  Traditional and Modern

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I've found a useful short video that includes the major concepts we'd learned in the past weeks.

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4 Design Tips for Building Better Learning Materials

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Classical Education

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Introduction

Parents looking for an alternative to traditional public schools have an option that fell out of fashion in this country a long time ago. This option-called "classical education"-differs profoundly from the instruction offered by modern district public schools. It is heavily oriented toward the liberal arts, guided by the Western canon, and grounded in Greek and Roman traditions of academic excellence.

While parents give good teachers and strong academics priority in evaluating a school, they also rate safety highly and consider extracurricular activities.[ 1] Educational philosophy or religious vocation is often highly valued as well. In a multicultural and diverse society like the U.S., every family will undoubtedly possess different values. Classical education can serve a diverse set of students and be utilized as an alternative to the education models favored by the majority of local district public schools.

This issue brief seeks to add to the discussion of educational pluralism by highlighting the history, features, and successes of the classical education model. The model is unique for its emphasis on building the student to be a scholar and an active citizen. Classical schools come in the form of private and charter schools, homeschooling, and micro-schooling. This paper will profile classical-model charter schools in New York City, Washington, DC, and Nashville. Each one has a majority-minority student body whose state test scores match or exceed their respective public school district's average.

Classical Education: An Overview

Modern classical education is inspired by the ancient Greek and Roman traditions of art, literature, and language that are the foundation of Western civilization. During the medieval period, educators synthesized much of what endured from this tradition with the values of Christianity and established a framework to educate future generations. [ 2] The West's theologians, statesmen, and philosophers were thus educated in the classical tradition.

Today, classical education is synonymous with "authoritative, traditional and enduring." [ 3] The teaching of ancient Greek and Latin languages and literature endures, but the designation "classical" has been broadened to include languages and literature beyond Rome and Athens that uphold the virtue of "excellence." Educators today define classical education as an education that teaches the best of the West.

America's first public school was the Boston Latin School, established in 1635 with the mission of preparing students for the rigor and substance of classical education in a college setting. Mastery of Latin was a requirement. In the next century, many of the country's Founding Fathers and other early American leaders were classically instructed-fluent in Latin and other ancient languages and well versed in classic literature. [ 4] Much like in the ancient and medieval periods of the West, education at any level was largely accessible only to the elite and wealthy. [ 5]

Public education as we understand it arose in the first half of the 19th century; the first state to mandate education was Massachusetts in 1852, and the last state to do so was Mississippi in 1918. Enrollment was not universal; according to the federal government's National Center for Education Statistics, "roughly half of all 5- to 19-year-olds were enrolled in school" in the last half of the 19th century. Before the Civil War, "school enrollment for blacks was limited to only a small number in Northern states." [ 6]

Educational institutions for blacks freed after the Civil War evolved in two distinct forms: one for industrial education, the other for the liberal arts. Notable figures such as Booker T. Washington promoted the former as the best way for black Americans to integrate into society. Aided by numerous benefactors, Washington founded a range of schools to train adolescents and young adults as masters of trades and future teachers in their communities. Notably missing from Washington's industrial curriculum was instruction in the "dead languages." [ 7]

Many activists, however, viewed a liberal arts education as the key to black Americans' equal participation in political and social life, which would require integrating with even the college-educated elite of the time. In The Souls of Black Folk, W. E. B. Du Bois wrote that engaging in the study of works by figures such as Shakespeare and Aristotle would give black individuals the knowledge to liberate themselves. [ 8] Thus, the first black public high school, founded in 1870 as Washington, DC's Preparatory High School for Colored Youth (presently called Dunbar High School), was rooted in the classical tradition. [ 9] Segregated black high schools in the early to mid-1900s offered instruction that was heavily influenced by the liberal arts but offered both industrial and classical coursework to their students. [ 10]

Horace Mann, the mid-19th-century reformer who orchestrated the movement toward free public education across the country, believed that schools, while secular, should inculcate character and values in students, as well as a sense of allegiance to democracy and nationhood. [ 11] In the 20th century, however, educators within the Progressive movement, such as philosopher and psychologist John Dewey, believed that education should focus on present-day concerns and interactions between student and teacher for the larger purpose of encouraging democracy and social reform. Problem-solving, issue advocacy, experiential learning, and social change were at the core of progressive education. Its focus on the present made the student's interests and desires equal to those of the teacher. [ 12] Thanks to the influence of Dewey and others, classrooms became more democratized but moved away from principles such as tradition, virtue, and authority.

Today, public schooling in the U.S. is influenced by many schools of thought. Some still model their curricula on ideals espoused by progressives such as Dewey. More recently, a movement toward teaching literature and history through a critical racial lens has evolved. Other schools teach in a way that downplays or ignores significant negative parts of America's history. [ 13] Because public schooling in the U.S. is highly localized and democratic, no single pedagogy dominates.

Contemporary Classical Education

Today's classical curricula can be found in homeschool environments, micro-school pods, private institutions, and public charter schools. In the religious school sector, classical education often incorporates biblical texts and training. These schools often brand themselves as classical Christian schools or classical academies and inculcate their students with a rigorous education and Judeo-Christian values. [ 14] Some Catholic schools have also harked back to a classical model in teaching their tradition. While not representative of most Catholic schools, some parochial schools [ 15] have made an effort to give parishioners the option of classical education, while some Catholic-affiliated networks [ 16] have also created schools to offer a classical Catholic education.

Some of the most ardent supporters of classical education are in the homeschooling and micro-schooling movements. Homeschool programs such as The Well-Trained Mind are designed to give parents the information necessary to educate their children in a classical manner. Training in spiritual faith is usually a crucial aspect of their education, as it would be in a religious school.

However, classical education is not limited to private, religious, and home schools. Several public charter schools have adopted aspects of classical learning. These schools, particularly in urban areas, are designed to give students from disadvantaged groups a stronger educational foundation and a better shot at college readiness. While jurisprudence surrounding the U.S. Constitution's Establishment Clause prevents public charter schools from promoting the values of any particular religion, [ 17] many classical charter schools incorporate secular "character training" into their curricula.

Three Stages of a Classical Education

American public schools aim for grade-level readiness beginning with kindergarten and ending in the 12th grade. Medieval Roman educators employed a broader model of primary education known as the "trivium." [ 18] In a liberal arts education, the trivium refers to the teaching of the first three arts: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Though practically all classical charter schools today employ conventional grade levels, this highly language-intensive structure influences today's classical educators, thanks to Dorothy Sayers's 1947 essay "The Lost Tools of Learning," which reintroduced the trivium to a modern audience. [ 19]

Grammar, the first stage, refers not to the rules of language, but to the youngest years of a child's education, during which the goal is to build a foundation for future learning by establishing a knowledge base.

The logic stage builds upon the grammar stage and teaches students how to outline and evaluate arguments. During the logic stage, students consider narratives from history and English literature (and the literature of other languages), and they practice explaining the facts of the world.

In the rhetoric stage, students learn how to express their thoughts. Using the knowledge acquired during the grammar stage, as well as the tools developed during the logic stage, they learn how to make their own arguments-both written and oral. Classical learning heavily relies on the Socratic method, pitting ideas and arguments against each other in pursuit of truth. By challenging properly skilled students to explore their ideas, a classical education imbues students with a desire to seek truth in all further education after leaving school.

On the surface, a modern classical curriculum might appear similar to a typical district school education: it includes math, science, English and language arts, history, the arts, and foreign languages. But the coverage of these subjects is distinctive.

English and language arts in a classical school are split into two subjects: reading and writing. Reading receives particular attention because it is the ultimate source of knowledge in all other subjects. [ 20] In many classical elementary schools, literacy is the ultimate goal for students. Writing also receives great focus because the written word is the chief way ideas are expressed and disseminated in the Western tradition.

Therefore, in the grammar stage, students are expected to comprehend phonics, develop vocabulary, and learn the structure of a sentence. Many of a student's early years are spent memorizing facts rather than developing original ideas. Toward the end of the grammar stage, exercises like diagramming sentences, writing in cursive, and writing brief expository sentences are used to ensure that students can demonstrate mastery of the foundations of the written word.

The logic stage expands students' knowledge of language arts by teaching them to explain the "why." Reading comprehension requires more of the student than parroting a written passage-careful analysis is essential. Students in the logic stage begin to read more challenging works that allow them to put these tools to the test. Middle school children learn the best of the Western canon, studying timeless works such as Shakespeare's plays and novels like To Kill a Mockingbird.

In the rhetoric stage, students craft their arguments and express original ideas. Older students, having developed strong vocabularies and reading comprehension skills, graduate to more challenging works like Greek epics and 19th-century literature such as Les Misérables. Teachers in the rhetoric stage require students to critically analyze the meanings and arguments supported by a text, in addition to making arguments of their own.

A knowledge of history is regarded as the backbone of classical education because it accomplishes three objectives. First, history informs students of how we have arrived at the current moment. Second, it serves as a bulwark against arrogance, putting students' community and country into a proper context of the vast span of global civilization. [ 21] Third, history provides examples of people's and civilizations' successes and failures, thus offering lessons to students who will be history makers in their own time.

In the grammar stage, history teaches students the basic facts of human civilizations. Young students memorize facts about various empires, leaders, wars, and movements. Such fact absorption provides students a solid foundation for eventual critical thinking and logical analysis.

In the logic stage, students begin to delve deeper, asking "why" human history developed as it did. Students may take on assignments that ask them why Napoleon failed to dominate the European continent, or why British taxes catalyzed the American Revolution. Students in classical schools often rely on primary sources rather than textbooks at this stage, in order to gain more fully the perspectives of historical figures.

Students in the rhetoric stage voice their perspectives on events and figures in history. Through essays or the use of oral methods such as Socratic dialogue, they defend or challenge historical points of contention. Students may, for example, critique or qualify the spread of Christianity throughout the Americas or debate the ethics of Communist regimes. By providing an environment in which students engage in disagreement and argumentation civilly, classical teachers help students hone their thinking skills in the pursuit of truth.

Math and science instruction is distinctive in classical curricula. As with language arts and history, math and science for students in the grammar stage are dominated by memorization of basic facts in preparation for future learning. Later stages of math and science present subjects such as calculus and physics-not unlike most district schools. However, when classical educators apply the principles of logic and rhetoric to math and science coursework, there is a broader agenda. For example, a biology teacher might organize a unit on plant domestication and discuss the evolution of agriculture and civilization. Classically educated students not only master the sciences but connect them to history and contemporary issues.

Classical schooling insists that the purpose of education is to cultivate a mind pursuant of truth. Classical schools often require coursework in Latin or Greek, music composition and practice, debate, and the visual arts. The mastery of ancient languages connects students to the ancient works they read in literature classes and the public figures they study in history. Study of the visual and performing arts grants students access to classical works and compositions, while also giving them avenues for self-expression.

Classical education demands that students strive for excellence in academics but also in areas such as self-discipline and accountability. This is why a major component of this model is often some form of ethics or character training. In the classical Christian tradition, religion classes serve this purpose. In a secular classical school, character training is often embedded within the curriculum and discipline standards, and it can be formalized in a civics course.

Ethics and character training are essential for two primary reasons. First, discipline and accountability are virtues in and of themselves, and classical education seeks to transform the whole student. Second, classical education is invested in ethics because proper character guides students on how to pursue truth. Students might question the need to study Latin or literature such as The Aeneid. "When will I need to use this?" is a common reaction to difficult or seemingly impractical lessons. But classical educators teach that virtue goes beyond mere practicality and aims to produce "a student who pursues excellence and moderation in all things." [ 22]

Perhaps the most significant distinction of a classical education is its insistence that specific values matter. Attempts at value-neutrality fail to produce an environment suitable for knowledge acquisition and dialogue. [ 23] Education requires a shared understanding of principles and fundamentals. Classical educators profess to inculcate in their students a particular way of digesting and interpreting facts and formulating and defending their own viewpoints.

Three Classical Charter Schools

As the U.S. grows more diverse, people desiring more inclusion and multiculturalism might be wary of advancing classical education. However, critics overlook the unifying aspects of
classical education. Those engaged in the classics respect the importance of a common people having a shared language, base of knowledge, and history. Furthermore, classical educators recognize the mission of teaching many groups' histories of the West.

The three charter schools profiled below share several features. They reflect the stages of the trivium across traditional grade levels; their demographics show that a classical education need not be culturally unresponsive and can reach students of all backgrounds; and standardized assessments of their students indicate that instruction in the classical fashion is academically rigorous and can meet contemporary expectations.
Nashville Classical Charter School
The American South has historically lagged in outcomes and opportunities for its children. The legacy of slavery-and Jim Crow laws especially-placed blacks at a profound educational disadvantage. One charter school in Nashville has a mission to teach the most disadvantaged children with a classical curriculum.

Charles Friedman founded Nashville Classical in 2011 and opened its doors in 2013. Citing lagging literacy and proficiency rates, [ 24] he believed that families in the Nashville area needed an alternative that could secure them the opportunities they deserved. Friedman settled on a curriculum rooted in the classical tradition after consulting with numerous families and relying on his personal experience as a Teach for America Fellow in Philadelphia.

Nashville Classical's curriculum emphasizes the students' shared understanding of knowledge, while also offering them information about the world. The school employs E. D. Hirsch's Core Knowledge curriculum for its English and history classes. [ 25] Hirsch's program offers a foundation of knowledge for students to become good citizens by imparting cultural wisdom by studying historical figures and enduring literature. In Nashville Classical's English classes, students read various myths and folktales that have withstood the test of time. Its history courses deliver deep, foundational knowledge of civilizations throughout world history. In kindergarten, students learn about the lives of kings, queens, presidents, and other major leaders. In the third grade, students focus on ancient Rome and Greece.

"Curriculum should be a mirror and a window," Friedman says. Because Nashville Classical has a diverse student body, students bring to the school numerous perspectives and cultures. Friedman believes that the curriculum ought to reflect this reality while instilling wisdom from traditions that have spanned generations. He achieves this balance by promoting the liberal arts and the Western tradition and promoting works and historical figures from diverse backgrounds. While students learn the history of ancient Rome, the Renaissance, and the Founding Fathers, they also read novels such as Esperanza Rising and The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass to gain a variety of historical perspectives.

Nashville Classical emphasizes the arts in "liberal arts." Each student is required to take a course in music (either choir or a musical instrument) and a foreign language (Spanish or French). Beginning in kindergarten, students at Nashville Classical are exposed to the foundations of music composition and performance-both classical and contemporary-while also learning the basics of playing instruments and songwriting.

In many urban schools, behavioral disruptions have a deleterious effect on learning. Nashville Classical offers an environment that Friedman describes as "structured and intentional." Structure helps students understand why rules are in place, and clear standards help students answer the question, "What is the reason for everything?" Uniform policies, walking through the halls together, singing songs collectively as a school, and other rituals and routines promote a sense of community. Nashville Classical holds students to high standards in order to make them excellent students. In return, the school treats students as excellent. Each classroom is named after a college or university, and students are taken on field trips to campuses.

Nashville Classical posts higher rates of proficiency in ELA (English Language Arts) and math-both as a student body and by race-than district public schools. Compared with other public schools in the area, Nashville Classical more than doubles its students' proficiency rates in math (64.5% vs. 29.9%) and nearly doubles their proficiency rates in ELA (49.2% vs. 25.9%) ( Figure 1). Black students at Nashville Classical also achieve far higher rates of proficiency in ELA and math compared with their counterparts elsewhere in the school district and the state as a whole. The student body itself is majority-minority: 62% are listed as black, and 8% are listed as Hispanic [ 26] (the Metropolitan Nashville school district is 27% black and 10% Hispanic). [ 27] Given the results that Nashville Classical produces, Friedman's goal of "[making] sure excellence is celebrated, and that excellence doesn't have a color" has been achieved.
South Bronx Classical (SBC)
The mission of this network of four charter schools is to provide some of New York City's most disadvantaged students with a liberal arts education. Founded by Lester Long in 2006, South Bronx Classical (SBC) is located in a poor section of the city's poorest borough. [ 28]

The New York City public school system is the largest public school district in the country, serving more than a million students across five boroughs. The experiences of each student in the district vary widely by borough and by community district inside each borough. Four of New York State's top-ranking 10 counties on the ELA and math assessments are in New York City: New York County (Manhattan), Kings County (Brooklyn), Queens County, and Richmond County (Staten Island). Bronx County is among the state's lowest-ranked 10 counties on math assessments, and it ranks below average on ELA assessments. [ 29]

The South Bronx's public school students are much more likely to be from economically disadvantaged communities and are more likely to experience housing insecurity than students elsewhere in the Bronx. As a result, students in this area lag in educational attainment, with high school graduation rates lower than the rest of the city and state ( Figure 2).

For Lester Long, a classical education means getting back to the basics. He began his career in education as an NYC Teaching Fellow at a low-performing public school in the South Bronx. Long laments that education has been heavily theoretical and experimental since the rise of Dewey. His charter network runs on academic rigor, sequential learning, and having an adult in the room who can authoritatively help children with the necessary information for life. South Bronx Classical opened its second school in 2013, its third in 2015, and its fourth in 2017.

South Bronx Classical's curriculum relies on a Western-focused curriculum, using foundational texts as the basis for learning. In English classes, students read classic novels such as Brave New World, 1984, and Lord of the Flies, along with a number of Shakespearean plays. Educators at SBC recognize that the U.S. has a particular history and that students within the network are mostly from minority cultures that have been overlooked in previous classical settings. Consequently, SBC has incorporated novels by writers such as James Baldwin and Toni Morrison-works that can add knowledge and wisdom to the history of the West.

Beyond core subjects, SBC relies on several curricular characteristics of classical education. Long insists on students learning Latin for three reasons. First, Latin is a gateway language to cultures around the world. Languages whose influence spans continents, such as Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese, are all rooted in Latin. Second, Long points to research showing that learning Latin correlates with higher SAT scores. [ 30] Third, according to Long, Latin signifies elite status. "There's no reason these kids can't be elite," he says.

Students also take classes in art and music. They learn the foundations of visual art such as perspectives caused by shading and light. Students also gain practice in various media, including painting, drawing, Photoshop, and papier-mâché. An SBC student who attends kindergarten through eighth grade will take nine years of music classes, which are mandatory course requirements. Younger students at SBC begin by learning to play the recorder. By the time they are in middle school, they learn to play band or orchestral instruments, mastering compositions ranging from classical to contemporary.

SBC middle-school students take debate classes in which they sharpen their analytical skills. Long considers debate, properly practiced, a healthy style of disagreement: either one side will convince the other, or both sides will at least respectfully understand the other.

Academically, SBC stands far above schools in the surrounding South Bronx area. Each school in the network reflects nearly universal proficiency in core subjects such as ELA and math. SBC's results not only greatly surpass neighboring schools' but are positive outliers in New York State. SBC schools meet their mission of educating the community where they are located: 97% of SBC students are black or Hispanic, mirroring the 96% of black or brown students in the South Bronx geographic district ( Figure 3). [ 31]
Washington Latin Public Charter School
Washington Latin was established in 2006 to provide a British-style independent education (referred to as "public school" in the U.K.) [ 32] to students in America's capital city. Today, formality, uniformity, and the humanities are emphasized in its instruction, and the educational curriculum is classical. Students are not only expected to acquire knowledge but are also expected to become virtuous students and principled citizens of their community.

Washington Latin utilizes the Socratic method, allowing students to express their own reasoning but have their opinions challenged, civilly, in the common pursuit of truth. For example, in an upper-level English class, students compare and contrast the story of Odysseus with Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Oral discussions like this not only allow students to hone their craft of argumentation but also help connect lessons of the past to the present.

According to Washington Latin's outgoing principal Diana Smith, Socratic dialogue commonly appears in humanities courses like English and history but also in STEM classes. In a chemistry class, Smith says, students may discuss the real-world implications of advancements in nuclear technology. While learning geometry, teachers may incorporate lessons of architecture, so that students might reflect on the beauty of math. Doing so intends to give students a deeper appreciation of the sciences and mathematics.

Students are required to take two years of a foreign or ancient language. Latin and Greek are featured, but French, Arabic, and Chinese are offered as well. Smith believes that it is necessary for students to study these languages because doing so connects students to the various cultures and literature that they will encounter while enrolled.

Washington Latin incorporates character and moral lessons into its school disciplinary policies. Smith notes that students learn leadership skills and conflict resolution: older students often serve as mentors and play a prominent role in conflict mediation between their younger classmates. Students actively correct behavioral deviations from school policy through the use of restorative practices. For example, Smith says, if a student throws food in the cafeteria, mentoring students will require the student to address the infraction, perhaps by cleaning the cafeteria as restitution. Students earn trust from teachers and administrators and become active participants in the cultivation of good character.

The school has a 90% four-year graduation rate, compared with DC's 69% graduation rate in the traditional public high schools. The student body performance on the District's standardized Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exams [ 33] reflects the intensive focus that the school places on the humanities. Students in both the middle (grades 5-8) and upper (grades 9-12) schools exceed rates of proficiency in the Washington, DC, public school district on ELA assessments for black and white students. While math scores on average at Washington Latin surpass those in the general populations, they lag at the high school level.

Conclusion

Students who enter a classical school should expect to be confronted by an academically rigorous curriculum that challenges them to read texts and histories that form the basis of American society-and that of Western civilization. Additionally, a classical curriculum challenges students to become avid seekers of knowledge, ready to challenge all arguments in the pursuit of truth. Classical educators deem this ability to think critically, pursue truth, and engage in civil debate as crucial to participation in a free society.

Of course, classical education may not be for every child. Other schools may offer more programs for students gifted in areas such as technology or math, for example. However, classical schools often do an excellent job of providing a curriculum that is adaptable and suitable to students of various backgrounds and interests. Complaints by educational theorists or commentators that the classical curriculum is too rigid and resistant to the realities of the present day are not borne out by the performance of the students in the schools profiled in this paper. Classical schools-private, parent-led, and public charter-are capable of transforming students from diverse backgrounds into scholars and citizens prepared for modern problems via a knowledge base rooted in timeless traditions.

Endnotes
See endnotes in PDF

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Classical Education: An Attractive School Choice for Parents

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Parents looking for an alternative to traditional public schools have an option that fell out of fashion in this country a long time ago. This option-called "classical education"-differs profoundly from the instruction offered by modern district public schools. It is heavily oriented toward the liberal arts, guided by the Western canon, and grounded in Greek and Roman traditions of academic excellence.

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Some useful Digital Education Tools

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The Most Popular Digital Education Tools For Teachers And Learners

Hundreds of digital education tools have been created with the purpose of giving autonomy to the student, improving the administration of academic processes, encouraging collaboration, and facilitating communication between teachers and learners. Here we present 11 of the most popular.

1. Edmodo

Edmodo is an educational tool that connects teachers and students, and is assimilated into a social network. In this one, teachers can create online collaborative groups, administer and provide educational materials, measure student performance, and communicate with parents, among other functions. Edmodo has more than 34 million users who connect to create a learning process that is more enriching, personalized, and aligned with the opportunities brought by technology and the digital environment.

2. Socrative

Designed by a group of entrepreneurs and engineers passionate about education, Socrative is a system that allows teachers to create exercises or educational games which students can solve using mobile devices, whether smartphones, laptops, or tablets. Teachers can see the results of the activities and, depending on these, modify the subsequent lessons in order to make them more personalized.

3. Projeqt

Projeqt is a tool that allows you to create multimedia presentations, with dynamic slides in which you can embed interactive maps, links, online quizzes, Twitter timelines, and videos, among other options. During a class session, teachers can share with students academic presentations which are visually adapted to different devices.

4. Thinglink

Thinglink allows educators to create interactive images with music, sounds, texts, and photographs. These can be shared on other websites or on social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook. Thinglink offers the possibility for teachers to create learning methodologies that awaken the curiosity of students through interactive content that can expand their knowledge.

5. TED-Ed

TED-Ed is an educational platform that allows creating educational lessons with the collaboration of teachers, students, animators-generally people who want to expand knowledge and good ideas. This website allows democratizing access to information, both for teachers and students. Here, people can have an active participation in the learning process of others.

6. cK-12

cK-12 is a website that seeks to reduce the cost of academic books for the K12 market in the United States and the world. To achieve its objective, this platform has an open source interface that allows creating and distributing educational material through the internet, which can be modified and contain videos, audios, and interactive exercises. It can also be printed and comply with the necessary editorial standards in each region. The books that are created in cK-12 can be adapted to the needs of any teacher or student.

7. ClassDojo

ClassDojo is a tool to improve student behavior: teachers provide their students with instant feedback so that good disposition in class is 'rewarded' with points and students have a more receptive attitude towards the learning process. ClassDojo provides real-time notifications to students, like 'Well Done David!' and '+1', for working collaboratively. The information that is collected about student behavior can be shared later with parents and administrators through the web.

8. eduClipper

This platform allows teachers and students to share and explore references and educational material. In eduClipper, you can collect information found on the internet and then share it with the members of previously created groups, which offers the possibility to manage more effectively the academic content found online, improve research techniques, and have a digital record of what students achieved during the course. Likewise, it provides the opportunity for teachers to organize a virtual class with their students and create a portfolio where all the work carried out is stored.

9. Storybird

Storybird aims to promote writing and reading skills in students through storytelling. In this tool, teachers can create interactive and artistic books online through a simple and easy to use interface. The stories created can be embedded in blogs, sent by email, and printed, among other options. In Storybird, teachers can also create projects with students, give constant feedback, and organize classes and grades.

10. Animoto

Animoto is a digital tool that allows you to create high-quality videos in a short time and from any mobile device, inspiring students and helping improve academic lessons. The Animoto interface is friendly and practical, allowing teachers to create audiovisual content that adapts to educational needs.

11. Kahoot!

Kahoot! is an educational platform that is based on games and questions. Through this tool, teachers can create questionnaires, discussions, or surveys that complement academic lessons. The material is projected in the classroom and questions are answered by students while playing and learning at the same time. Kahoot! promotes game-based learning, which increases student engagement and creates a dynamic, social, and fun educational environment.

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11 Digital Education Tools For Teachers And Students

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Hundreds of digital education tools have been created with the purpose of giving autonomy to the student, improving the administration of academic processes, encouraging collaboration, and facilitating communication between teachers and learners. Here we present 11 of the most popular. Edmodo is an educational tool that connects teachers and students, and is assimilated into a social network.

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What is Instructional Design and Educational Technology