tellingthedifferencebetweenbaloneyandseriousclaims.docVIP

Telling the Difference Between Baloney and Serious Claims About What Works Martin Kozloff Kathy Madigan 2007 State departments of education, school districts, schools, and teachers select and use curriculum materials, teaching methods, and assessment instruments. These cost a lot of money. Using them takes time and effort---that can’t be replaced. But do these things work? Do assessment instruments provide information that tells teachers exactly what their students know (e.g., algebra pre-skills) so that teachers can plan instruction? Do teaching methods clearly communicate knowledge so that students master the skills taught? Do curriculum materials (e.g., in beginning reading, math, science, and history) provide a comprehensive and logical sequence of knowledge units; do the materials provide activities to build fluency, generalization, and retention; do the materials have built-in assessments so that teachers can track their students’ progress? DO THEY WORK? You wouldn’t give your children medications and THEN SEE if the medications work. You wouldn’t eat a bunch of broccoli and THEN see if it’s full of bugs. You wouldn’t buy a car and THEN see if the wheels fall off. YOU WANT TO KNOW IF THE MEDICATIONS, FOOD, AND CAR ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE BEFORE YOU USE THEM. But how can you know this? The answer is: 1. You read articles in journals… 2. You go to conferences and workshops… 3. You check out websites on the internet… 4. You hear your colleagues…. And all of these make CLAIMS about the effectiveness of curriculum materials, teaching methods, and assessment instruments. But are these claims BELIEVABLE? Would you ACT on them? What do you have to read or hear about materials, methods, and assessments before you feel CONFIDENT about USING them? Can you tell the difference between claims that sound like baloney vs. claims that sound like the real thing---honest, accurate? Here are things to consider. 1. Are the claims too good to be