Would you get into an airplane with a pilot who throws a blanket over the cockpit instruments & dials and says "I'll fly by instinct and feel"? If the pilot can't see the instrumentation to know the altitude, air speed and direction, how will she get from point "A" to point "B"? Isn't responsive and sensitive instrumentation and measurement necessary to make adjustments in flight?
I compare this to classrooms and schools who do not have instrumentation that tells them if they are on track for getting from point "A" to point "B". In a previous blog entry, I discussed the concept of a classroom data center, which is essentially instrumentation for the classroom. It is intended to provide real-time data on key measures and indicators of achievement in the classroom. The class uses this data center to collect key data on key measures in the classroom such as: homework completion; student attendance; math computation; reading comprehension, etc. In turn, school districts utilize a balanced scorecard to serve as instrumentation to determine if progress is being made on the strategic plan (See previous blog entry on balanced scorecards).
If teachers aren't using a classroom data center to involve students in the process of monitoring and measuring progress, what are they using? What instrumentation do you use in your classroom, school or district? How do you make "in-process" adjustments to ensure you get from point "A" to point "B" without getting off track?
Would you get into an airplane with a pilot who throws a blanket over the cockpit instruments & dials and says "I'll fly by instinct and feel"? If the pilot can't see the instrumentation to know the altitude, air speed and direction, how will she get from point "A" to point "B"? Isn't responsive and sensitive instrumentation and measurement necessary to make adjustments in flight?
I compare this to classrooms and schools who do not have instrumentation that tells them if they are on track for getting from point "A" to point "B". In a previous blog entry, I discussed the concept of a classroom data center, which is essentially instrumentation for the classroom. It is intended to provide real-time data on key measures and indicators of achievement in the classroom. The class uses this data center to collect key data on key measures in the classroom such as: homework completion; student attendance; math computation; reading comprehension, etc. In turn, school districts utilize a balanced scorecard to serve as instrumentation to determine if progress is being made on the strategic plan (See previous blog entry on balanced scorecards).
Classroom Data Center Example
Learn more about classroom data centers
If teachers aren't using a classroom data center to involve students in the process of monitoring and measuring progress, what are they using? What instrumentation do you use in your classroom, school or district? How do you make "in-process" adjustments to ensure you get from point "A" to point "B" without getting off track?
Jay