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Does the NAPLAN Have Any Friends?
Professor Brian Caldwell, a former dean of education at the University of Melbourne, is the latest epert to criticise the NAPLAN testing. Speaking to a Senate inquiry into National Assessment Program...
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There’s a Reason Why Teachers Cheat
Let me say this right off the bat – I don’t approve of cheating. It is unethical and lacks integrity for teachers to cheat. But let’s not let that discount the likely reasons behind their...
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Time to Take Better Care of Our New Teachers
My school recently employed a teacher straight out of University. He will commence teaching his first ever class in February. As I moved out of my classroom, so he could move in, I spotted him...
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Teaching to The Blasted Test!
It sickens me to see the Government so smug about the upcoming round of National Testing. In Australia it’s called the NAPLAN (I refer to it as “NAPALM”), and like other National tests around the...
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National Testing Leads to Bad Teaching
Today school students all around Australia are going to be sitting the dreaded NAPLAN tests – a National test covering language, literacy and numeracy. A test many children don’t take all that...
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The Atlanta Cheating Scandal and Those Blasted Tests
There is no excuse for teachers or officials to cheat. We are there to provide a moral example for our students, and cheating of any kind is clearly unacceptable. But we must not leave the matter at...
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I’m Just Gonna Say It: Standardised Tests Suck!
I completely and utterly detest standardised testing. My Grade 3 students are just 8 years old. How unbelievable insensitive of our Federal Government to subject these kids to a week-long torturous...
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Too Many Tests, Not Enough Teaching
The rise of standardised testing has replaced authentic teaching and learning with a saturation of practise and formal testing: SATURATION testing is seriously undermining the quality of primary...
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Pushy Parents and those Awful Standardised Tests!
So it turns out that some parents are so keen to have their children perform at the NAPLAN tests (Australia’s standardised tests) that they have started preparing them as early as kindergarten age. I...
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Standardised Testing Meets Spin City
A few weeks ago I sought to have an interview with Australia’s Education Minister regarding the upcoming NAPLAN standardised tests. I am still waiting for a reply. Luckily, I came across his op/ed...
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You Can Blame Me for My Students’ Standardized Test Scores
On Tuesday my students begin their arduous week long testing regime. I hope they do well, but if they don’t you can pin the blame on me. And while you’re at it … You can blame me for running a...
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3 Reasons Why Writing Standards are Falling in the Classroom
The standardised Naplan tests are back and surprise, surprise, it shows a decline in writing standards. Many will be scratching their heads and asking why? Below are 3 theories I have to explain the...
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