My pursuit of efficiency has, at times, led me to rely on tools like Google Forms, EDPuzzle, or Kahoot, which, while quick to grade, lead to a diminished interest among my students. They do not engage deeply with the material if they know a multiple-choice quiz awaits — no matter how gamified — and rarely […]
Near the end of college in 2017, I knew that I would be moving out of New Orleans and to Ann Arbor. I wanted a way to stay connected to my high school and college friends, and after a semester of student teaching, I had learned enough from my ninth graders to understand that Facebook
The Illusion of Growth A few weeks ago, I shared my surprisingly positive experience with the i-Ready Reading Diagnostic, a standardized test that, against my philosophical leanings, proved to be my most effective assessment experience in the context of teaching 6th-grade English Language Arts. Perhaps most enlightening about that blog post was how quickly the
The Surprising Clarity of a Standardized Test When asked to reflect on my “best” assessment, I immediately pictured an English Language Arts class with students compiling writing samples into neat portfolios – a perfectly crafted, authentic project. But the truth is, my best assessment is a standardized test: the i-Ready Reading Diagnostic test. As a
My Evolving Beliefs on Assessment In the last few months, I have seen friends post about the 4.0s they have earned in their master’s programs. I often catch myself thinking, “I just need to keep it up, and I will get to post my 4.0 at the end, too!” Then I remember I am in
As a middle school English language arts teacher, I see my students’ potential everyday. However, many struggle with executive functioning which leads to missed deadlines and academic stress. For CEP 822 Aproaches to Educational Research, I developed an Action Research Plan to implement a standardized, school-wide planner to move from chasing missing work to empowering
As a final project for CEP 820 Teaching and Learning Online, I designed a 6th grade argumentative writing unit built in Google Classroom. In a world saturated with information and varying viewpoints, the ability to construct a sound argument is one of the most critical skills a student can develop. It moves them beyond simply
I am a 6th grade English language arts teacher in a Title 1 urban public school outside of Detroit. My students have daily access to Chromebooks, and I aim to structure my class in a hybrid manner, with about half of their assignments being online and the other half utilizing traditional tools such as notebooks,
Theory of Learning: Fostering Intrinsic Motivation and Inclusive Communities Kelsy LohrCollege of Education, Michigan State UniversityCEP 800: Psychology of Learning in Schools and Other SettingsDr. Brittany DillmanDecember 16, 2024 As a middle school English Language Arts teacher, I am both privileged and burdened to witness the profound impact of education at a critical developmental stage.
Kelsy LohrCollege of Education, Michigan State UniversityEAD 861: Adult LearningDr. A. Emiko BlalockDecember 8, 2024 Abstract The Blue Knight Learning Network is dedicated to strengthening partnerships between families and Oak Park Preparatory Academy (OPPA) in Oak Park, Michigan. Recognizing the challenges low-income families face during the middle school transition, the program uses situative learning theory
