Data-driven decisions...
Data-driven leadership...
Data-driven response to intervention and differentiation...
Data data data...
If you interview for a position in education you are certain to get a question about using data to influence what you do. Being able to quantify information and populate excel spreadsheets and pie charts seem to be all the rage these days.
Students (most but not all) are so hungry for more points that they have completely lost sight of the purpose and value of learning. They have their sights set on extra credit, maximum number of points, and constantly wanting to know 'if it's for a grade.'
Numbers are a part of everyday life, but I fear they are one of the major contributing factors that are hampering, eroding, polluting, negatively affecting and toxifying education.
Here's the rub... numbers aren't inherently evil, but the way they are most frequently used is.
We want and expect accountability but we don't know any other way other than numbers in charts and spreadsheets. But what we fail to realize is that the measurements we are using to collect these numbers aren't always accurate or valid.
The value and accuracy of numbers rests in the methods and measures used to collect them which for most educators are foreign and uncharted waters.
Educators aren't trained (and probably aren't interested) in being statisticians and hardcore researchers who commit themselves to countless hours of gathering and accumulating data.
So, make no mistake, we need numbers in education and we need information to support our decisions. But let's take a moment to shift the focus away from gathering all this data and information and focus on how and why we are gathering all this data and information...
Data-driven leadership...
Data-driven response to intervention and differentiation...
Data data data...
If you interview for a position in education you are certain to get a question about using data to influence what you do. Being able to quantify information and populate excel spreadsheets and pie charts seem to be all the rage these days.
Students (most but not all) are so hungry for more points that they have completely lost sight of the purpose and value of learning. They have their sights set on extra credit, maximum number of points, and constantly wanting to know 'if it's for a grade.'
Here's the rub... numbers aren't inherently evil, but the way they are most frequently used is.
We want and expect accountability but we don't know any other way other than numbers in charts and spreadsheets. But what we fail to realize is that the measurements we are using to collect these numbers aren't always accurate or valid.
The value and accuracy of numbers rests in the methods and measures used to collect them which for most educators are foreign and uncharted waters.
Educators aren't trained (and probably aren't interested) in being statisticians and hardcore researchers who commit themselves to countless hours of gathering and accumulating data.
So, make no mistake, we need numbers in education and we need information to support our decisions. But let's take a moment to shift the focus away from gathering all this data and information and focus on how and why we are gathering all this data and information...