Help Me Assess My Assessment

Poem: Quote from Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare 

“Cowards die many times before their deaths; 
The valiant never taste of death but once. 
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, 
It seems to me most strange that men should fear; 
Seeing that death, a necessary end, 
Will come when it will come.” 

Statement of the Whole: Talk to almost anyone in education and probably sooner than later, the discussion will turn to the hardest aspect of education: assessment.  How do we know if we have taught a good lesson?  How do we know if the student has caught our great lesson?  Why are many forms of testing fraught with the language of suffering, hardship, and even death?  The Backporch dives into this deep pool and swims about with broad strokes.  Come on in, the water is warm!

Homeschooling on a Hundred Bucks

Poem: “November, 1806” by William Wordsworth 

Statement of the Whole:  Many today believe that success in education is determined by the budget given to it.  The home schooling movement is pushing back on that adage.  Jason and Steve conduct a thought experiment using the notion that a great year of home schooling can be done on a budget of just $100.  Listen in as they describe ideas that may humor you, may shock you, but hopefully will convince you that education does not have to be an expensive endeavor.