BingsCop retweeted
FCRR researchers introduce the developmental English Lexicon Project (d-ELP), a searchable database of word-reading difficulty estimates for nearly 10,000 English words, based on data from kids in grades 1–5
See the new paper in Behavior Research Methods: bit.ly/4eC9oWX
BingsCop retweeted
🤔Wondering about UDL? Sarah Powell talked about it on my latest podcast episode. She noted that "there's an article by Boyson in 2024 that warned that UDL somewhat starts to cross over into learning style territory, which we know is an educational myth."
There's also a meta-analysis by Zhang et al. on UDL that's worth checking out. We linked to these articles on the resource page for the episode here: annastokke.com/ep-41-resourc…
BingsCop retweeted
New from @HughesHaili :
To UDL or not to UDL. I have questions.
“The room becomes uncomfortable as it seems like she is rejecting inclusion…but examining evidence behind claims is absolutely not the same as rejecting a theory’s value. It is what all teachers should do and indeed is the very definition of being evidence informed”.
open.substack.com/pub/hailih…
BingsCop retweeted
Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Just as we may install ramps to enable access to buildings for people with disabilities, we should install metaphorical ramps in our design of lessons so that all students can access them, whether disabled or not.
What's not to like?
Unfortunately, UDL does not live up to the potential of this analogy. Despite being heavily promoted, there is little evidence that students learn more when lessons are designed using the principles of UDL.
Moreover, UDL shares features with debunked learning styles theories. It has the potential to place students in categories that then become self-fulfilling prophecies, compounding learning gaps.
Links:
tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.…
psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-…
BingsCop retweeted
Empirical evidence surrounding mathematics pedagogy concludes that explicit and direct instruction consistently outperforms constructivist, inquiry-based, and discovery-based approaches in fostering mathematical achievement.
Discovery-based learning yields a negative effect on student achievement (d = -0.30), while explicit and Direct Instruction consistently deliver large, reliable gains averaging 0.72 rising to 1.22 for struggling learners. Complex problem-solving does not bypass foundational procedural fluency; it depends on it. If we want authentic mathematical reasoning, we must teach the concepts and procedures explicitly from the start.
In practice, inquiry functions effectively only as a later-stage consolidation tool for advanced learners who have already mastered foundational skills through explicit instruction never as a primary vehicle for novices to learn them from scratch.
237d54fc-9a88-4753-8e4a-7bb9…
BingsCop retweeted
Why don’t we use a forklift to move weights at the gym?
Because the point isn’t to move the weights. It’s to get stronger.
The same is true of learning. If the goal is simply to get a task done as quickly as possible, technology will often do it better.
But at what cost? Excellent insights from @daisychristo.
BingsCop retweeted
I've discussed explicit vocabulary routines an abudance of times. You can view the routine in action. I wouldn't consider this a big DI lesson, but there are similarities. I would consider this a small di explicit vocabulary routine. This routine follows the research, but I've tried to enhance it over the years. It is scripted. You can see me refer to the script throughout. You will also see the feedback and discussion with students isn't scripted. How can one script for this? I don't feel I sound like a robot using a scripted routine. I even crack a joke towards the end of the lesson about hair becoming sparse. I mentioned to one of my students that this is his nightmare. He literally has perfect hair and his barber is one of my former students, which I think is quit cool. I hope this video is helpful. I am going to screencast it with on the spot reflections to show where I've made certain decisions, why I stopped at certain points and had students turn and talk and why I didn't stop right then and there and continued with the lesson script. We need more nuanced discussions about teaching and learning. I hope this video provides that. I do thank StepLab and teachers like Pritesh for putting themselves out there and showing lessons with their students. You have given me the courage to do the same. For context, this video was taken on one of the hardest teaching days of the year, Halloween Day. I hope you enjoy or enjoyed Halloween this year.
BingsCop retweeted
The United States is deeply concerned about recent reports of targeted killings of civilians in Arsi zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia. The United States condemns religious, ethnic, or political motivated violence. Such horrific attacks against any group must stop. As we seek to understand this tragedy, the United States urges against characterizations that could deepen division. The United States calls on the government of Ethiopia to investigate and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
BingsCop retweeted
At least 60 Christians have been killed in attacks in Ethiopia. More than 20 homes have been burned.
The persecution of Christians cannot be ignored, and those responsible must be held accountable. We must stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
BingsCop retweeted
The algorithm isn't the only thing with selective visibility.
Take Israel out of the headline and suddenly the "humanitarian industry" goes on mute.
BingsCop retweeted
Before you listen to the latest episode of Sold a Story, watch this 1991 Primetime Live feature on Thaddeus Lott and Wesley Elementary in Houston.
What happens when an instructional approach works—but the evidence collides with the beliefs of the people running the system?
BingsCop retweeted
I am speechless. Thomas Aquinas College just dropped a study on the rigor of the new SAT.
It compares the 1980/87 test with 2026. The findings should terrify every parent and teacher...
Vocabulary has collapsed.
Old SAT: 70.6% of questions tested vocab.
New SAT: 15%.
The old test forced students to know a wide range of words through analogies, antonyms, and sentence completions. The new test abandoned that. Most vocab questions now just ask students to fill in one blank from context.
Reading passages also got radically shorter (average ~97 words vs 300–340).
The new test uses short expository passages and hands you the necessary background knowledge inside the text. The older tests leaned much more heavily on argumentative and persuasive writing, assumed far more historical, scientific, and cultural knowledge, and penalized students who lacked it.
This is a redefinition of what "college readiness" means.
If you believe that kids should develop rigorous vocabulary, be capable of sustained reading, and possess background knowledge, I have bad news for you. The SAT no longer measures these.
If you want a future where children can actually read difficult texts and construct complex arguments, the SAT must be replaced now.
This cannot go on.
We were concerned that the SAT has become a less reliable measure of student preparedness for a rigorous college curriculum.
So, we commissioned a study from Johns Hopkins University. What does this study tell us about the state of higher education?
The results are shocking. thaq.co/4iLThZ0
BingsCop retweeted
The anti-memorization movement has left millions of students unable to think. Every little operation consumes their working memory. Higher-order thinking becomes impossible.
Here’s an example:
Solving an equation is like moving puzzle pieces around. When basic arithmetic is automatic, the pieces are easy to move. You can focus on figuring out how they fit together.
But If you have to recalculate every basic fact, then every puzzle piece becomes a heavy weight. All your effort goes into lifting it. You have little brainpower left to figure out where it belongs. You can’t see the forest for the trees.
The same thing happens all the way up math, from arithmetic to algebra to calculus and beyond.
Each level builds on the skills below it. If those skills aren’t automatic, they’ll consume your brainpower. None will be left for higher-order thinking.
BingsCop retweeted
This video is doing the rounds again because a critic has questioned whether the pupils here are really learning anything. The quality of this class’s questions can reveal a lot here. So, strap in for a thread! 🧵 1/9
BingsCop retweeted
My prayers go out to all those who were injured or lost their lives last Friday in the terrorist attack on worshippers at the Orthodox Church of Saint George in Hamoud, Jordan. I express my closeness to the community and the entire country, which is known for its peaceful coexistence and respect between different religions.
BingsCop retweeted
BREAKING: New video shows Islamists in Africa hacking to death Christians.
Do not stop talking about the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria.
