ASSESSMENT in MATH and SCIENCE: A Conversation with MELISSA DEAN

Teachers on Fire

🔥 Are we about tasks or learning?

🔥 How do our beliefs about assessment shape absolutely everything we do?

🔥 How has it become acceptable to do nothing in a classroom, and what can we do about it?

Join me for this conversation with MELISSA DEAN as she shares her insights.

ABOUT THIS GUEST: Melissa is a high school math, science and ELA teacher who is passionate about reforming assessment and reimagining mathematics education. She is a developing inquiry and design thinking teacher who is constantly in reflection about her teaching practice and the state of education. She’s also the author of Unravel School: Reimagine Classrooms, Reinvent Assessment and Revive Learning.

You can follow Melissa on X and Instagram @dean_of_math and on her website at deanofmath.wordpress.com.

Tune in for my regular Teachers on Fire interviews, airing LIVE on YouTube every Saturday morning at 8:00am Pacific and 11:00am Eastern! Join the conversation and add your comments to the broadcast.

In This Conversation:

1:12 - A pivotal STORY of futility in the Math classroom 4:20 - Assessment is EVERYTHING in education reform 10:37 - What's the difference between GRADING and ASSESSMENT? 13:44 - What's the PURPOSE of SCHOOL? 20:03 - Small assessment changes to make in MATH and SCIENCE classrooms 24:16 - What does INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING look like in upper level Math? 30:31 - Why is it okay for students to do NOTHING in a classroom? 36:53 - Areas of learning for Melissa OUTSIDE of the classroom 39:55 - Productivity hacks: waking early, walking 41:22 - Someone to follow: Natalie Vardabasso, Jessica Vance 42:31 - An edtech tool that Melissa favours right now 43:07 - A book pick: The Pi of Life by Sunil Singh 43:50 - A future guest recommendation: Monte Syrie 45:15 - Melissa talks about the mission of her book, Unravel School 47:06 - Where to connect with Melissa online

Connect with Me:

On X @TeachersOnFire (https://X.com/TeachersOnFire)

On Facebook @TeachersOnFire (https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/)

On YouTube @Teachers On Fire (https://www.youtube.com/@teachersonfire)

On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwcavey/

Visit the home of Teachers on Fire at https://teachersonfire.net/.

SONG TRACK CREDIT

Tropic Fuse by French Fuse

GO! by Neffex

*All songs retrieved from the YouTube Audio Library at https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/.

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