How Do We Know They’re Getting Better?: Assessment for 21st Century Minds, K–8

by John Barell

Boost your students’ 21st century skills How do we know if we are sufficiently preparing the students of today for the challenges of the 21st century? To answer this question, John Barell explains how inquiry leads to problem-solving and provides specific steps for pre, formative and summative assessment that informs instruction of 21st century skills. Included are examples that show how to use today’s technology in the classroom and how to use inquiry to develop and assess students’ ability

Genres: Education

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 18, 2012

About the author

John Barell is a national and international consultant to schools interested in teaching inquiry, critical thought and reflection.

A native New Yorker, Barell has sailed to Antarctica as part of Operation Deepfreeze to explore that continent based upon his meetings and correspondences with Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd. After Antarctica, he became an educator in New York City public high schools, then at Montclair State University in teacher education and world literature (now Professor Emeritus). Subsequently (2000-2007), he was a consultant at The American Museum of Natural History where he fostered networks of inquiry among science and social studies educators.

Currently, he is researching the various ways we assess the quality and improvement of students’ performances with 21st century skills: inquiry, problem solving, critical/creative thought and technological proficiency. The first completed report on this project, How Do We Know They’re Getting Better? Assessment for 21st Century Minds, K-8 (Corwin), was published January, 2012. His focus now is on those who teach at the high school level.

Sailing to Antarctica has served as his model for inquiry: starting with a dream and a passion leading to explorations of new territories, both physical, spiritual, educational and creative.

Barell is author of these publications about Antarctica: Quest for Antarctica—A Journey of Wonder and Discovery (memoir, 2011, ebook); Surviving Erebus—An Antarctic Adventure on board HMS Erebus and Terror (YA novel, 2008; 2011 ebook) and “Twenty Below,” an award winning story published by Boys’ Life and Boys’ Life Anthology.

He is also the author of these professional books: Did You Ever Wonder? Fostering Curiosity Here, There and Everywhere (2013); How Do We Know They’re Getting Better? Assessment for 21st Century Minds, K-8 (2012); Why are School Buses always Yellow? Teaching for Inquiry, PreK-5 (2007); Problem-Base Learning—An Inquiry Approach (2007); Developing More Curious Minds (2003); “. . . EVER WONDER. . ?” (1992); Opening the American Mind (1988) and Playgrounds of Our Minds (1980).

A recent (2013) novel, Absolute Bearing, is available at amazon.com. One reviewer wrote: “Not since I read Nicholas Monsarrat's THE CRUEL SEA have I enjoyed a sea tale, indeed, a tale of life itself, so much!”

Reviews

[David Rowney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every politician able to impact education should read this.