It is easy for people to come up with concrete examples for each simple definition and it allows us to begin our discussions about assessment and evaluation techniques and strategies. People don't want long, esoteric, technical definitions. They want working definitions that make sense. Imagine talking to parents if they understood the simple definitions above. Meaningful conversations about growth, progress, assessment and evaluation could occur.
Meaningful conversations bring people together.
Teachers and parents working together is the most powerful educational tool we have. The fact is that this language is an important part of the culture and growth of our profession, we must take care of the language to ensure common understanding and appropriate use. We must remember, as my colleague Al Rowe frequently reminds me, words are simply shorthand for concepts. Let's go back now to how we can use our unique professional language to work with parents. Imagine the same conversation where the parent and teacher both understood the simple definition explained above.