In horticulture, there is an oft-repeated bit of advice given to new gardeners, “Right plant, right place.” It’s pure wisdom. When we choose a location that naturally provides the right environment for a given plant, that plant is likely to thrive with minimal care. …

When I was a teenager, I had a long conversation with my friend Karl about the feelings we experienced when we finally understood something. He reported feeling a sense of satisfaction — like all was right in the world. I described experiencing “eureka moments” when all of the parts of…

Back in 1996, after many years of bemoaning the state of modern education, I set out to see if it was possible to create a new educational assessment technology focused on measuring and supporting optimal mental development. In addition to being accurate and richly formative (supportive of learning and development)…

Interested in learning more about how learning works? It’s all about VCoL, a learning model and method designed to support learning the fun way. All of us at the nonprofit that owns me (Lectica) are gearing up for a learning offering called “A year of developmental delight.” (It’s for learning…

I just read Michelle Goldberg’s New York Times article about teenage depression in the US. She argues that social media is a likely cause of teenage depression. Others have suggested that this rise in depression is due to existential dread brought on by the decline of democracy or the deterioration…

Applying for work is not a recreational activity. In fact, it can be a misery. — One of my worst recruitment experiences occurred years ago when I was applying for a professorship at a prestigious university. I spent two days on campus, meeting with students and faculty — from breakfast through dinner — on both days. Then, I returned home and the hiring committee ghosted me…

For the last several years I’ve been struggling with the pronoun issue. While I agree that gender neutrality in language can help support gender equality, I’ve decided that I’m not a fan of attempts to eliminate the use of singular pronouns by replacing them with plural pronouns. Despite reservations, I’ve…

You know that you’re probably thinking out of the box when your rejection letters say things like this… NSF grant proposal We proposed studying how a new kind of assessment could be used to support learning. We were told… You can submit a grant to fund assessment development or a grant to fund…

Originally posted on December 11, 2009 During the first 10 years of my work developing Lectical Assessments, I spent a fair bit of time explaining how testing works. Gradually, I came to understand that the science behind our assessments was less important to clients than their practical benefits, so I…