Student Data Is Like a Scale for Improvement

Using data is like jumping on a scale. You can weigh yourself over and over again, but until you do something about the number you see on the scale, it’s not going to change. A similar analogy can be used for using data in the classroom. Measuring classroom data in of itself won’t bring about change until teachers feel empowered to use that data on an individual level for their students

That’s according to our guests today on the EdTech podcast brought to you by MarketScale, Istation’s Julie Kalinowski, Special Projects Lead for Customer Success, and Sabrina Jones, Professional Development Manager for Customer Success. Host Daniel Litwin sits down once again with Dallas-based Istation to discuss the impact data has in the classroom.

Sabrina says the scale analogy is especially powerful because it shows the intimate connection between data, teachers, and students.

“Data is not a secret,” Sabrina said. “So, let the kids know. It’s not like they don’t know whether they’re a gifted reader, so bring them into it for that motivation. Once you get kids motivated, it’s a challenge for them and they want to see themselves succeed.”

Julie has another analogy for data — a thermometer.

“You use it to measure whether or not a child has a fever, but if you don’t do anything about that fever then it’s not going to change,” Julie said.

The change often comes from students.

“If students start taking ownership of their own data through data folders, that’s where you’ll see the biggest bang for the buck,” Julie said. “That’s where kids make the most growth.”

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