Very Creative Writing, Lost in Translation, and Podcasting Kids to Sleep

Teacher Magazine ’s take on education news from around the Web, March 16-March 22.

When was the last time you heard teachers—English teachers, no less—criticize a standardized test for allowing kids to be too creative? That's the situation in Washington state, where education officials have announced that students can make stuff up on the nonfiction essay portion of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. "Statistics in a WASL paper can be made up by you, the writer!" proclaims a PowerPoint presentation for students created by the state's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The young scribblers are also encouraged to "invent an important expert and have that person say something to bolster your opinion." Such creative license may help students develop their arguments, but some teachers are dismayed by the message it sends. "It's just a slippery slope," said language arts teacher Kit McCormick. "I don't even see why we need to go there—to say, just for this, go ahead and do something we've...