Reviews: Grading and Reporting
Cathryn Wilkinson
RE: Grading and Reporting
Hi, Peggy! Thanks for posting your essay so early today!
I think I would really like your class. It's so well-organized. You have large projects where students submit a first and final version, so it's built-in that they have a chance to get feedback and implement it into their work. You have done an excellent job of tying grading in with learning criteria. Your method matches the learning results that you want. This seems obvious, but in a subjective class there is a temptation to let the 'taste' of the teacher be a strong influence on the grade and it's not so obvious how to avoid that without putting in the thought that you did in designing the assignments.
I made a note from this unit that grading should facilitate communication. I've always had a policy where students could talk with me if they thought a grade was wrong. If they did, it was more like battling over periods and commas to get a higher grade. In the future I want to have something like "growth" communication with students about grades and this would go along with your emphasis on implementing more self-evaluation.
Stacy Jordan
RE: Grading and Reporting
I think you made a good point when you said that you wanted the students to be more involved in their assessment. It is true that the students are the ones who need to do the thinking and learning. I met with my son's math teacher this week. I was struck at how much responsibility she places on the student for their own learning, the direction they take and the importance she places on them grading their own work and reporting to her when they have made progress. For my own son, it is challenging, because he doesn't really care if others know that he knows something, but in general, I find it a powerful tool for the student.
RE: Grading and Reporting
Hi, Peggy! Thanks for posting your essay so early today!
I think I would really like your class. It's so well-organized. You have large projects where students submit a first and final version, so it's built-in that they have a chance to get feedback and implement it into their work. You have done an excellent job of tying grading in with learning criteria. Your method matches the learning results that you want. This seems obvious, but in a subjective class there is a temptation to let the 'taste' of the teacher be a strong influence on the grade and it's not so obvious how to avoid that without putting in the thought that you did in designing the assignments.
I made a note from this unit that grading should facilitate communication. I've always had a policy where students could talk with me if they thought a grade was wrong. If they did, it was more like battling over periods and commas to get a higher grade. In the future I want to have something like "growth" communication with students about grades and this would go along with your emphasis on implementing more self-evaluation.
Stacy Jordan
RE: Grading and Reporting
I think you made a good point when you said that you wanted the students to be more involved in their assessment. It is true that the students are the ones who need to do the thinking and learning. I met with my son's math teacher this week. I was struck at how much responsibility she places on the student for their own learning, the direction they take and the importance she places on them grading their own work and reporting to her when they have made progress. For my own son, it is challenging, because he doesn't really care if others know that he knows something, but in general, I find it a powerful tool for the student.