Abstract:
This chapter discussed different report card formats. Report cards must be responsive to student’s experiences, and they must reflect differentiated practices. The objective of reporting is an accurate and developmentally appropriate rendering of mastery that is clearly communicated to students, their parents, and other educators. Report cards provide insightful knowledge of student’s growth and accomplishments. Reporting symbols provide feedback, document progress, and inform instructional decisions.
In order to prevent any misreading of a report card yet also be accurate and helpful to students, families, and educators, many school districts allow teachers to place an asterisk next to the grade indicating that the viewer of the report card should access a narrative comment. Record the higher grade. It more accurately reflects the student’s accomplishments and learning. It is therefore more useful to everyone involved. One way to create multiple categories is to identify our essential and enduring standards, objectives, or benchmarks for grading, and then provide a grade for each one. Educators should keep their report cards emphasis on the standards and personal achievement but, when doing so, communicate their rationale for such a focus to parents, and also place a comment on the report card that indicates whether the student is developing the way he or she should be.
Reflection:
This chapter discusses the format of the report card, and proper practices. I personally hated report card time because I always had horrible grades. I did not like the fact that I could get a bad grade, get punished, and continue failing. I never understood why an action plan was not created for students who had potential to fail. I know as a parent that I would be very concerned if my child came home with a failing grade. Unfortunately, a lot of students do not have proactive parents, and I did not have proactive parents. I think this is where the disconnect takes place. The teacher assumes that the parents will step up and take control of the failing grade. This does not happen and the student continues to fall between the cracks. Teachers need action plans to put in place for failing students, not comments. Comments will do nothing, they will go unnoticed. I hate to put more responsibility on the education profession; however I feel this would be an avenue to explore.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Assessing Chapter 9
Abstract:
Teachers must do everything they can to make sure the grades depict the level of mastery attained by the student. The following is a list of the top ten practices to avoid when differentiating instruction and assessment:
1. Avoid incorporating nonacademic factors, such as behaviors, attendance, and effort, into the final grade. Do not grade on superficial matters.
2. Avoid penalizing students' multiple attempts at master. Teachers must understand that all students learn differently and at their own pace. It's important that students know that their efforts count. Let students know they can improve their status by redoing and rethinking assessments.
3. Avoid grading practice (homework). Homework is used as a practice tool, not for assessment. Announce all quizzes. Homework is unfair to impoverished students seeing they do not have the resources or tools to accurately complete the work.
4. Avoid withholding assistance with the learning when it's needed. If students need special assistance in order to be successful, provide the assitance so they can get to the same point as the other students.
5. Avoid assessing students in ways that do not accurately indicate their mastery. Projects that are used for final declarations of mastery should only be used with students who have developed the specific skills; otherwise, students who lack those skills will receive inaccurate grades.
6. Avoid allowing extra credit and bonus points. If the student falters in the demonstration of mastery with regular test items, but overcomes thos scoring losses with points from a bonus section, we have to reconsider whether the new, bonus-inflated grade really represents what the student knows and is able to do.
7. Avoid group grades. It is unfair to give the entire group of students the same grade based on one group member's performance or on the whole group's performance on a task.
8. Avoid grading on a curve. Grading on a curve is extremely distorting as a reference of mastery.
9. Avoid recording zeros for work not done. Zeros skew the grade to a point where its accuracy is distorted. Teachers using the 100-point scale who do not replace a zero with a fifty, or sixty influence all grades earned producing inaccurate grades.
10. Avoid using norm-referenced terms to describe criterion-referenced attributes. Avoid comparing students grades to one another.
Reflection:
This list offers many practices that do not work well in the classroom. It basically revolves around discussions we had while observing in schools. Most of these practices were witnessed. I am not sure that teachers are aware of the problems they cause themselves.
I honestly like number 9 because giving a zero really does distort the grade. I believe that students should have a chance to get a grade, even if it's low. Brian felt that number 9 was wrong. He feels that the zero should be counted. He believes that the student that they need to make-up work next time, and isn't fair to everyone else who had to do it.
Overall the list is insightful and really makes you think and reflect on what to do and not do in the classroom, fair or unfair.
Teachers must do everything they can to make sure the grades depict the level of mastery attained by the student. The following is a list of the top ten practices to avoid when differentiating instruction and assessment:
1. Avoid incorporating nonacademic factors, such as behaviors, attendance, and effort, into the final grade. Do not grade on superficial matters.
2. Avoid penalizing students' multiple attempts at master. Teachers must understand that all students learn differently and at their own pace. It's important that students know that their efforts count. Let students know they can improve their status by redoing and rethinking assessments.
3. Avoid grading practice (homework). Homework is used as a practice tool, not for assessment. Announce all quizzes. Homework is unfair to impoverished students seeing they do not have the resources or tools to accurately complete the work.
4. Avoid withholding assistance with the learning when it's needed. If students need special assistance in order to be successful, provide the assitance so they can get to the same point as the other students.
5. Avoid assessing students in ways that do not accurately indicate their mastery. Projects that are used for final declarations of mastery should only be used with students who have developed the specific skills; otherwise, students who lack those skills will receive inaccurate grades.
6. Avoid allowing extra credit and bonus points. If the student falters in the demonstration of mastery with regular test items, but overcomes thos scoring losses with points from a bonus section, we have to reconsider whether the new, bonus-inflated grade really represents what the student knows and is able to do.
7. Avoid group grades. It is unfair to give the entire group of students the same grade based on one group member's performance or on the whole group's performance on a task.
8. Avoid grading on a curve. Grading on a curve is extremely distorting as a reference of mastery.
9. Avoid recording zeros for work not done. Zeros skew the grade to a point where its accuracy is distorted. Teachers using the 100-point scale who do not replace a zero with a fifty, or sixty influence all grades earned producing inaccurate grades.
10. Avoid using norm-referenced terms to describe criterion-referenced attributes. Avoid comparing students grades to one another.
Reflection:
This list offers many practices that do not work well in the classroom. It basically revolves around discussions we had while observing in schools. Most of these practices were witnessed. I am not sure that teachers are aware of the problems they cause themselves.
I honestly like number 9 because giving a zero really does distort the grade. I believe that students should have a chance to get a grade, even if it's low. Brian felt that number 9 was wrong. He feels that the zero should be counted. He believes that the student that they need to make-up work next time, and isn't fair to everyone else who had to do it.
Overall the list is insightful and really makes you think and reflect on what to do and not do in the classroom, fair or unfair.
Assessing Chapter 8
Abstract:
As teachers, we need to document, provide feedback, and guide our decisions on a regular basis in order for students to achieve in the classroom. This chapter talks about grades and their effect on students. Low grades have a negative impact on students and will drive them further away from mastery or willing to learn. When we give a "D" we aren't lighting a fire under a student, instead we are taking away motivation and pushing them further away from the curriculum. In the end it takes more work to bring them back.
This chapter also discusses adding attendance and participation to the grade. Encourage students to get involved because that would be a much easier way to get a grade. It also points out that making it too easy can also have a negative impact. Work that is done at the "D" level should receive a grade of "D", but we should be more lenient with time restraints. This is really the first chapter to say that we can't presume what's going on at home, "there is no such thing as lazy", but that's as far as it goes.
Reflection:
Our group agreed that it is a good idea to know what is going on at home in order to offer appropriate time restraints. It's good that this book realizes that students are human and have many issues in their lives.
Brian was adamant that taking grades away is not a good idea. He believes that students need to touch the fire, get burnt, and try again. Students need failure in order to succeed. We all agreed that giving points for participation is a good way to get all students involved in the curriculum.
As teachers, we need to document, provide feedback, and guide our decisions on a regular basis in order for students to achieve in the classroom. This chapter talks about grades and their effect on students. Low grades have a negative impact on students and will drive them further away from mastery or willing to learn. When we give a "D" we aren't lighting a fire under a student, instead we are taking away motivation and pushing them further away from the curriculum. In the end it takes more work to bring them back.
This chapter also discusses adding attendance and participation to the grade. Encourage students to get involved because that would be a much easier way to get a grade. It also points out that making it too easy can also have a negative impact. Work that is done at the "D" level should receive a grade of "D", but we should be more lenient with time restraints. This is really the first chapter to say that we can't presume what's going on at home, "there is no such thing as lazy", but that's as far as it goes.
Reflection:
Our group agreed that it is a good idea to know what is going on at home in order to offer appropriate time restraints. It's good that this book realizes that students are human and have many issues in their lives.
Brian was adamant that taking grades away is not a good idea. He believes that students need to touch the fire, get burnt, and try again. Students need failure in order to succeed. We all agreed that giving points for participation is a good way to get all students involved in the curriculum.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Assessing chapter 7
abstract:
Grading doesn't tell much about the level of mastery. Why do we grade when sometimes we can tell that a student actually knows the material better than their graded papers show forthem. Some people argue that the grades should be bent in order to compensate for things going on at home nd such. This however doesn't help out in student's showing masteryof a subject. A teacher should be willing to give a grade of an F. If a student does not have the material mastered and has not progressed then they should be givena grade of an F. Teachers shouldn't be cowards.
-Sometimes grade free is the way to be. If a classroom is grade free there is less pressure on the students.
-Grades are also confusing because different teachers have different standards. Some students don't know what is expected of them.
Reflections:
At first some of us agreed with this idea of thinking. Before we went into schools, which is when most of us read this chapter. However once all was said and done, after those three weeks, we realized this was a horrible idea. Students need grades and feedback in order to have an idea of where they are ina class. Grades help students learn to perfect their work and to do better.
Grades drive students to do better in classes, a sense of competition with their fellow students.
Grading doesn't tell much about the level of mastery. Why do we grade when sometimes we can tell that a student actually knows the material better than their graded papers show forthem. Some people argue that the grades should be bent in order to compensate for things going on at home nd such. This however doesn't help out in student's showing masteryof a subject. A teacher should be willing to give a grade of an F. If a student does not have the material mastered and has not progressed then they should be givena grade of an F. Teachers shouldn't be cowards.
-Sometimes grade free is the way to be. If a classroom is grade free there is less pressure on the students.
-Grades are also confusing because different teachers have different standards. Some students don't know what is expected of them.
Reflections:
At first some of us agreed with this idea of thinking. Before we went into schools, which is when most of us read this chapter. However once all was said and done, after those three weeks, we realized this was a horrible idea. Students need grades and feedback in order to have an idea of where they are ina class. Grades help students learn to perfect their work and to do better.
Grades drive students to do better in classes, a sense of competition with their fellow students.
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