Blogging.... I'm back!
I feel sometimes like I am running a whole new adventure in life when I take a new class. Every time I read a new education book it makes me stop and think about what else is in store for our education system. I haven't been here in the education system for a long time (not as long as some others anyway) but I am considered a veteran because I have hit double digits. So consider me wise and educated and always dumbfounded at the latest, newest, best way to do things!!
Now when I looked at some of the fixes in this book some of them were very obvious; at the third grade level I don't do extra credit. They get a bonus word on their spelling test and that is the only extra points I give. I don't grade based on attendance. That's an easy no brainer for me... but what if it were participation points in an upper level class? How do you not grade them based on their attendance??
One thing I have really been tossing around since I first took a class from Mr. McNeff was how to display the disciple/behavior/compliance piece separately from what these students really know. I haven't found a great solution yet, but what I have done is a basic student assessment on their behavior in the classroom. I did it the week before conferences and the kids I found were very honest with their answers. I did however really like the rubric on page 19 in the book. This could eliminate the problems so many teachers have letting parents know more often where students might need some extra help.
I am really having a hard time with Fix #6: Don't include group scores in grades, use only individual achievement evidence. We do some great group work in third grade. Every year we do an ecosystem project they do as a group. Each student is responsible for a different part of the ecosystem and they put it together into a poster. Now I can grade each individual on their part, but then I look at maybe we just eliminate the project all together???? I NEED third graders to learn how to work in groups. To me that is something I want them to improve on before they leave my room. I mean look at our every day lives. I had to sit by someone at class (I won't mention names KL!) and his first words were... not you again! or something like that! :) We all need to learn to work together, we are faced with people every day! How do we not expect kids to do group work. They need to know how to deal with the person who doesn't "do their part". Yes, I know it doesn't say to NOT do group work, but when they know there is a grade attached to their end product they work a little harder. The peer pressure alone sometimes is enough to make the "slacker" do a little more then they would have.
My ramblings could keep going on. I am excited to look more at the grading aspect of school. How can it make my life easier... or more difficult?!?!? There are some big changes we need to make, especially at the elementary level. There needs to be more standards based grading, we are really behind many schools that have been doing this for a few years. Its time to start looking long and hard at how to get this implemented. Its going to be a tough journey though and there aren't many easy ways to do. This will hopefully get us going in that right direction and only cause a minor headache to us.
Blogging... I'm done for now!
