Write around--What did you think about it? What if there was always enough time to let our students respond to a text in this manner? What if we really gave students enough time and space to write, read, and think every day? I do feel that we have to hurry to "cover" so much material that we fail to give students the time and space they need to think.
How did you like browsing through all the different books? I would like to know if this is the first young adult book some of you have read in a long time? As soon as you "get into" your book let us know how it's going.
Chapter 8 in Fair Isn't Always Equal is one of my favorite chapters of the book. It is the chapter that really challenged and even influenced my thinking about grades and grading. I can't wait to hear what you think.
See you next year!
8 comments:
Blog 7 Jane Gregory
I did enjoy the Write-Around because the topic was so interesting. I loved just reading what the members of my group had to share. But reading what they shared did not really help me write because their comments were so different from mine. If its purpose is to provide an enjoyable climate for writing, I would say the exercise was successful.
I have finished reading my young adult book and I’m sorry to say that I really did not enjoy it at all. But I have read many others in the past and enjoyed them, so I think I just made a poor choice this time.
Chapter 8 Wormeli
I love the statement made by Karen Gruner, Chemistry teacher, who said “One of life’s tough lessons is trying hard and failing…” I do have just a very few students who really work at algebra and just cannot “get it”. And it is heartbreaking for me to put the failing grade down, but passing students along without the proper skills is unfair to them and probably is the reason that the course is so difficult for these students. But the majority of my students who do not do well just do not follow my learning suggestions. They do not think that completing their homework is necessary, and in math it is vital to the learning process. As far as efforts being woven into an academic grade, it is not necessary to do so in a math classroom. Ninety-five percent of the students who participate in board work, homework, and discussion are able to successfully complete tests with a passing grade. It’s the non-participators who generally do not perform well so reducing their grade with a poor participation grade would serve no purpose at all. I do not believe we do our students any favors at all when we accept late homework. With a homework paper due in math class each day, not turning in a few papers doesn’t really affect the student’s grade at all. Students in my class are given ample time ( homework is turned in two days after it is assigned so that they can get help the following class period if needed), but accepting that late homework leads to so many other classroom issues that it is not worth it.
The write around was an unusual experience. I have done a write around before in another class that I took but the issue wasn’t as controversial. While we were doing the activity I noticed that it wasn’t enough time for the adults to finish their thoughts. Our group was having some problems meeting the time limit. The amount of time that we had would have been too much time for the children that I teach.
I really enjoyed browsing through the different books and I loved the book that I found. This isn’t the first young adult book that I have read. Sometimes I have to laugh at myself because I find that I prefer a majority of the young adult books that are out there. When I go into a book store it is one of the first sections that I visit. I know it is below my reading level but I rather enjoy the material. I finished my book in two days. I recommend Nothing to Lose by Alex Flynn if anyone hasn’t read it.
I enjoyed the book review. It is interesting to see the types of books that students are reading. I look forward to reading the book that I chose. The previous young adult book that I read was very realistic.
Chapter 8 discusses the value of grading effort, attendance, and behavior. I take those elements into account. Their homework grades are based on effort. If a student is borderline passing, I consider his/her effort and behavior when determining the final grade. These elements are so important when determining a student's grade.
I enjoyed both the write around and book pass during the last class. I had never participated in the write around but thought it was a good way to tackle a topic and get students to see how they feel about a topic that could be tough to discuss. It is also a great way to get student to see others points of view and have them reflect on it. I always enjoy book passes. It is a great way to see a variety of books in a short amount of time and to encourage students to try a different genre or a book they might not look for in the first place.
While reading chapter 8, I had mixed opinions about giving grades based on effort, participation and attendance. If a students attempts to do homework, this would be a great place to reward effort. Effort and participation are so subjective and hard to evaluate. It is so difficult to see a student who is really trying not to be successful in my experience as a media specialist. I can’t imagine being a classroom teacher and having to make such a tough decision because it is in the best interest of the student to not pass them along.
BCSCRI-Study Group
Chapter 8 Why Do We Grade…
Chapter 8 invoked some serious thought on the reader’s part. I thought well, we grade for lots of reasons, but none of them really tell us what a student has learned. I don’t remember homework being graded when I was in school. Maybe it was because most of us did it without the threat of receiving a bad grade for not doing it! I remember even being told to watch something on tv for a grade, which I thought was so easy and a sure “A”. We would come to class the next day prepared to discuss the program and write about the program. I also remember crying over my chemistry homework because I couldn’t balance equations well. My teacher said I would get better with practice. If he had graded all that practice work, I surely would have failed. Teachers need a little discretion when it comes to grading.
I agree with the six responses on page 102 for why teachers grade; to document progress, provide feedback etc. I accept the premise on page 103 of what a grade represents. I do think that attendance, participation, and attitude are an integral part of learning. Some students can learn without attending most of the classes, but they must be highly self-motivated, which most students are not. Most of the time when a student misses a high percentage of a class, he or she can not master what is being taught. Of course I don’t think a shy student should be failed because he or she does not like to talk in front of the class, but all students have to learn how to respond in front of people. It is an important life skill.
Low grades don’t motivate students, so when teachers include attendance, behavior, and participation, serious students know that their efforts count. I know that administrators everywhere are trying to figure out attendance and discipline. I just received a letter from my daughter’s high school saying that she has missed one too many periods in one of her classes. She must make up one ninety minute class or fail for the semester in her Digital Input class. She just happened to miss four periods in this one class due mainly to doctor’s appointments. Will she go to the Saturday make-up session? You betcha! And guess what, she has to pay $15 and bring work to do. Thank goodness she is reader, so her “punishment” will be well spent reading.
I agree with Einstein’s comment that not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. But I disagree with the education consultant who thinks that affective traits such as participation and attitude are not countable. I believe they are. Does a teacher have to average in a behavior grade? No. But does a misbehaving student take up a teacher’s time and cause that teacher to miss valuable time teaching other students? Yes!
I enjoyed the book pass we did in class. I didn’t choose any of the books on my list, although I had some titles that sounded really good. I chose to finish Twilight. I started it this summer and gave it up because so many students were requesting it. I now know what all the hoopla was about, it is delightful!
The write around was great! I enjoy reading the responses of other writers. They always give me yet another point to think about. In the words of Michael Jackson “it don’t matter if you’re black or white.”
Ch. 8 –Why do we grade…
A statement was made in this chapter that low grades don’t motivate students. I think that some students may work harder after getting a low grade, but it might be parents or some other threat that is making the difference. However, I find it a problem when a student has earned a low grade. Do we just “give” them a higher grade that they know they have not earned? Sometimes I have been able to get students to believe that I really will give them more time to learn something and that any grade they have made can be changed later. I will give them extra credit or extra time to learn concepts, and an opportunity to retest. They know about the credit recovery courses and I let them know that they are just doing the “credit recovery” early.
Although i liked the write around, I really enjoyed the book review and grading the book on how much I thought I would enjoy the reading. This is a great way to expose students to a variety of books in a short period. Because this requires a short attention span devoted to each book even the reluctant readers should get involved. I do believe it is important to offer a variety of reading to reach every student.
while reading chapter 8 I felt more confused than before. If you grade on participation what do you do about the child that is terrified to speak. How do you grade this child. how do you know that they are mastering the material.. I also found it interesting to read the six main reasons that teachers grade. The bottom 3 include to motivate students, to punish students and to sort students. Although this is appalling I know I have been guilty of this type of grading. The chapter tells everything that is wrong with grading but doesn't delve into how to grade right. This is an area of concern for me.
One course I've been responsible for, but find very difficult to grade is Laureate. I've particularly had the first half--which is fundraising. Criteria for grading so far has been a portfolio and participation in fundraising activities. The latter has been most difficult to follow through with. The past couple of years, students have been placed in that course (despite course descriptions) because they need a "soft elective." Therefore, younger and less experienced students get placed. Freshmen and sophomores have no drivers licenses--or are not allowed to drive or ride with other young drivers. This has proved very difficult because our main source of fundraising has come from patroning to local businesses.
I have provided fundraising grades from other projects--but when other students are going out two, three times a week, it's difficult to award students whose use those days as free days the same grade.
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