FIAE+B1+Chapter+9

Abstract
This chapter covered ten approaches to avoid when grading. Some of the approaches to avoid include incorporating nonacademic factors into grading, penalizing students’ multiple attempts at mastery, allowing extra credit and bonus points, giving group grades, and grading on a curve. Each item discussed is not useful when trying to maintain a differentiated classroom. Within the chapter teachers are also instructed to avoid using norm-referenced terms to describe criterion-referenced attributes, assessing students in ways that do not accurately indicate their mastery, withholding assistance with the learning when it’s needed, grading practice, and recording zeros for work not done. [|Ethan's Synthesis]toc Throughout the reading of this chapter it seems that many of us did not agree with some of the things to be avoided when [|grading]. Many of the points in the chapter were things we as students have experienced in ether high school or even college. Many of us said that we would still like to use some of the ten approaches, especially giving bonus points, in our classrooms. This chapter seemed to create possibly the most debate among the class of all the chapters so far. The [|reasons] for the ten approaches being not useful in a differentiated classroom were very relevant which created even more confusion for some people who thought the [|approaches] should be used in their classroom.

Amy
CH. 9 Chapter 9 covers 10 approaches to consider avoiding when grading and assessing students’ work. A few of the most crucial approaches to avoid, includes the importance of considering the implications of including the effort students put forth, how they behave in class, and their attendance, in grading. The role of grading is to reflect what the students’ mastery, or lack thereof. Secondly, homework is a tool of practice since it is given throughout the unit, and doesn’t measure what the students have learned. Instead, it allows the students a chance to put their learning into practice. Another important aspect to remember is, everyone learns differently, and its only fair to assess their learning based on how they learn. Group grading can also stir up problems, because the performance of one individual is not an accurate representation of every individual in the group. One example given in the book stated, “every student in a class is keeping a journal, but one student’s journal will be selected at random to be graded. That student’s grade will represent the group’s grade (126)”. Is that fair? Of course not, everyone’s work is different, and may be better or worse than that of his/her peers. One final aspect of grading that should be avoided, is, withholding scaffolding for the students that struggle. If we do not offer support to the students that need extra help organizing their thoughts and expect them to do well on a test as compared to their peers, we are mistaken. Offering support allows students a chance to keep up with their peers, and do just as well.

Dan
Chapter 9 once again gives more information on grading. I liked this chapter because it gave us information on what to avoid when grading students. As I said in the previous reflection grading factors such as attendance, behavior, and participation shouldn't be part of students final grades. Another important thing to avoid is giving grades to formative assessments. As stated before, these should be to help teachers and students see progress and help teachers for future lessons and what to bring up in the next class. It is very important that we use some type of graphic organizer. It is more unfair to keep students from these helpers. It is interesting that the book suggests avoiding extra credit and bonus points. When you think about it, giving points or extra credit you are not allowing students to achieve the mastery you set forth for them. Group grades do not show an individual students mastery of a project because you can never be sure if they truly master the topic when being able to lean on partners. Grading on a curve, for obvious reasons (the deliberate changing of grades) is not a true view of mastery for a student. I never thought about how a teacher goes pretty much right from 60 to a zero. A student could have five grades. Four 100's and a zero because the gave the student a zero as a failing project. (This does really happen). Are we to say this student deserves a C? (84-77) I would say their mastery is higher than average. These are just some of the ideas to avoid as teachers. I like learning this stuff, because I know it will help me as a teacher.

Cassandra
This is the "DON'T DO!" chapter. I was suprised at how so many of the parts were things that I see teachers do all the time. One was the curve. Teachers curve the grades because students as a majority failed the test or assignment. Teachers think that since this means that the teacher made a mistake, then the students shouldn't be penaltized and therefore the grades should be bumped up. However, the mistake here is focusing on the grade and not the actual content. This allows for an entire unit to be missed and yet all of the students are getting an A. Others include group grades, grading practice, and one chances. One I actually do like, that this chapter said "NO NO" to was giving participation grades for attendance. They say this shouldn't occur, however I like giving a lower grade in this for students who are missing class unexcused. That way they are penalized in a smaller way. Yet, we see most of these practices in every teachers grade book.

Andy
The first approach does not settle well with me. The author says avoiding nonacademic factors, such as behavior, attendance, and effort, into the final grade a good thing. I highly disagree, because if a student is absent a lot they will not have the opportunity to receive the information I am supplying. Another approach that the author brings up is to avoid allowing extra credit and bonus points. I know that we all have had the chance to gain a point or two at the end of test and most of the time I have always been able to get them. With the way we are being taught to teach where we want our students to delve deeper in the content, why should we not add a bonus question on something that a student had found online and tagged to their wiki page? It is not like it will hurt you if you did not know the answer, but it will give the students some satisfaction that going the extra mile has some kick backs.

Sean
Students who show up to class will get a better grade than those who do not. At least those who don't have an excused reason for not coming. If a student deliberately decides to not show up to class, then why should they get the same grade as the student who shows up everyday, if not excited to be there, at least ready to learn? And bonus points have value in them, if used correctly. One could argue a lot of reasons why they should/shouldn't be used, but in the end, I think it's more or less up to the teacher's personal philosophy of teaching to decide if they offer them. I think they should be put into careful practice, making sure they target the content and actually make the students think. If a student shows they know the content, and can go beyond what we've learned, why should they not get credit for it? Extra work is something that should be praised, not disregarded.

Ethan
In this chapter we are given things to avoid doing when grading. Many of the points made I had no idea should be avoided. I recognized a lot of the things Wormeli talks about because they were used in classes I had in the past. Things like giving zeros and grading on a curve I experienced even as recently as last semester. For this reason I am not completely sure I feel the same way Wormeli does about some of these approaches he says should be avoided. I defiantly understand the points he makes when he talks about how giving zeros for work not handed in but at the same time I feel like that is giving students points that they do not deserve. I am all for giving points for effort even when the outcome might be incorrect, but if a student chooses not to do something that is required I feel they should face the penalty. I feel thought further reading of this book I will develop more ideas regarding this topic. Many of the other things I will take into account when grading in my classroom. It is a difficult process, but I feel I am being presented with many great ideas for grading in my classroom.

George
Chapter 9 was a list of things to avoid when grading. There were several things I really agreed with. One was not grading homework. Especially in classes like math classes where you are going to mess up. You should go over it and check for understanding but they shouldn't lose points for forgetting to carry a one. I also agreed with avoiding curves and group grades. Both can skew grading in ways out of the control of a student which is highly unfair. The two things I disagreed with were avoiding extra credit and not letting outside factors interfere, like attendance. I disagree with not having extra credit on things like tests because they can be used to check for advanced understanding. I also believe in having participation as a part of the grade because I would hate to end up with a quiet classroom.

Jennifer
This chapter dealt with ten things to avoid when differentiating assessment and grading. I thought a lot of the approaches were really important. I really liked the idea that we should avoid grading homework. Homework is suppose to be practice of the days lesson, of a subject students have mastered. If students have not mastered the subject, they will do the homework incorrectly and it will be even harder for them to break the habit of doing it that way. If students have not mastered the material and we give it to them any way, is it fair to grade them on it? Homework is suppose to be practice, not a demonstration of mastery, that is what assessments are for. I also thought it was interesting about avoiding extra credit and bonus points. I agree that we should not just go handing out points for posters or other things for assignments, this is not helping the student master the material. Instead they could redo the assignment or a similar one to show their mastery.

Darren
In my high school classes, homework was graded in some classes and not others. It was graded for one class, and next year, the teacher simply checked to see if it was done. The same thing applied to my English classes; sometimes rough drafts would be graded, sometimes it wouldn't. This is not only confusing to students, but the chapter speaks against it. Teachers cannot grade homework effectively because it conveys a sense of learning, not of mastery. Another aspect of grading that was mentioned in this chapter was participation and attendance. I, for one, do not like to speak very much in my classes. I am more comfortable listening to others ideas and comparing them to my own. Sometimes I think it is unnecessary for me to say something. I like classes in which I am not penalized for this. Giving a person a C for the class because they didn't speak or weren't enthused definitely does not show how well they learned the content. Although I am sure some studies show //some// correlation between the two, there are many things that studies can't cover. Grades should not reflect aspects of class that have nothing to do with the class.

Liz
This chapter dissects 10 main ways teachers should not do differentiated assessment. Assessment should reflect the work not the homework. A teacher should want to know the mastery of the subject and not the work behind it. If a student reaches the point where they need additional time or practice allow it: they are practicing and they want to learn. It is not a wrong way to learn: just a different one! I understand the whole idea of not grading homework but one thing that really has me puzzled is teachers assign it but never actually read what they have written down. The teacher checks it for completion and that is that. There is no feedback and the student is not informed about the teacher's understanding.

Zack
Teachers should not grade what students are trying to acccomplish with their practice. All homework is, is a set of practice problems for the students to attempt to see wheether they are able to accomplish what was set in front of them or not. Therefore teachers shopuld take the time to differentiate whether or not the thing should be graded. A student should not be given a grade on something that is just giving him more of the same to see whether they can compulate the answers. In the end a student should only be given a grade on things that are meaningful to the read world. Students that are unable to relate the subject to the real world do not in the end know how to use what they have learned.

Brian
This chapter continues the book’s spiel on grading. This time, it made me feel a little better about grading and assessment. It touched on a few things to avoid while grading. None of this information seemed new or shocking. What was shocking, however, is when I think back on my high school days, how many of my teachers did so poorly in assessing the students. Some classes were graded heavily on homework, others on classroom participation. I think I have a pretty good idea about how to set up my system on grading and participation. I feel like homework should be graded on effort alone. If you can obviously see that the student is putting in the work, and may not be getting the results your looking for, that is an “A” in my eyes, on homework. The converse situation, a student is breezing through homework, and is barely straining him(her)self, then that’s the time to incorporate some differentiation and treat the “gifted” student accordingly to standard procedure. Participation, in my eyes, is showing up to class, not being a disturbance, and clearly paying attention.

Josh
Wormeli lists ten different things to avoid when differentiating assessment and grading. Mainly these restate past chapters that discussed flaws and ways of grading that should be avoided, such as grading nonacademic factors like attendance. It even jumps ahead by advising teachers to stay away from giving zero's, as is the basis of chapter 10. One thing to avoid that I found interesting, and really does make perfect sense, is avoiding allowing students to do extra credit. Often the extra credit is busy work and does not use the same skills that were meant to be built in the original assignment. At first it seemed a little cruel, but it does make sense. The teacher can allow an alternative and allow students to receive a better grades by allowing re-do's on assignments.

Damian
More grading, or rather, where the author’s opinion stands on what not to grade. Don’t grade groups, don’t grade on the curve. This seemed like a summary of the previous chapters rather than real new information. On bonus points, used properly, I will be using them in my classes. What constitutes proper use? Bonus points will be offered to those students who can further apply the knowledge learned which takes that learning to a higher echelon of thinking in Bloom’s taxonomy. I remember one of my teachers offered bonus points on every quiz and test, but the questions were who won last night’s football game or something equally unrelated to the topic. I never got one bonus point in that class because not only did I not watch sports but I didn’t have the channel they came in on. Therefore, the result was people who knew less about English than I did were getting higher grades because they were watching ESPN while I was reading //To Kill A Mockingbird. Swell…//