FIAE+B1+Chapter+11


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Olivia Wandelear
I was mostly drawn to the beginning section of this chapter, regarding grading as a fair indication of mastery. In this case, the chapter urges teachers to record fifties or sixties in the grade book in the place of zeros, or anything lower than a fifty if a student performs really poorly on something, or simply does not pass an assignment in. I whole-heartedly agree with this practice. I agreed in another chapter that averaging grades does not accurately show how well a student grasped a subject, because if they received 100’s on 5 tests, and a 15 on the last one, their average in the class would be an 85, hardly a proper indication of all of their hard work. However, by recording a sixty (which is still considered an F), the average comes out much more accurate and fair for the student at a 93. The student didn’t receive credit for doing nothing, but rather, they received the grade that they truly deserve. If a student has a bad day, or even a bad week, a zero or a very low grade in the grade book, which severely affects their overall grade, and may discourage a student and completely turn them off to learning, should not be included. After reading this chapter, and acknowledging its value in the classroom, I will definitely use this practice in my classroom when the time comes. It is only fair.

Kay Sue Collins
This chapter brings up some very controversial topics. I think that is the case with any new idea. When we turn everything on its head, there are those who are afraid of what will happen even when it is better. I’m not sure how I feel about putting a 60 or 50 in the gradebook instead of a 0 for work that was not turned in. I understand the mathematical argument that failing should be only a range of 10 points like all the other letter grades, instead of 0. At the same time, work that is not turned in fails to show mastery of 100% of the material covered. This means that if you average it into the total grade it is still an accurate assessment of the __demonstrated__ mastery. That does not mean the student has no mastery of the subject, only that he has not demonstrated it. I like the suggestion of giving two grades, one for the grade including the missing work and another showing their average mastery aside from the missing work. MI classrooms are all about finding ways for students to show mastery in a multitude of ways besides formal assessments. It may be possible for the student to demonstrate mastery of the material in a different way in order to get partial credit. The rest of the chapter dealt with issues surrounding how to grade students that have special circumstances, either special education or GT students. The controversy is on whether to grade these students so that the grade accurately reflects the mastery of the curriculum or the progress the student has made toward mastery or the additional mastery above and beyond the curriculum mastered by GT students. It is clear that the current grading and reporting procedures now in place are totally inadequate for grading in a differentiated classroom. Some other format is needed.

Erika Tingley
This chapter focused on some of the issues dealing with the recording of grades for students. The first section encouraged teachers to record a sixty instead of a zero in the grade book when students don’t hand in work. While I understand the reasoning that the book gave for doing this, I don’t personally agree with the practice. The book says that by giving them a sixty it evens out the grading because there is such a large gap in what is recorded as an F as opposed to all the other letter grades. While I agree with this idea, for some schools a student can pass with a sixty, and even if that were not true it is giving students credit for learning something when they didn’t learn anything. If the goal is mastery of the subject than just by letting them make up the work you are giving them the opportunity to learn the information. In this way a more accurate grade is recorded and no credit is being given for something that was not learned. A teacher could record an incomplete until the student finishes the assignment, but the student would have the opportunity to gain mastery, before being given a zero. If the student chose not the make up the work than he or she would get a zero. I understand that some may not like this practice because it teaches students that they have unlimited time to get things done. While there may be times that this happens, if the goal is for the student to learn the information it should not matter when they learn it and they should be given multiple times to do so.

Ben Villeneuve
Chapter eleven of //Fair Isn’t Always Equal// discusses six specific issues within grading. These include what grade to record for an incomplete assignment, grading gifted students, weighting grades, automaticity versus concept attainment, grading late work, and grading special needs students in inclusion classes. I was particularly interested in the author’s take on the problem of late work. His advice is to first take into account the student’s individual situation as regards turning in work (i.e., does the student do this frequently or is this a somewhat isolated occurrence?), and then to record two grades for the student. When it comes time to use grades for what they’re useful for (That is, to reflect mastery of subject matter), the grade that doesn’t take into account lateness of work will be used.

Courtney Burns
This is a miscellaneous chapter which discusses some considerations teachers may need to make in regards to grading students. The first is the issue giving students zeros for not completing work. Instead, the author suggests that giving the student a 60 or even a 70 is a better idea for it will allow the student’s final grade to be a better representation of their mastery of the content. The author also points out the importance in considering the gifted student which may be in my classroom. Should these students be held to the same standards as their peers or one that is high? If they are held to a higher standard, there is a possibility that the meaning of the student’s grade (which would likely be lower than his classmates) could be misunderstood. Whatever decision is made, it will be important to make a note that will be attached to the student’s report card which explains the situation of the student. The author also warns against weighting grades, stating that doing so can lead to a misrepresentation of the student’s true mastery. In regards to late work, it is important to consider the situation of the student. If the student is continually asking for extra time, there may be other factors to consider, other than that, every student has a bad day and not passing in a homework assignment on time should not be reflected in their grades. Finally, having a special education teacher in the classroom can be cause for controversy if things are not considered between me (the regular classroom teacher) and the special education teacher. As a pair we must consider what is best for the student, preferably ahead of time, so that they are no misconceptions of disagreements in the future.

Kasey Darnell
Chapter 11 discussed issues that can arise with grading in the differentiated classroom. Instead of giving a student a zero, Wormeli suggests that the teacher records a 60 or a 70, when using a 100 point scale. This way, the grade is a better representation of mastery, and the zero will not inaccurately skew the final average. When grading gifted students, teachers can record the grade for the highest level of achievement in the regular class, and add comments or an addendum to their report card that reflects the higher levels of achievement. If they are enrolled in a class that is specifically honors or AP, they should be held to those higher, more rigorous standards. Next, Wormeli discusses the issue of weighting grades, stating that although they may result in higher GPA's, it doesn't necessarily represent a higher level of mastery or future success. When dealing with late work, the teacher must consider whether it is a chronic or occasional problem, and react accordingly. Instead of automatically taking off one letter grade for each day late, the teacher could investigate why the student is not passing in the work, and give them a chance to make up work for full credit if it is appropriate. I think it is important to give students a chance to make up their work, but I can see it becoming a problem for students who habitually turn in work late. When I am a teacher, I dont want to have to chase work down and constantly remind students to pass in their assignments. I agree with Wormeli that taking a few points off instead of a full letter grade would be a more effective consequence for late work. Lastly, this chapter discussed how to grade special needs students in the regular classroom. Basically, it boils down to effective communication between the regular teacher and the special education teacher. These two parties should have a discussion about the student's needs and their IEP, and determine which standards are developmentally appropriate. For the standards that are not developmentally appropriate, the regular teacher should evaluate the student against a different, modified set of standards. I think this will be challenging to do when I am in the classroom, due to time constraints and the seemingly increasing amount of special needs students.

Andy Shorey
Chapter 11 of Fair isn't always equal goes into detail on grading and how to deal with grades as teachers. It gives helpful tips for grading many different types of students. One of the big things that it discusses at the beginning of the chapter is whether to give a student a 0 or 60 in the grade book if a student doesn't turn something in. My thought is that I would have to give the student a 0 if it becomes a pattern and give the student an incomplete at the end of the grading period. I would also have to give the student a 60 if it really wasn't a habit and it was a one time thing. I think that you can adjust grades based on the student. Another thing that I took from the chapter is grading late work is something that really needs to be well thought out whether you lower it a letter grade every day or many different things you can do. In my syllabus I had said that lowering everything a letter grade for every day that it is late and I am rethinking that. I think it would be best to look at the mastery of the material and make the decision after that.

Tim Grivois
I had not given this topic any consideration up until this point, but it presents an interesting dilemma; how do I deal with students who simply do not do their work? Even more of a pressing question is, how do I deal with students who do most of their work, but neglect certain assignments entirely. Is it fair to destroy their grade point average even though the mastery they have attained is surely above that specific level? I am inclined to say yes, even if the research indicates the punishment is disproportionate. I feel as though in my classroom, I will always be willing to work with students and late work, as long as they are willing to put in the effort at a core level. If they do not even make a singular effort to turn in certain assignments, does that not define them as student? Do they even want to succeed? Dealing with accelerated students is equally difficult. As a student who was once placed in classes ahead of his age-grade level, I can attest to the fact that it was helpful in my studies, but far harder than what other students my age were tackling. I was able to earn As, but if I were to earn Cs and be challenged, I would have been very upset. So much importance is given to grades in this day and age that it would be difficult to recover from as a gifted student. I must say that the grading system is flawed after reading this chapter. I have not gained any answers to these problems, but at least I am more aware of their existence.

Kyle Rines
This chapter focuses on six primary techniques that can be used when grading students. This includes grading incomplete assignments, grading gifted and talented students, weighing grades, grading late work, grading special education students, and automaticity versus concept attainment. These are helpful for me in my classroom because the more I know about grading within a classroom and knowing all the different situations when grading will aid me in my classroom.

Josh
The eleventh chapter of //Fair Isn’t Always Equal// discusses major problems in classrooms when it comes time to grade for mastery. While I agree that grades should be determined based on learning, I feel strongly on one of the major issues in the chapter. The debate is over what to do when a child does not perform the work at all, should they get a 0 or a 60? The student should without a doubt receive a 0. There are not going to be assignments given that are busy work. If it is important enough to be an assignment then it is important enough to do. While a zero may not be the most accurate grade overall of the student’s understanding, it is important to also teach students that they are responsible for their actions. If you choose not to do the work you must face the consequences.

Caitlin Alexander
Before I read this chapter the idea of giving a student a grade for doing absolutely nothing seemed preposterous. Why give a student even a sixty if they didn’t even turn the assignment in? But realizing that a zero affects a student’s other grades in a more drastic manner than if they had gotten a sixty makes me think that giving a student a grade for not turning something in is actually more fair to them than not. A single missing homework or quiz or assignment can so drastically affect a student’s grade that, in some cases, an A student can suddenly become a B or C student. By giving a student a sixty it still shows that the student has not done the work or achieved the goals of the assignment, but it also gives the onlooker a more realistic picture of how much the student has progressed and achieved in the classroom.

Dylan Stefani
This chapter focuses on how a teacher grades students who do not do their homework. Because homework is suppose to be for practice, students should not be getting homework to take home and learn new things. Students have other roles that they have to take on when the leave the confines of the school. This chapter mentions that students should still get a failing grade for not doing their homework, but not a zero as a grade. If a teacher puts a zero in the grade for students that do not do their homework, their grades will be dramatically skews. By teachers using sixty points instead of none, the overall grading of the student that gets a bad grade will not have a skewed grading. I believe that more students will be able to pass through grades without needing to retake a class. I have observed in the classroom that the only reason why students fail classes is because they have three or four zero’s in the grade book. Most of them would have passed if given a sixty. = =

Heath
This chapter digs deeper in grading issues, inspiring thought on issues such as weighted grades, advanced students and special needs students. Like most of the class, I connected with the section dealing with the true value of an “F.” I firmly agree with not including zeros in the gradebook (with the possible exception for cheating.) A zero has such a negative impact on a student’s ability to succeed it’s use not only drastically reduces a student’s average but also effectively removes a student’s motivation to engage with the class. They might begin to think “What’s the point?” and just turn off.

Shila Cook
Chapter 11 discusses the grading issues that have teachers baffled, and the issues that will never have a definite answer. One of the issues that I feel strongly about is the topic of putting a zero, sixty, or and incomplete in the grade book when a student does not turn in their work. The book suggests that putting in a zero is not an accurate description of the students mastery. My problem with this is that if a kid does not do the work then how do we know that they have mastered whatever the work was? I believe that if a student turns in the work late then they deserve some kind of a grade other than a zero, but unless the student has missed work for an excusable reason, they deserve a zero. You have to do work to get the points, however I can see the issues with this- there are always going to be exceptions, but in general that is what I believe.

Dan Horne
===In this chapter the book talks about the difficulties in grading fairly and practically. In this chapter it addresses the late work problem and also the zero work problem regarding grades. I believe that if students do make an effort to do the work that is assigned then they deserve something better then a zero for being late. I know from personal experiance that in high school with all my sports and classes there wasn't enough time to get certain things done so they got sorted by which ones were the most important so my grades didn't suffer. I believe that is a terrible way to grade students late work, they should be given a chance to complete assignments maybe a day or two late if they contact the teacher and explain why. The overall objective of that work is to create better understanding of the content so by not letting students hand in late work for credit you are actually just hindering their grades and their learning.

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Tyler Brookings
Grades have always been a sticky situation for teachers. The main parts of grading that can be unsettling include weighting grades, grading late work, and the difference between a sixty and a zero. I think that it would be quite difficult to decide what the best policy for most of these would be. Would it be worth it to run the assignment into the ground, in hopes that a student will turn it in to get an F instead of a zero? I think I will have to learn by trial and error, but I know that I will have some sort of late work system that will not allow the work to be drawn out but chance for points. As for weighting grades and deciding between sixty and zero, I will have to decide once I have more experience.