FIAE+B1+Chapter+12

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By Kyle Rines
Analysis This chapter discusses everything that a teacher should know about grading scales. Grading scales are an extremely important aspect of the classroom because students must understand your grading scale and understand why you gave them an 83 or 3.6. These can be seen as just numbers, but it's the explanation and understanding of the grading scale that hits home with the students. It is widely argued that teacher should just use a scale that accurately displays the students true work and what was essentially accomplished instead of a simple points scale. No matter what type of grading [|scale] that you use, understanding and overall mastery of the subject is what teachers should look for and grade in the classroom.

Synthesis Everyone seemed to agree that grading scales are a very essential piece of classroom assessment. The one argued idea that occurred frequently was exactly how to grade students that passed in late work, refused to do their homework, or even grade a student that went way far and beyond the normal expectations. One important thing to remember is that there are many different ways to grade and that using different [|strategies] can be very useful. Personally, I am a strict letter grader and narrative feedback ind of teacher (but that also ties into what kind of learner I am), but there are people that would like to grade using a 4 point scale or percentages. Really, no matter what kind of scale that you choose, it will all depend on how fairly you grade and what accommodations you make as a teacher towards every individual teacher.

Kasey Darnell
This chapter discussed the advantages of using a 4-point scale instead of the traditional 100-point system. Often, using a smaller scale gives a more accurate representation of the student's mastery because it is closely linked to clear, well defined criteria on a rubric. Using rubrics is important because it focuses students and teachers on the objectives and learning results,rather than the decimals of their GPA. This chapter made a lot of sense to me because I went to a high school that used a 4-point grading system and rubrics were commonplace. At the time,this grading system was new and somewhat progressive, and a lot of people had negative reactions to it. Personally, I found rubrics extremely helpful when completing my assignments. I knew exactly what my teachers expected of me, and what I needed to do if I wanted to go above and beyond. In regards to feedback, the rubrics were a great tool. Instead of just getting a single letter grade with no justification, the rubrics gave specific feedback as to why we got the grade we got. Teachers would circle or highlight the components that were missing, so we would know exactly what we needed to work on for next time. I hope to teach in a school that using this type of grading system.

Olivia Wandelear
I find myself getting really irritated by this book sometimes, because the author never really concludes the chapters with a real answer or solution to the problem highlighted in the chapter. He likes to end them with crazy sentences like, “successful, differentiating teachers focus on criterion-based mastery in relation to essential understandings and their learning objectives” (Wormeli 160). This is a “mush” sentence to me. I have no idea what it means, or how the rest of the chapter helps to justify this sentence. I still have //no// idea which grading scale is best – the 4-point or the 100-point, nor did this chapter help me in any way to figure it out. Personally, reading this chapter makes me hate grades in their entirety, and find feedback and comments much more desirable as indicators of mastery. Students love to see A’s and B’s on their papers, and I know I do too, but what exactly do they really mean? I cannot answer my own question, and reading this chapter five times in a row still wouldn’t help me find an answer. One of the only things I found valuable was the idea that we should “not grade the way we do because it was done to us” (159). Differentiating teachers should simply “grade” in a way that truly shows how and how well a student grasped the concepts, not on a quarterly 100-point scale because that is the way it had always been done. I like the idea of the absence of grading periods, because not every student will show mastery by the three-month cutoff period for quarterly grading. Rather, the world should allow teachers to provide these “grades” whenever the student shows mastery, no matter how long it takes. We cannot leave students in the dust because they didn’t understand something by the time grades close and we have to give report cards.

Kay Sue Collins
This chapter talks about the various grading scales that could be used in the differentiated classroom. The authors seem to think that a 4 point scale is the most appropriate, sometimes mixing it with a 100 point scale when it makes sense to do so and then translating it to a 4 point scale for reporting purposes. They talk about the fact that grading is about showing mastery and not ranking and sorting students, therefore the minute differences will not matter. I agree that ranking and sorting students is unnecessary and often detrimental to developing mastery, but I think that the more detail in reporting the better. The more you average and estimate grades the less they mean. I never compare my grades with other people, but only with myself. I use the details of my grade to determine where I am in my mastery goals. If the grade is as arbitrary as they say, then why give a grade at all. There has to be some way to report what is actually learned and the level of mastery found in that learning. Perhaps rubrics hold the key but they need to be very specific and unambiguous. I was also a little confused because I don’t know how to calculate grades for a 4 point system. I don’t get what the classifications mean outside of the letter grade equivalent so perhaps I just don’t know enough.

Erika Tingley
It is really important that students are graded on a fair scale when being assessed. This chapter concentrated on using smaller scales for evaluation and thereby giving specific and timely feedback on assignments. While I found the idea sounded very difficult, I did think the concept of using a rubric in most grading in order to create a 4-point scale seemed like a solid way of evaluating. Having a rubric gives very concrete goals for the student to reach and helps him or her to know what they are being asked to learn. It also makes it easier for the teacher to evaluate the work that is done, when he or she has specific guidelines that are being looked for. I do believe that I will use rubrics in my classroom and that, even if I don’t give the students every one that I use, having made one for the work that I require them to do will help me to focus on the important points when grading the material.

Ben Villeneuve
Chapter twelve of //Fair Isn’t Always Equal// talks about grading scales. It contains a comparison between several popular and widely-used grading scales, including the letters (A, B, C, etc.), the 100-point scale, and the 4-point scale. The author seems to be on the side of the 4-point scale, along with other scales that are similarly small. The argument is that a smaller grading scale allows the focus to be taken off grades and put where it should be: on learning. I agree with this. The important thing a student should be looking for shouldn’t be the number we decide to attach to their work. What they should care about is the feedback we give them in order to continue their learning. In addition, on a purely functional level, it seems like it’s much easier to be consistent with a 4-point scale.

Courtney Burns
This chapter talks about the different grading scales that are available for teachers to use in their classroom; the 4.0 scale and the 100 point scale. The author argues that the smaller the scale the clearer the student’s level of mastery is. The basic reason behind this concept involves the fact that the difference between an 89 and a 90 is not that great, however, according to many school systems, this represents the difference between an “A” student and a “B” student. Categorizing students can often lead to lack of motivation on the student’s part. The use of a smaller grading scale results is grades that are slightly less subjective. As a teacher in a differentiated classroom, it will be important to assign grades to students that are based on their trends, not on a daily assignment basis, for the simple fact that everyone has a bad day. The bottom line is teachers should consider what is fair to the child as an individual and which grade accurately represents their understanding and mastery of the content.

Andy Shorey
Chapter 12 of Fair isn't always equal goes of grading scales and what the main scales are and how they differ. The chapter talks about the 4 point scale the 100 point scale and other different ways of grading. The most important thing when choosing a way to grade is to make sure that you are grading mastery and to be objective in your grading and to give feedback. I find that probably the best way to grade in a math class is to grade on the 100 point scale. It seems that when giving quizzes and test that would be the easiest to grade. The chapter talks about if a student shows no work and gets the right answer what to do and argues for a rubric with a 4.0 scale. However I believe that you can remain objective and grade on a 100 point scale. If a student gets a right answer with no work he is right and I won't take off points however if a student is wrong and shows no work I will not give the student any points. It is important for the student to show his or her work so they can get partial credit.

Tim Grivois
I am a firm proponent of total point scales, but I am a firmer proponent that the way the grading system is structured is unfair and inefficient. I cannot justify placing such a perceived weight on student effort and work, and mastery is such a malleable and constantly evolving concept that I find it difficult to place numbers and letters on them. Honestly, I can say that I am not very concerned with grading; I am sure administrators will not be thrilled to hear me say that I will not be falling under their criteria, and will be participating in a different type of grading. I will be changing and modifying grades to reflect mastery, whatever that means for the system. But to me, mastery is different for every student. I will need to create my own grading scale and system for this, and explain it to students and teachers alike, but they will understand my position and that the current system is not working. I would like to break away from the machinations of the structure in place and find a healthy balance. I want my students to learn from their assessment marks, not lament or stress over them. Idealistic; of course, but unreasonable? I hope not.

Kyle Rines
Grading scales are a widely varied subject in many different schools. There are many different types of scales, ranging from the letter grades (A, B, C), the 100 point scale and the popular 4pt. scale. During my schooling I have experienced all three uses of the grading scales. If I had to choose one to use as a teacher I would choose the letter grades. I would choose the letter grades because I always felt that receiving a letter grade such as an A+ had more meaning behind it than a 98. Maybe I feel that way because I am a Verbal intelligence type of learner, and letters and words have more of an effect on me.

Caitlin Alexander
This chapter dealt with the debate over the correct type of grading scale to use for assessment of a student’s progress and achievement. While a grading scale that is larger, like the one-hundred point grading scale, might seem more adaptive to student learning, it is actually the smaller four-to-five point grading scale that is more conducive to student learning. With the larger grading scale the teacher has to worry about where each individual point is coming from, and how each student would “earn” that point. A four or five point grading scale, however, allows a teacher to make a solid rubric, outlining exactly how much the student has to show in order to progress to each level on the scale. That way, even if a student has “failed” the question by getting the wrong answer, they have earned credit for the progress they have made and the visible work they have shown.

Josh
This chapter argues that grades should be done on more specific terms than just a number between 1 and 100. This book prefers rubrics with clear expectations and smaller numbers. The issue I have with this in a math class is that it does not allow for partial credit. I have also seen a rubric system that has been used to the point where it is no longer effective. In the Air Force performance reports are based on a 1 through 5 rubric. The issue that comes from using rubrics to grade is that once you set the precedence of what student work is a 5, then you start flooding the system with equal work that is a 5. Eventually getting better work is overshadowed by the sheer numbers of people receiving 5’s. I know grading for learning has nothing to do with what other students did or did not do. However to keep a balanced approach in math, I believe that the grade needs to be a number based on procedure steps, and correct answers.

Dylan Stefani
Chapter twelve mentions many different grading scales that teachers use in schools. One of the scales that this chapter seems to dislike is the 100 point grading scale. By using this scale, students have a higher percentage to fail. Using a smaller scale, like a 4-point scale is a better tool to measure students abilities. A teachers who uses a rubric to grade everything for students is deemed as a better teacher because they are allowing the student grades to be based out of a scale that is fair. Making a smaller scale can take out the sixty point margin of failing and give students a better grade range to fall into. Yet, until a school does a complete overhaul on a grading system, students will still be subjected to mixed views of the scale. = =

Heath
The author makes a convincing argument for using a 4 point scale rather than the 100 point scale. I not sure I agree with this notion. Math teachers need a larger point scale to leave room for partial credit. The notion of grading assignments in 100 point scale and using a 4 point scale is interesting, but still doesn’t feel quite right, maybe I’m still stuck in 100 point percentage based mentality. This seems very worthwhile to investigate and experiment with further. One argument for the percentage based grading is students “accidently” learn percentage relationship very well, as they have that personal stake in that understanding.

Shila Cook
In this chapter there is the comparison between the two most popular grading scales, the four point scale which uses rubrics and the 100 point scale that we are all familiar with. The book argues that the four point scale is a more accurate representative of a students grade. I don' t know that I agree with this. I understand that there are some problems with the 100 point scale, like the jump between a D and an F, and the fact that there is 60 points represented in the F range. I think with a little reworking the 100 point scale would be the ideal grading system. Another reason that I disagree is because the book mentioned that it would be easier for parents to monitor the grades, but I feel like sending a whole new grading system home and having them have to learn that would be more difficult than using the scale that they grew up with and understand.

Dan Horne
In this chapter the book talks about the differences between the standard percentage based grading and the new rubric based grading systems. Basically the percentage based one is the typical X percentage out of 100 that most to all students have been exposed to. The rubric system is a 4 point scale that uses rubrics to grade students. I believe that rubrics do have a place in the classroom but not as the entire grading system, it is just way to narrow. In a science class partial credit is key in assignments, it allows you to go back and see what you did wrong but not loose all the points for making the mistakes. I believe that if schools switched to rubrics in math and sciences they would end up being much more difficult because i believe the whole idea of partial credit would disappear because there is no room for it in a 4 point scale.

Tyler Brookings
This chapter talks about how grading scales should be smaller and more specific to the criteria. Using rubrics is considered to be the best way to grade accurately, simply because the expectations will be clear. Grades that are based on just mathematical averages are not considered to be as accurate due to the fact numbers can always be adjusted. My favorite type of teacher are the one who judge based on everything, and not just numbers. I believe that if a student tries hard, that should count for something.