Grades. This one word can conjure up feelings of excitement, frustration, or depression. It seems that most students already have an idea of how he/she ranks academically within a classroom setting. They also are aware of Who makes the "best" grades and who struggles. Parents, too, either stress over their child making "below average" grades & how many "A's" OR they seem to not show much interest either way.
How should grades really be used, other than to label someone a success, just average, or a failure?
I believe grades should provide feedback about student's understanding.
They should reflect the student's ability to correctly use their acquired knowledge.
They should come from a variety of examples from the student.
Grades should show growth made and reflect progress made from a stimulating and appropriately challenging environment.
Grades should come from meaningful experiences for the student.
I love the idea of combining traditional letter grades with and additional piece of information!
The A - 1, A - 2, A - 3 along with using a portfolio of the student's work would be a better representation of the Whole Student (successes and struggles, work to take pride in and work to improve on). This gives the parents a clearer picture of where their child is on their educational journey.
Ok, so students are all working at different paces and levels. Now we have a new dilemma! What do you do about grades? Chapter 14 provides you with four approaches to this problem that have proven to be useful. After reading the chapter, please select one of the following topics to address on your blog.
- Generate a list of descriptors for how you feel grades should be used. How can you get closer to that in your classroom? What do you feel the effects would be if you were able to achieve your ideal?
At the end of our Texas unit, I like to have each student create a book that includes what they have learned from our study. For most students this is more a non-fiction re-telling of what was covered together in class. For the more advanced learners in the class, I have them create a story which includes both Texas facts from our class study AND other Texas facts that the students must research. All student books must include illustrations, maps, and graphs. We decide together and create a Rubric for what is to be expected in each book.
Throughout the week (sometimes it takes longer than just one week) I act as Chief Editor. Every student is allowed to help edit their peer's book, per request. This allows for both collaboration and for individual expression. Once finished, the students may read their own book to their Reading Buddy (from another class). These books are then kept in the classroom so they can be enjoyed by peers during DEAR time.
How can we provide students the opportunity to directly "own" the curriculum? Chapter 13 explains how providing ways for students to share what they have learned, through differentiated products, can be highly motivating to students. Please select one of the options below to address on your blog:
- Think about your most effective product assignment. Analyze the assignment by using Figure 13.1 and the accompanying explanation. What are the areas of "match" between your product assignment and the guidelines? Areas of mismatch? What insights does this analysis give you about the product assignment? About the guidelines?
One example is from teaching place value in Math. Group students according to readiness. Using 5 dice per group and one score sheet (four different versions: 3- digit numbers, 4-digit numbers, 6-digit numbers, and decimals) per student. Students take turns rolling the dice (up to 2 times) and fill in their score card with the number rolled on their turn. Continue taking turns until each player has filled in all 9 category boxes (with either a number or X). For each category, the goal is to create the greatest number possible. One category must be filled in on each turn, and in any order. If a number rolled during a turn cannot be entered for any category, an X must be placed beside any open category. Once a category has either a number or X, it can not be changed later during the game.
After each student has filled in all 9 categories on his/her score sheet with a number or X, it is time for the students to compare their score sheets. Students start by comparing the number they filled in for the first category. An X in any category counts as 0. The student with the greatest number written circles that category on his/her score sheet and receives 1 point. If there is a tie, both students receive the point. I like to make students read their number aloud correctly. If they do not read it correctly, they cannot receive the point, even if their number is the greatest. Students repeat the same for all 9 categories. The student with the greatest number of points is the winner! If there is a tie, the students can have one final roll to see who rolls the largest number.
Chapter 12 discusses how to help students make sense of their learning. After reading the chapter, please respond to one of the following:
- Share a scenario from your classroom which, like the examples in the chapter, show how you differentiate (or might differentiate) process based on student readiness, interest, and/or learning profile.
Here is what I have found when differentiating with Spelling. Love it!
It's a Spelling Homework Contract & Menu of different activities the students choose from to earn points towards their Spelling grade each week.
It is self-paced (have all week to complete for each new spelling list).
It allows for students to complete spelling tasks that are interesting to them.
Students may turn in as many completed tasks as they wish.
Each activity (or task) has an assigned point value.
Teacher assigns each student a minimum point value total they must work towards by the end of the week.
I also give a Pre-test at the beginning of the week. For students who already have mastered these words, I assign a different, more challenging word list for them to work on for the final test at the end of the week.
Chapter 11 provides strategies for differentiating what we teach or what we want them to learn - Content. Please respond to one of the following:
- The chapter offers several instructional strategies for differentiating content. Which of these might you use (and when) to enhance learning for your gifted students? What other strategies for differentiating content might you add to the list?
The Learning Profile Questionnaire: How Do You Like to Learn? is a great tool to use at the beginning of the year (and maybe again in the middle of the year to allow students to reflect on their learning preferences from their experience so far during the first half of the year).
The Interest Questionnaire: What Do You Want to Learn About ____? & What Can You Tell Us About ____? is similar to using a KWL Chart. I think that after having a class discussion and making a class KWL Chart, I would then have the students fill out individual questionnaires. Then use what I have learned from both the KWL chart and questionnaires to guide my planning for units of study.
The Learning Profile and the Interest Questionnaire both will help tailor my large group instruction, small group assignments, individual reinforcement, and final assessment of learning accomplishment.
In Chapter 10 you will choose one of the following to discuss on your blog.
- In what ways might you use or adapt the assessment idea reflected in Figure 10.5?
I love the Literature Circles idea for different Social Studies and Science units we cover throughout the school year. Each student is allowed to choose a book (on their reading comprehension level) to do their own research of choice from within the unit of study. Then each student will present what they have learned to either a small group of similar interests, or to the whole class.
WebQuests would be a great way for students to further their chosen research.
Both of these strategies would also be a good fit within a reading unit. Students would choose different books based on a similar fairy tale, or story line. They would enjoy sharing with the rest of the class some sort of re-telling from their chosen book.
In Chapter 9 you will look at eight instructional strategies that invite students to link their interest with the requirements of the curriculum. In what specific ways might you use one or more of these strategies to draw on student interest in your classroom?
Off-task behavior, boredom, finishing too quickly, messy work, incomplete work, poor attitudes, and disinterest are just a few indicators displayed by students who are not assigned tasks at their appropriate readiness level. Over time these repeated indicators can/will develop students who have become detached from their learning environment.
LOVE the Equalizer! What a great way to remember how to adapt lesson planning!
When teaching about money, a great way to go beyond the concrete to abstract is to allow for students to research money from different countries, learn about their denominations, and how it relates to money here from the U.S. (the exchange rate).
Chapter 8 looks at how we can move from "I put them in groups I think will work" to purposeful differentiation that provides students more appropriate learning experiences.
Please discuss what indicators varied students give when tasks are not appropriate for their readiness level? What are implications for students when tasks consistently under-challenge them in regard to days, weeks, months, and years?
Think about an activity you use in your classroom. Using "The Equalizer" Fig. 8.1, move the activity along one or more of the continua and discuss how you could make it more abstract than the original activity?
