Comments on: My Resolution? No more failures. http://www.scriptedspontaneity.com/2009/01/my-resolution-no-more-failures/ Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:08:08 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: My Experiment in Grading: Update #1 « Scripted Spontaneity http://www.scriptedspontaneity.com/2009/01/my-resolution-no-more-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-67 My Experiment in Grading: Update #1 « Scripted Spontaneity Sun, 22 Feb 2009 03:36:47 +0000 http://scriptedspontaneity.com/?p=186#comment-67 [...] Experiment in Grading: Update #1 Judging from the response to my post about the new grading system that I am employing this semester, there are a lot of teachers currently trying (or considering trying) big leaps of faith in grading [...] [...] Experiment in Grading: Update #1 Judging from the response to my post about the new grading system that I am employing this semester, there are a lot of teachers currently trying (or considering trying) big leaps of faith in grading [...]

]]> By: Paul C http://www.scriptedspontaneity.com/2009/01/my-resolution-no-more-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Paul C Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:41:11 +0000 http://scriptedspontaneity.com/?p=186#comment-73 Thanks to those who have shared their experiences and questions. Obviously, I don't have all of the answers, but I can tell you what my plans are for now. First, as Betty points out, incompletes are an issue. I am dealing with this by requiring those who do not submit work (or submit inadequate work) to come back at lunch and have a working lunch with me. This is only for summative assessments that will go in my gradebook, and this requires a lot of my time. The goal is to treat slack work ethic as a poor behavior, similar to disrupting class or using inappropriate language, and deal with it similarly. And Clix concern about having an "average" to defend your decision is understandable, but we need to train parents and students that my summative judgement, based on numerous pieces of factual information, is a more fair measure. -Paul Thanks to those who have shared their experiences and questions. Obviously, I don’t have all of the answers, but I can tell you what my plans are for now.

First, as Betty points out, incompletes are an issue. I am dealing with this by requiring those who do not submit work (or submit inadequate work) to come back at lunch and have a working lunch with me. This is only for summative assessments that will go in my gradebook, and this requires a lot of my time. The goal is to treat slack work ethic as a poor behavior, similar to disrupting class or using inappropriate language, and deal with it similarly.

And Clix concern about having an “average” to defend your decision is understandable, but we need to train parents and students that my summative judgement, based on numerous pieces of factual information, is a more fair measure.

-Paul

]]> By: Louise Maine http://www.scriptedspontaneity.com/2009/01/my-resolution-no-more-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Louise Maine Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:37:10 +0000 http://scriptedspontaneity.com/?p=186#comment-72 I am reading this post and comments knowing this is really where I want and need to go. I have two very low level classes.These are the students who in classes would be the few that failed. They are all dumped into these classes as they cannot complete any other science class. Some do not want to do work but others are so low in skills that they have e hard time completing. How do you differentiate instruction and get them all moving to pass without getting hopelessly behind? I will follow this on your blog to see what transpires. It definitely is the direction we need to go,no doubt. I am reading this post and comments knowing this is really where I want and need to go. I have two very low level classes.These are the students who in classes would be the few that failed. They are all dumped into these classes as they cannot complete any other science class. Some do not want to do work but others are so low in skills that they have e hard time completing. How do you differentiate instruction and get them all moving to pass without getting hopelessly behind? I will follow this on your blog to see what transpires. It definitely is the direction we need to go,no doubt.

]]> By: Clix http://www.scriptedspontaneity.com/2009/01/my-resolution-no-more-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Clix Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:38:14 +0000 http://scriptedspontaneity.com/?p=186#comment-71 This is something I'm struggling with as well. My concern is that students who do NOT show mastery of the standards will be allowed to progress if I do not have an "average" that prevents it. Until I am certain that students will be required to show mastery before progressing, and that administration will support me on this, I'm hanging on to zero. This is something I’m struggling with as well. My concern is that students who do NOT show mastery of the standards will be allowed to progress if I do not have an “average” that prevents it. Until I am certain that students will be required to show mastery before progressing, and that administration will support me on this, I’m hanging on to zero.

]]> By: John Spencer http://www.scriptedspontaneity.com/2009/01/my-resolution-no-more-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-70 John Spencer Wed, 14 Jan 2009 03:22:27 +0000 http://scriptedspontaneity.com/?p=186#comment-70 I've had good luck with refusing to give F's. My student completion rate is really high and the mastery level has been fairily high as well. I actually wrote a blog about this recently, where I mentioned my own paradigm shift of moving away from letter grades and into authentic assessments. I’ve had good luck with refusing to give F’s. My student completion rate is really high and the mastery level has been fairily high as well. I actually wrote a blog about this recently, where I mentioned my own paradigm shift of moving away from letter grades and into authentic assessments.

]]>