Chapter 11

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.

Chapter 12

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.

Chapter 13

In chapter 13 the importance of grade books is introduced. I agree with the chapter when it suggests that grade books should tell us about each individual student. I feel like the best way to do this is to keep my grade book really organized. I agree that by having an organized system that you do not deter from that system. The other thing that I believe in is change. I don't think that we should keep our grading system the same throughout all of the years I teach. My system needs to change as my students do.

Chapter 14

Chapter 14 talks about the pros and cons of progress reports and report cards. The biggest problem that is brought up in this chapter is the fact that report cards do not show in any way the progress that a student is making in the quarter or trimester. It only shows the final grades, which I believe is still important, but sometimes I believe that the progress is the most important part. For example. If a student usually fails, doesn't do their homework, or just doesn't care and then turns things around so that they are doing everything they are supposed to but they are still only getting a D because of the beginning of the quarter their parents or guardians should see that they are changing things around. I hope to find a way to show an accurate grade and process when doing report cards.

Chapter 10: Conditions for Redoing Work for Full Credit

Chapter 10 talks about the stipulations and protocols that make redoing work less demanding on students and more helpful to students. A really good point that the chapter makes happens when the question is asked: How would we want to be treated as an adult? I know that if I have a lot to get done, and end up not doing my best work on a paper or an essay I would like the chance to redo it. If I want the chance then why wouldn't my students want the chance? Just because they're younger than I am does not mean that they are all that different. The other part of the chapter that I liked was when it said that as teachers we can reserve the right to change the format for all redone work. If we allow students to redo work then they should respect our decisions as teachers if we want to see something more, or ask them to stay for extra help on it. After all we really only want to see the succeed.

Chapter 9: 10 Approaches to Avoid When Differentiating Assessment and Grading

This chapter talks about how teachers need to do everything they possibly can to make the grades of every student as accurate as possible. Something the I do not agree with in the beginning of the chapter is how they would like teachers to avoid incorporating nonacademic factors into the final grade. These would include behavior, attendance, and effort. Now I completely understand that behavior is not something that should be taken into consideration when grading, but attendance matter as well as effort. If a student is showing no kind of effort to pay attention, or even pretend to pay attention, if they're not doing their work, if they are fooling around while the teacher is talking, why shouldn't that reflect on their grade? Because of the kid that is fooling around the students around them might not get all the learning and instruction that they need. That is not fair to me.

Chapter 8: Why Do We Grade, and What About Effort, Attendance, and Behavior?

This chapter was about how teachers feel about grading which are: document student and teacher progress, provide feedback, inform instructional decisions, motivate students, punish students, sort students. It also goes over how to grade participation. It is suggested that it should be given feedback on, but to not include it in the final formal grade. The problem with this they explain is the fact that some student express themselves better verbally, so maybe one students participation grade is really high, they answer every question, always have their hands raised everything. The same student fails every written quiz, but if his teacher asks him the same questions verbally he gets them all correct. If we don't include participation in the final grade then this student is not being represented correctly. I intent to include participation into my final grade.