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What my grades mean:
Approaching this assignment I feel like I have to write some sort of disclaimer because at the moment I don’t have my own classroom so I don’t give out my own grades.
During student teaching I did grading but I did it in the way that my SBTE did as to not confuse the students. In both student teaching situations I graded based on a point scale with a conversion to percentages. Each assignment had a top point level which students tried to achieve. After the points were converted they were translated to a percentage out of 100. For instance, some assignments were out of 50 so if a student achieved 45/50 the score recorded in the grade book would be 90%.
This was the sort of grading that I received when I was in school. My report cards didn’t contain letter grades they were numerical but I will make the attempt to describe them in a related fashion.
F (anything below 55%) 55 or below as considered failing This means that the student did not obtain enough of an understanding of the lessons criteria to be deemed satisfactory. Their comprehension level is not enough to progress onto the next stage whether it is a new lesson, new grade, ect.
D[+/-] (55%-65%) is just barely passing. A student has obtained the minimum level of knowledge of the criteria. They have learned just enough to skim by. The knowledge that they have is enough that when they enter the next step they will be able to comprehend it but it will likely be difficult especially if it is a topic where one aspect builds off another.
C[+/-] (65%-75%) as the middle grade is often connected with being the mean or the average. However, how this grade it viewed depends on the student and at times the level of the class. A C represents a grade that is above failing and a comprehension level that reaches more than the mere basics of a topic but not much further. A student has an adequate understanding and comprehends the material but is likely unable to delve into any sort of deep conversation regarding it. This grade can be viewed differently by different people based on different situations. For instance, for someone simply attempting to meet the a science requirement a C in a general chemistry class might be acceptable while to someone hoping to study science in college the same grade could be detrimental or harboring to their future plans.
B[+/-] (75%-85%) represents a leap in one’s comprehension. This is a grade that is beginning to represent a higher level of comprehension. Here one if gaining a deeper understanding of the topic. Depending on where the student falls within the grade range it is likely that they would be able to hold an in-depth conversation regarding the topic and make possible outside connections and explanations regarding it.
A[-] (85%-95%) represents almost the pinnacle of understanding. A student has a strong understanding of the material and is able to show it through numerous ways whether verbally or written. In addition, they are able to make strong connections to other lessons learned and possibly other content areas.
A[+] (95%-100%) I separated the A- and the A from the A+ because in my academic history it seemed as if the A+ was something separate something almost unachievable unless there was perfection. For a student to obtain this level they must be able to prove that they have a strong almost perfect comprehension of the material though numerous methods as well we be able to make strong outside connections. In addition, someone at said level should be able to explain the content so that others at a lower level can gain some insight. For example, such a student would be able to work as a tutor of the given material.
This type of grading system is useful to administrators because it gives them something concrete. They are able to look at what students excelled, what students failed to meet the criteria and what students fell in the middle. Using the letter system has obvious drawbacks in that it is no specific relating to circumstances and how broad it is. This, however, is not often essential to administrators who want a general outline of student understanding which such a system does provide.
How well such a system can fulfill the needs of a parent and/or student often depends on the parent or student. If the interested party is merely looking for a generic scope they are great, a B is good, a C is average, D just barely passing, and F is failing. They have a basic outlook and as an individual they are able to address how they feel about that as their/their child’s grade. If, however, one wants a more specific look at a grade this system is not efficient. The scale is too broad and specifics are not looked at nor explained by the assigned letter. I feel that suing the numerical grades helps this somewhat because it allows students/and or parents to see what grades played a role in the assignment of the final grade and they can literally add them up themselves to make sure that they are correct. By keeping a consistent, update, and detailed record of students’ grades you should be able to answer questions that may arise.
When it comes to assessment I felt that they chapter was informative in some areas but not in all. The overall theme of teachers holding responsibilities is something that I highly agree with. Being that the teacher is the one who comes into the most contact with the student it would be impossible to conclude that they have no connection in terms of responsibility when it comes to assessment. However, just because they are an essential link between students and assessments doesn’t mean that they are the only people with responsibilities.
For instance, one of the sections that I had a problem with was the section on choosing assessment procedures. While it is important for teachers to take some responsibilities and consider what type of assessment there are times when the choice is out of the teacher’s hands. In taking away their choice their responsibilities are taken away as well. One of the specifics that the chapter gives is that “publication does not always guarantee quality.” While I agree with this statement I disagree that it is placed under a larger subtopic connected with responsibility. Certain standardized tests are mandated to be given and a teacher has no control of if it is given and whether or not it is quality. While to a certain degree they can prepare their students in other aspects they cannot due to the fact that many test such as the regents the actual questions are kept secret until the day they are given. Past regents can be used as practices but question type and how hard said test is can always vary. There is always a level of mystery that it is out of the control and responsibility of the teacher.
One of the sections that I did agree with was the section on scoring assessments in reference to feedback. I liked how the chapter emphasized that providing feedback is essential. Giving back an assignment to a student marked just with what is wrong is irresponsible because it doesn’t provide the student with the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. To be a responsible teacher one must either explain on the assignment or in person what they student did wrong. If the student has a question it is the responsibility of the teacher to answer it for the entire class or in a personal conference. When it comes to providing feedback on the actual assignment I feel that teacher should provide it but with caution. Give the essential feedback and then allow for students to seek deeper explanations in person. To “make the paper bleed” with an excess of mark ups may cause the student to feel overwhelmed and give up because there is just to many items to fix.
Another aspect of the chapter that I liked was that it provided a section on student responsibilities. I liked that this was included because while the responsibilities of the teacher those of the students are just as important. It is the responsibility of the teacher to prepare the students for the test by letting them know what will be on it, when it will be, and what is expected of it. However, it is the students’ responsibility to take this information and prepare themselves though studying. Especially as students progress into higher grade levels I think that it important to provide students with more responsibilities since they are growing into adults and will soon be facing the real world and true responsibilities.
Although there are broad rules for assessment that need to be addressed I feel that in most situations scenarios need to be looked at case by case since no two teachers are going to be the same nor are two students or school districts going to be the same. What works in one instance may be completely wrong for another. I think that it is the responsibility of the teacher to do all they can to meet the needs of their students and their individual school distract first and then expand their thoughts to a larger picture. Teachers need to know and understand what is expected of them and meet those needs while working with those around them.
Pretest BlogBefore the unit on The Giver begins the students would complete this pretest so that I could gain an idea on where they stand concerning the important topics that we will be covering. The first two are general terms that relate to all novels while the last four are more closely related to the specific novel. This pretest would not be a graded activity it would more resemble a journaling activity. It would be used for my benefit as the teacher to know to what length these central ideas would need to be explained. It would also give insight into how the student’s thoughts on them relate to or don’t relate to how the book depicts these concepts.Write out what comes to mind when you hear each of the following words.
Ex. Community: where you live, the people you come into contact with, environment you spend most of time in.
Symbolism
(Possible answers that students might come up with: when something in a story represents something else, one thing stands for another, and object stands for and idea)Theme(Main idea, main concept, point of the story)Utopia(Perfection, the ideal, something is desired, a goal or dream one tries to achieve)
Hierarchy(An order, ranking, how something is structured)Adulthood
(Older people, responsibility, boring, having a job, having a family, hard work, less focus on fun)
Childhood
(Youth, no responsibility, have to be taken care of, less or no freedom, no job, no family)
I have attached my blueprint draft in an email on angel because I was unable to get it to show up on my actual blog. I'm not very blog savvy I guess. I left out the weighting aspect because I was unsure on how to do it. I know that I want the students’ grade on the debate to be the most weighted/most important but I was unsure on how to separate out the other aspects. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
For my final assessment I am planning on doing a debate. The debate will focus on the issue of the novel’s community as a Utopian Society. One of the sides will take the stance that the way the community is run is beneficial to the community members while the other will argue that the community’s ways are destructive and not positive for those involved. The students will use their knowledge of the characters, plot, and other conventions of the story to form their arguments. In order to gain a strong understanding of these concepts activities focusing on the specific aspects will be presented throughout the unit. For the actual debate the student will be provided with guidelines and some type of rubric/checklist. They will be graded both as a group and individually.
Learning Targets-Final Draft
For the most part I was relatively happy with my original targets in terms of clarity and expectations. However, when revising my targets I changed some of the developmental to mastery and vice versa so I hope that they make more sense than they did in my original. If not please feel free to comment. One of the comments made was that my targets cover numerous components of the taxonomies and this is true. I did this with the thought that that would make it most affective when creating an overall assessment being that it would cover a range of outcomes. For my overall assessment I am thinking something like a portfolio or debate but am not sure how to begin so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. In this unit we will be studying The Giver by Lois Lowry. We will study the specifics of the book as well as connect to it the world we live in today.1. Students will discuss the pros and cons of the “Utopian Society” created in the novel.a. Developmentalb. Verbs: define (Utopia), explain (why/why isn’t the community a Utopia), prepare, support (a list of evidence showcasing both sides), state (their own opinion on whether it is or isn’t and Utopian society. 2. Students will gain an understanding of who the main characters are.a. Mastery Learning Targetb. Verbs: describe (their features and actions), compare (one against the other), question and/or defend (their actions, motives, decisions), recognize (their positive qualities and flaws) 3. Students will study the hierarchal structure that exists among the characters and discuss its relevance.a. Developmental Learning Targetb. Verbs: identify (what the hierarchy is), label (the different degrees/levels) differentiate (between the different levels), identify, (what characters fall where and why), discuss (its importance and how it affects the characters) 4. Students will work together to determine important moments in the plot.a. Mastery Learning Targetb. Verbs: listen (to the opinions of others), choose (the important events), organize (them into the proper order), select (key events-rising action/climax/falling action), report (to the group/class) 5. Students will gain and understanding of the symbols present throughout the book.a. Developmental Learning Targetb. Verbs: define (what a symbol is), identify (specific symbols in the book), explain and justify (what each symbol means), create (a connection between the symbol and one’s own life)6. Students will discuss what it means to be an adult in both the book and today’s society.a. Developmental Learning Targetb. Verbs: list (what it means to be and adult), differentiate (between factors deciding adulthood in the book and today), outline and explain (why such different viewpoints exist between the book and today’s society) relate (the two sides-what factors do they have in common if any) 7. Students will connect the themes of the book to incidents in the story as well as to the world around them.a. Developmental Learning Targetb. Verbs: identify (the important themes), relate (how they tie into the world), give examples (of personal connections), show (where they apply/occur in the book), conclude (if said theme is common to our society/world)
During high school one of my favorite teachers was my 11th and 12th grade English teacher. While I always thought that I would want to teach English she increased my interest and helped me realize that it was something that I truly wanted to pursue.
One of the best assessments that she had us do during my senior year was an alternative assessment for Hamlet. Instead of the typical assignments of a test or essay we were given a group assignment and together had to come up with our own way to show our understanding of the play.
Although the assessment was broad the class was small in number so the teacher was able to work closely with each of the groups preventing confusion or loss of focus. I think that the style of assessment worked well for the class because it allowed for us as students to gain multiple perspectives on the play. I remember that one group wrote a longer poem that focused on the debatable madness of Hamlet which incorporated numerous facts from the story that coincided with their argument. My group chose to interpret the play in a modern why. We made a video and selected key scenes from the play— Hamlet’s conversation with his father’s ghost, Ophelia’s demise into madness, and the dual of Hamlet and Laertes. We made it modern by changing the words into modern language and using contemporary music in the background. This showed not only our literal understating of the old English language but also that we understood what type of tone was trying to be conveyed.
I found this assessment to be very effective. It allowed for us as students to be creative but while still obtaining a sense of comprehension of the play. It allowed each group to explore the play at a deeper level and also see how others viewed important aspects of the play. Using a group setting allowed for a collaborative dynamic which I found to be beneficial. In a larger class such a format may prove to be ineffective but for the specific situation is was successful.
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/ela/elastandards/elamap.html
Target 1: Students will discuss the pros and cons of the “Utopian Society” created in the novel.
Standard 1 &4- Students will gather facts that agree and/or disagree with the society that the characters live in. These facts will be shared and discussed with other students.
Target 2: Students will gain an understanding of who the main characters are.
Standard 1-Students will label each character, identify personality traits and explain relationships to other characters.
Target 3: Students will study the hierarchal structure that exists among the characters and discuss its relevance.
Standard 3- Students will analyze the hierarchy that exists within the book and state opinions and make judgments on how important it is to the characters and the novel as a whole.
Target 4: Students will work together to determine important moments in the plot.
Standard 1,3&4- Students will collectively gather the events of the story and decide which ones hold the most importance and relevance placing.
Target 5: Students will gain and understanding of the symbols present throughout the book.
Standard 1- Students will connect the literal symbol and what it represents in the book and interpret what impact and power it has on the character(s)
Target 6: Students will discuss what it means to be an adult in both the book and today’s society.
Standard 1&4-Students will interact with one another collecting facts and interpretations of what adulthood means and compare the viewpoint of the book with that of the society around them.
Target 7: Students will connect the themes of the book to incidents in the story as well as to the world around them.
Standard 1&3-Students will identify the important themes of the book identifying where they exist in the book and then tie them to their own lives as well as to the larger world around them.
Learning Targets
In this unit we will be studying The Giver by Lois Lowry. We will study the specifics of the book as well as connect to it the world we live in today.
1. Students will discuss the pros and cons of the “Utopian Society” created in the novel.
a. Mastery Learning Target
b. Verbs: define (Utopia), explain (why/why isn’t the community a Utopia), prepare, support (a list of evidence showcasing both sides), state (their own opinion on whether it is or isn’t and Utopian society.
2. Students will gain an understanding of who the main characters are.
a. Developmental Learning Target
b. Verbs: describe (their features and actions), compare (one against the other), question and/or defend (their actions, motives, decisions), recognize (their positive qualities and flaws)
3. Students will study the hierarchal structure that exists among the characters and discuss its relevance.
a. Mastery Learning Target
b. Verbs: identify (what the hierarchy is), label (the different degrees/levels) differentiate (between the different levels), identify, (what characters fall where and why), discuss (its importance and how it affects the characters)
4. Students will work together to determine important moments in the plot.
a. Developmental Learning Target
b. Verbs: listen (to the opinions of others), choose (the important events), organize (them into the proper order), select (key events-rising action/climax/falling action), report (to the group/class)
5. Students will gain and understanding of the symbols present throughout the book.
a. Developmental Learning Target
b. Verbs: define (what a symbol is), identify (specific symbols in the book), explain and justify (what each symbol means), create (a connection between the symbol and one’s own life)
6. Students will discuss what it means to be an adult in both the book and today’s society.
a. Mastery Learning Target
b. Verbs: list (what it means to be and adult),differentiate (between factors deciding adulthood in the book and today), outline and explain (why such different viewpoints exist between the book and today’s society) relate (the two sides-what factors do they have in common if any)
7. Students will connect the themes of the book to incidents in the story as well as to the world around them.
a. Mastery Learning Target
b. Verbs: identify (the important themes), relate (how they tie into the world), give examples (of personal connections), show (where they apply/occur in the book), conclude (if said theme is common to our society/world)
My name is Sally O'Brien and I am currently in my second semester of graduate school. I am not originally from around this area but attended Brockport as an undergraduate and really just found my place here which is why I decided to continue my masters here. Right now I live in an apartment that people refer to as the tree house because of the way it is set up.
I love the summer and being on the water and can’t wait until it is warm again. Although it is sometimes embarrassing to admit I often fall victim to reality TV and watch it even though I know it is horrible. For some reason it is strangely addicting.
As of right now I don’t have a full time teaching job but am hoping to sub as much as possible. I want to sub in both the surrounding areas like Hilton and Holley as well as in the city. I did my student teaching at Edison Tech and found to be an interesting and strengthening experience.
