Unlock with PatreonThe Problem with CI
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On Grading/Assessment
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7 thoughts on “On Grading/Assessment”
Ben, your point is that getting too fancy in language assessment is flailing. I agree. But many grading practices out there are so hugely unfair and archaic for all disciplines that if we lead by grading kids on what they can do (understanding, reading, speaking, writing a language), however simply, then we are lighting a way. Ben, you don’t realize that when you demonstrate comprehension checks, story retells, and everything else you do to keep kids reined into the story or the reading, you are assessing by standards and showing kids how to succeed. You are just such a great teacher that you don’t know that other people need guidelines (kind of like the three steps of TPRS and your books) to assess fairly. You personally have been doing standards-based assessment for years now and not recognizing it. It shows up on all your videos! And a clear idea of assessment guides instruction… which then leads back to assessment, in the same way that discipline must precede instruction. Your lessons flow, but just as I need a yoga teacher telling me how to do an asana, many of us need that guidance on how to teach and assess. You are simply a natural teacher, who is demonstrating the best way to teach and assess by letting the lesson flow unimpeded by traditional ideas of what’s supposed to happen. Luckily for me, you also have the gift of eloquent writing, and you cared then and care enough now to put ideas into writing, or I would still be teaching the old way. Still, there even more you don’t know about what your teaching expresses. Lucky students of Ben! And lucky me, for finding your books and blog.
This is still such a conundrum for me. What I know is that most students who “follow the CI class rules” will do ok. Those who do really well (acquire rapidly and show accuracy) are often just lucky. They have brains that do this easily. It doesn’t mean that if they do not attend, that they will do well. It just means it is MUCH easier for them than others to do well with average effort.
For many kids, the effort output is immense and the acquisition payoff is slow and often difficult–as they watch their “easy acquirer” classmates race ahead. I still cannot get over the fact that, in some way, we are being asked to grade the brain.
I know that any student who puts in the effort and follows the rules will do adequately, but I find that grading is a detriment to those slower acquirers whose brains just do it slower or in a bit more convoluted way. (I am/was a slow acquirer but am now considered to have native-like fluency and an excellent accent–took a hecka long time.)
Schools are not about to get rid of grades, but I find that I cannot get with the standards-based system unless it is meant to show markers or milestones or something–but grades, no.
Wow – now I am rethinking grades..this year, I did the standards based grading…the one person I remember it really making a difference for was a girl who is a slow processor…just as Jody mentioned….she hovered at a C most of each marking period…worked hard..just stank with listening comprehension and reading comprehension…I ended up ‘jockying’ points so she could get a B-, because I knew she worked hard and I didn’t want to deal with her mom…
The previous year she had earned an A – when I did 20 % HW, 20 % Part and 60 % pot for everything else.
Hmmm….will read more of what people write.
I am in my third year of teaching Spanish 1. This year I am going to use TPRS but I still am required to give a pretest. Does anyone have a pretest that they use in Spanish 1 that they would be willing to share.
Thank you.
Lourdes, I would be glad to share mine. We are required to give pre and post tests as part of the implementation of the Common Core, as well as new state teacher evaluation that requires evidence of student growth. Am not totally happy with mine, but it will serve the purpose this year for pre/post. Send me an email at: ardythe.woerly at gmail dot com and I will forward the pdf’s to you.
Thank you so much. I just sent you an email.
Other pretests are welcome, y’all. I’d offer ours in DPS but they are proprietary. Anybody have a link to the Regents?