After seeing fellow educators tweeting about EdTechHome, I had to check it out. Unfortunately, I missed the live sessions but was able to watch both Session 1 and Session 2 online. I tuned into the talks about grades for many reasons. This year I have attempted to use this type of grading but have faced many struggles. For one, I have not been trained in this type of grading, so I was doing it a lot on my own. Due to time constraints, I found myself sliding back to old ways just to make it easier or because "everyone else does it this way too." I attempted to start showing my students that what they were learning was more important than the grade they were receiving. But the combination of students' worries about grades, the approaching end of semester, and my own background in school makes it hard to switch from traditional to standards-based.
Some ways I began changing was by taking the standards and breaking them down into "I can" statements. This was all based on my own assumptions on what the standard should be teaching. The "I can" statements were then broken down into questions on the test. Since my school district is currently attaching "proficient" to a grade above 70% and "not proficient" to a grade below 70%, I applied this to my tests. Each section was graded on being proficient or not proficient. When the students retook the test, they only retook the portions they received not proficient.
Listening to the EdTechHome chats, I have decided to try implementing things a little differently for the upcoming semester. Garnet Hillman had some amazing ideas (and I definitely suggest you follow her on Twitter). She uses the traditional software of her school district but makes each assignment based on the standard instead. In my own classroom, I can begin using the assignment based on "I can" statements. If a student was not proficient on an assignment based on that "I can" statement, I would write that in the comments section. She also suggested making different leveled problems within an assessment based on knowing, understanding, and doing. My own take on this would describe knowing as reciting facts (multiple-choice), understanding as more explanations (short answers), and doing as applying what they know to make or do something.
Wish me luck as I continue to embark on this journey!
Some ways I began changing was by taking the standards and breaking them down into "I can" statements. This was all based on my own assumptions on what the standard should be teaching. The "I can" statements were then broken down into questions on the test. Since my school district is currently attaching "proficient" to a grade above 70% and "not proficient" to a grade below 70%, I applied this to my tests. Each section was graded on being proficient or not proficient. When the students retook the test, they only retook the portions they received not proficient.
Listening to the EdTechHome chats, I have decided to try implementing things a little differently for the upcoming semester. Garnet Hillman had some amazing ideas (and I definitely suggest you follow her on Twitter). She uses the traditional software of her school district but makes each assignment based on the standard instead. In my own classroom, I can begin using the assignment based on "I can" statements. If a student was not proficient on an assignment based on that "I can" statement, I would write that in the comments section. She also suggested making different leveled problems within an assessment based on knowing, understanding, and doing. My own take on this would describe knowing as reciting facts (multiple-choice), understanding as more explanations (short answers), and doing as applying what they know to make or do something.
Wish me luck as I continue to embark on this journey!