The entire faculty has been involved in a year long debate on our grading policy, especially with regards to how we handle zeros. The goal is to reach some type of school wide consensus for implementation next fall. On our hallway, we continually come back to issues of a philosophical nature. One of those recurring issues deals with homework.
Many questions regarding homework have come out of this discussion:
- What is the purpose of homework? Most (all?) treat it as necessary practice.
- How should it be graded - for accuracy (skill) or merely for completion (process)?
- Relating to #2 above, when is it appropriate to give a process grade?
As we seek to answer these questions, I think the final arbiter of the discussion needs to be, "What is best for the students?" With that in mind, how would you answer the above questions? What questions would you add to the discussion?
2 comments:
First of all, great postings Guthrie. They are well thought-out and thought provoking.
Homework...I'll have to read up on it. You know what they say about opinions... Anyway, rather than work off opinions, is anyone willing to look at what the research says is effective? Why reinvent the wheel, or worse yet, pretend the wheel doesn't exist?
Well, on that note...
I've done a little research in my classroom. It seems that if given the opportunity, and if the standard is set early on that homework will be completed, it is. Now that works for me because in Lang. Arts, I have a little more flexibility than, say math where they are skill building each day. However, if the homework is not being completed because the student doesn't really get it- giving a zero seems to have more of a negative impact and build on the already negative feeling the student may have from not "getting it." I hear math teachers say that they can't give the kids the same homework because they go over it in class and the kids have the answers. Can't you guys assign the odd one day and then for those who don't do - they get the extra practice the next day going over it...having to write down how to work them again- they ask questions- maybe work with a partner before going over the problems in class and then are assigned the evens to do which you haven't gone over? I'm not a math teacher so I don't know. I do know that a lot of you feel pressured to "cover" the curriculum. That's great for you, but if the kids don't get it- well, that's it. Sometimes less is more. Practice is necessary for some but not for all. That's where pre assessments, grading for mastery and self- pacing or independent- guided learning with clear goals comes in. It sounds scary- it scares me- but I am currently researching to figure out how to do it. It seems logical that it would be more accurate and effective for today's students.
Post a Comment