FIAE+B1+Chapter+12

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Amanda Martemucci
__FIAE-Chapter 12:__ Chapter 12 discusses the two major types of grading scales: 4-point scales and 100-point scales. These are both strong grading scales, but Wormeli believes that the 4-point scale is stronger and less subjective than the 100-point scale. This is because the 4-point scale is normally grading using a rubric. These rubrics have specific details of what signifies each point earned, which makes it clear for both the teacher and student of what areas the student is strong and weak in a topic. With the 100-point scale it is easier for a teacher to base his or her grade for a student on nonacademic components, which doesn’t allow the grade to fully represent a student’s mastery. I personally believe that both scales can be useful in the classroom. As a teacher I will probably explore with using both. The 4-point scale will probably used more as grading with rubrics allows me to visualize each component to be graded and m y students can be aware of what they are graded on before they complete the assignment.

Bridget Ferry
Chapter 12: Grading Scales The 4.0 scale is more accurate and helps to differentiate better than the 100-point scale because it makes distortion and errors less likely. The 100-point scale is an average based method to determine a grade, and therefore relies on calculating a grade to sometimes even tenths of a point, which doesn’t really reflect mastery at all. When using the 4.0 scale, a rubric is the guide in determining the grade, and while rubrics take a lot of time and effort to make, they become easier the more you do them. Rubric-based grading also forces students to focus more on the goals and the objectives of their learning rather than the difference between an A- and a B+. This also helps students to figure out what they still need to learn and how to improve. If they see their current level of mastery circled and explain in clear terms, they can begin to understand what to work on and what to work towards. I really feel that rubric-based grading on the 4.0 scale is much better than the 100-point scale, and I will implement in my classroom whenever I can. It is far more important for my students to see objectives and expectations clearly spelled out for them and be graded on those than to have their grades based on calculated averages that translate into an almost meaningless lettering system.

Moe
The major focus of this chapter was to help the teacher find ways to answer the question, “What is fair for each student?” And it covered the pros and cons for both large and smaller grading scales. An important note made was that smaller grading scales allow for less fudging within the process of grading on the teacher’s half of things. It also reminds us, again, that the “accurate completion” of work shouldn’t be the main focus of the teacher during grading and we have to keep it focused on giving the student consistent feedback. All of these things will work into my classroom because I don’t believe that grades are important and students shouldn’t expect that the final product that they hand in would be the only aspect of the work that is graded. For example, math teachers only give full credit on problems if you show the work, why can’t this same idea work in English class?

Kristen
Grading can be a difficult task to tackle. Do you use the 100 point scale or the 4.0 scale? Do you give A+, A and A- or just A? The book recommends that the 4.0 scale is more accurate and the use of rubrics helps the student and teacher determine where the problems lie. The book also suggests that there is no need for +’s and –‘s and that teachers should use straight letter grades because the symbols are arbitrary and do not help the student or teacher understand the work or the grade any better. Additionally it is hard to compare one teacher’s grading to another teacher’s grading. Some states have different grading scales than other states and there are even some teachers who use different grading scales than other teachers. Its not about whether a student gets an A or a B, its about the level of mastery demonstrated in his or her work. I never really questioned grading scales and how to grade before reading this chapter but it makes me realize how pointless some methods are in the grand scheme of things.

Christina
This chapter highlights the differences between the 100 point and the 4 point grading scale. Each scale has its benefit. The 100 point scale is the traditional scale universally used that most students know very well. It is a quick and simple way to keep track of grades. The 4 point scale is best used with rubrics and is a wonderful tool in the differentiated classroom. Together the scales can work very well to organize students grades. I feel the 4 point scale is much more concise and offers more feedback because it does easily fit into a rubric. To many students and teachers the difference between a 95 and 96 is an arbitrary decision while the difference between a 3.0 and a 3.5 is easier to explain. I feel I will utilize both scales in my classroom.

Chelsea
This chapter discussed grading scales and whether or not we should use a 4.0 scale or a 100 point scale or a combination of both. The 4.0 scale is rubric based and allows teachers to have clear expectations and ensures mastery and allows for more individualize assessment, meaning that teacher can grade each part of the answer step by step using a rubric system. A 100 point scale makes it harder to ensure mastery because the system lends itself to an either you got or don’t mindset. I like the idea of using a 4.0 scale because it allows teachers to consider if students have mastered all steps or just parts, but it is difficult to realize that often teachers cannot create rubrics and therefore might have to use a 100 point scale. I think that a combination of the two would work by taking the 100 point scale and correlating the grades to a 4.0 scale

Kevin
Chapter 12 examines grading scales. Wormeli is in favor of the 4 point scale rather than averaging out of 100. From a personal standpoint I have never liked the 4 point scale, to me there is a big difference between a 100 and 93, but on 4 point scale I feel like that difference is not represented. With that said the author makes a good case for the 4 point scale. He also says that teachers should not use the minus versions of letter grades. He claims that this is demoralizing to the student, but I have to disagree. From my own personal experience I think most students don’t really notice the minus. I would so much rather get an A- than a B+, or a C- than a D+. He also brings up the radical idea that I’ve never heard of which is to use a rubric to grade tests. The idea at first seems very strange and very difficult to do but upon closer inspection I realized that this is what most teachers do anyway, they just don’t state it explicitly. In any math classes I have taken student responses are required to show the work of how they arrived at the answer. Usually teachers will mark for each step done correctly and will give you most of the points even if the answer ends up being wrong because of a small mistake.

Jesika
This Chapter is about the two dominant grading scales that are used in classrooms at present. Though the author agrees that both systems are strong he believes that the 4 point scale is stronger than the 100 point scale. As it is based on a rubric is leaves less room for non-academic factors to play a role. The 100 point grading system is more widely recognized though and tends to be what it used when report cards are distributed.

I don't really know how I feel about choosing just one. I think I will use both systems in my classroom.