C4T #3

This week's C4t, I was asked to read Tom Schimmer's post, Accurate Grading with a Standards Based Mindset. In this post, Schimmer talks about schools different approaches to grading. Schimmer has this to say, "While the standards-based grading movement is in full swing, not every school, district, or state is in exactly the same place. The difference is attributable to a variety of factors including the level of the school within which a standards-based approach to grading is being implemented. Elementary school standards-based report cards often look very different from middle or even high school standards-based report cards; that’s not a bad thing as the application of standards-based reporting at each level needs to be suitable for that level. The point is that schools and districts across the country are at various places along the standards-based grading continuum. While some have implemented fully, others are still exploring." Schimmer thinks that a student’s grade should represent their full level of proficiency and not just the average of where they were and where they are now. Schimmer has a great point with this new grading idea and writes, "A standards-based mindset is separate from how we report grades. With a standards-based mindset you can still report traditional grades, it’s just that how you determine grades is significantly different." To read more on Tom Schimmers, please feel free to visit the link posted above.

My Reply:
Hello, I am an undergraduate student at the University of South Alabama. I am following your blog this week for my EDM310 technology class. Growing up with Standard Based Grading, I really relate to the points you have made. All my years in school, grading has always been the same. If you start off bad, you end bad. This type of grading really puts a high stress level on students. I personally believe that grading should not be based on how a students does on things such as, homework, quizzes, and test. Learning goes much further than than just studying material to remember for 1 test. Students need a grading process that individually fits them. Not everyone learns the same. If you would like, you can visit my blog, Amber Harris and my class blog at, edm310.blogspot.com. This is a great post!


This week's C4T, I read another one of Mr. Schimmer's blog posts titled, "Most Recent? Most Frequent? Most Accurate?" . As a student I have always hated being graded on my pace of work. In his post, Schimmer states, "What we have collectively realized is that the speed at which a student achieves has inadvertently become a significant factor in determining a student’s grade, especially when determined within a traditional grading paradigm. When averaging is the main (or sole) method for grade determination, success is contingent upon early success or the average of what was and what is will continue to distort the accuracy of the students’ grades. Never forget that every 40 needs an 80, just to get a 60. That’s pure mathematics; the lower the initial level, the more a student has to outperform his/herself in order to achieve even a minimal level of proficiency." Schimmer's ideas on teaching are absolutely brilliant. I advise everyone to click the link above and read more.
My Reply:

Mr. Schimmer, I am a student at the University of South Alabama enrolled in EDM310. I really enjoyed reading your post. It gave me some great thoughts on becoming a future teacher. I agree that the pace someone works should not be how they are graded. In my freshmen year of college, had a class where we had to come in everyday and spend the first 10 minutes on a given topic and write a 7-10 sentence paragraph. Although to others, it may seem easy, but for me, I felt rushed and couldn't think off the "top" of my head. How can I manage this for the writing part of my future classrooms?