FIAE Chapter 14

Report card should be more then just a grade given to a student at the end of the grading period. Chapter fourteen explains that report cards should be based on the students mastery of the content, what they need to improve on, and what they have learned corresponding with the standards. I always thought that the notes next to the grades were what I was looking for not. I found that the overall opinion of how I was doing in the class from the teacher reflected more then the grade.

FIAE Chapter 13

Grade book formats can be organized in many ways. Through listing assignments by the date, category, or objective, teachers may find themselves just adding in one grade for each assignment. This does not show the learning curve of the student. By taking the overall grade and breaking it down to what you graded on the rubric, students will be able to make an adjustment to their work habit. They will be given more than one grade. This in turn will allow students to see that they need to participate more or focus more on the content than the product. Specific detail is always better then an overall analysis.

FIAE Chapter 12

Chapter twelve mentions many different grading scales that teachers use in schools. One of the scales that this chapter seems to dislike is the 100 point grading scale. By using this scale, students have a higher percentage to fail. Using a smaller scale, like a 4-point scale is a better tool to measure students abilities. A teachers who uses a rubric to grade everything for students is deemed as a better teacher because they are allowing the student grades to be based out of a scale that is fair. Making a smaller scale can take out the sixty point margin of failing and give students a better grade range to fall into. Yet, until a school does a complete overhaul on a grading system, students will still be subjected to mixed views of the scale.

FIAE Chapter 11

This chapter focuses on how a teacher grades students who do not do their homework. Because homework is suppose to be for practice, students should not be getting homework to take home and learn new things. Students have other roles that they have to take on when the leave the confines of the school. This chapter mentions that students should still get a failing grade for not doing their homework, but not a zero as a grade. If a teacher puts a zero in the grade for students that do not do their homework, their grades will be dramatically skews. By teachers using sixty points instead of none, the overall grading of the student that gets a bad grade will not have a skewed grading. I believe that more students will be able to pass through grades without needing to retake a class. I have observed in the classroom that the only reason why students fail classes is because they have three or four zero’s in the grade book. Most of them would have passed if given a sixty.

FIAE Chapter 10

There will always be reasons why a teacher should and should not let students redo an assignment. These reasons can be things that the teacher infers about a students excuse why the project wasn’t done or that the student has a legitimate excuse. The only advice I obtain from the text is that if you do decide to let students redo an assignment, make sure that you have received a signed paper from the parents saying that it is up for your discretion. Having a paper that the parent signs insures that both parent and student understand it’s your discretion or that they at least have signed a paper you can revert back to if problems arise. Teachers should be able to change the format of a test, ask students when they will be able to take the test over again, and be able to grade the test based on their improvements from the previous test. Some times teachers should not let students retake something. Times at the end of a grading period are good times to not accept anything redone because it saves the teacher from doing endless hours of grading over again. This chapter has given great advise that seems important to know. I will as a teacher use documentation from parents to fall back upon when needed.

FIAE Chapter 9

Chapter nine lists ten things to avoid when grading students. Having nonacademic factors in a grading system is ok, but not averaged into the final grade. I disagree with this because I believe that if a student shows up to every class and does not miss one lesson, then they have proven a greater maturity level then others. This is something I would grade. I agree that students should not be graded on the works leading up to the mastery product. Students need time to master a subject so why should we as teachers grade their steps to mastery? We shouldn’t! Grading homework should be avoided because it is only practice. I personally believe that it shows a students ability to manage time and they will be more apt to do something that is graded if it also improves their knowledge in the long run. Help students when they need differentiating. I believe in the extra credit rule on some aspects of assignments. I feel that students should be shown they have done a get job at something by going above and beyond expectations. Although this chapter says otherwise, I still have to go with my gut reaction. Having no group grades and not grading on a curve are other evidences that I disagree with. I feel that I am equipped to teach and know if students work better with these tools or not. I can tailor them if I see need fit.

FIAE Chapter 8

When teachers say that they grade because the school asks them to, how does this show much knowledge about the point of grading in the first place. I personally don’t want someone grading me who just does it because they are asked. Grading is a long and “tedious” task that teachers have to do. Why is a teacher not able to say that a student has passed the class because they demonstrate mastery of the subjects talked about in class? Grades confuse students to the point that the student worries about the grade more then the assignments or class itself. They are looking for an A on something rather then more knowledge coming out of a class. When this happens, how to teachers go about fixing the problem? They grade that too! Chapter eight says that participation, effort, and behavior can benefit a class because they are valued ethics, but can in retrospect hurt a class because you grade to much on these three aspects. Finally, I think that grading will be easier when pigs start to fly, but that’s my opinion.

FIAE Chapter 7

Chapter seven talks about how teachers do not consult with others about their grading process. I find that my teachers all had different opinions about what was good work and what was bad work so I was able to slack off in some classes, but not others. A better grading system should be put into place. How will this happen? When teachers start communicating with each other on what constitutes as an “A” in a class about geometry, English, or computer science. Students need to be able to understand a grading process and be able to see a brake down of what they are being graded on. Grades will not be what matters in the long run, they are just indicators on test taking skills. What matters is that through a teachers formative and even summative assessments students master the knowledge by applying what they have learned to the real world.

FIAE Chapter 6

Chapter six discusses the best ways that a test can be made up. The main points of a test that this chapter talked about are the length, time frame, and material on the test. They said that the short the test the better because it would be easier for a teacher to grade and a shorter test can cover the major topics rather than the useless details. It is always good for a teacher to give the students enough time for them to comfortably finish the test without worrying whether they will finish it or not. Having questions, such as multiple choice, true or false, and short response questions, that make the student think about the subject are the best ways to test their understanding. Having the questions clear and concise makes the test less stressful for a student to take as well.

FIAE Chapter 5

Tiering is an effective way to alter an assessment’s complexity to better suit the needs of an individual learner. This process can be to add complexity or subtract the assessments complexity. By being able to adjust the level of complexity of a rubric a student is challenged to try harder on the subject matter and maybe even learn new material and broaden their sense of awareness. If a rubric is to complex for another individual, then by simply changing the sentence structure around to better suit the students needs can benefit them dramatically. Pushing students to the end of their zone of proximal development is good for the student.

FIAE Chapter 4

This chapter is all about more assessments and rubric making. It focuses on three important types of assessments and what they do. Portfolios are useful because they show the “big picture” or a longitudinal study of the students work over a period of time. This helps the teacher see the students development and if they are balanced with the other students. Rubrics are also good tools to use because they show exactly what needs to be done and if the student followed directions. A clear and precise rubric is all a student needs to go by if it is done the right way. The last assessment is a students self-assessment were they discuss whether they believe they have done what it takes to complete the task at hand. This assessment helps the student and teacher set specific goals for the student. Assessments are in place for the teacher to learn what the students know, not for the teacher to grade how well the student know the material.

FIAE Chapter 3

In chapter three many things such as “begin with the end in mind” were retouched upon. It said that if a teacher gives the end of the unit test on day one of class and have the students fill it out that they would try and the teacher can get a good sense of what they have already known. It said that if a student then learns in another lesson that it is the answer to one of the questions that this is what you want as a teacher. Having the students want to know these things and remember them is what a teacher wants. The reading also mentioned places where teachers can get guidance on what is important in the unit. Use other colleagues, standards, curriculum guides, and even professional journals to increase your knowledge on what is important. Three types of assessment are in place for teachers to evaluate their students. Pre-assessments are for the teacher to learn the students readiness. Formative assessments are “checkpoints” for each topic you cover and they provide feedback to the teacher about if a student has grasped the knowledge. Summative assessment is the big test at the end of a unit that reflects what a student has learned throughout the unit. Although there was much more information in the reading, I found that these topics were the most informational.

FIAE Chapter 2

How does someone know when they have mastered a subject? Chapter two reveals that for someone to actually master the knowledge, they have to be able to use it in the “ real-world”. Because teachers can only grade a student based on an assessment that they created it is only an inference of what that student knows. This chapter reverts back to Understanding by Design’s six facets by Jay Mctighe and Grant Wiggins. When someone can use their understanding of a material and use it in a “spontaneous applications” they have mastered the knowledge. This chapter also talks about how first year and new teachers need to tap into outside resources to figure out what is important in a unit plan. Yet, it also says that veteran teachers need top use these resources as well. Opening up our mind to others opinions will make the learning open to other perspectives.

FIAE Chapter 1

This chapter focused primarily on differentiated instructions. Basically recalling all the information that we have already read in UBD/DI, it still opened my mind to what we as teachers need to do for our students. It is one thing to help a student if he/she is having trouble with something, but to amplify the way one teaches in a way that all the students can understand and master the information on their own it is much more efficient. Students come to every class with the one tool that they need… their brains! Each is different in many ways. Some need visuals and others need lectures. A teacher is there to be the transmitter of information and every student has their own station (brain) that receives different information. The key to success is to be open to all forms of teaching so that when college or the real world comes, then you are prepared to take on the information presented.