Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Chapter 14 Reflection: Think about how grades work for a student who has a learning disability, who speaks little English, who finds many school subjects very difficult. Now, think about that student over a period of years. What positive and negative roles are grades likely to play in that student's development as a learner and a person?
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For a student with a learning disability or limited English ability,grasping the subject matter can be extremely difficult and the challenges insurmountable. On top of that, grading can be an added burden to this type of student. Along with not understanding a subject matter, a poor or failing grade can add to the stygma for that child.A failing grade can be a symbol of failure. One more thing to remind that student of his/her shortcomings. The longer the child fails and the more failing grades the student gets,the more it will reiforce the image of failure in the classroom. Perhaps this student would benefit from an alternative grading method. Perhaps the child's effort could be part of the grading method.If the student places a solid effort on doing his/her work,the teacher should take this in consideration.
ReplyDeleteJack Sague
When you have an ELL student, grading can be a positive and negative experience. The student does not have all of the basic information when it comes to the English language and he/she is trying to build a bridge to have a solid foundation. As teachers we know what answers we are looking for and therefore we grade based on this, but we forget about how an ELL student reads and writes. We have to learn to grade a student on what they accomplished and not always the spelling or grammar. I believe spelling and grammar can be mini lessons. If a student is always receiving low grades than that student will become frustrated and over a period of time start giving up. If a student is always receiving passing grades, but never taught the basic than he/she is not being prepared for the real world. As a teacher you have to balance how you grade, but also seize those teachable moments.
ReplyDeleteMerrissa Bailey
Grades will always be in place to measure the performance of students, and students with learning disabilities will always be affected negatively. I modify my system of grading by creating performance categories, in reference to learning task, and combine the academic grade with effort grades; the tradition grading system is not without flaw, so why sweat things that cannot be changed. Modifications of a system in place do not mean doing away with traditions systems.
ReplyDeleteI do mean that your efforts to chart the progress of students with disabilities should be considered. Students’ logs, folders, and journal can provide a form of assessment, and can be a measurement of students’ performance. An approach that I would endorse is giving two grades, but using a categories for performance etc; quite different from the text reference suggestion quoted.
Barabara Harris
Positive: Very few. Maybe the only positive role grades play in this students’ development as a learner will be passing the assignment or class with a “C” or “D”. At least he/she passed the class. That is all this child is thinking. “I just have to pass the class!” If he/she CAN pass the class. As an adult, this person may feel less than others or OK, but nothing special. Below average in everyday life.
ReplyDeleteNegative: Too many! To many students, grades represent how smart a child is. If the child is constantly getting bad grades, no matter how intelligent he/she is, will feel and believe he/she is dumb. The child will eventually give up on school and later on in life as an adult, will give up on himself. Constant negativity and stress and failure will lead anyone down a dark and gloomy path.
Susan Castleman
The positive roles that grades are likely to play in the student’s development as a learner and a person are that the grade will be issued based on their learning style and learning profile. Students are allowed to display their creativity and comprehension utilizing an array of products. When students are permitted to things their way, the outcome will always be more creative, comprehensive, and relevant for all the students. The negative roles that grades are likely to play in the student’s development as a learner and a person is grading them all the same one assignment. As a teacher, you must become a diverse facilitator in the classroom. You have to know your students and create activities that will coincide with diverse learning styles. As a result, the activities will successively accomplish the same outcome.
ReplyDeletePatreece Perry-Pelt
I teach English Literature through ESOL, this means that I have to have DI strategies in place in order to assess these students. I usually tell them and model what I am looking for in a Topic or unit, I might give them five things and focus on two or three. This keeps them on their toes and yet there is no surprise as to the assessment. I use Ruberics wherever possible so they are clear on what objectives to focus on. Overall I see that an A student could get turned off if they don't achieve at the level they are use to or we might lose a student if we don't keep motivating them as well. Yes keeping the balacing act isn't perfect and we constantly need to know our students in order to really grade them on their ability and growth.
ReplyDeleteEfrem Figueredo
The tradtitional grades can motivate or demotivate students. I feel those students with learning disabilities or non-English speakers are at a disadvantage and can become demotivated. You may have a student that is making small strides, showing some improvement but still working below grade level. As a teacher you want to reward the student and motivate them to keep up the good work, but can you give him/her the same grade of an average performing student that is at grade level? I find it difficult to believe that these students won't eventually give up and become frustrated over a period of time.
ReplyDeleteNow I truly believe if assignments are differentiated in the classroom for students, teachers’ needs to differentiate in their grading. Think of a Social Studies classroom which is on grade level, majority of the time those classes are not leveled. Teachers could have a level 3 students with ELL and SPED students in the same class. As a result, it is very important for teacher to keep in mind that all of the students will not be able to work at the same pace and rate. Teachers need to differentiate on how SPED or ELL students are being graded not to discourage them or make them feel like a failure in the class.
ReplyDeleteFor students who have learning disabilities, diferentiated grading rubrics are important. This allows for students to create products that address the core of understanding in ways that best suite their learning styles. Grades and rubrics would work similarily for students who speak little English. Differentiated instruction and rubrics will help students demonstrate their understanding in different ways.
ReplyDeleteOver a period of years, the goal for these students are to gradually convert/conform to the rubric and grading system of the students in the majority population. Hopefully we would be teaching them both at their level and on grade level at the same time using different assignments and stratgies to eventually get them to the point where their level and grade level are the same level.
The negative role that grades may play in students' development as a learner is that it may serve as a form of discouragement. If students are not earning good grades, they may not feel a need to continuing trying or learning. It is very important for teachers to have conversations with students to help them understand that learning gains are more important especially in the long run. As a person, learning gains and knowledge is definitely more important than grades, because after school ends, there are no more grades and students will then be left with the value of the education that they have earned and received.
Grading ESL students using materials a regular student would use has always been a fairness challenge because most of the times I cannot expect the responses the suggested rubrics come up with. I have to create my own rubric system, or an evaluation based on my personal understanding of the level of my student. Quite often I have to curve grades for students on school-wide assessments that did not receive accomodation for ESL students. So in my case I treat grades in a flexible manner.
ReplyDeleteGrades are overrated! From experience, students that I had with learning disabilities or found many school subjects difficult especially, focused more about their grade rather than the content in which they were learning. For assessing, I would use points rather a specific letter grade. This helped the esteem of the student much more. Personally, I think this will leave a positive effect on a student in the future. If a student sees 89/100 points on their paper rather than just a “B”, they will not be as discouraged because it will be clear to them that they are close to an “A.” Letter grades given to students without a guiding scale (or rubric) will probably bring about discouragement which will then lead to a lack of motivation later on in life. Clarity is a MUST when it comes to grading.
ReplyDelete-Jessica Collado
Students with disabilities or speak little English are already at a disadvantage when it comes to school. When you add in grades, FCAT 2.0, and everything else that is required of these students, it’s a wonder they even come to school some days. These students know what they are lacking; they don’t need to come into my class to have those deficiencies exacerbated. What they need is support, understanding, and choices. If the grades earned constantly reflect failures instead of some successes we are sure to beat them down before they have even started their educational careers. I feel that we need to capitalize on the strengths and differentiate instruction to meet them on their level of needs. Once any human experiences success, it makes non-successes easier to accept because we’ve been good at something and can reach that level again. I think that the use of rubrics will be the best fit for all students especially the ones being discussed here. Rubrics focus more on an end goal with a broader choice of paths regardless of how you get there. Students know exactly what is expected and can rise to meet the challenges of learning.
ReplyDeleteZina Berman
I would have to be totally fair and honest with grading this student,based on the level of their potential, but at the same time explain to him/her that the grade does not define who they are. They should also know that a learning disability does not mean that they don't possess other giftings or qualities that the "advanced" student may not possess. So while an advanced student may get an "A" on an high-level assignment, and the student with the learning disability may get an "A" on a lower level assignment, this should not effect the ladder student in the long run; especially if he/she is allowed to shine or display their talent. The purpose for the D.I. is to move the student from low to high. Children do grow and advance from low to high all the time. With lots of encouragement, the student with the learning disability do to language, etc. should be made to understand that with your help you will have them reading, writing and doing math at the appropriate level in no time. The only negative I percieve is if the student with the learning disability couldn't handle the teasing. If this student stay focus and dismiss the teasing they could do very well in the long run. Karen Smith
ReplyDelete• Giving traditional grades to students with disabilities do not fully measure the students’ abilities since these letter grades do not depict their gains. Traditional grading does not benefit ELL students either. Other assessments have to be put in place to measure how much struggling students have progressed over a period of time. The book suggested using portfolio-type assessments and other performance based assessments.
ReplyDeleteAs a Special Education Teacher I provide ample opportunities for high grades to be earned. I provide meaningful grades that reflect a student's experience in the classroom. Flexibility is given as much as it is needed to meet individual needs of students. I am very open with both my parents and my students.
ReplyDeleteBased on their IEP's, accommodations are provided , which are different ways for kids to take in information or communicate their knowledge back to you. The changes basically don't alter or lower the standards or expectations for a subject or test. An example is preferred seating in the front of the class for a child with attention issues is an example of an accommodation. Oral response rather than written, when appropriate is an accommodation. Extra time to complete a test or assignment.
Classroom grading systems are typically designed so that learners receive points or individual grades in multiple areas of assessment. I don't want to stigmatize a child because they are ESE or ELL, therefore many opportunities of success are greatly given.
Such assignments are the following: Quizzes, tests or exams, projects or exhibits
portfolios, notebook or journal, oral presentation or performance ,homework, class participation, and effort. I want my students to understand what grade level means and with their IEP Goals/Benchmarks and Accommodations it can happen!
-BLANCA GONZALEZ
The positive and negative role that grades likely play in student’s development as a learner and a person is that students often work at different paces and are assessed according to varied learning goals. Although traditional schools use a report card and grading system, on the other hand ample evidence indicates that traditional grades may not communicate or motivate as we would like to believe they do as stated by Ornstein. Before developing a new grading system, the new system must be explained to students and parents based on individual goal setting and progress, in reaching those goals and that students will be graded against themselves rather than in competition with other students. I often develop a scoring rubric for Performance Assessment activities. There are other approaches that can be used to grade students work and that is assigning two grades, a personal one and a traditional one. Educators are also are urged to routinely share varied sorts of information with parents and students such as personal grades or portfolios that help everyone see and understand a students progress, grades or other information that shows how a student compares with classmates, and nationally normed data that may give a picture of that student compared with a still larger group.
ReplyDeleteAudrey Bullock
Assessing students by letters grades is a traditional method; however assessment should address students’ performance, in different ways. Performance abilities differ, and there should be consideration for these differences. Many schools districts have acknowledge the flaw in the current system. Grading for exceptional and ESE students should be modified, because of the diversity at the different levels of performance. I feel that some modification should be implemented and used to grade students accordingly. Students can assess in other ways in addition to the traditional report cards. Measuring students performance from samples in journal writing folders, and others related ways should be implemented and combined with tradition grades.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn Collins
As an ESOL teacher and a Special Education teacher in the past, I have experienced both worlds. It has been difficult, at times, to determine a fair grade for a student who is not proficient in the English language but has made an attempt to complete his/her tasks. Traditional grading unfortunately has been determined the system in which we evaluate these students, and we need to give the students ample opportunities to earn a better grade. Grading ELL students and/or students with learning disabilities may be challenging and may impact the student’s motivation and self-esteem. In grading these students, teachers need to provide an opportunity for high grades that reflects a student’s experience and includes flexibility to meet individual needs. If a student continues earning low grades, the individual will get frustrated, feel helpless, and blame him/herself for not being successful. Negative or failing grades should not be given based on the lack of English Language Proficiency, but should be given when there is a lack of effort or failure to submit the required assignments.
ReplyDeleteMARIA SANTIAGO-PARRENO
I recently took a course titled Grading: Fair Practices- Stds w/ Disabilities (Online Course). The course informed me that a LD and LE student in the GE setting on course to receive a regular diploma are to be graded on grade level. If these students have IEP’s with accommodations, they must be applied. Self-contain LD whom has modified curriculums is graded on skill level work. A student who earns good grades usually work hard to keep grade and others do what they do to get by.
ReplyDeletePamela Robinson
Differentiated classroom students often work at different paces and are accessed at a variety of learning goals. I teach students with ASD. The students works on a modified curriculum and graded as well on a modified curriculum. Students that earn good grades are willing to work hard to continue to get good grades. Those students feel good about them and have a sense of accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteStudents who fail to earn good grade have less interest in school and does not fulfill his full potential. The students that are performing on a very low level are never given a failing grade because they are already working on a modified curriculum
Larry Williams
ReplyDeleteGrades have always been a label that students get. This student got an “A”, he’s a great student. That student got an “F”, he’s a bad student. But this is so far from the truth. I have ESOL students who came to the country less than a year ago. They were excellent students in their country, but they are getting a D in one or all of their classes. Because of the conditioning they have received since they were little, they identify themselves with their grades. They feel frustrated and discouraged. They tend to give up. They don’t even consider the fact that they just came to the country. This will affect their self-esteem, in some cases, for the rest of their lives. SPED and ESOL students have a huge disadvantage compared with their peers. They are measured with the same ruler when there is no way they can perform at grade level at the moment. At the same time, students who always get good grades can become lazy or perfectionists; they might think that being creative might not give them the good grades they are used to get; therefore, they don’t take risks. They also lack coping skills. This could be a problem in the future.
ReplyDeleteI think that there should be a combination of traditional and personal grading in which effort and progress are taken into account.
Claudia Ocampo
While teachers know the jargon accompanying our thought process that determines grading. We are trained to see different shades of understanding and subtle differences in mastery. However, to most students, “A” is good, and anything less is bad. Grades are certainly valid, and students should be proud of accomplishing good grades. It can build healthy competition. However, students with a learning disability or other consideration, can become immediately disheartened because the perception is that they have no way of achieving a high goal. They may lose internal motivation, if any existed at all. When a teacher walks and talks a student through the appropriate course of a lesson, the grade can be seen as one authentic way of setting a learning goal, and achieving it. When differentiated instruction practices are employed, and student can understand the general, “fixed” goal, but also understand their own paths to earning the grades. The process will humanize them, and not demoralize them.
ReplyDeleteIt important that teachers share varied sorts of information with parents and students,such as personal grades profoils that helps everyone see and understand a student progress,grades shows how a student compares with classmates,and nationally normed data.As teachers we should encourages personal growth in every student.
ReplyDeleteBy: Alden
In order to chart student growth of skills and knowledge we have to assess. Grading is sometimes a necessary evil. We tend to grade ESOL children the same as non-ESOL students regardless of the educational barrier. We must provide the most appropriate learning experiences for our students. You need to develop a record-keeping (grading) system that works best for you.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to grading, teachers should take into consideration each student's level. This is were differentiated products would be good to use. If teachers give students a choice as to how they would like to show mastery of the concept, it gives the teacher a better idea of the students knowledge. Not all students are good "traditional" test takers therefore they may have the knowledge but it might not translate when taking the same test as others. Therefore, giving students options for the assessments they do will actually give a more accurate picture of the students knowledge on the subject.
ReplyDeleteRegardless if the student is ESOL, SPED or not, grades have become stressful to all students. Parents, educators, etc. make grades a priority on the success of each student but in reality, ongoing assessments, portfolios and observations mark the student's knowledge to success in any particular topic.
ReplyDeleteAlot of times students and parents are more concern about a letter grade rather than academic progress. I am a firm believer that students should be graded on academic progress on a day by day basis. Teachers should place more emphasis on academic achievement in the classroom without having to give students a letter grade. I would use satisfactory or unsatisfactory for a letter grade.
ReplyDeleteTony Casas
Chapter 14
When grading in a differentiated classroom student work folders are a valuable device because the work inside the folders has the date when the work was completed, student /teacher comments and work samples help in student parent conferences.
ReplyDeleteEver since I became a teacher I have been very adamant about given my students their grade after every assignment. This gives them a sense of comfort and motivation to do better on the next assignment. My ESOL students through they can not understand clearly what the grades mean, they are able gradually grasp what each letter values. They also notice how I focus in my independent centers different benchmarks that they did not do well in. Slowly they start to understand where they need help in and aim to do better in the next test or assignment.
ReplyDeleteI believe students need to be aware of their grades and progress in the classroom. It helps both motivate and redirect them based on their grades. It is understandable that the students who constantly do not do well will become discouraged and feel they cannot do any better than constantly failing. It could also work and function the opposite way and motivate them to do better because they may be able to see some kind of growth. It is essential for the teacher to point out the positive and use it for reinforcement to motivate them and stop students from putting themselves down and feeling they cannot do anything better.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to grading, as the educator, you must communicate to all of the students how your grading system impacts their grading outcome. Once that is clarified, you have to learn to let go of the fixation that you can only grant grades via formal assessments. There are other means of obtaining grades from a student performance-(ie: classroom observations, hands on products created by students, student participation in a work group, etc.). Overall, your grading system should be modified to complement your D.I. Classroom products/assignments. If you keep these factors in mind; it will definitely benefit and provide a fair stance for your ELL and LD to learn within their own comfort level.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that we as teachers are asked to meet students individual needs and provide strategies that differentiate instruction on a daily basis, yet the grading system has remained traditional. This becomes a dilemma for teachers since the system is contradictory to the essence of the philosophy behind Differentiated Instruction. A dilemma, that we are left to resolve in the most creative way possible. I like the idea this chapter provides about labeling the columns in a less-specific or generic way.
Chapter 1 Reflection: Because students have always differed within any classroom, there has always been a need to develop routines and procedures for attending to those differences. With your current knowledge of what we call "differentiation," how is it similar to and different from other approaches to dealing with student differences that you're aware of?
ReplyDeleteThough this topic has been discussed for a long time, and due to the fact that it is a topic which must require dedication and understanding, I would like to present my personal point of view by telling what I think it is and what it no…..
Differentiated Instruction is….
• To create a reasonable number of options for the process of teaching, re-teaching , and assessing a particular concept.
• To combine approaches to learning based on what the students need, based on their knowledge background by using a blend of whole class, small-group, as well as individual instruction.
• To very well-orchestrate the process of teaching-learning, with a variety of tasks.
• To design instruction to raise ceiling of expectation, so that students could be able to maximize their potentials.
• To acknowledge what students learn, no matter their instructional skills.
Differentiated Instruction is not …..
• A synonym for group or team work.
• Ways of making some students work more or less than others.
• An approach without taking into account what the students need upon their particular and individual leaning styles, learning likes and dislikes, as well as background.
T. Junious
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that grades should be used as a motivator or a self esteem booster.
As an educator of SPED students I have always tried to give my students as much support with their grades as I possibly could. I don't give them grades but what I do try to do with the majority of my assignments is to give my students every opportunity to have success on their assignments. I deal with students everyday who feel inadequate and dont really have any appreciation for education, so I do my very best to help them along. What I believe is that students should be graded on effort, how hard they try. The letter grade system is not a good system at at all in my opinion.
I believe that students who are classified as ESE or ESOL and receive failing grades over a period of years because they are not able to perform at grade level are truly affected in their motivation and self esteem when failing grades are assigned to them. This is traditional form of grading is a disservice to them because they are not performing where all other students are. As a teacher one must create performance tasks that show the true ability of every student no matter what disability they may have and show the true gains the student has had while under your wing.Activites should always encourage the student to continue to work hard to accomplish a positive outcome and encourage ongoing learning.
ReplyDeleteGrades are an important indicator of students’ ongoing progress and should not be an indictment of student learning over time. Grades for students with disabilities should reflect what students know and understanding within the parameters of the subject standard and instructional objective, however, students with disabilities typically score lower than general education students when instruction is not differentiated. When assessing a standard, teachers need to be cognizant of the verb in the objective. For instance, an objective that begins with “Students will determine…”, teachers would decide what and how students will meet this objective. Will it be met in by writing, orally, or by pointing to one answer from an array of answer choices? By making these considerations, grades can be a source of information to inform and differentiate instruction. Likewise, students with limited English and students who are having difficulty comprehending a subject can benefit from the same procedure for assigning grades, that is, base them on what students know rather than an arbitrary assignment.
ReplyDeleteGrades can send both positive and negative signals and can make an impact student self-image. As a learner, students need feedback that reveals where they are in the continuum of learning.
When grades are accompanied with a narrative of what it means and how students can improve, grades can have be a welcome commentary on academic progress.
Grades are one of the measurements to determine if the students are doing well at the subject. With my Students learning Chinese, some are very slow and has difficulty to learn Chinese, not to say students with learning disabilities.
ReplyDeleteTo me, grades to these disability students are no good. It only discourages them. If we can make our own standard grades to fit all the students, that would be great. But we have to follow guidelines to measure the students learning process. Grades present how smart the students are. If the child is constantly getting bad grades, no matter how hard he/she tried, he/she will feel and believe he/she is dumb. They eventually will give up on the subject or even school and later on in life as an adult, will give up on himself. Constant negative and stress and failure will lead one down a dark and gloomy path. They have no confidence in doing anything. They are easily to blame someone else or hate the world.
Grades also have effective sides as well. If I could use different materials to these disabled learning students to tailor their need, and later on to create my own rubric system, or an evaluation based on my personal understanding of the level to the student, the student will do much better for the exam. This way he/she will not always get Ds and Fs. By getting up level grades and a lot of accommodation from the teacher and peers, the student will have stronger confidence, higher self-esteem, and will be willing to learn more in the classroom.
Over a period of years, a student who experiences difficulty in school subjects will undoubtedly experience lack of self-esteem and negative feelings toward school in general. Traditional grading policies do not reflect personal growth or motivational opportunities for struggling students. As a person, long-term experiences with repeated failures in school will seek other means of attaining success and satisfaction. Such a person might drop out of school or worse seek gang membership, crime, and possibly drug addiction. The long-term effects are detrimental!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete“What is Shakespeare trying to tell us about youth, family, or traditions in the play ”Romeo and Juliet?” This is a rather typical question that can be asked about a piece of literature in grades eleven and twelve in high school. Of course, it is asking for an average junior or senior to show that he or she can read and analyze a piece of literature, be it a play, poem, short story or novel. Let me try to go through the steps outlined in the text to show why I think that DI that really focuses on “Product” is very difficult to do in any course at this level.
The format would be an essay.
1. Identify the essentials of the unit.
The student will have to show not only that he or she knows the details of the story, but will also have to show that he or she understands how the writer is using those details, to what purpose. The question might lead to a student asking, “To whom does most of the blame belong for the tragedy in the play?” Most students see the “romance.” Few see the tragedy. Most automatically identify with the young characters.
2. Identify one or more formats or packaging options.
If the product is the ability of the student to demonstrate that he or she can think critically, then there is not too much room for DI in format. An essay that shows the student’s ability to select details from the story—plot, character, imagery, symbols, irony, etc.-- will have to be the format.
They could decide to focus on the faults of the parents, the youth, or the traditions of the time, all of which are issues in the play.
3. Determine expectations for quality.
This was addressed in the previous paragraph. The students must demonstrate that she is a good reader who can interpret literature.
Text evidence and interpretation of text evidence would be a major part of the rubric. They do not have to simply identify plot structure, images or symbols, etc. They would have to use them as evidence
4. Decide on the scaffolding you might need.
They would be encouraged to consider how times have changed and why some of the traditions, like arranged marriage or female dependence, etc. were traditions of the time. They would be warned about the need to avoid the ‘I would have done….” response. They might be encouraged to discuss the extent to which family, parents, their values, expectations, etc. are still paramount in their minds and how these things might impact their selection of partners.
5. Develop a product assignment that says to the student ‘You should show you understand and can do these things.”
A discussion of what a specific topic and response looks like would be necessary. This could be handled with and I do, We Dou, You Do exercise. They would be warned about the common problem of falling into summary. They would be instructed in the use of evidence and shown examples.
6.
Differentiate or modify versions of the assignment based on: student readiness; student interest; student learning profile.” I cannot see how student readiness can be compromised here. It seems to me that the students’ interest might be the only avenue through which student choice can be pursued.
Tony H.
Over period of years a student with learning disability and speaks limited English affect has the potential of being experience over time could be positive or negative. The circumstance depends on parental/guardian involvement with the student very early in their preschool years. If a student with learning disability lacks accommodation in school, the student will develop low self –esteem and rarely experience success. The student’s become susceptible of below average grades and has a greater chance to become complacent and withdrawn. On the other hand, if disable students has excellent parental/guardian involvement and receive accommodation for their learning disability has better chance of living a purposely full life because of the support system that help the student achieve despite their learning obstacles.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIn response to the essential question for this chapter, I would have to say that a student with a learning disability will probably have a very difficult time in a conventional educational setting. But I do believe the question depends excessively on an appeal to emotion, which is flawed logically. It might be sound ethically or morally, but I am not sure when last I heard from any prominent member of our society about the importance of respecting all members of our society to the extent that we reward them regardless of the level of their productivity because they operate with a significant disadvantage. Presidents don’t talk about it; neither do conservatives. I probably believe as much as any liberal in the ethic of treating all people with dignity and respect and giving them their fair share of life’s comforts. I have not heard of a single company that does this. Rather I have heard of companies that use and exploit their workers. I am not sure how we can square the methods of DI against the self interest that we see as the most dominant principle that most Americans live by. If a person with a learning disability is judged on his progress, if we believe that people can in fact operate under such a practice and all will be well, I will have to say that we are not paying attention.
We might have to consult the list of unintended consequences with which most of us should be familiar. Turn right on the light! How did that work out? Have exams in college before Christmas! How did that help education? Virtual School! I have an answer for that one because last year I was a Virtual School Facilitator for Dade County. I saw all the evidence that I needed to confirm my belief that you cannot let the average student in our schools today work at his own pace. It sounds great to say that students should be “graded against themselves,” and there might be many instances where this works. But for every Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Larry Bird, there are ten Shaqs, Iversons, and World Peace (or whatever his name is today). The idea about competing against your own potential is as old as man’s impulse to challenge himself physically or mentally. However, the failure of the overwhelming majority of human beings to embrace this idea is also very old.
I cheer special Olympians as much as the parents of these athletes. I think that it is wonderful that we give them opportunities that all of us have. But they should not compete with or share the same courts, playing fields, or rinks of the elite athlete, in the same way that a Physics or Philosophy major should not have to share his classroom with an elite athlete who is not intellectually equipped to be in the course. Athletes are welcome if they have the ability. The same argument would apply to high school students in various academies. A Cosmetology student or an Auto Mechanics student benefits little from an Honors English class for seniors. His or her presence will have an impact on the quality of the class’ product. As a society, we can respect differences and reward effort, and we certainly can find a place, a comfortable place, for everyone, even the Wal-Mart employee. It appears that our schools are bending backwards to accommodate all intellectual skill levels, but this is a misguided approach if our society as a whole shows little respect for people’s differentiated skills or contributions. Perhaps before we convince students to think only about competing against themselves, we should try to get every one to focus on the inequalities perpetuated by this country’s economic system and laws. Perhaps if we did not tolerate the gross inequalities that exist, our schools would not have to worry about what the pursuit of excellence might do to the self esteem of the challenged populations that share this planet with us.
In a competitive world, grades are necessary. In a competitive and unjust world, they might be even more necessary, a necessary evil, perhaps, but we need to change the unjust world before we change how people gain rewards in it.
Tony H.
Grades are stressful for most students, even adults. If we have ESE and ELL students in the classroom we have to provide DI. These students will have a difficult time keeping up with the rest of the class.
ReplyDeleteThey will get poor grades and feel frustrated. The teacher must make sure these students get what they need in order to grow and succeed.
Providing activities at the student's instructional level is very important to learn. It is not fair to just place an ESE or ESOL student in a regular class with a teacher that will not give them the attention they need.
When this negative situation happens, these children will have low self-esteem and no motivation to continue in school. They will feel like a failure and develop a negative attitude towards school. This is dangerous, they can grow up, follow a wrong path and end up in jail.
I agree a 100% with these assertions. There should be an organization in the knowledge we expect them to learn; we should push the students beyond the independent learner, and we should mainly motivate them. About our struggling students; we should enhance their strength. We need to accept their differences and envision their potential.
ReplyDeleteGrades can have a variety of effects on students. The one common factor is that when student's begin their school career, the great majority of children want to "make good grades". Often the school experience has a tendency to focus on grades and NOT on what children are learning. After making low grades year after year, grades are no longer motivaters for students. The expectaion of failure takes over and all students, those who speak little English, those with learning deficits/disabilities , ALL students become unmotivated and they learn to just "accept" what they have been "taught" that they cannot learn. When the opposite is often the truth. Many of these students just learn differently and have never been provided the opportuntiy to access curriculum and express success in a way that fits individual learning styles and interests. These students often give up. Student's that consistently make good grades are motivated by grades, however even these students sometimes develop an attitude of perfection and focus solely on grades and not on what they are learning. All students must have the opportunity to be successful and differentiated instruction is the perfect way to "teach" all students that they are capable learners. Being graded against oneself offers the opporunity for the "competition" of grades to be removed from the education equation. All students, all human beings have the need to push our own limits. Finding out what motivates an individual is the key for us all.
ReplyDeleteChapter 14 Reflection: Think about how grades work for a student who has a learning disability, who speaks little English, who finds many school subjects very difficult. Now, think about that student over a period of years. What positive and negative roles are grades likely to play in that student's development as a learner and a person? There should be a variety of grading systems that incorporates not just test grades. The grades should be a variety of other systems for example: class skills/work tasks, portfolio of assignments/projects, extracurricular activities in the class and out of class, group activities which include cooperative work/project. One of the positive record keeping is having the students plot their grades in order for the student to visualize and understand how their are doing and what needs to be done in order to improve or if they are content with the grade as is. When you assist the student takes part with the parents and you to goal set so the student understand what his responsibility about his/her own work.
ReplyDeleteChapter 14
ReplyDeleteGrades play an important role in the students’ development as a learner and a person. Students want to always show that they are doing great and that the teachers understand where they are coming from and where they should grow into. The grading process may make the students remove themselves from engaging in the educational process because of fear or frustration when they are receiving not good grades or failing tests. This may also happen to those students who do not take performing in class seriously and receive excellent grades because of their high abilities; however they lack the necessary discipline –study skills-when tackling challenges and their self esteem suffer.
The longer the child fails and the more failing grades the student gets, the more it will highlight the sense of inadequacy not only in that particular subject, but even as an individual. For a student with a learning disability or one who has trouble with the English language, this can have a sort of quick sand effect.
ReplyDeleteThese students may begin to lose their sense of worth. This needs to be addressed before they lose interest all together. So grades should always be coupled with continual monitoring of student motivation, and positive rewarding for their efforts.
We as educators must keep in mind that education should be the kindling of a flame, not the extinguishing of it…
I agree with Martha! The sense of inadequacy can follow a student who has historically struggled according to the grades they have received. For our ESE and ESOL students this may mean a history of failing grades that lead to them thinking they are failures. How do we send another message?
DeleteIf teachers don't stop expecting all students to be working on the same assignment at the same time, lower performing students will never have a chance to catch up and grasp the concepts they are lacking. The problem with our grading system is that we have to enter assignments into the gradebook. Parents also have access to this gradebook. If we have 10 differentiated activities in the gradebook and not all students did the same activity, we would end up having to type and X for each activity the students did not participate in. Then parents would want to know why their child did not complete that activity. In order to make their lives easier, teachers assign the same task or assignment to each student in the class and fail those that couldn't complete it or achieve the goal. If parents and teacher had an honest conversation about how the grades will look on the Parent Portal Viewer and how not every child in class will complete the same activities, then teachers will have an easier time entering grades that are appropriate to what the child was able to complete.
ReplyDeleteChildren who constantly see Fs for assignments completed will start to feel that no matter what they do, it won't be good enough. This will eventually escalate into dropping out of school due to feelings of inadequacy. If on the other hand, teachers met students at their currently level and helped them grow by providing scaffolding instruction, students would soon be able to reach higher levels.
For students who have learning disabilities, differentiated grading rubrics are important. This allows for students to create products that address the core of understanding in ways that best suite their learning styles. Grades and rubrics would work similarly for students who speak little English. Explaining to the student and parents that the grading system is based on individual goal setting and progress in reaching those goals and the student will be graded against themselves rather than in competition with other students. Differentiated instruction creating sense-making activities and having students create products and rubrics will help students demonstrate their understanding in different ways.
ReplyDeleteOver a period of years, the goal for these students is to gradually conform to the rubric and grading system of the students in the general education classroom. During this time, teachers should be teaching students both at their level and on grade level at the same time using different assignments and strategies to eventually get them to the point where their readiness level and grade level are the same level.
The negative role that grades may play in students' development as a learner is that it may serve as a form of discouragement. If students are not earning good grades, they may not feel a need to continuing trying or learning. It is very important for teachers to involve students in student-led parent conferences so that the parents are aware of the goals that the students set, and hear them articulate those goals. When students can keep track of their work and communicate how it demonstrates their growth, and being able to communicate that to their parents can be powerful for everyone. In the long run once college is over, the grading system will no longer exist, students will have to rely on the knowledge learned.
Students who are classified as ESE are ESOLhave a very difficult time in school. I have found that high school students have a more difficult time than those at the elementary level. When they receive failing grades over a period of years because they are not able to perform at grade level, they are truly affected in their motivation as well as their self esteem. The traditional form of grading is not the best way of testing them. They are not performing at their grade level, and they are not at the same level where their peers are. As a teache, you need to take into consideration what these students are going through, it is important that the teacher creates different activities and performance tasks that will show the true ability of those students as well as others. A student with or without a disability will be able to shine and will be able to show the true gains. As a teacher it is very rewarding that while the student is in your class, the teacher will see that student grow and develop. Teacher need to develop activites that always encourage the best they can and always continue to work hard and accomplish a positive outcome and do the best job that they can and encourage an ongoing learning process.
ReplyDeleteThink of the kid who struggled through elementary school. Got to middle school and receives constant Ds, Fs, with the occasional highlight of a C! Their teachers see hundreds of faces and have lots to do. By the time they get to high school, they can describe themselves as D students before they even set foot in a classroom. The sense of inadequacy can follow a student who has historically struggled according to the grades they have received. For our ESE and ESOL students this may mean a history of failing grades that lead to them thinking they are failures. How do we send another message?
ReplyDeleteGrades can be a devastating thing for all students but might be worse for students with learning disabilities as well as for ELLs. Grading scales should be differentiated for those students, they can not be expected to complete the same amount of work, within the same amount of time, as the other students. I modify the quiz and grade it accordingly. I always, verbally encourage students even when the letter grade indicates "F":
ReplyDeleteGrades can discourage a student that is given it all he/she has. This can impact their future since they can begin to believe that they are not smart or capable of doing what the rest of the class is doing. Constant communication with the student and his/her parent(s) is crucial, they need to understand that a letter grade might not be a fair representation of their hard work.
One thing that caught my attention while reading this chapter is the idea of giving the student a letter grade that also carries a numeric "superscript". In my classroom there are 8 SPED student and 7 ELLs Level 1's, and I know their grades will change drastically if I could apply that concept.
What positive or negative roles are grades likely to play in that student’s development as a learner and a person?
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of things that could be taught and it is as important as anything else that students has the knowledge that they do have a chronogram to follow because in that matter they know how much time they should have for each assignment and when they are due. I also understand it is important that they should their grade as well the teacher just to have a record for their task in class. Nevertheless ELL students are learning from the beginning they stepped in this country until their final days because what life is all about .My grandfather used to tell me do not go to bed without learn something new every day. The negative part for me, it is just if they have a chronogram for their activities and they won’t be able to finish on time grades and time should be flexible for them because ESOL’s students need to have extended time to work on their task. Grades are very important but the relationship that the teacher built through the year is as important as anything else. It is significance that student know that grades implicate behavior conversation and experiences to share because they maybe don’t learn by doing but sometime they learn by listening and pay attention. Teacher should be wise enough to get to know each child in the classroom to evaluate and understand their progress
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Chapter fourteen of Ms. Tomlinson’s book about how to differentiate instruction, gives us a different perspective about the whole grading process. Thanks to the whole new different view about this topic; students such as the one described in the last question can be fairly graded. We need to see the whole picture, and think outside the box. The student described in the example is struggling to learn English; moreover, he has a learning disability. This last chapter of the book throws light about different, non-traditional ways in which we could grade the students. One of the examples shows how the instructor can assign two grades; one that could be seen as a personal grade, and a second one that could be the traditional one in which we could put in place the rubrics we are testing. Traditional styles of grading do nothing but hurt the student’s confidence and self-assurance. Nevertheless, when we assign grades based on work in which student has room for growth and development; we are encouraging them to reach high; despite any obstacles they might be facing in their lives: a learning disability or an entire change of country and educational system.
ReplyDeleteIn past experiences, a few students placed in my ESE class did not speak or understand english, but when given an opportunity to explain or demonstrate what they knew in their home language,( in my case spanish )did very well. From that point on I learned that it is important to leave no stone unturned when it comes to student success. It is imperative to incorporate various methods to assist students with disabilities and ELL students with learning in the classroom. It is important to challenge students with grade level work. Teachers must grade work accordingly. Their grades may not be the best, but it is a true reflection of how the student is performing and can be a motivational tool if grades reflect an improvement in learning goals. It is the teacher that must point out the positive gains and not focus on the negative. With this approach students are more apt to make numerous attempts at succeeding rather than doing nothing and accepting failure. If the teacher takes a negative approach and does nothing to assist students with achieving in the classroom, it may leave students feeling like failures with no future. Students could dropout, lose self-esteem and be lead to believe they are incapable of learning.
ReplyDeleteThink about how grades work for a student who has a learning disability, who speaks little English, who finds many school subjects very difficult. Now, think about that student over a period of years. What positive and negative roles are grades likely to play in that student's development as a learner and a person?
ReplyDeleteSome teachers feel that grades are the direct outcome of student work. Unfortunately, that is not the case when student's do not fall into the "norm". It's terrible when a student gives 100% effort and because of a language barrier or a documented disability they are penalized. Is that fair? How and when will they level the playing field? Unfortunately, it may never happen and the eventual outcome may be to drop out. Ms. Tomlinson suggests that students are graded at their independent level; as well as, at their grade level. Although a good idea, it may provide a mixed message to parents and students. In order for this to be done effectively, there must be some intensive dialogue with parents, students and teachers. Said dialogue must be ongoing and grading must be clearly stated and understood in order for this change in grading policy to be effective.
The ELL students would be able to respond better and get better results if they were allowed to do it in their language. Positive and negative roles are grades likely to play in that student's development over the years depending on how the teacher grades and the impact on whether the test means the knowledge they have acquired.
ReplyDeleteGrades will always be in place to measure the performance of students, and students with learning disabilities will always be affected negatively, I teach ESOL students, and most of them do work not only to improve their language but for a good grade as well, and having too many bad grades can definitely affect the students life in the long run, because if we as teachers don't give them the opportunity to express themselves maybe in their native language if they are beginning learners, they will feel frustrated and that they looser, so I think that we need to encourage these students to feel that they can do it, so we can build confidence and have them think that they can have a better future.
ReplyDeleteChapter 14 Reflection:
ReplyDeleteGrades for those students become very stressful because they feel pressured. This is why a teacher must be aware of the different types of ways these students learn. It is not fair to grade a student with learning disabilities the same way you would grade one in a higher level class. They may both be smart students but they retain information differently. Students who speak very little English have a disadvantage over the other kids. They weren't born here, or there parents did not teach them English only their native tongue. It is up to the teacher and parents to both work with the student in order to help him/her learn a brand new language. Grading is a scary process, but it can be overcome.
Students grades play a negative role on students' development as a learners and as a person.
ReplyDeleteStudents with learning disabilities should be graded according to their abilities and needs. Teachers and schools must take responsibility on the way these students are educated and evaluated.
I believe that the development of the students with learning disabilities is clearly affected by their grades as well as their self esteem, and their interest in learning.
Chapter 14: Any student like to get a bad grade. Students with a learning disability or the ones who speaks little English have the right to begin where they are and expect to grow as learners. It is the responsibility of the teachers to explain the parents and the students how the grading system work. They have to know that the grading system is based on individual goal setting and progress in reaching those goals. The parents have the possibility to monitor the students progress and ask for a teacher conference whenever they think is necessary.. In a differentiated classroom it is required that the teacher modify the more traditional ways of keeping track of students growth. The teacher should have a folder with the work of the students regardless the age of the students, The teacher should also consider the possibility that not all work has to be formally graded. I think the grading system is necessary for any kind of student or class so the parents and the student themselves can keep track of their progress so in case is necessary they can meet with the teacher and solve the problem before it gets worst, and of course in the case of the children with special need work together so they can progress and have success as well.
ReplyDeleteCharter 14 :I work hard to get good grades. I employ many useful strategies to chart to chart student tasks and growth it is important to that the dual purpose of all assessment . Asking students to be a part of goal setting with me. to keep track of their growth, and communicate this instruction to parents can be powerful for everyone. It helps you and parents hear. The some student messages about what's working and what is not .
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ReplyDeleteThe first thing that comes to mind are my ELL students. Though it may not be a learning disability, they are certainly at a learning disadvantage (especially level 1's). The students that are very competitive with a good support base at home may find that their grades "set the bar" and will continually push themselves to make improvements. Over time, as the student makes gains with the language, they will also overcome many obstacles and will experience learning gains.
Negative
I find that few students (especially in the inner city) have the support base coming from home and are competitive enough to stay in a positive frame of mind over ALL of the obstacles that come from learning a new language in a new setting. Grades are often another factor that demoralize the disadvantaged learner. Over time the negative effects become longer lasting effects that can and will effect the level of effort and gains that students make.
Grades can be positive when used to identify strengths and weaknesses. The students need to share responsibility with record keeping. In learning centers, my students would be on various paces in a specific area on a certain benchmark. Students are invested in their learning when they have this autonomy. The skill of record keeping needs to be taught and how to analyze the results. Grades can be negative as well when the grade of points is the focus, whereas the focus should be on the skills mastered and in need of more practice and scaffolding. Reflect on how can our responses and methods on an assessment guide our learning. How to make obtainable goals. Teachers need to stretch the students beyond their comfort level. Ultimate goal is to build the students up.
ReplyDeleteGrades can have both negative and positive impact on a student with a learning disadvantage such as not speaking English fluently. For example, the FCAT/ EOC test scores can work negatively and demotivate a student. On the other hand, in a traditional gradebook w/ a modern twist ( Pinnacles) students can be differnetiated by skills and feel more accomplished. By positively reinforcing their grades through both traditional methods, work folders, etc, can provide numerous opportunities for teacher, students, parents to participate in lieu of formally correcting and grading all sense - making activiies. Students can also develop their own upcoming assignments based on needs and strengths. This way they can have numerous opportunities to self assess and become independent learners. This has a positive impact on life skills.
ReplyDeleteThink about how grades work for a student who has a learning disability, who speaks little English, who finds many school subjects very difficult. Now, think about that student over a period of years. What positive and negative roles are grades likely to play in that student's development as a learner and a person?
ReplyDeleteGrading my ELL students oftentimes poses a challenge for me. Sometimes I may follow a District or department grading scale depending on the assignment. With all of the District assessments I stopped doing assessments such as unit tests as suggested by the Teacher Edition textbooks. I was hoping to find a better way to assess my ELL students of varying levels and learning style and as mentioned above. Sometimes I would just grade on certain parts the students needed to demonstrate completion, proficiency or mastery. I often second guessed myself. However, I started changing the way I would grade certain students. I felt that I was being fair across the board and did not feel confident in being able to explain the criteria for grading if ever questioned. This is something that I will have to revisit and seek counsel with another teacher that has found a way to grade the abovementioned students.
The positives is that there are different ways to grade the students. The ideal situation, I believe, would to be to have the students help create a rubric that they feel comfortable being graded on. The negative would be that a teacher may have more than one to grade the different student, which may difficult to keep track of. This is an issue that does need to be revisited and somehow effectively put in place for the upcoming school year.
As I consider this question, I am convinced that perhaps there should be more than one rubric that covers not only the content but appropriately gives balance and deference to every learning profile. I think by doing this, students will be graded fairly and the letter grades would have less chance of harming or hindering the confidence of a child. By this particular mean of grading would be less intimidating to students and non competitive among peers overall.
ReplyDeleteI always explain to my students - even the little ones - that they should not base all they know on their grades, but rather how they work for those grades. Each child comes as a unique package, some with strengths that are not evident in a traditional classroom setting. Before progress reports or reports cards go home, I provide my students with a short conference to let them know they are doing great or that they need to work harder and do their best to bring a grade up. Most students are aware of how they are doing as far as grades are concerned and appreciate any support they receive to bring their scores up. Others may not be aware and would benefit from more one-on-one support to increase their these scores. However, I don't think we need to change or adjust the grading system because we provide extra support for students who are receiving ESOL based instruction, students that are working below grade level and LD students that are on 504 receive special accommodations and support within the class curriculum. Grades can go both ways when it comes to the positive and negative. If a typical student received a good grade, they know they are doing well, if they receive a "bad" grade then it should provide the motivation to work harder if he/she wants to improve their grades. From my experience most students who are second language learners really work hard for their good grades because they want to achieve. They would benefit most from the conferencing. Students with learning disabilities could go either way - depending on various factors: their emotional state, the LD and their support system at home.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to grades and students with learning disabilities or children who speak little English, it's hard for them not to be discouraged if they see their grades don't go up as they go through school. What I try to instill in those students is that grades really don't matter in the long run, teachers don't remember the grades the student gets, they remember the student. Also, so they don't become completely discouraged, I try to maintain constant contact with their parents, and make sure they understand that grades aren't as important as their students progress. Even very little progress is progress none the less. Also. it's good to keep the student informed constantly if they are progressing and the encourage them to continue to try and work even though their grades might not be moving. The only positive I can see is if they do progress and it's reflected in the grade. This can motivate the student to want to push even harder to make a good grade because they know they can do it. I try not to change my grading system for these students, but I also don't have to grade every single assignment they do.
ReplyDeleteIn the course of a students development, grades play both a positive and a negative role. As educators we must mix the traditional grading with keeping records. We do not have to grade everything because a student who is low will be discourage when he/she realizes that he is getting bad grades. Teachers must differentiate grade keeping by students efforts; keeping work folder where students talents are highlighted will motivate students. Helping students become their own record keeper through calendars or agendas helps the students establish the goals. Most importantly, as teachers we must not grade everything. In addition, communication between parents, teachers and students is essential by guiding students in the process of setting goals with their parents and communicating their success. This will help students develop responsibility for their work and allows parents to be aware of students progress and needs.
ReplyDeleteFor a student who has a learning disability, who speaks little English, who finds many school subjects very difficult and who over a period of years has been affected positively if the traditional grading system has been modified to meet the differentiated needs of that student as opposed to holding that student to the same standards and assessing that students progress by using the same grading system as that used for native English speakers. Additionally, if that student's teachers (over the years) have adopted the idea that not all work has to be formally graded, that student can probably benefit more from having his/her small successes acknowledged and validated, ultimately building that student's confidence, as opposed to having every word he/she writes on paper scrutinized and graded, which can negatively affect that student's progress and stall the learning process.
ReplyDeleteGrades could be a sensitive subject for this child. They likely would see little of what the culture calls 'good grades', leading to feelings of defeat and dislike for school. The text discusses changing the mindset towards grades to help students work for growth and not a grade. Not all work must be formally graded, so a teacher could use the work as a gauge for student need and ensure that the student received support in necessary areas. Also, the piece about including students in both the grade-tracking and conferences has proved valuable in my own classroom. Students take ownership, creating positive feelings toward grades/work and parents are more ready to accept the school's report as the student is fully aware and supporting the information. The more the student is involved, the less likely the negative mindset.
ReplyDeleteGrading students with learning disabilities should not be a big issue if the teacher is aware about the student disability but in presence of little English. The teacher should have some considerations. Students tend to give up on school if they constantly receive bad grades. Face to such situation, I will prefer to consider my students’ informal assessments before providing a grade to them. We need to know our students in order to really assign a grade to them because we need to rely on their ability and growth. If they are making progress, it is not right to discourage them. As a teacher, I must know how to deal with the diverse learners in a classroom. I should be able to know my students and create activities that will coincide with their learning styles to accomplish the same outcome for all of them
ReplyDeleteIt does not matter what label one associated with a learner. Good grades are incentives that motivate all students to come to school. They give the message that students that they are worthy. Students that constantly receive failing grades become discourage and lose confidence in themselves. They don’t see the purpose of being in school because they conceive themselves as failure. It is even harder for students that have a learning disability and non-English speaker. Poor grades have a psychological connotation on them. Usually, these students have been already classified as the lowest. Therefore, repeating bad grades will reinforce the message that they are not achievers. Eventually, it will affect their self-esteem, and they will believe that they are worthless.
ReplyDeleteGrading students with a learning disability or who speak very little English can be a challenge for teachers because those students for the most part are not performing at grade level even though teachers are scaffolding their instruction to meet their needs. Since most schools still use a traditional report card and grading systems (where students are evaluated with on grade level test), teachers have to be cautious because this form of grading does not reflect the true growth of struggling students. For grading to play a positive role in the development of struggling students teachers must remember to step outside the box and use different form of grading system; where it is based on individual goal setting and where students are graded against themselves rather than in competition with other students.
ReplyDeleteThink about how grades work for a student who has a learning disability, who speaks little English, who finds many school subjects very difficult. Now, think about that student over a period of years. What positive and negative roles are grades likely to play in that student's development as a learner and a person? The positive roles that grades are likely to play in the student’s with learning disabilities are that the grade will be issued based on their learning style and learning profile. When students are permitted to do things their way, the result will always be more creative, comprehensive, and significant for all the students. The negative roles that grades are likely to play in students with learning are grading them all the same in every assignment. As educators, we must become a diverse facilitator in our classroom. You have to know your students and create activities that will correspond with varied learning styles. As a result, all the activities will successively accomplish the similar outcome.
ReplyDeleteGrading has always been a topic of discussion. In my opinion, teachers need to be flexible when grading and consider the various types of exceptionalities of the students, their levels, and capacity. All students should not be graded the same. They all must be assessed according to varied learning goals. That is also a way of differentiating. Teachers should not only use the traditional Grading System. They should grade students based on their individual goals. Teachers should give an opportunity to these students to create portfolio type assessments and reporting of their progress work in order to give an opportunity to these students to receive grades. A student who speaks little English has limited opportunities to receive grades using the traditional grading system. However, if we assign different ways that this type of student can reflect what he/she is learning, it will allow this student to learn, show his/her progress, and also be motivated to continue learning. This will have a positive impact on the student school's experience. Using only the traditional grading system can have a negative impact on these students and affect their development as a learner because they will not be able to be graded or taken in consideration what they know.
ReplyDeleteGrades can be very detrimental to the progress of students who struggle with learning and producing satisfactory work and test results. It can turn students of from learning and school altogether, because it can make them believe that they can’t and won’t ever be able to be better. Over the years, students like this may become very insecure and eventually feel useless and worthless. This will unfortunately lead a high percentage of drop-outs for this population of students.
ReplyDeleteA positive result that grades can have is that it can help students see progress when they are able to learn something new. Though I believe that this can only happen if the grades are used to compare the student to his or her own prior performance. This allows the student to see that they have made progress and that they are moving towards the right direction. In order to be able to use these grades in gradebook, the teacher needs to notate the grade with comments that explicitly identify that the student is receiving assistance in the subject area and/or is working below grade level. This helps students see that their efforts are not in vain and can see the results of their efforts.
After reading chapter 14, It made me realize what I have always suspected and that is the traditional way of grading; A.B.C.D.and F, in reality does a great disservice to the students. A simple letter grade with the back drop of a competition with the rest of the class really does no student any good. The weaker students are quickly discouraged and their self esteem diminished with the 'D or F' and the high achieving students that burns through the course material quickly and easily can grow complacent and lose that fire or will to push themselves. As for students that have a learning disability, speaks little English, or finds many school subjects very difficult, well it can prove to be devastating over the years and in the course of their careers. I agree with the suggestions in the chapter, for example enhancing the traditional way of grading. We don't have to throw out the grade book but we can add to it in order to give real feed back. First students and parents learn that the new grading is based on individual goal setting and progress in reaching those goals and that the students will be graded against themselves rather than in competition with other students. With the traditional grade, a numeric subscript can be added revealing whether they are working at grade level, above or below and whether they are meeting the personal goals that were set at the start on a one on one bases with the teach and the parents. This encourages personal growth. It is also important that the grade be discussed with the student and the parent so that they understand where they are at toward meeting those personal goals. In addition when evaluating students, not all work has to be graded. For example, when working on a 'Sense-making activity' it can be for the students own benefit to gain confidence, practice and feel possibility. If teachers just dull out grades with out these considerations, the damage done to students can be latent, sever, and far reaching well into their adult life. Confidence extinguished, and potential never realized. If we can truly evaluate on a personal level with personal goals, the even the most unseemly incapable student can rise above and become a better student and human being as well as the high achiever.
ReplyDeleteStudent’s grades always play an important role in the students’ development as a learner and a person. Students want to always to know that they are doing great and convince the teacher they what every they put on paper is correct. The grading process may make the students remove themselves from interacting in the future because of fear or frustration when they are receiving not good grades or failing tests. This may also happen to those students who do not take performing in class seriously and receive excellent grades because of their high abilities; however they lack the necessary discipline –study skills-when tackling challenges.
ReplyDeleteVivian Marzall
Grades play an important role in student development as a learner. When grading in a differentiated classroom, grades can become a negative aspect because if a student is a struggling learner, they are not being motivated in the classroom and will not try their best. It is important for teachers to change their grading policies in a differentiated class because grades should be based on "individual goal setting and progress in reaching these goals", furthermore, students will be graded based on their own merit rather than a comparison of students in the class. In their development as learners, students will be motivated at their own readiness and are able to be assessed on their personal goals. If a lesson is scaffolded in the classroom, why can't grading as well? A traditional grading system has a negative impact on student development as a learner and students should be rewarded for what they are able to do and the progress they are making.
ReplyDeleteFor a student with limited English ability trying to acquire a new language or with a learning disability, grasping the subject matter can be extremely difficult and challenging. When working with ELL or ESE students I have them try to focus on their learning gains and not their grades. Teaching middle school is a bit easier when it comes to explaining certain things. When I sit with my students to have individual data chats I always tell my students the truth as far as their reading levels. Many times my students are reading way below grade level and I explain that to them. I also tell them that their grades will suffer because they will be assessed on grade level however, aren't reading on grade level. When we meet, I try to always look at the good they've accomplished. By staying positive and focusing on their learning gains rather than their grades students you build their self-esteem and it motivates them to continue to do better. Grades are very important but the relationship that the teacher builds throughout the year is as important as anything else.
ReplyDeleteI have never thought that grades are a real depiction of what a student is able to do. But unfortunately, this is how our educational system works. Although, we are being driven to differentiate teaching we are not doing the same with our grading system. At the present time it doesn’t matter what disability, language or any other difficulty our students have they are graded the same across the board. As per chapter 14 the gradebook with the combination of what the students are able to perform on their level. The students can be assessed through time but not all work has to be graded. Students and parents need to learn that new grading is based on individual goal setting and progress in reaching those goals. We need to be able to help students know that their effort is appreciated and that those little strides they are making are leading to success.
ReplyDeleteIt is reality nowadays, that ELL or ESE students they find many negatives things as learners. It is the same curriculum as Native Americans. The system assumes differentiated instruction can help them but for some of them are not enough, they need more time. The parents are not assuming their role because they do not even understand the process and the language. These students are in disadvantage comparing with the rest of the students. For this reason, the Esol or ESE teacher has the responsibility to encourage them during the process of learning, explain to them, and motivate them to do better every day. Being focus of their learning and not in the grades is the way that they will understand they can do it, and they can get self-steem and not feel so frustrated at school.
ReplyDeleteMaria Gonzalez
If that student experienced failing grades throughout their entire learning experience, they may have developed negative feelings towards school or education in general. As a result, they may have developed low self-esteem or struggle to cope in society. If that student had a strong support system in and out of school, those failing grades could have potentially made them want to work harder in school and thus in life in general. Exposing a child to failing grades does not always equate to adverse affects, it just depends on the child. Many of my students see it as an opportunity to work harder, understanding also that it is not completely their fault. I try to highlight their strengths in other areas and not focus so much on grades because they definitely do not determine a child’s future. Once again, having that strong support system in and out of school would help these struggling students tremendously. They need to know and feel that they have people cheering them on, whether they fail or succeed.
ReplyDeleteFirst thing I will do is to build confidence and explore students capabilities by observing his/her products during informal assessment .
ReplyDeleteAfter,create a remediation and unique lesson plan to address student''s needs.
One students with learning disabilities and limited English must know that the assessment for general students doesn't have the same weight for him/hers,otherwise will be frustrating and traumatic.
The student must know the grading and the system,as well as his/her parents.
A good combination of grades and discussion of the results is the best way to push students with low performance due limited Lenguage or/and a learning disability to move on in the learning process
SPED, ESOL, and other students who find school difficult are often discouraged because their grades often don’t reflect their individual growth. In our school system, teachers are expected to grade students on grade level work not the work that was differentiated to meet the needs of the student. Over time, the current grading system discourages these students if they constantly get failing grades. Tomlinson provides a great suggestion to have students keep a folder with their work samples with student and teacher comments. This method focuses on student growth and is an excellent tool to use for student and parent conferences. Also, facilitating intellectual risk taking in students builds confidence in students and gives them multiple chances to make sense of concepts and demonstrate their ability to process those concepts.
ReplyDeleteGrades should not be the only way to tell whether a student is passing or failing, however, it is a guide we use in the schools today. Some students see grades as an opportunity to improve and others see their grades as a way to stop trying. I like to do data chats with my students in order to make them responsible for their learning and ultimately their grades. I go over tests and testing strategies to help them do better on tests. I also teach thyem studying strategies in order to maximize their learning and make sense of what they are learning.
ReplyDeleteElda
Elvira Stamos
ReplyDeleteFebruary 20, 2017
Grades are judgements of the level of mastery on a content that a student has achieved. Grades can be viewed as information that will assist the teacher/parents in working with the students at their level of readiness, taking into account the students’ interest and learning profile in the area of the content process and product. Grades may be viewed as incentives to motivate students to achieve success.
But grades may generate a theme of competition instead of the students looking at the classroom as a community of learners that are willing to assist each other to success. Too much emphasis on grades may cause diminished interest in student learning.
Everyone is capable of high quality work within their limitations; teachers can help develop and create positive learning experience by helping student show what they know understand and show what they are able to do.
Teachers can have students maintain a journal of their work to track their progress. Grades may be given that reflects the students’ participation, teacher observation, staying on task behavior, presentations, the students’ effort.
For students with learning disabilities and/or who speaks very little English find school to be very difficult and challenging. They become discourage and frustrated. The grading for these students should implement the accommodations that are specified on the students Individualized Education Program (IEP). Grades have always been implemented and it can have its positives and negatives. Grades should reflect students’ knowledge based on their assignments, informal and formal observations, ability to stay on task, and the overall performance on quizzes/tests. Teaching in the primary grades, it’s important to communicate with the students and parents. I do believe that conferencing with students helps them to grow academically and gives them the responsibility for their learning. As teachers, we are there to support and encourage our students. Keeping in mind a positive environment for learning. What matters the most is that all students make learning gains, whether it’s a 5% or 90% gain.
ReplyDeleteGrades do not reflect the progress that most students with learning disability or an ELL student can make in a day, week, month or year. These students are graded using traditional grades and not their mastery of goals set forth on their IEP or their personal achievements with the English Language.
ReplyDeleteThe negative drawback is that these students can become discouraged and give up trying to keep up with their peers. The positive side of this is students can become motivated to keep up with their peers. This can be a result of the student's personal desire to learn and do well. State testing can provide stories of success bu the successes far out weigh the sad stories. The key is to encourage these students by celebrating even the smallest successes given them the opportunity to be celebrated by their parents and peers.
Working with ESE students is very challenging because they are in a regular class and they need more attention, and strategies to be on task, specially when they are still not level. Most of the times ESE students become frustrated if we teachers don't work in a rapid way with them.We need to refer the students (SST) and (IEP). Also find the appropriate resources for them to give them the support they need. Ell students also can become frustrated if we don't teach with strategies for the ESOL students. Working in small groups (DI) students can reach their potentials.
ReplyDeleteEvery student is different, learn different and have different needs. Having the appropriate resources for these kids is challenging but not impossible.A positive side is that we can provide a tones of resources and strategies working and differentiating each child.
I believe grades are important for students' growth as learners because they have different effects on them. As I was reading this reflection question, it was like describing a current student in my class. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about how he feels at this point in school and how this time in my classroom would affect him in either way. Grading has been troubling for me specially since I started teaching ESOL
ReplyDeleteLevel 1 students. I think the traditional grading system that we are required to use doesn't truly reflect the students' progress; specially, when we are referring to either English Language Learners or a student with disabilities. Over a period of time, a negative role that grades might bring to students is frustration, discouragement, feelings of giving up and harm their confidence. On the other hand, and keeping in mind that everyone is different, a positive role of grades is for students to see them as an opportunity to improve. The bottom line is that we need to encourage all of our students to try their best and celebrate their success regardless of how big or small it is.