Comments on: Sorting and ranking

By: Susan Carter Morgan

Susan Carter Morgan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:01:44 +0000

Matt,great question. Generally what I do is write comments and then meet once with the student–a formative assessment at that point. When I receive the final copy, I grade it according to the rubric we’ve established as a summative assessment. However, what I am finding is many/most students need much more than that. For most, the essays need to be rewritten many times with much more conversation with me. (Peer evals work for some but not most at this stage.) I am hoping that by allowing students to continue to work on their writing (for each piece) as long as they want to, the final writing will be stronger. Of course, this means we are also moving along in class, reading the next novel, writing the next essay. This is an eighth-grade language arts class, not only a writing class. Thanks for your thoughts.

By: Matt Townsley

Matt Townsley — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:45:52 +0000

What opportunities for feedback on these types of essays have you offered throughout the process of writing them? In other words, is this “grading” you speak of the first time you or the students’ peers have read the essays? Do you consider this essay a ‘formative’ assessment or some sort of ‘summative’ one? The answers to these questions may help you decide the best route to take in the future. I admit that I teach high school math and am envious of the possibilities for formative feedback (peer & instructor) in your discipline.

By: Susan Carter Morgan

Susan Carter Morgan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:44:58 +0000

Standard practice? Yes, for me, for many (but not all). However, the difference here is allowing students some say in the assessment of the paper. Previously, we might conference once for each paper, but then students would turn in a final paper, and I would grade it. This way, they rewrite as often as they need, revising and editing as often as they want.

By: memoirlover

memoirlover — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:27:12 +0000

Isn’t conferencing and re-writing standard practice for most language arts teachers?

By: Susan Carter Morgan

Susan Carter Morgan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:50:16 +0000

Tania, yes, those who want to learn and improve will take me up on this (and I am seeing this already).
David, thanks for sharing your experience. How validating. Yes, when students have a true audience and a real reason to write and think, they usually respond with greater depth and clarity than otherwise. Great point about reading your comments closely, too. I will remember this as I move ahead with the plan.

By: David L

David L — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:20:59 +0000

Facing the grading problem, I once tried making end comments (without a grade) and asking each student to respond to my comment and suggest a grade. I made it clear in advance that the final grade was my responsibility and decision — that was simply to restate an institutional reality and a condition of my employment and their “student-hood” that the students understood just as well as myself.

Somewhat to my surprise, it worked really well. I rarely disagreed with a student. And as I ought to have anticipated but did not, the situation of commenting on my comment led to argumentative writing that on the whole was of considerably higher quality than the arguments carried on in their papers proper. Showing once again that when something students recognize as real is at stake, they show themselves perfectly up to the task of thinking and arguing on paper. It also set up a situation where they read my comments really, really closely!

This was, admittedly, with students in a master’s degree program. Would it be worth trying with middle schoolers? Intuition tells me that people qua people, of whatever age, have untapped capacities for judgment and evaluation and argument and thinking that, if we just create the right prompt and situation, will flower before our amazed eyes. (Just think of the arguments proposed by your own toddler children to counter your own desperate efforts at parental logic!)

By: Tania Sheko

Tania Sheko — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:17:29 +0000

This is a brilliant idea, Susan. I can’t imagine it could fail. Those who want to learn and improve will take you up on the new process, and those who don’t haven’t lost anything from the previous setup. I’m interested in following the progress. You really care, because this obviously takes up much more of your time.