Effective Teaching and Evaluation Effective teaching requires a number of efforts combined together to reach a student. The success of the student’s learning must be evaluated and graded. “Teaching involves two potentially conflicting perspectives related to academic freedom. Teachers exercise individual academic freedom and responsibility to develop and deliver course on the basis of their professional expertise, but also teach in the context of a curriculum offered by the academic department (Landrum 9). A teacher who knows their subject matter and can assess and provide feedback to the student also provides that student with a fun and successful way to learning. The government has been meddling in the Education of …show more content…
The skill required to becoming creative adults are not being taught. Alfie Kohn has taken a strong stand against grading. In his article “From Degrading to De-Grading”, Kohn discusses three main effects of grading. Kohn writes that once a grade is attached to an assignment the perception of the student goes from learning/fun to grading/chore. He also feels that the more pressure to get an A, the less inclination for the student to accept challenges and the greater incentive to choose the easier assignment. Finally he believes that “the knowledge that a grade is attached to a learning assignment the quality of the student’s thinking was degraded” (Kohn 238,239). Although I agree with Kohn’s philosophy that there is a difference between “how motivated students are; to how students are motivated” (Kohn 241). A method for measuring how well the student is learning the subject is necessary.
A student might love working with electronics, but the reality is the student may not be good enough to follow that career path. Parents today use grading as a means to gage and access the child’s progress. Laura Owen wrote an article for teachingmonster.com that wrote, “According to leaders in the field, the true purpose of assessment is to evaluate a student’s level of understanding, and should be used to provide appropriate feedback and guidance in planning future instruction” (Owen 1). Good or bad, needed or not needed, grades play a role. Robert Marzano
Education is a long-term investment. We, as students, work hard to acquire knowledge and to hone our skills so that we may use them one day. The effort we put into a single assignment should be considered as both for that specific assignment and for our rounding as complete, educated individuals. And with this mindset, students should be motivated even more to put more effort and hard work into academics, with the goal of bettering themselves for the future and advancing their prospects as individuals. And with this hard work and effort will come progress, and this progress should be reflected in the grading—not necessarily on individual assignments, but on the student’s education as a
As a teacher I am responsible for the evaluation of course work and all aspect of the learning process to gauge whether improvements can be made. Throughout the process I must make sure that the course is delivered with quality and professionalism and continually assess my own teaching style and course delivery. As a teacher I will need to evaluate the course and delivery throughout the course duration to enable continuous improvement of my teaching and the impact that it is having on my learner.
In the article, “From Degrading to De-Grading”, by Alfie Kohn he discusses the harmful effects grades have on students. Kohn argues that there are better ways to assess students’ progress other than letter or numerical grades. Grades are a great concept but they tend to be more hurtful than helpful. Cheating can become a problem, students won’t take challenges, and they develop unhealthy competition between one another. There have been many studies conducted over the years that support Kohn’s argument.
Alfie Kohn discussed multiple fabulous points in his article, “Degrading to De-Grading”. The author suggests more effective ways to assess students’ progress other than numerical or letter grades. Kohn goes into detail about why our current grading system is flawed. Grades can cause students to lose interest in learning which causes them to stop taking challenges. If students are not engaged and interested than they are not retaining the information they are being taught. The grading system can also cause students to develop unhealthy competition with one another for instance, “I got a better grade than you!”. Indeed, grades are a wonderful concept, but they tend to be more hurtful than helpful. In some cases, grades can have positive effects on students. For example, setting goals for various assignments, or receiving help where they are struggling. Though, there are alternatives that could make positive changes in the system.
Historically, letter grades have served as a tool to rate educational intelligence. By looking at the progression of a student’s grades over time, people are able to determine whether or not the students are developing skills in certain areas. Using a one letter grade to determine progress has received many critiques as a common system used in America’s education. Critics claim letter grades cause students motivation and creativity to decrease because grades shift students focus from learning the material to obtaining a good grade.
Kurt Wiesenfeld's article, "Making the Grade," presents the social issue of grades. The author explores the extent of this problem by examining the social environment in which these students were raised. Wiesenfeld also addresses the changing attitude towards what a grade represents and the true value of a grade. The author effectively uses several writing strategies to engage the reader, influence the audience and illustrate how much thought he has given this issue. The essay is organized by a logical progression from thesis to individual claims and the author provides real-world examples for the issues. With those real-world examples, Wiesenfeld explains how serious the problem can become and demonstrates why the issue should be addressed.
Ch. 1 – What are my classroom assessment responsibilities as a teacher and how can I fulfill them in ways that maximize the success of my students? This chapter speaks to the nature of what sound assessment is, and the importance of really involving students in this process. Assessment is, of course, FOR the students. The idea that assessment is used by the students, and that teachers should “demystify” assessment and the meaning of success in their classroom is a very simple one, but one that is often forgotten in the context of high-stakes test-ridden classrooms, and schools that view letter grades as the only evidence of learning.
Alfie Kohn discussed many fabulous points in his article, “Degrading to De-Grading”. The author suggests more effective ways to assess students’ progress other than numerical or letter grades such as, portfolios or narratives. Kohn goes into detail about why our current grading system is flawed. Grades can cause students to lose interest in learning, this causes them to stop taking challenges. If students are not engaged and interested than they are not retaining the information they are being taught. The grading system can also cause students to develop unhealthy competition with one another for instance, “I got a better grade than you!”. Indeed, grades are a wonderful concept, but they tend to be more hurtful than helpful. In some cases,
I just watched a video on youtube titled "Blowing Up the Gradebook" by Chris Haskell and it left me with a lot of thoughts about the way grading works today. During the video, Haskell talks about the current problems with grading and teaching today. He says that instead of trying to find things worth knowing, students find what they need to pass the class and put in the minimal effort to do so. He says that education is a game we put students through and instead of trying to set them up for success, we give them tests and grades that set them up for failure. He says that instead of playing this game that is impossible to pass, we need to change it and help them succeed. He talks about how we need to eliminate homework and due dates, we
Successful teaching occurs when the teacher is able to select the most efficient method for reaching out to each student’s individual style of learning and inspire students to rise to their highest potential. While the responsibilities of a teacher are extensive (as one can serve as a teacher, a friend, a counselor, a disciplinarian, an entertainer, a facilitator), I believe that students should play a big part in shaping own education as well.
A driving objective for a teacher is to affect students to advance their expertise in education by finding them the correct course. The teacher should promote positive motivation and inspiration by adhering to legislation and codes of practice which will increase every student’s focus in developing and bridging gaps to display eagerness towards a healthy broad mindset, creative thinking and brighter approach. A mentor should coordinate assessments which will reinforce the ability to perceive individuals’ abilities and knowledge progressions and moreover support them further to boost their learning capacity to acquire a well-established national standards skill set.
“Grades don’t prepare children for the ‘real world’- unless one has in mind a world where interest in learning and quality of thinking are unimportant” (Kohn, 9). Grades, as we all know, have been the ultimate form of estimating how much of a certain subject someone has learned for many years. As the years have passed however, new innovative ways to help the way kids learn, other than judging them with numerical values and letters, have surfaced that can possibly rid us of this barbaric system. Alfie Kohn has done a very effective job explaining them, while pointing out many of the flaws in the old schooling system with his read “The Case Against grades”. He does this by providing eye-opening facts along with refreshingly innovative ideas to get the reader’s attention while tapping into their emotions and allowing these two to join forces to create a logical appeal.
In the practice of teaching, it is the responsibility of a teacher not only to teach students subject matter, but to teach students in order to enable them to grow and develop as a person. While it is essential for students to have an understanding of academic material, it is also equally as important that when students finish their education they have skills to use in
Students are placed in the responsibility of their own learning and understanding while the teachers encourage students to be more independent and more exploratory. The teachers will foster a sense of autonomy in the learning process as they act as a source of experiences. In addition, as the students watch their teacher makes mistakes, they will learn those failures are part of the learning process. The students will soon realize that mistakes are natural in life and it will serve as stepping stones to
As a teacher, one’s role and responsibility should be towards the learners’ ability to learn and for learning to be as tailored made for the individual learner.