Comments on: And Rubrics Are For…? http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/12/and-rubrics-are-for/ Challenge The Status Quo Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:17:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Todd http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/12/and-rubrics-are-for/comment-page-1/#comment-12406 Todd Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:31:19 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/12/and-rubrics-are-for/#comment-12406 Kathy, that's what I'm thinking of doing. But it's tough to create sets of ungraded examples for each writing assignment. I change writing assignments almost every year. There are a few that I keep consistent, but most of them change. That means that last year's papers won't work as examples anymore. So I create a whole new set? That's what I'm struggling with in that model of rubric creation. But my point, Nicole, is that kids *don't* understand rubrics. They aren't written for students; they are written for teachers/graders. "This makes grading easier" Exactly! It's easier for you, not for the students. That's my point. There's nothing wrong with that, but let's admit it and stop clogging up student binders with handouts they never look at. Keep the rubric handy while you grade, but remember that it's for you, not your kids. Kathy, that’s what I’m thinking of doing. But it’s tough to create sets of ungraded examples for each writing assignment. I change writing assignments almost every year. There are a few that I keep consistent, but most of them change. That means that last year’s papers won’t work as examples anymore. So I create a whole new set? That’s what I’m struggling with in that model of rubric creation.

But my point, Nicole, is that kids *don’t* understand rubrics. They aren’t written for students; they are written for teachers/graders. “This makes grading easier” Exactly! It’s easier for you, not for the students. That’s my point. There’s nothing wrong with that, but let’s admit it and stop clogging up student binders with handouts they never look at. Keep the rubric handy while you grade, but remember that it’s for you, not your kids.

]]> By: nicole http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/12/and-rubrics-are-for/comment-page-1/#comment-12401 nicole Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:03:50 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/12/and-rubrics-are-for/#comment-12401 Rubrics give validity to a grade. Holistic grading is unfair - when does a paper "feel" like an A or a B or a C? By giving my kids a rubric (that I created - kids cannot possible create their own when I am the one that knows what I want them to get out of an assignment) I give them specific directions on how to succeed. This makes grading easier, and breaks the pieces of a large assignment down to digestible bits that kids can understand. Rubrics give validity to a grade. Holistic grading is unfair - when does a paper “feel” like an A or a B or a C? By giving my kids a rubric (that I created - kids cannot possible create their own when I am the one that knows what I want them to get out of an assignment) I give them specific directions on how to succeed. This makes grading easier, and breaks the pieces of a large assignment down to digestible bits that kids can understand.

]]> By: Miss Profe http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/12/and-rubrics-are-for/comment-page-1/#comment-11244 Miss Profe Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:33:26 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/12/and-rubrics-are-for/#comment-11244 I don't like rubrics. For the simple reason that they rig the grade. In other words, all a student has to do in order to get an A (or an F, whichever the case may be, but we hope for higher aspirations on the part of our students) is look at the rubric. I don't think that the assessment process should take all of the thinking away from the student. After all, how did so many of us before the advent of rubrics survive without knowing beforehand what sort of work would garner an A? To me, the fact that a rubric is student-designed versus teacher-designed in no way improves its validity as an assessment tool for me. As a teacher, I present the expectations, and then allow the students to exercise free will and judgement, which is as it out to be. I don’t like rubrics. For the simple reason that they rig the grade. In other words, all a student has to do in order to get an A (or an F, whichever the case may be, but we hope for higher aspirations on the part of our students) is look at the rubric. I don’t think that the assessment process should take all of the thinking away from the student. After all, how did so many of us before the advent of rubrics survive without knowing beforehand what sort of work would garner an A?

To me, the fact that a rubric is student-designed versus teacher-designed in no way improves its validity as an assessment tool for me.

As a teacher, I present the expectations, and then allow the students to exercise free will and judgement, which is as it out to be.

]]> By: Kathy http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/12/and-rubrics-are-for/comment-page-1/#comment-11148 Kathy Thu, 08 Mar 2007 19:06:49 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/12/and-rubrics-are-for/#comment-11148 Ideally, if faculty provides students with the ungraded work samples that illustrate an A-F product and then have the students create the rubric for the assignment, students will create criteria and level descriptors most useful to them. When my students complete this exercise, they use the rubric because it is more meaningful to them. Ideally, if faculty provides students with the ungraded work samples that illustrate an A-F product and then have the students create the rubric for the assignment, students will create criteria and level descriptors most useful to them. When my students complete this exercise, they use the rubric because it is more meaningful to them.

]]> By: Elona http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/12/and-rubrics-are-for/comment-page-1/#comment-8417 Elona Sun, 14 Jan 2007 19:23:22 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/12/and-rubrics-are-for/#comment-8417 Todd, I find rubrics make marking easier. When I mark work I constantly refer to the rubrics so I don't get distracted if one category is really weak. (Sometimes I feel like throwing the papers across the room, I get so frustrated.) The rubrics I create and use have four categories-Thinking, Application, Communication and Knowledge and four level-1,2,3,4,. Those categories are set by the province. It is really difficult to create kid friendly rubrics. I try not to use teacher language when I write rubrics. I've spent hours and hours writing rubrics. I've found that it takes a while for kids to see the value of rubrics. This all seems to take forever but it does pay off because kids do better when they see exemplars at different levels and compare their work to the exemplars at each of the level 1,2,3,and 4. They can tell what they need to do to improve. I get them to evaluate their own work using my rubrics so they become more aware of what is expected. In Ontario, kids have to pass a literacy test to graduate from high school. The passing grade is level 3 or 70% Todd, I find rubrics make marking easier. When I mark work I constantly refer to the rubrics so I don’t get distracted if one category is really weak. (Sometimes I feel like throwing the papers across the room, I get so frustrated.) The rubrics I create and use have four categories-Thinking, Application, Communication and Knowledge and four level-1,2,3,4,. Those categories are set by the province. It is really difficult to create kid friendly rubrics. I try not to use teacher language when I write rubrics. I’ve spent hours and hours writing rubrics. I’ve found that it takes a while for kids to see the value of rubrics. This all seems to take forever but it does pay off because kids do better when they see exemplars at different levels and compare their work to the exemplars at each of the level 1,2,3,and 4. They can tell what they need to do to improve. I get them to evaluate their own work using my rubrics so they become more aware of what is expected. In Ontario, kids have to pass a literacy test to graduate from high school. The passing grade is level 3 or 70%

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