In regards to assignments and their worth and assigning zeroes for work not turned in I am torn. I believe assignments hold a multi-pronged role. My content area is math and often times assignments (especially homework) are viewed as busy work. My response to this complain is metaphorical. I explain to my students that math is like playing the piano (or any instrument)....the more you practice the better you will play/perform. They understand that homework has a purpose above and beyond busy work. As for the not giving a grade of zero I am torn. My projects generally are authentic and correlate the math to the real world. The real world has deadlines. If you go to your boss and ask for an extension that is one thing but just not turning it in doesn't cut it. Is your principal going to say "that is okay.....turn it in later" NO. Mine isn't. My students are give time in class to work on project and ask questions but ultimately they must take responsibility for their own work. I give zeroes. It is a last resort but if a student just refuses to do the work they will not be rewarded with a grade with no effort.
In looking at Popham's levels I fall somewhere between level 2 and 3. We use formative assessments in my class quite often. At the beginning of each semester my students take a MI survey so that I can find out their learning styles and they can realize where their strengths lie.
I also do a good bit of controlled floundering especially at the beginning of new units to review what we already know and to discover what we need to focus our efforts on during the course of the unit. I admit most of my formative assessing comes more in the form of pre-assessment and I still use traditional summative techniques; however, my classroom dynamics have changed because of the use of these formative techniques, and I think for the better.
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I understand your struggle with giving zeros. I do think that if students in upper grades are not completing assignments, there has to be some sort of consequence. On the other hand, giving a zero does not give a clear picture of what that child knows or is able to do. I think it is important to find out WHY that child is not completing the assignments. You are exactly right about teaching lessons about the real world, but these students are not yet in the real world. This is a difficult topic that I think teachers struggle with constantly, no matter what grade they teach.
ReplyDeleteI too am ambivalent about the zero issue. At the high school level, students do need to be practicing responsible work habits and accountability. My practice is to give no credit when work is not handed in. I understand the philosophy behind Blackburn's suggestions of forcing students not to "fall back" on zeros. I'll need to think about this more.
ReplyDeleteI have read many works about 'no zeros' in the classroom including the "Failure is Not an Option" philosophy. At the eighth grade level. I have noticed that the students who come to me from 6th and 7th grade teachers who gave zeros, do much better on completing their homework. The ones who come from the teachers who don't give zeros, expect more for less work. I believe the entire philosophy around no zeros is only making our students less accountable, and it is not valuing the work we do assign. If it isn't worth doing, we shouldn't be assigning it. Otherwise, the work we assign has value and we should treat it as such. If teachers from as low as Kindergarten held the high expectation of students, it would make it much easier for teachers as the child continues through school.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have students that have been in prior classrooms that just wanted them to make a grade, the students don't seem to understand the idea of failure and doing their best. They knew that prior experience told them they could redo it until they got it right. This only taught them that it didn't matter. I want them to learn the material.
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