As the semester comes to a close, I’ve began looking back trying to compare/contrast what I did last semester with the way I have taught ENG 110 this semester. My big change has been in the amount of time I spend conferencing and working one-on-one with the students.
Last semester, I had plenty of workshop days for the students to utilize to improve their papers, but only a few, small conferences where I let the students discuss with me, personally, the direction of their paper. This semester, I’ve changed things completely around with the amount of time devoted to workshop as compared to conferencing. This semester I still had at least one workshop per paper, but I also had at least one conference per paper. And I think that has made a lot of difference in a couple of ways: 1) it cuts down on the time out of class that I have to spend writing comments on papers and not knowing if they will understand the comments and know how to implement my suggestions, and 2) gives them immediate personal feedback on their work and gives them a chance to ask me directly if they have a problem or don’t understand what I’m asking of them.
I feel that this one-on-one contact keeps me more informed on each student’s process as well as their progress on each paper. It also keeps them more honest on actually doing their rough drafts. I noticed last semester that even though there was a second workshop on a paper, some students would bring in the exact same draft from the first workshop. Now, knowing they will be sitting down with me, their instructor, they always bring more to the table and will talk and share their frustrations as well as their satisfactions with the work they are doing.
I know that conferencing isn’t for every teacher, some may loathe it even, but for me, I’ve found that it really helps me connect with each student in a more personal way than lecture does and gets the student to be more open about their work. I believe it’s something I will continue to do as long as I am behind the desk.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Time Time Time for Finals
What is everyone doing for their Final Exams in ENG 110 this semester? I'm curious to what each instructor does to conclude their coursework.
The inclass essay seems too obvious. Other than a chance for reflection on the semester, what else is this paper offering to them or us?
I've thought of using the class debate. If you can find the right subject, you can really get a class fueled up...that is, as long as you don't teach an 8:00 a.m. class.
Just turn in their final paper and leave? That sounds too much like what you would do in an upper-leverl course.
I think I'm going to take Dr. Cadle's advice from class this morning and go with the oral presentation. We've spent quite a bit of time on this last paper. They've had 2 workshops and a one-on-one conference with me, so I know that most of them have put a lot of time and thought into this paper, so a chance to show the rest of the class what they've done, to showcase themselves so to speak, sounds like something they've come to deserve.
Has anyone done the oral presentaion during the semester or as a final project? I'm wondering how most Freshmen will react to being told they have to talk about their papers for 5 minutes. Even if they don't want to do it, I still think it will be a good experience for them. God knows how many times you have to present your findings to the class as you advance through your college years.
The inclass essay seems too obvious. Other than a chance for reflection on the semester, what else is this paper offering to them or us?
I've thought of using the class debate. If you can find the right subject, you can really get a class fueled up...that is, as long as you don't teach an 8:00 a.m. class.
Just turn in their final paper and leave? That sounds too much like what you would do in an upper-leverl course.
I think I'm going to take Dr. Cadle's advice from class this morning and go with the oral presentation. We've spent quite a bit of time on this last paper. They've had 2 workshops and a one-on-one conference with me, so I know that most of them have put a lot of time and thought into this paper, so a chance to show the rest of the class what they've done, to showcase themselves so to speak, sounds like something they've come to deserve.
Has anyone done the oral presentaion during the semester or as a final project? I'm wondering how most Freshmen will react to being told they have to talk about their papers for 5 minutes. Even if they don't want to do it, I still think it will be a good experience for them. God knows how many times you have to present your findings to the class as you advance through your college years.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
What is considered "Fair" in grading?
We are all getting to that point in the semester where we have to start thinking about the grades we are going to give to each student, which means that we have to also start dealing with the stress of rationalizing to ourselves each student's grade.
I've been contemplating in my head over and over again, the concept of "fair grading." If every student attended every class meeting, had their workshop drafts done on time, and generally participated, then "fair" would be a much easier concept to grasp. But, alas, it never happens that way. We sometimes find ourselves pulling for certain students that display high levels of effort and at other times feeling somewhat ambivalent towards those students who do not attend class regularly or do all their work in a timely manner.
And I believe it's fine and palpable that effort and particpation should play a part in our grading. But to what extent should it be taken into consideration? Where do we draw the line that this student's grade should be raised and another student's lowerd based on factors outside of the work they have turned in? Do these somewhat external forces come into play only if a student is on the cusp, where a grade could easily go either way? Or are there circumstances to where a whole letter grade (a strong B to an A or a strong B to a C) can be changed outside of the grade the student got on each paper?
I have a student who has consistently turned in quality papers which appear well thought out, have a clear voice, and very few grammatical problems, but this student also has missed a substantial amount of class. When this student does show up, it is usually about 15-20 minutes after class has started and he just plops down in a chair and does nothing.
So what is "fair" in this situation? Give him an A because his papers were good? Give him a B because he is never in class? What about the other students that have rarely, if ever, missed class? If I grade this other student strictly on his papers, does that mean I have to do that with all the other students? If I take effort and participation into account, do I have to do it across the board, to every student? What's fair? Does it have to be fair? Can we/Should we grade each student on a completely individual basis?
I wonder.
I've been contemplating in my head over and over again, the concept of "fair grading." If every student attended every class meeting, had their workshop drafts done on time, and generally participated, then "fair" would be a much easier concept to grasp. But, alas, it never happens that way. We sometimes find ourselves pulling for certain students that display high levels of effort and at other times feeling somewhat ambivalent towards those students who do not attend class regularly or do all their work in a timely manner.
And I believe it's fine and palpable that effort and particpation should play a part in our grading. But to what extent should it be taken into consideration? Where do we draw the line that this student's grade should be raised and another student's lowerd based on factors outside of the work they have turned in? Do these somewhat external forces come into play only if a student is on the cusp, where a grade could easily go either way? Or are there circumstances to where a whole letter grade (a strong B to an A or a strong B to a C) can be changed outside of the grade the student got on each paper?
I have a student who has consistently turned in quality papers which appear well thought out, have a clear voice, and very few grammatical problems, but this student also has missed a substantial amount of class. When this student does show up, it is usually about 15-20 minutes after class has started and he just plops down in a chair and does nothing.
So what is "fair" in this situation? Give him an A because his papers were good? Give him a B because he is never in class? What about the other students that have rarely, if ever, missed class? If I grade this other student strictly on his papers, does that mean I have to do that with all the other students? If I take effort and participation into account, do I have to do it across the board, to every student? What's fair? Does it have to be fair? Can we/Should we grade each student on a completely individual basis?
I wonder.
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