| Topic: |
Sociology > Education |
| User: |
"Mark Shapiro" |
| Date: |
15 Dec 2003 08:48:55 PM |
| Object: |
Grading Standards That Students Can Understand. |
....For more years than I care to say I've been telling students in my
literature classes that an A demonstrates excellence; a B "suggests"
excellence; a C demonstrates competence; a D "suggests" incompetence; and
that an F demonstrates incompetence. And during the years when course
syllabi increasingly had the look of legal contracts - which meant that
deans reminded professors to make sure that they spelled out, in precise
terms, what their attendance policies were, and what the penalty for missing
classes was -- I was sure that my grading policy was crystal clear.
Unfortunately, it wasn't, largely because "excellence" is one of those
fighting words - for students as well as many on the faculty. Who's to
say, the new mantra holds, what "excellence" is? Isn't it rather like
beauty -- that is, in the eye of the beholder. Moreover, if the "beholder"
in the case of grading, is a professor, isn't there something subjective --
indeed entirely arbitrary -- in the process. ...
Read how guest commentator Sanford Pinsker presents his grading standards in
a way that every student can understand (and football fans will appreciate)
at:
http://irascibleprofessor.com/comments-12-16-03.htm
Sincerely,
--
Dr. Mark H. Shapiro
Editor and Publisher
The Irascible Professor
http://irascibleprofessor.com
.
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| User: "H. Reader" |
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| Title: Re: Grading Standards That Students Can Understand. |
17 Dec 2003 02:09:54 AM |
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"Mark Shapiro" <mshapiro2@nospm-adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:rouDb.2094$9s.781631@news3.news.adelphia.net...
...For more years than I care to say I've been telling students in my
literature classes that an A demonstrates excellence; a B "suggests"
excellence; a C demonstrates competence; a D "suggests" incompetence; and
that an F demonstrates incompetence. And during the years when course
syllabi increasingly had the look of legal contracts - which meant that
deans reminded professors to make sure that they spelled out, in precise
terms, what their attendance policies were, and what the penalty for
missing
classes was -- I was sure that my grading policy was crystal clear.
Unfortunately, it wasn't, largely because "excellence" is one of those
fighting words - for students as well as many on the faculty. Who's to
say, the new mantra holds, what "excellence" is? Isn't it rather like
beauty -- that is, in the eye of the beholder. Moreover, if the
"beholder"
in the case of grading, is a professor, isn't there something
subjective --
indeed entirely arbitrary -- in the process. ...
Being subjective isn't necessarily to be arbitrary. And being
subjective is in many ways the entire point of teaching, isn't it?
Aren't professors hired precisely for their subjectivity; that
is, for their knowledge, judgment, ability to evaluate the
knowledge and performance of students ....?
.
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| User: "Mark Shapiro" |
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| Title: Re: Grading Standards That Students Can Understand. |
18 Dec 2003 08:24:34 AM |
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I believe that is part of the point that Sanford makes in his commentary.
However, he tries to explain how he makes his decisions in a way that
students can relate to.
--
Dr. Mark H. Shapiro
Editor and Publisher
The Irascible Professor
http://irascibleprofessor.com
"H. Reader" <history.reader@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:mbUDb.12933$G9.10963@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
"Mark Shapiro" <mshapiro2@nospm-adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:rouDb.2094$9s.781631@news3.news.adelphia.net...
...For more years than I care to say I've been telling students in my
literature classes that an A demonstrates excellence; a B "suggests"
excellence; a C demonstrates competence; a D "suggests" incompetence;
and
that an F demonstrates incompetence. And during the years when course
syllabi increasingly had the look of legal contracts - which meant that
deans reminded professors to make sure that they spelled out, in precise
terms, what their attendance policies were, and what the penalty for
missing
classes was -- I was sure that my grading policy was crystal clear.
Unfortunately, it wasn't, largely because "excellence" is one of those
fighting words - for students as well as many on the faculty. Who's to
say, the new mantra holds, what "excellence" is? Isn't it rather like
beauty -- that is, in the eye of the beholder. Moreover, if the
"beholder"
in the case of grading, is a professor, isn't there something
subjective --
indeed entirely arbitrary -- in the process. ...
Being subjective isn't necessarily to be arbitrary. And being
subjective is in many ways the entire point of teaching, isn't it?
Aren't professors hired precisely for their subjectivity; that
is, for their knowledge, judgment, ability to evaluate the
knowledge and performance of students ....?
.
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