Standards-Based Grading can be crazy, but it’s something been completely thrown into and have to accept 🙂 It’s not so bad on the teacher end once you get started with it. It’s just very individualized. And can be quite a lot of work.
A few days ago, I had my students turn in their My Name/My Family Crest assignments. For these, students researched information on their last names, created two unique symbols for their families, and wrote a paragraph on the back side explaining what they drew, why, and what they learned.
I decided to assess the students formatively (practice) on clear and coherent writing, meaning that their ideas had to be clear and understandable, make sense, have few errors, and communicate ideas effectively.
After grading them (this was my first major grading–and fully independent!) I realized that Standards-Based Grading is really awesome for students. The feedback is so individualized and specific. Students know exactly where they are struggling and what areas they are doing well in.
Here are some of my students’ crests:
The amount of feedback for each is quite a lot, especially for only a paragraph, but that’s what makes SBG so crazy and awesome. I am so happy I’ve been able to get my feed wet with this grading system. Though it can be frustrating and definitely challenging, I do see the benefits.
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