Grading: What does 63% mean to you?

If you are a long-ish time reader to my blog, you know grading is one of my soapbox items.  It seems like a basic concept, but something that is still so difficult to agree upon.  Ultimately grades are about communication: Communication between teacher and student about levels of proficiency on skills.  Communication between the school and families to let families know how successful the child is on specific skills.

I tutor a number of students outside of my school. One of the students I tutor recently got a 63% on her test.

What does a 63% communicate?  Does that mean she got 63% of the questions correct?  Did she know 63% of the material?  What do you think this test looked like when she got it back? This test covered quadratics, factoring, and similar concepts. We had been working on these skills pretty extensively and she was rightfully disappointed in her grade.  I was confused since I felt she was pretty solid on these skills.

The student that received this score is very knowledgeable in math, but like many students starting algebra, she is losing her confidence in her abilities.  This confidence took another hit when she scored a 63% on a math test.

Would you be surprised to know that this student actually knew the learning standards being taught? She could explain the process on how to factor quadratic equations. She could apply special rules for differences of squares.  She knew rules for sums and differences of perfect cubes.

Yet she got a 63% on the test.

Why?  Because the questions responses were either ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’  Despite showing her work (as was required by the directions), each question was scored based on the final answer.  No credit was given for correct steps. Here is a sample of some of her errors:

She misread her handwriting from one line to the next, turning a 7 turned into a 1.  Instead of a final answer of 4x²+3x+7, she wrote 4x²+3x+1. The question was marked incorrect and no credit was earned.

She was building a binomial picture with bars and squares to show (2x+3)(x+2) . When she finished her picture she forgot to put 1s in two of the boxes.  Instead of getting the correct answer of 2x²+7x+6 she got 2x²+7x+4.  The question was marked incorrect and no credit was earned.

When we went over the test we talked about attention to detail and how she lost a total of 7.5 points out of 20. Six of the points were due to attention to detail, an executive function skill.  Only 1.5 of the points lost were from a lack of math knowledge.

So as these grades and then report cards come home, what do the marks tell us about our child’s learning and acquisition of knowledge? Do the grades reflect what is known, or are the grades including other soft skills such as executive function? 

Running for the Children of Nationwide Children's Hospital

Hello friends and family,

In 2015 I ran my first marathon and dedicated it to the Hospice and Homecare of Nationwide Children's Hospital, running as a Children's Champion.

Back then 26 miles was the furthest I'd ever run.  Since then, as many of you know, I have run plenty of miles and raised money for other great organizations, but for a number of reasons none of the miles seemed to line up with the date of the Columbus Marathon.  This year is no exception.

Still, I felt the calling to help the children at Nationwide Children's Hospital.... so rather than wait until the stars align for the marathon,  I decided to dedicate another run to this great cause.

I'm writing to tell you I've decided to do something bold in June - I will be attempting my first 100 kilometer (62 mile) run.  Once again I will dedicate my run to the Hospice and Homecare program at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

I have set a goal of raising $1000 by June 10th.  These funds would go to helping the children in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Hospice and Homecare program.

100% of the funds raised will be donated to this program.  All donations are 100% tax deductible.

As always, I have included some incentive levels for your consideration:

$10 - A thank you e-mail and summary of the event.  I will also include periodic emails about my training and the crazy miles I am running.

$25 - All of the $10 incentives, plus you get to come run with me virtually! Suggest a song and I will add it to my play list. You'll be with me for that part of my run!  For those that have done this before, if you donate $25 or more, I will include all the songs you previously suggested!

$50 - A hand written thank you, you can choose 2 songs to add to my playlist, and I will send you a 4x6 photo of a memory from the event as well. Additionally, you will receive a complimentary one-month subscription to the bronze level of the Reality Bites Training Accountability group.

$62 (a dollar a mile) or more - All of the incentives above, plus you will be a naming sponsor for one of my 5-mile loops! What does this mean? I'll have 13 spaces numbered on my arms - and your name will be on one of them!

There are two easy ways to donate:

a) Click here and donate on my personal page by clicking on the orange 'donate now' button:

      My Personal Fundraising Page

b) Download this form and mail in with your donation. If you do this, please e-mail me and let me know so I can thank you as I will not get a notification:

      PDF to donate to my run

Please consider joining me as we invest in the lives of these children.

Thank you,

Michael

The Ripcord Behavior Management System

How do students in your school find a safe place when they are emotionally overwhelmed?  Our school has a system called ripcord.

The ripcord system is based on parachutes.  When you jump out of a plane, you have to pull your ripcord to have a safe landing.

Similarly, ripcord is what you pull when you are overwhelmed emotionally.  Usually it is due to an overwhelming emotion such as anger or sadness, but it could be for any reason you do not feel emotionally safe in a classroom.

When a student feels like this, they always have the option to 'pull their ripcord.'  We talked to the students about situations this may happen - it could be because they are angry, upset, or just about to make a bad choice.  We also talk about timing: Just like a real ripcord on a parachute, a ripcord only works if you pull it at the right time: Pull it too late and it isn't an effective tool. We start to help the student connect their personal signals (tears pooling up, clenched fists, gritting teeth) as to when they need to pull their ripcord.

We explain where these emotions come from.  Students hear about the amygdala and how it 'flairs' when you feel threatened even when you really aren't in danger. If you perceive a threat, the amygdala goes into action.  This takes rational thinking away and leaves the student with just instinctive responses.  The goal of ripcord is for students to calm their mind down (relax their amygdala) to a point where they can talk to an adult about what is bothering them.

When students choose to pull their ripcord, they get a ripcord form from a designated space in the classroom.  Each classroom has a space for this since it is a school-wide management system.  Students then take some time to complete the form.  They may do it in the classroom, outside in the hall, or in an office.

The form consists of two main parts:

• I am feeling ... because ...
• My plan is to ... 

Students can write words, draw pictures, or use a combination to get their feelings and thoughts down.  For younger grades, we also include a feelings chart so they can circle faces.

After a student completes the form, they talk to an adult - it could be the school counselor, department head, their advisor, or other trusted person in the school.  This person then helps the student decide if they are ready to return to the classroom or if further discussion or action is needed.

This system gives all the members of our school a common way to take a break without fear of getting in trouble.  It also makes students accountable for returning to the problem (not avoiding it) and coming up with a solution.

Save the Penguins!

Hello, Readers!

I'm sorry it has been so long. Things have been crazy here on both a personal/family as well as a  professional level.  I decided to take a few weeks away from blogging since blogging became more of a chore 'have to' instead of a craving 'want to' thing.

Still, that didn't mean great things weren't happening.  I've gotten to teach a number of amazing lessons and have had so much success in the classroom.   Here was one of my absolutely favorite take aways from the past month.

In science, we had been studying Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer.  As a final project, students were challenged to create a "Penguin Vacation Paradise."  For this, students would build a structure to protect an ice cubed penguin from the natural paradise environment.

This is based on this fantastic lesson located here: Save The Penguins, Auburn University.

Students were given supplies and a budget.  We did some preliminary labs and demonstrations to make observations of different types of insulators and conductors.  From there they created their first structure.

Material cost list.  Definitely something I reflected on after the activity.

Students weighed their penguins and then placed them in paradise for 20 minutes.  After returning from paradise, the penguins were re-weighed.  Students then calculated the total mass lost and the percent of loss based on the original value.  Students calculated the total cost of the structure based on given values, and then added 20% for the retail cost.  They then had to create a argumentative paragraph explaining why their structure was the best option.

Here are some pictures of the activities:

 Paradise gets heated up 

Comparison of the two temperatures - inside and outside paradise. 

The first prototypes go in.

As my science partner and I were developing this, we realized it would be a perfect showcase for parents to come in and observe.  We invited family members to the classes and had a great turn out.  Students presented their results, explained their math, and talked about the different types of energy interactions they learned about.

A student's display of work - data, charts, calculating total cost, and a persuasive paragraph!

They were amazing with their use of vocabulary and explanation of procedures.  I would say how proud I was of all of them, but they were truly proud of themselves... and really isn't that my purpose in all of this?