Report Cards =)

Oh report cards! What can I say about report cards?! Well first off they do a great job of showing you a grade, but that’s all they really do. You add up all the scores and divide by the amount of tests taken and assign that number a letter grade equivalent and call it a day. In my opinion what is more important than the “final letter grade” is the overall improvement or progress the student has made since day one. Although the grade is what counts, its not all that counts. The child who has went from barely a D to a C+ or a B- is just as note worthy as the student who has maintained an A+ all year long. I don’t see the use of report cards becoming obsolete any time soon however, I do think that some new methods of grading need to be implemented!

Standardized Testing

Luckily, my standardized testing score were always above average. In grammar school I frequently receive honor roll and was recognized for having an above average reading level. In high school I have to admit I did rather poorly. I simply didn’t apply myself. However, my SAT’S would have told you otherwise. I did very well on my SATS which really wasn’t a reflection of how I was actually doing in school. I chalked it up to being a good test taker. Since I seemed to excel at reading and English I always blew through those parts of the test with ease. When it came to math, now that was another story. I feel that standardized testing is a double edged sword. I can prove to be both detrimental or beneficial to a school in terms of title 1 funding etc… To be quite honest, I don’t think that the testing scores should be calculated into the equation when the BOE is deciding on what schools/ districts get what funding.

Essay Tests VS. Multiple Choice Tests

I will incorporate both types of tests in my future classroom. However, you need to be conscious of the fact that some students are not necessarily good test takers or writers. By combining both types on each test each student gets a fair shot. Multiple choice questions allow the student to do a process of elimination if they are unsure of the correct answer (they have a 25% chance at getting the question right.) Whereas if your test is entirely essay and your students don’t know the answer they will just leave it blank and receive no credit.

Portfolios

I think that Portfolios are a great tool for both students and teachers to use. When used and maintained correctly they can show students/ parents/ teachers/ administrators exactly what progress the student has made and what they have “been up to” lately. It can be used as a way to monitor a student’s writing proficiency as well as keep track of their “best work.” They can be actively involved in the creation and maintenance of the portfolio by letting them to select and revise their best work as well as present their portfolios to their parents. By allowing them to take part in this process you are also allowing them to critique themselves; to decide what areas are in need of improvement, what areas are strengths, what areas are weaknesses, and how much they have improved since day one.