Resources
Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing & Grading in the Differentiated Classroom, Rick Wormeli. Stenhouse Publishers. Portland, Maine. 2006.
My Quick Takes:
My Quick Takes:
- I haven't graded homework in years. I always that it would skew a student's grade compared to what they were demonstrating on a quiz or test. Turns out that I was right. (This doesn't happen often so let me soak this one in.)
- No extra credit. See above.
- Allow students to revise work. This is pretty new to me in the math world, but it makes total sense.
- Group grading needs to be avoided. I could never create a way to be sure that each member was doing their own work anyways.
- A few years ago, the great Connie Metz explained to me why putting zeros in your grade book made no sense. It hit me like a ton of bricks, something I should have realized being a math teacher and all.
- Appropriate and timely student feedback is essential, something I'm always trying to work on.
- Student tasks should all start at on-grade level. Then after feedback has been collected, a teacher can work down or up depending on the performance of each student.
The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching By Exploring the Biology of Learning, James E. Zull. Stylus Publishing. Sterling , Virginia. 2002.
My Quick Takes:
My Quick Takes:
- People want to learn but no outside forces will make someone learn. The learner needs to "feel she is in control".
- The loss of control makes the learner be less motivated to learn, focusing on the reward (Honor Roll, money for good grades, getting into a good college) rather than the learning itself.
- Prior knowledge is the beginning of new knowledge.
- Practice IS important and is necessary biologically.
- Making learning visual is key. - This is also a main component in Best Practices.
- Reflection is the key to making connections.
- Learners need to test their ideas. This will reinforce prior knowledge and (in my opinion) build confidence.
- Stories help with memory. We are using more "problem solving" -type activities because of Best Practices. It helps kids make a connection to concepts, creates purpose, and gives students chance to store the ideas in their long term memory.
Other resources
- Home page picture of Wrigley Field, Summer of 2014, by Mark Pogact
- CVU Baseball Pictures by Greg Duggan, www.cvubaseball.weebly.com
- Picture by The Ole Ballgame, www.theoleballgame.com
- Best Practices,
- The CVU Math Department - specifically Coach Monica Carter, Julie St. Martin, and Carly Rivard
- Coach Emily Rinkema & Coach Stan "It's in the Can" Williams