Blog Post #6

Scoring Procedures in Writing Classes

I loved (and, let's admit it, still love) getting papers back from my teachers and professors. All the work I put into writing pages and pages of words had finally been looked at and given a numeric or letter value. It always felt really satisfying to see the red ink with the score at the top and the teacher's comments scribbled on the sides. Except getting scores back on papers was... Confusing. Inexact. Arbitrary. 

I do not remember ever receiving a rubric or grading scale for papers I wrote in either high school or college. Projects had rubrics, but papers did not. I never knew quite what the instructors were looking for. I was a skilled enough writer that I went on the assumption that I would be able to look at the teacher's feedback and revise my draft for an A or high B as my final grade. Struggling classmates, on the other hand, did not have that luxury and many assumed that they were bad writers, or worse, not smart. 

Scores Effects on Improving Quality

I always took the time to look at my grades, read teacher and peer feedback and revise accordingly, so my grades helped me know where to improve. If I received a grade I deemed low, I would use it to motivate myself to do better next time or on the next draft. I took feedback seriously in my writing. Scores enhanced my writing because they always felt encouraging to me. Because I felt like I had a good foundation and was a solid writer, I was comfortable enough to take risks. However, I understand that this is not everyone's experience. For some, grades would have the opposite effect and feel very discouraging. Having clearer expectations for what the teacher was looking for would have helped many a struggling student instead of the frustration of seeing a low grade written on the top of their papers with little understanding as to why that was the grade they received.

Experiences as a Composition Instructor 

I have no experience teaching composition, but I do have some apprehension. Some of my concerns include wanting to make sure that my expectations are clear; I want to present a fair, valid and appropriate way to score all written work that does not hold bias in any direction. I want to assign work in a way that helps students believe that they can complete the work and excel. My hope is that I do not bring discouragement or unrealistic expectations, causing students to feel hopeless.

The Roles of Formal Assessment 

To be perfectly honest, as an educator, I struggle with formal assessment. My curriculum (for Spanish I and II) uses a test generator with questions that do not line up with the textbook's style of teaching. So my first thought is that the assessment needs to be double checked for validity and reliability. Obviously a writing class will have a different type of assessment, and I (hopefully) will not have to worry about poorly constructed multiple choice exams when I teach my own composition course, but my current experience will remind me to consider my assessments carefully. 

Assessments should motivate students to put their best efforts forth in their writing and encourage them to think critically and carefully as they revise and edit their work. Assessments should not be given just for the sake of giving them. They should have a clear purpose with clear guidelines and expectations.

Alternative Assessment Options

I am not very familiar with alternative assessment options like portfolios except as an assessment for an art class. However, I think a portfolio is a wonderful way for a student to show what he or she has learned over the duration of the course. It showcases a student's mastery of different genres and writing styles, giving a clearer and broader picture of what a student can accomplish with his or her words. 

In all, I believe that assessments are good ways to help students understand which areas they need to improve upon, but they only work well if the grading criteria are clear and easy to understand.