How
do you feel about rubrics. Kohn is clearly in the minority, as rubrics have
become a mainstay in schools of education. Will this article change how you use
rubrics in your professional practice?
I have mixed feelings about rubrics. They can be both a good thing and a bad. I like them because it sets the foundation for an assignment and shows exactly what a teacher expects the student to do to get a good grade. The bad part about rubrics is it also holds students back and does not allow them to put forth all of their effort on assignments. Students see exactly what they need to get an A, so they do the bare minimum to get that A. It kind of holds the student back. This article does definitely make me think twice about using a rubric. I think it may be helpful to allow students to aid in creating the rubrics, that way they can be more involved in the assignment. I also do not think a rubric should be too specific. I would prefer using a vague rubric in my future career as a teacher to allow room for student exploration on assignments.
I, like Breck, have mixed feelings about rubrics. As an elementary teacher, I was asked to use rubrics that had been created by my grade-level team for certain student assignments and projects, and I ended up not using them as time moved forward for a few reasons. One of them being that since the rubrics were already created, they did not take into account my individual students, or what I really wanted them to gain from the project/assignment. I couldn't bring myself to use: "I wrote neatly" to help decide on a grade for my students, especially those who struggle with handwriting. What does good handwriting have to do with a project about China? Perhaps rubrics help teachers decide on grades for students a bit more efficiently, but at what expense? I liked Kohn's point about rubrics actually being used to legitimize grades versus helping to make learning and assessment more authentic. I liked Breck's idea of having individual students help you come up with the rubrics that would be used to help evaluate their assigments. In this way, individual learning needs can be taken into account. -Bernadette
Bernadette, I love your comment about what handwriting has to do with China. That is so true. I always thought it was interesting to see handwriting on a rubric as part of the students' grade. Totally ridiculous if you ask me. And I also think it is a good idea to have students come up with a rubric on how they will be graded along with you instead of using a rubric created by another teacher a few years prior. It just doesn't make sense. I will say that as a college student I love rubrics because I am a perfectionist and I want to know what my grade will be based on, but for elementary students I do think it is a little crazy to have a rubric for every single assignment. In the article they gave the example of the uninterested student who asked if there would be a rubric for the assignment. The class had become so used to having a rubric for literally everything. I think that if you do that you are setting them up to only think inside this little box you have created. I do think that if students get so accustomed to rubrics they will not be willing to take risks and think "outside the box", which in the end is something we want to encourage and foster. I think there should be rubrics- but for meaningful assignments like projects and your students should help you create them so that they have an input on what they will be assessed on. -Alison Greci
I thought that Kohn's view of rubrics was a little harsh at times. I think that using a rubric does not always imply that teachers do not take into consideration their own personal opinions on the work they are grading. I think rubrics should be a guideline of sorts because I agree that the sum of all these parts does not equal quality--but they DO contribute to it. In my opinion, rubrics become an issue when they are the only form of assessment a teacher uses and they use it constantly. Especially if students know this, it can be very overwhelming. On the other hand, I do think that they provide an organized way to grade and that is very beneficial to teachers. Ideally, class sizes would be smaller and teachers would have the time to devote to personal/individualized grading--however, the current state of our education system doesn't allow for this (well without teachers already overworking themselves more than they already do.) When used with a grain of salt, I don't perceive rubrics to be some dangerous grading method. Overall, I think that rubrics, and SOLs and less time devoted to resources, etc., are all just symptoms of a bigger problem in education, and I don't know how effective it is to try and for example, change assessments, when thats not the root of the problem.
I generally think rubrics are a good idea. It’s nice to have clearly defined expectations for an assignment and to have a way to self-monitor your work. To me, the purpose of a rubric is to have a guide for including all of the important pieces of an assignment, almost like a checklist. Maybe I’ve had pretty straight forward rubrics up to this point, but I’m not sure how rubrics limit students. In my experience, I have never gotten points taken off for adding in additional information or for putting a creative spin on the way I go about an assignment. Usually, points are taken off if there something missing or not done correctly. I suppose I can see the point made about students only doing the bare minimum to get the “A” once they see what they need to do, but couldn’t the same be said without a rubric? Couldn’t student still slack on assignments and use lines like: “I didn’t know I needed to that” or “Well, you didn’t tell us we had to do this.”? I do agree with what everyone is saying thus far, that a rubric should appropriately match the assignment (i.e., unlike the handwriting and China scenario) and I also think it needs to be developmentally appropriate. For example, using rubrics with preschoolers would be ridiculous. Overall, if a rubric is done correctly (matching the goal of the assignment and the target audience), I think it can be very beneficial for the person completing the assignment as well as for the teacher grading it.
Rubrics have been the focus for our school this year. They are being used in a variety of ways. It's safe to say that we have gone "rubric crazy". I appreciate rubrics in that they make it clear to students what is required in order to receive a certain grade. It's useful in providing a concrete framework for projects and other similar assignments The concern I have is in the development of the rubric and the sole relying upon the rubric as a basis for a grade. Rubrics also can hamstring a teacher when there are unique circumstances that should be considered when assessing. I think the key is to use rubrics when it is helpful in providing students with the framework for which they will be assessed and keeping the focus on what is most beneficial to the student as opposed to what is most efficient for the teacher
I think rubrics are useful in physical education and they are used to grade the students and it allows the students to understand what is expected of them. The thing I like about the rubric is that yes it is easier for me to preform and grade anywhere between 200-1000 students sports skills analysis. It also allows me to give some credit on certain sports skills and also able to justify why they might have gotten that grade. For example when shooting a basketball the four cues are BEEF (balance, elbow, eyes, follow through). If the student is doing a good job balance and elbows but don't follow through then I can give partial credit. Now I will say that after reading this article it does make me second guess rubrics a little more but I just do not know a better way to grade so many students in such a short period of time. Especially considering that if I teach at the elementary level I most likely will on see a class once a week.
I think that the rubric was an interesting assessment tool in the past but like 'my space' its time is gone. When everyone uses the same assessment tool students began to adapt to the easiest way of getting the grade they want with in the dynamic of the assessment. Kohn correctly points out that a Rubric can be used by the teacher to get him/herself a guideline for an assignment. However the framework of the assignment can be made in alternate ways for the student to receive more from the learning then working towards a rubric. The overall problem is not looking at students as individuals but trying to be 'consistent and fair.' To be fair, a teacher needs to look into as many possible assessments to give students a chance to achieve in our grade crazy society. I feel that the rubric has had it's day but as we move forward in education the minority will change to the majority in the future when it comes to assessing with a rubric.
I am all for the use of rubrics. I like knowing exactly what is expected of me and what the standards are for completion of the project/assignment. I think teacher’s benefit from the use of a rubric because it helps give some objectivity to the grading process. Both the teacher and the student are held accountable, the student knows what he/she needs to do to complete the assignment and the teacher is held to the information they required. I can definitely see where rubrics become a problem in the classroom when teachers do not consider the specific needs of a student. But honestly, I think teachers do try to meet the student where they are, even with a rubric. As long as all the points on the checklist are hit a student could be in the clear. I agree with an earlier comment that students will slack off either way. A student who wants to go above and beyond will go above and beyond whether they have a rubric or not. In my opinion it would be ridiculous to not use rubrics because students may slack off. Students who want to slack off always will and students, more often than not, just want to get the grade and have the assignment over with. That in itself maybe a problem, but the rubric allows for everyone to know what is expected and to have a checklist to measure their assignment against.
Before reading this article I was all for using rubrics. I feel that rubrics were better then using the grade scale because they let the student know what the teacher was looking for in the project. Teachers had a guide to grade the student and all the students were graded the same. Rubrics are also good to use because the teacher can give the student feed back on their project. The one part of the article that made me rethink about how i felt about rubrics was the part about how rubrics take away the risk taking part of projects. I have to agree with that part because when you following the rubric no risk are being taken. I still believe that rubrics help more then they hurt.
Kohn got a few good points about the hidden problems of rubrics. Nonetheless, I think rubrics are helpful tools to students and teachers in general. I also think that the functionality and value of rubrics depend on the users’ intentions and goals. At the end of the day, these users can utilize rubrics to maximize learning as well as minimize creativity. As all users are different, some may learn and thrive under the rubrics while some may not. I agree with the above comments on how rubrics need to be content-related and age appropriate. I also like Breck’s idea on creating rubrics with students because such collaboration can address the individual needs of students and promote their ownership in learning.
Like Marshall said, rubrics can make grading in physical education class clear cut and simple whenever teaching sports skills for analysis. I like using rubrics for these skills at the middle and high school level because this is when I believe students should be performing specific skills correctly. At the elementary level I believe its more important to provide the cues and work on feedback with the students so they do not become frustrated with the skill or sport. I want my students to perform skills with correct form, but at the same time I would like to challenge my students and say "If you think you can perform this skill a different way, then practice it outside of class and show me that you are more successful". This way I can encourage my students to activity outside of class and when they can show me their different way of executing a skill and its more successful, I will not take points off. Rubrics will be guidelines in my classroom, but its up to the student to follow them or think individually and to work at what works best for them.
Kohn's article absolutely changed my thinking about rubrics. As I previously envisioned grading papers, I figured I would have a detailed rubric at my side to make my decisions about a student's writing easier and objective.
I do think, however, that Kohn's critique may be especially pertinent for English teachers grading papers about themes and less so for those in other disciplines. In a science class, for example, it is essential that when a student writes about an experiment he or she performed that their paper adheres to certain guidelines. The basic philosophy of science demands that researchers explain their methods, present their data using statistics, and discuss how their results do or do not enhance our understanding of something. By first explaining why science is done in this manner and then giving students a rubric so that they can easily apply that understanding when they write about their own experiment, they learn how science works.
Melanie Woods: I think that rubrics can be a good tool if they are used thoughtfully. For me, the most thought provoking aspect of Kohn's article was the overall thinking on how assessments in general cause individuals to be focused on achievement rather than learning. This raises bigger questions than rubrics. Is there some other way to assess student learning in order to plan appropriate teaching without making comparative judgements about the learning that is taking place? As for my own personal use of rubrics, since I will be working in a system that requires me to assign grades, I will probably use them in some form. I think that it is possible to create a rubric that still leaves room for subjectivity and individual learning needs. For example, other people have mentioned the practice of having the student him/herself create the rubric. This allows the project to be individualized while still retaining the goal setting benefits of a traditional rubric. Also, why not add an "above and beyond" section of a rubric, in which the student is encouraged to personalize their project in ways not specified by the teacher? I think that rubrics can be a useful tool for both teachers and students but that they should be limited to just that: tools for guidance rather than a list of project rules.
It was interesting reading this article because throughout my experience in this program, rubrics have always been looked at as a positive thing. Many of my professors have used rubrics in our courses, and it always gave me some sort of comfort. I knew what the professor was expecting, therefore was able to receive a good grade on the assignment. I have never looked at rubrics in a negative way, but there are always two sides! I believe that rubrics are positive for children because it clearly defines what the teacher is expecting. It limits questions of “should I do this” or “I am not sure what he/she is expecting”. I personally know how frustrating it is to not know what the teacher is expecting because we strive to get good grades. Stepping back from my positive experience with rubrics, I can see why they can be looked at negatively. It is very possible that a rubric will hold a student back from achieving their best. The student could have so much more potential than the rubric asks for, but stops there because that’s all they need to receive a good grade. I like the idea of students being able to accomplish their personal best, but maybe with some guidelines. As stated in the article, rubrics should not drive instruction; “As long as the rubric is only one of several sources, as long as it doesn’t drive the instruction, it could conceivably play a constructive role.”
Unlike Kohn, I actually like rubrics. I like them because it tells me what the teacher is looking for and, what are the minimum expectations for me to get my desired grade. Even though some people think that having a rubric will make students be less likely to take risk, I found that to be the opposite in my academics. I’ll admit that some of it may have to do with my personality and my work ethic, but if I’m going to spend the time to do a project I’m going to make it great. I will say also that I have a had teachers that supported my taking risks, which all of us should do if we choose to use rubrics or not.
I will most likely use rubrics in my classroom because I feel like they are a valuable tool for assessment. I understand Kohn’s points, in my future classroom I want to create an environment where everyone is comfortable with taking risk and giving every assignment their best work. I believe that students will be willing to do this if the know that the rubric is not an academic death certificate, but rather just a sheet of paper that makes sure you’ve covered the necessities of the assignment. There should always be room for creativity and academic exploration.
I agree with Stacy in that our entire time in this program. We have had rubrics for our own work, as well as created rubrics for lessons that we have created. When I think about assignments I have done and been given a rubric for, I solely look at what is the most expected of me and then create my assignment based on the rubric for which I can earn the best grade. Because of this, I don't feel like I make adequate effort to go beyond what is being required of me. I think that this would have a negative impact of my students as well. I do however, feel that rubrics help reduce the amount of subjectivity and may be a possibility as to why so many teachers use rubrics routinely. Until reading this article, I had never thought of rubrics in this way and it is helpful to read articles that go against what we normally think of something as to open our minds to all the possibilities. -Shaina Parm
Nick Zubieta I must say that I personally am all about rubrics, this is the best way to get students to understand what is expected of them and how their work will be assessed. These extremely helpful to teachers so that they know what are the most important parts the assignments that are being assigned; but as many people have been saying, rubrics must be appropriate to their population. They can be negative and stifle students when they are not content-related and not appropriate for the grade level of the student. I am not a big fan of the idea that rubrics are used to turn schools into “test-preparatory factory” but one cannot be graded unless they know what they will be scored on. I also do not like to think of it creativity stifling but there are different ways to incorporate creativity while following guidelines.
It seems as though Kohn has an “all or nothing approach”- using rubrics stifles creativity and therefore you should not use them. But, I am wondering if it is possible to have a balance when using rubrics? I will preface this by saying my only experience with rubrics has been with graduate students, and they seemed to work very well. I had items for the required content that was included in the syllabus, but then there were also areas on the rubric for creativity and how someone perhaps approached the assignment or issue at hand or were able to tell a compelling story. Is it possible that rubrics could have a blend of the objective and subjective? -Caren Putzu
I am also all for rubrics. I like knowing what to expect, what is required, and I find them useful for planning out how to manage my time with a project. I can see how some may see rubrics as limiting and placing a ceiling of sorts on students. Typical rubrics do set limits which in turn simplify grading. For teachers with 30 students in a class, this is a big deal. Before writing this response, I glanced through a few of the other responses here and there before scrolling to the end. Now as I write, I happen to glance at Caren's post directly above and realize we have similar ideas- perhaps there is a way to continue to use rubrics without making them rigid. Teachers should challenge themselves to find a way to simplify grading (if that's what they find attractive about rubrics) and still foster intelligent creativity and individuality in their students' work samples. -Ali Southard
I find rubrics to be both a blessing and at times just a hassle. I feel as if, and I say if rubrics are used correctly they can definitely help us as the teacher to assess our students knowledge at a deeper and in a more concentrated manner. And then the students are also able to review their work and are able to really see what they have missed or need to correct for future assignments. However I think s huge part of rubrics and using them is the formation of them because one rubric format will not and can not fit every assignment and its criteria. On the other hand I think rubrics can become restraining and restrictive to a student's creativity and personal expression by using a rubric that ultimately does have parameters to what is expected and what type of work is needed to receive full credit. Therefore I think some students could struggle a little with putting more of their own expression and creativity into an assignment worried whether or not it fits into the rubrics "A+" criteria! -Jackie Snow
As a student it has always been easy for me to think of rubrics as helpful. They describe exactly what you need to do to get a good grade on an assignment. However, I also think they encourage doing the bare minimum. When there are specific guidelines for how to do an assignment, it is hard to think outIide of the box and work creatively with an assignment. Teachers should help students achieve, but also let them be creative with their work.
I agree with Ali. As a student I find rubrics very helpful in knowing what to expect and what to aim for in my assignment. I can aslo see how they can be limiting but I think if the teacher sets up the rubric correctly, there can still be room for creativity and individuality. If there were no rubrics, I am sure there would be some students who go above and beyond and really get into the project, although unfortunately there are also students who would not even complete the bare minimum. Rubrics are a great platform for student to explain what needs to completed and specific things they should be looking out for.
In recent years, with the pressures of school and grades weighing more heavily on my as time goes on, I've looked for ways to lessen the pressure. In a lot of ways, lessening the pressure has meant looking for short cuts on assignments that, honestly, I haven't really cared about. Rubrics have always been the thing that I looked at to cut those corners. Most of the time when I'm given a rubric, I do what I need to do so that there is no way the teacher could NOT give me the A. This doesn't always mean that I've given it the ol' college try (I guess it technically is the ol' college try, but what ever), but that I've half-assed my way to the dean's list. It's a shame that this system leaves room for things like this to define excellence. I've trained myself to not think for myself when I'm working on an assignment with a rubric. It's the projects that require me to think and show effort that I am proud of. Those are the classes and projects that I force me to learn and grow. We need more of that freedom.
I have mixed feelings about rubrics. They can be both a good thing and a bad. I like them because it sets the foundation for an assignment and shows exactly what a teacher expects the student to do to get a good grade. The bad part about rubrics is it also holds students back and does not allow them to put forth all of their effort on assignments. Students see exactly what they need to get an A, so they do the bare minimum to get that A. It kind of holds the student back. This article does definitely make me think twice about using a rubric. I think it may be helpful to allow students to aid in creating the rubrics, that way they can be more involved in the assignment. I also do not think a rubric should be too specific. I would prefer using a vague rubric in my future career as a teacher to allow room for student exploration on assignments.
ReplyDelete--Breck Ricca
I, like Breck, have mixed feelings about rubrics. As an elementary teacher, I was asked to use rubrics that had been created by my grade-level team for certain student assignments and projects, and I ended up not using them as time moved forward for a few reasons. One of them being that since the rubrics were already created, they did not take into account my individual students, or what I really wanted them to gain from the project/assignment. I couldn't bring myself to use: "I wrote neatly" to help decide on a grade for my students, especially those who struggle with handwriting. What does good handwriting have to do with a project about China? Perhaps rubrics help teachers decide on grades for students a bit more efficiently, but at what expense? I liked Kohn's point about rubrics actually being used to legitimize grades versus helping to make learning and assessment more authentic. I liked Breck's idea of having individual students help you come up with the rubrics that would be used to help evaluate their assigments. In this way, individual learning needs can be taken into account.
ReplyDelete-Bernadette
Bernadette, I love your comment about what handwriting has to do with China. That is so true. I always thought it was interesting to see handwriting on a rubric as part of the students' grade. Totally ridiculous if you ask me. And I also think it is a good idea to have students come up with a rubric on how they will be graded along with you instead of using a rubric created by another teacher a few years prior. It just doesn't make sense. I will say that as a college student I love rubrics because I am a perfectionist and I want to know what my grade will be based on, but for elementary students I do think it is a little crazy to have a rubric for every single assignment. In the article they gave the example of the uninterested student who asked if there would be a rubric for the assignment. The class had become so used to having a rubric for literally everything. I think that if you do that you are setting them up to only think inside this little box you have created. I do think that if students get so accustomed to rubrics they will not be willing to take risks and think "outside the box", which in the end is something we want to encourage and foster. I think there should be rubrics- but for meaningful assignments like projects and your students should help you create them so that they have an input on what they will be assessed on.
ReplyDelete-Alison Greci
I thought that Kohn's view of rubrics was a little harsh at times. I think that using a rubric does not always imply that teachers do not take into consideration their own personal opinions on the work they are grading. I think rubrics should be a guideline of sorts because I agree that the sum of all these parts does not equal quality--but they DO contribute to it.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, rubrics become an issue when they are the only form of assessment a teacher uses and they use it constantly. Especially if students know this, it can be very overwhelming. On the other hand, I do think that they provide an organized way to grade and that is very beneficial to teachers. Ideally, class sizes would be smaller and teachers would have the time to devote to personal/individualized grading--however, the current state of our education system doesn't allow for this (well without teachers already overworking themselves more than they already do.) When used with a grain of salt, I don't perceive rubrics to be some dangerous grading method. Overall, I think that rubrics, and SOLs and less time devoted to resources, etc., are all just symptoms of a bigger problem in education, and I don't know how effective it is to try and for example, change assessments, when thats not the root of the problem.
Emily Williams
I generally think rubrics are a good idea. It’s nice to have clearly defined expectations for an assignment and to have a way to self-monitor your work. To me, the purpose of a rubric is to have a guide for including all of the important pieces of an assignment, almost like a checklist. Maybe I’ve had pretty straight forward rubrics up to this point, but I’m not sure how rubrics limit students. In my experience, I have never gotten points taken off for adding in additional information or for putting a creative spin on the way I go about an assignment. Usually, points are taken off if there something missing or not done correctly. I suppose I can see the point made about students only doing the bare minimum to get the “A” once they see what they need to do, but couldn’t the same be said without a rubric? Couldn’t student still slack on assignments and use lines like: “I didn’t know I needed to that” or “Well, you didn’t tell us we had to do this.”? I do agree with what everyone is saying thus far, that a rubric should appropriately match the assignment (i.e., unlike the handwriting and China scenario) and I also think it needs to be developmentally appropriate. For example, using rubrics with preschoolers would be ridiculous. Overall, if a rubric is done correctly (matching the goal of the assignment and the target audience), I think it can be very beneficial for the person completing the assignment as well as for the teacher grading it.
Delete- Amanda Hayes
Rubrics have been the focus for our school this year. They are being used in a variety of ways. It's safe to say that we have gone "rubric crazy". I appreciate rubrics in that they make it clear to students what is required in order to receive a certain grade. It's useful in providing a concrete framework for projects and other similar assignments The concern I have is in the development of the rubric and the sole relying upon the rubric as a basis for a grade.
ReplyDeleteRubrics also can hamstring a teacher when there are unique circumstances that should be considered when assessing. I think the key is to use rubrics when it is helpful in providing students with the framework for which they will be assessed and keeping the focus on what is most beneficial to the student as opposed to what is most efficient for the teacher
~Rhonda
I think rubrics are useful in physical education and they are used to grade the students and it allows the students to understand what is expected of them. The thing I like about the rubric is that yes it is easier for me to preform and grade anywhere between 200-1000 students sports skills analysis. It also allows me to give some credit on certain sports skills and also able to justify why they might have gotten that grade. For example when shooting a basketball the four cues are BEEF (balance, elbow, eyes, follow through). If the student is doing a good job balance and elbows but don't follow through then I can give partial credit. Now I will say that after reading this article it does make me second guess rubrics a little more but I just do not know a better way to grade so many students in such a short period of time. Especially considering that if I teach at the elementary level I most likely will on see a class once a week.
ReplyDelete-Marshall
I think that the rubric was an interesting assessment tool in the past but like 'my space' its time is gone. When everyone uses the same assessment tool students began to adapt to the easiest way of getting the grade they want with in the dynamic of the assessment. Kohn correctly points out that a Rubric can be used by the teacher to get him/herself a guideline for an assignment. However the framework of the assignment can be made in alternate ways for the student to receive more from the learning then working towards a rubric. The overall problem is not looking at students as individuals but trying to be 'consistent and fair.' To be fair, a teacher needs to look into as many possible assessments to give students a chance to achieve in our grade crazy society. I feel that the rubric has had it's day but as we move forward in education the minority will change to the majority in the future when it comes to assessing with a rubric.
ReplyDeleteJohn
I am all for the use of rubrics. I like knowing exactly what is expected of me and what the standards are for completion of the project/assignment. I think teacher’s benefit from the use of a rubric because it helps give some objectivity to the grading process. Both the teacher and the student are held accountable, the student knows what he/she needs to do to complete the assignment and the teacher is held to the information they required. I can definitely see where rubrics become a problem in the classroom when teachers do not consider the specific needs of a student. But honestly, I think teachers do try to meet the student where they are, even with a rubric. As long as all the points on the checklist are hit a student could be in the clear. I agree with an earlier comment that students will slack off either way. A student who wants to go above and beyond will go above and beyond whether they have a rubric or not. In my opinion it would be ridiculous to not use rubrics because students may slack off. Students who want to slack off always will and students, more often than not, just want to get the grade and have the assignment over with. That in itself maybe a problem, but the rubric allows for everyone to know what is expected and to have a checklist to measure their assignment against.
ReplyDelete-Anise Robinson
Before reading this article I was all for using rubrics. I feel that rubrics were better then using the grade scale because they let the student know what the teacher was looking for in the project. Teachers had a guide to grade the student and all the students were graded the same. Rubrics are also good to use because the teacher can give the student feed back on their project. The one part of the article that made me rethink about how i felt about rubrics was the part about how rubrics take away the risk taking part of projects. I have to agree with that part because when you following the rubric no risk are being taken. I still believe that rubrics help more then they hurt.
ReplyDeleteAndrew J. Burton
Kohn got a few good points about the hidden problems of rubrics. Nonetheless, I think rubrics are helpful tools to students and teachers in general. I also think that the functionality and value of rubrics depend on the users’ intentions and goals. At the end of the day, these users can utilize rubrics to maximize learning as well as minimize creativity. As all users are different, some may learn and thrive under the rubrics while some may not. I agree with the above comments on how rubrics need to be content-related and age appropriate. I also like Breck’s idea on creating rubrics with students because such collaboration can address the individual needs of students and promote their ownership in learning.
ReplyDelete-Holly Sin
Like Marshall said, rubrics can make grading in physical education class clear cut and simple whenever teaching sports skills for analysis. I like using rubrics for these skills at the middle and high school level because this is when I believe students should be performing specific skills correctly. At the elementary level I believe its more important to provide the cues and work on feedback with the students so they do not become frustrated with the skill or sport. I want my students to perform skills with correct form, but at the same time I would like to challenge my students and say "If you think you can perform this skill a different way, then practice it outside of class and show me that you are more successful". This way I can encourage my students to activity outside of class and when they can show me their different way of executing a skill and its more successful, I will not take points off. Rubrics will be guidelines in my classroom, but its up to the student to follow them or think individually and to work at what works best for them.
ReplyDeleteTroy Lyon ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
DeleteKohn's article absolutely changed my thinking about rubrics. As I previously envisioned grading papers, I figured I would have a detailed rubric at my side to make my decisions about a student's writing easier and objective.
ReplyDeleteI do think, however, that Kohn's critique may be especially pertinent for English teachers grading papers about themes and less so for those in other disciplines. In a science class, for example, it is essential that when a student writes about an experiment he or she performed that their paper adheres to certain guidelines. The basic philosophy of science demands that researchers explain their methods, present their data using statistics, and discuss how their results do or do not enhance our understanding of something. By first explaining why science is done in this manner and then giving students a rubric so that they can easily apply that understanding when they write about their own experiment, they learn how science works.
Melanie Woods:
ReplyDeleteI think that rubrics can be a good tool if they are used thoughtfully. For me, the most thought provoking aspect of Kohn's article was the overall thinking on how assessments in general cause individuals to be focused on achievement rather than learning. This raises bigger questions than rubrics. Is there some other way to assess student learning in order to plan appropriate teaching without making comparative judgements about the learning that is taking place? As for my own personal use of rubrics, since I will be working in a system that requires me to assign grades, I will probably use them in some form. I think that it is possible to create a rubric that still leaves room for subjectivity and individual learning needs. For example, other people have mentioned the practice of having the student him/herself create the rubric. This allows the project to be individualized while still retaining the goal setting benefits of a traditional rubric. Also, why not add an "above and beyond" section of a rubric, in which the student is encouraged to personalize their project in ways not specified by the teacher? I think that rubrics can be a useful tool for both teachers and students but that they should be limited to just that: tools for guidance rather than a list of project rules.
It was interesting reading this article because throughout my experience in this program, rubrics have always been looked at as a positive thing. Many of my professors have used rubrics in our courses, and it always gave me some sort of comfort. I knew what the professor was expecting, therefore was able to receive a good grade on the assignment. I have never looked at rubrics in a negative way, but there are always two sides! I believe that rubrics are positive for children because it clearly defines what the teacher is expecting. It limits questions of “should I do this” or “I am not sure what he/she is expecting”. I personally know how frustrating it is to not know what the teacher is expecting because we strive to get good grades. Stepping back from my positive experience with rubrics, I can see why they can be looked at negatively. It is very possible that a rubric will hold a student back from achieving their best. The student could have so much more potential than the rubric asks for, but stops there because that’s all they need to receive a good grade. I like the idea of students being able to accomplish their personal best, but maybe with some guidelines. As stated in the article, rubrics should not drive instruction; “As long as the rubric is only one of several sources, as long as it doesn’t drive the instruction, it could conceivably play a constructive role.”
ReplyDelete-Stacy Anderson
Unlike Kohn, I actually like rubrics. I like them because it tells me what the teacher is looking for and, what are the minimum expectations for me to get my desired grade. Even though some people think that having a rubric will make students be less likely to take risk, I found that to be the opposite in my academics. I’ll admit that some of it may have to do with my personality and my work ethic, but if I’m going to spend the time to do a project I’m going to make it great. I will say also that I have a had teachers that supported my taking risks, which all of us should do if we choose to use rubrics or not.
ReplyDeleteI will most likely use rubrics in my classroom because I feel like they are a valuable tool for assessment. I understand Kohn’s points, in my future classroom I want to create an environment where everyone is comfortable with taking risk and giving every assignment their best work. I believe that students will be willing to do this if the know that the rubric is not an academic death certificate, but rather just a sheet of paper that makes sure you’ve covered the necessities of the assignment. There should always be room for creativity and academic exploration.
-Shiquana Barr
I agree with Stacy in that our entire time in this program. We have had rubrics for our own work, as well as created rubrics for lessons that we have created. When I think about assignments I have done and been given a rubric for, I solely look at what is the most expected of me and then create my assignment based on the rubric for which I can earn the best grade. Because of this, I don't feel like I make adequate effort to go beyond what is being required of me. I think that this would have a negative impact of my students as well. I do however, feel that rubrics help reduce the amount of subjectivity and may be a possibility as to why so many teachers use rubrics routinely. Until reading this article, I had never thought of rubrics in this way and it is helpful to read articles that go against what we normally think of something as to open our minds to all the possibilities.
ReplyDelete-Shaina Parm
Nick Zubieta
ReplyDeleteI must say that I personally am all about rubrics, this is the best way to get students to understand what is expected of them and how their work will be assessed. These extremely helpful to teachers so that they know what are the most important parts the assignments that are being assigned; but as many people have been saying, rubrics must be appropriate to their population. They can be negative and stifle students when they are not content-related and not appropriate for the grade level of the student. I am not a big fan of the idea that rubrics are used to turn schools into “test-preparatory factory” but one cannot be graded unless they know what they will be scored on. I also do not like to think of it creativity stifling but there are different ways to incorporate creativity while following guidelines.
It seems as though Kohn has an “all or nothing approach”- using rubrics stifles creativity and therefore you should not use them. But, I am wondering if it is possible to have a balance when using rubrics? I will preface this by saying my only experience with rubrics has been with graduate students, and they seemed to work very well. I had items for the required content that was included in the syllabus, but then there were also areas on the rubric for creativity and how someone perhaps approached the assignment or issue at hand or were able to tell a compelling story. Is it possible that rubrics could have a blend of the objective and subjective?
ReplyDelete-Caren Putzu
I am also all for rubrics. I like knowing what to expect, what is required, and I find them useful for planning out how to manage my time with a project. I can see how some may see rubrics as limiting and placing a ceiling of sorts on students. Typical rubrics do set limits which in turn simplify grading. For teachers with 30 students in a class, this is a big deal. Before writing this response, I glanced through a few of the other responses here and there before scrolling to the end. Now as I write, I happen to glance at Caren's post directly above and realize we have similar ideas- perhaps there is a way to continue to use rubrics without making them rigid. Teachers should challenge themselves to find a way to simplify grading (if that's what they find attractive about rubrics) and still foster intelligent creativity and individuality in their students' work samples.
ReplyDelete-Ali Southard
I find rubrics to be both a blessing and at times just a hassle. I feel as if, and I say if rubrics are used correctly they can definitely help us as the teacher to assess our students knowledge at a deeper and in a more concentrated manner. And then the students are also able to review their work and are able to really see what they have missed or need to correct for future assignments. However I think s huge part of rubrics and using them is the formation of them because one rubric format will not and can not fit every assignment and its criteria. On the other hand I think rubrics can become restraining and restrictive to a student's creativity and personal expression by using a rubric that ultimately does have parameters to what is expected and what type of work is needed to receive full credit. Therefore I think some students could struggle a little with putting more of their own expression and creativity into an assignment worried whether or not it fits into the rubrics "A+" criteria!
ReplyDelete-Jackie Snow
As a student it has always been easy for me to think of rubrics as helpful. They describe exactly what you need to do to get a good grade on an assignment. However, I also think they encourage doing the bare minimum. When there are specific guidelines for how to do an assignment, it is hard to think outIide of the box and work creatively with an assignment. Teachers should help students achieve, but also let them be creative with their work.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ali. As a student I find rubrics very helpful in knowing what to expect and what to aim for in my assignment. I can aslo see how they can be limiting but I think if the teacher sets up the rubric correctly, there can still be room for creativity and individuality. If there were no rubrics, I am sure there would be some students who go above and beyond and really get into the project, although unfortunately there are also students who would not even complete the bare minimum. Rubrics are a great platform for student to explain what needs to completed and specific things they should be looking out for.
ReplyDeleteIn recent years, with the pressures of school and grades weighing more heavily on my as time goes on, I've looked for ways to lessen the pressure. In a lot of ways, lessening the pressure has meant looking for short cuts on assignments that, honestly, I haven't really cared about. Rubrics have always been the thing that I looked at to cut those corners. Most of the time when I'm given a rubric, I do what I need to do so that there is no way the teacher could NOT give me the A. This doesn't always mean that I've given it the ol' college try (I guess it technically is the ol' college try, but what ever), but that I've half-assed my way to the dean's list. It's a shame that this system leaves room for things like this to define excellence. I've trained myself to not think for myself when I'm working on an assignment with a rubric. It's the projects that require me to think and show effort that I am proud of. Those are the classes and projects that I force me to learn and grow. We need more of that freedom.
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