tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post9043067548594944559..comments2024-03-15T02:09:23.712-06:00Comments on for the love of learning: Grades: Education's Snake-Oil CurrencyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15047405950514440042noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-16026690546393952272011-04-21T14:39:40.656-06:002011-04-21T14:39:40.656-06:00AMEN JOE!!!! Trying hard to follow here!AMEN JOE!!!! Trying hard to follow here!Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13790571271386459698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-74700987488105319612010-06-23T17:47:52.311-06:002010-06-23T17:47:52.311-06:00More on grades and other proxies (backtrack): Prox...More on grades and other proxies (backtrack): <a href="http://highered.blogspot.com/2010/06/proxy-problems.html" rel="nofollow">Proxy Problems</a>davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08633920160358488401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-79789919233820941452010-06-21T00:27:30.357-06:002010-06-21T00:27:30.357-06:00Many institutions limit access to their online inf...Many institutions limit access to their online information. Making this information available will be an asset to all.research helphttp://www.researchpaperspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-19821033038809579932010-06-20T11:47:11.201-06:002010-06-20T11:47:11.201-06:00@Dave - nice post! I enjoyed that. Thanks for shar...@Dave - nice post! I enjoyed that. Thanks for sharing.<br /><br />@Josie - wow! well put. I love the candy floss and candle snuffer metaphor... you made me laugh out loud! So true!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15047405950514440042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-74919905538863504312010-06-20T07:40:34.923-06:002010-06-20T07:40:34.923-06:00On the topic of the metaphors of the crime scene e...On the topic of the metaphors of the crime scene etc.<br /><br />For some of us who care passionately about learning and opportunity for all (and who don't see education as a race to the top for a few) so much of current policy and practice IS a crime scene.<br /><br />The extremity of the metaphor matches the strength of feeling when it comes to the crimes of deskilling teachers and depriving children of their birthright as learners.<br /><br />Want a more "cheerful" metaphor about the "crime" of grading?<br /><br />Grades are the candy floss of education. Appealing to some in the short term, nutritionally worthless and ultimately destructive.<br /><br />Like a cheap tin trophy. <br /><br />The cattle prod for the bully, the carrot for the desperate and a prop for the incompetent.<br /><br />A diversion tactic, sidelining learners from what actually matters.<br /><br />The candle snuffer of the love of learning.Josiehttp://www.pdscompasspoint.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-12390928505102704192010-06-19T19:21:04.661-06:002010-06-19T19:21:04.661-06:00Grades, certificates, test scores, and diplomas ar...Grades, certificates, test scores, and diplomas are all just proxies, which like anything that have economic value tend to get diluted by junk. With the technology we have, there's no real need for proxies. Take a look at <a href="http://highered.blogspot.com/2010/06/getting-rid-of-grades.html" rel="nofollow">this post.</a>davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08633920160358488401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-13627616632474584532010-06-19T15:19:32.188-06:002010-06-19T15:19:32.188-06:00@BJ - If teachers want a mere substitute for gradi...@BJ - If teachers want a mere substitute for grading, then they are still missing the point. What I am talking about includes far more trust.<br /><br />Testing is wholly and entirely inferior to the kinds of things teachers see with their own eyes. Teachers cannot and should not obsess over documenting all these observations - like they would with a grade book.<br /><br />What's sad is that teachers have been deprofessionalized in such a manner that many couldn't imagine school without the rigid and prescribed routines. <br /><br />If teachers are looking for a new model, I suggest they study the Socratic Model of Teaching.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15047405950514440042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-51715497390136922522010-06-19T15:13:09.186-06:002010-06-19T15:13:09.186-06:00@Dr Garcia You make an interesting point about lea...@Dr Garcia You make an interesting point about learning and love being social rather than personal... I need to think about this a little more...<br /><br />In regards to my metaphors, I will admit that the metaphors I have used are of the "darker" variety (prostitution, crime scene and fire fighting), but I need to clarify that I only use these metaphors to express my disdain for sit-and-get, worksheet, reward & punish, lecture to the test, multiple choice exam, sit in your desk and shut up kind of schooling.<br /><br />In my classroom, these metaphors have no place... in my classroom, I believe in the organic metaphor - learning is a seed. <br /><br />Perhaps in my zealousness to make a point about sit-and-get schooling, I come across and quite negative and perhaps a little dark. <br /><br />I think I shall write more about the organic metaphor.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15047405950514440042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-8246080352717990042010-06-19T11:04:59.109-06:002010-06-19T11:04:59.109-06:00[continued from a twitter dialog w/ me, @DrGarcia]...[continued from a twitter dialog w/ me, @DrGarcia] in a person-centered analysis, I would agree that learning and love are two inherent desires, yes. My conflict resides in that learning or loving for that matter, are not "personal," they are social acts w/ other actors. In other words, if students are prostitutes, then teachers are pimps? Or are the teachers the tricks? Are the parents the pimps? Or the tricks? Is the Institution the pimp? <br /><br />You see, employing metaphor is powerful, especially if u pick on as inflammatory as you have here, yet w/o further, deeper interrogation and explanation, its a lost opportunity to touch readers on a profound level (story telling & story-hearing). <br /><br />Questions for your consideration, no need to reply, unless you desire. When talking about teaching, learning, and schooling, why are you drawn to metaphors about crime scenes, house fires, and now prostitution? And, how are those metaphors congruent with what you believe, and see your role in the lives of students and as an activist to be? G <br /><br />http://www.teachersmind.com/metaphors1.htmGentlewoman Scholar https://www.blogger.com/profile/15016142390918004681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2707703066300530859.post-83546699514606506722010-06-19T05:26:55.090-06:002010-06-19T05:26:55.090-06:00I love this article. Very inspiring; so thank you!...I love this article. Very inspiring; so thank you!<br /><br />I abolished "grades" and went toward standards-based descriptions of student performance and most of my colleagues saw the value in it. But one thing kept getting in the way of further adoption of the practice:<br /><br />They have no plan to follow for implementation.<br /><br />Sure, I was willing to take on the challenge of trying (and I stress that it was trying) to make it work. But I had no one clear system of doing it. While it was better, in my opinion, than grades, I had a constant feeling that it should have been better and that my lack of creativity and insight were making this a less useful experience for my students.<br /><br />Do you know of any people who have posted their "system" for tracking, evaluation... you know... all the stuff that you have to do to be able to do to help the kids take responsibility and control of their learning?<br /><br />So many people want to ditch grades, they just don't trust themselves to know what to move to.BJ MacNevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08681741352068858569noreply@blogger.com