"From Degrading to De-Grading" by Alfie Kohn by Sophia Lelham

Sophia Lelham - Three Main Effects Of Grading:

sophialelham — 2014-03-06 06:00:59 UTC

1. Grades tend to reduce students’ interest in the learning itself

o The more people are rewarded for doing something, the more they tend to lose interest in whatever they had to do to get the reward.
o Students demonstrate less interest in learning as a result of being graded

2. Grades tend to reduce students’ preference for challenging tasks

o Students who cut corners may not be lazy so much as rational; they are adapting to an environment where good grades, not intellectual exploration, are what count

3. Grades tend to reduce the quality of students’ thinking

o Given that students may lose interest in what they are learning as a result of grades, it makes sense that they are also apt to think less deeply.

o Students given numerical grades were significantly less creative than those who received qualitative feedback but no grades

Sophia Lelham - More Reasons Why Grades Are Unimportant

sophialelham — 2014-03-07 02:44:02 UTC

- When the curriculum is engaging -- for when it involves hand-on, interactive learning
activities -- students who are not graded at all perform just as well as those who are
graded

- Traditional grades are not mandatory for admission to colleges and universities

- Grades just document how much better one student is than other by providing class
ranking

Kevin McCarthy - Comment

kevindavidmccar — 2014-03-07 03:17:54 UTC

I think that grades put a lot of stress on students and that student's focus more on getting good grades rather than actually learning. I agree that grades encourage cheating because students know that they can get by without actually learning if they know how to cheat. Students need to be tested and evaluated in a way where cheating is not possible. I believe that grading can cause separation from students and teachers. If a student is getting a bad grade in a class then they might blame the teacher for that. There needs to be a better way of grading students rather than just giving students an A, B, C, D or F.

Sophia Lelham - More Reasons To Say No To Grading:

ralls001 — 2014-03-07 03:27:05 UTC

4. Grades aren’t valid, reliable, or objective
o A grade says nothing about what a student can do, what she understands, where she needs help

5. Grades distort the curriculum
o A school’s use of letter or number grades may encourage a “bunch o’ facts” approach to instruction because that sort of learning is easier to score

6. Grades waste a lot of time that could be spend on learning
o Add up all the hours that teachers spend fussing with their grade book

7. Grades encourage cheating
o More students are led to focus on getting good grades, the more likely they are to cheat, even if they themselves regard cheating as wrong

8. Grades spoil teachers’ relationship with students
o Teachers will always be suspicious of the motives of students being nice to them; if it is just to get a higher grade

9. Grades spoil students’ relationships with each other
o The quality of students’ thinking depends partly to the extent to which they are permitted to learn cooperatively

Taylor Ralls - Common Objections

ralls001 — 2014-03-07 03:38:54 UTC

What are the common objections to getting rid of grades?

1. Students expect to receive grades.

o Grades can become expected and can succeed in getting students to show up on time, hand in their work, and do what they’re told.

But is mindless compliance really our goal?

2. Without bribes (A’s) and threats (F’s), students would have no reason to do assignments.

o “If I can’t give a child a better reason for studying than a grade on a report card, I ought

to lock my desk and go home and stay there.”

-Dorothy De Zouche

3. Students’ must be given grades because colleges demand them.

ralls001 — 2014-03-07 03:57:42 UTC

Taylor Ralls - Possible Parental Concerns

ralls001 — 2014-03-07 04:14:48 UTC

On The Idea Of Ditching Grading

Concern: Don’t you value excellence?

Answer:
Evidence shows that traditional grading undermines excellence.

Concern: Are you just trying to spare the self-esteem of students who do poorly?

Answer:
Grades do make students who are struggling feel worse, but the problem is not about hurt feelings. The problem is children become too focused on grades.

Concern: Are grades the only window I have to see my students learning?

Answer:
Alternative assessments such as students’ exhibitions and portfolios give teachers and parent a much better view on students’ progress.

Concern: I need documentation on how my child is superior to others.

Answer:
If this is a concern we must ask ourselves if this is valid. Should school be used as a place of learning and growing or competition?

Taylor Ralls - Main Message

ralls001 — 2014-03-07 05:41:44 UTC

Above all, we need to make sure that objections and concerns about the details don’t obscure the main message, which is the demonstrated harm of traditional grading on the quality of students’ learning and their interest in exploring ideas.”

Danielle Lamm- Comment

daniellenicole2 — 2014-03-09 22:16:58 UTC

I t grading does wear down on children and cause them more stress then they need at their age. I would have to agree that grades spoil teacher's relationships with students and creates favoritism. I also would have to agree that grades spoil students' relationships with other students. Some children get discouraged when they aren't doing as well as others and begin to change their thinking about themselves. Grades are creating walls between learning and students because all the students are focusing on is getting a good grade and not understanding the material handed to them. Schools need a new program that regulates a student's performance through skill assessments and not reading or writing tests. Multiple choice tests give students the ability to cheat off one another but if the children are forced physically perform what their learning then they may have a better chance or retaining the material. I understand grades are mandatory for college applications, but maybe we should start relying more on creativity rather than facts in the classroom. It easy for kids to look up answers to questions, but if they have to use their own imagination for an assignment what they learn will resinate in their mind longer. Schools could also start a pass or fail program instead of letter grades. This would give students a chance to not compare grades with another.

Ashkan Nahreini: Comment

anahreini — 2014-03-11 04:54:50 UTC

This is a wonderful padlet. I can see all of the text's information presented very clearly and in a much more engaging format. On the subject itself, it is truly amazing that we still use traditional grades as a method of evaluation. This subjective, inconsistent method of evaluation provides so many conveniences for students, teachers, and parents, but steals the pleasures of learning and teaching. One aspect of this article that stood out to me was that grades encourage cheating. This is especially true in classes that are graded on a curve. As it is more competitive for these students, they are forced into taking unethical steps in order to assure their success. This may range from cheating on an exam to sabotaging a classmate's paper or study time.

Lyssa Qualls: Comment

tiatay2 — 2014-03-11 20:57:32 UTC

This was very informative because grades are a common tool for educators to utilize. There are both pros and cons to grading as described on this wall. Grading is a great way for teachers and parents to anlyze weather a student is learning the information taught. However grades do place pressure on students to meet certain expectations and may cause anxiety or low self esteem. I don't agree with the information that grades encourage cheating and students shouldn't judge their self worth or success by what grades they receive.