Podcast 4
As noted in the previous post, podcast #4 is ready to go. This podcast revolves around the issue of grading with emphasis on zeros. We take a look at an article by Douglas Reeves, an article by the wonderful Rick Wormeli and an article from the Principals’ Partnership.These take a look at the effect of zeros. Dr. Reeves states “Most state standards in mathematics require that fifth-grade students understand the principles of ratios — for example, A is to B as 4 is to 3; D is to F as 1 is to zero. Yet the persistence of the zero on a 100-point scale indicates that many people with advanced degrees, including those with more background in mathematics than the typical teacher, have not applied the ratio standard to their own professional practices.” This is a very powerful statement.
There is a lot to consider in terms of grading. The one thing that educators really need to do is to understand how grades are determined and figured. We need to understand the realities of how grades are earned. Even more importantly, students need to understand how grades are determined and figured.
Also in this podcast, we take a look at a couple of way to address tardiness and homework. Specifically, we look at a couple of ways to get homework turned in (see post below)
Next week, we’ll take a deeper look at homework and common assessments. If you have questions you’d like answered, contact us.
There is a difference with this podcast. This one is an enhanced podcast. The difference means that you have clickable links (if you’re listening using iTunes), album art, and chapters (which allow you to skip to a particular part of the podcast easily). The tradeoff is that it is harder to sync to non-iPod players. We can easily provide a link to an mp3 version, which should play on anything that plays mp3’s if need be. If you’d like an mp3 version, just let us know.