27 October 2008

talking to students about assessment


last week i had to submit mid-term grades for my students. i usually worry a lot about how the grades i give my students match their knowledge. i spend a lot of time talking to my students about how i come up with their grade and what their grade actually means.

in preparation for this conversation with my oil painting students i made this little drawing. what i usually say to them is it's my job to teach them something new. it's their job to learn something new and to show me how much they know. then it's my job to report on that learning. i say to them, "if they don't show me what they know how can i report that they know it?" if i don't see it i assume they don't get it. so they have many chances to do this...the blog, verbally, in their paintings, etc. they usually get this and it takes the focus off of a, b, c, etc. 

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