Throughout my middle and high school career, I can not think of rubrics really being used. Teachers seemed to grade papers on what they thought was right or wrong and we just had to look at their comments to understand why we received the grade we received. I loved when the teacher gave ample feedback, and I normally never had a complaint if I could figure out why they gave me a specific grade based on their comments. However, I was also the student who would ask why if a teacher just assigned a grade and never gave me any real reason. In college, minus education classes, I also never received a rubric for a paper, where I think I would have liked a rubric the most. I had to learn how to write for the professor on my own, figuring out their personal writing style based on their comments and critiques on my first paper – then I would tailor the rest of my papers accordingly. I feel like rubrics set a standard that everyone must meet, and I think that overall they are a good idea, especially in schools today.
Rubrics have really been brought to my attention this semester. Dalton is using rubrics fairly often, and I am sure I will encounter them at Blacksburg Middle, as well as I will be making them myself. I do think Wilson made some good points about how student’s writing never seems to surprise her and that rubrics do not (typically) account for potential, effort, and progress. I agree that many times we do not want students “writing for the rubric,” but I feel that is what many of them do. Many times rubrics may not give students enough freedom to be themselves, which is why some subjectivity or openness should still be left in a rubric. If I was a student given a rubric, I would simply write exactly to the rubric, making sure all elements were included; my creative thinking would turn to more practical thinking as I tried to make sure I followed the guidelines to get the good grade. Many students need the guidelines, and rubrics are a good way to prevent bias. I think the most important thing is to remember that there is no perfect rubric, and a student’s reasoning for doing something the way they did should always be taken into consideration.
3 comments:
Samantha-
I agree with you that there is no perfect rubric. I, too, was a product of schools that didn't utilize rubrics. In college, I now realize their significance but, at the same time, I also tailor my papers to fit the rubrics. I think just as important as having a class work on a rubric together is the showing of examples. When students look at a rubric (if they're anything like me), they will find their creativity limited. Good examples, however, show students that they can be creative and have their own voice in an assignment that has a rubric.
I can agree that ample feedback was the most helpful when I was a student but I hardly ever got it. I was a student like you that asked why but I asked why all the time. Perhaps I am just a rubric kind of kid but I think it would have helped me when I was a student and they help me as a beginning teacher. As I grow in my career, I hope to be able to give ample feedback and good examples so students aren't as dependent on rubrics.
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