FIAE+B1+Chapter+10

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[|synthesis and abstract - Jen P.'s blog]

Jen P. - synthesis
Wormeli makes some key points in chapter 10 of __Fair Isn’t Always Equal__, entitled, “Conditions for Redoing Work for Full Credit,” (pages 131 – 136). Wormeli explains that, “All Redone Work is Done at Teacher Discretion,” (page 131). Not only does the question of redo work have to do with the particular teacher, but also the particular student. Students should not become chronic redoers, however. Wormeli suggests getting the parents involved and being very clear about what is acceptable and what is not in your classroom. Wormeli thinks that the teacher should have the right to change the format for all redone work (page 133). This means that how the assignment is presented or the assignment itself can be modified, potentially giving the teacher less work and making sure the student cannot cheat. Teachers can get students involved by giving them a chance to make their own schedule for assignment completion. This accommodates the [|life circumstances] that can get in the way of school work, gives students a choice, makes them feel like an adult, and will give the students more responsibility. For ease on a teacher, Wormeli suggests that no student redo work should be accepted during the last week of a grading period and that the original work should be stapled to the redo work. Also, redo work is about mastery, not grades, so student redo work should be accepted for full credit.

Jen P. - abstract
One commonality between the entries is that, though redo assignments can be very good, whether a student is allowed to complete a redo assignment depends on the teacher and whether or not the teacher thinks that the student really tried the first time around. Life [|circumstances] seem to be a good excuse for a poor job on an assignment the first time around, but if a student did not even try and had no good reason why, then the student probably should not be allowed to do a redo assignment. Certain life circumstances do get in the way of learning, which a teacher should accommodate. The key point here, everyone seems to agree, is not about grades, but about mastery. Therefore, redo assignments are a path to mastery, not a crutch of learning.

Rachel B.
This is something I’ve already wondered about as a practicum student, and of course it will be very important to consider as a new teacher. Life is going to happen, and many circumstances will arise which may in your judgment seem acceptable circumstances in which you should allow the student to make up the work, or another teacher may see it as unacceptable circumstance, in which the student will not be allowed to make the assignment up for any credit at all. School policy will always have to come first. Situations such as plagiarism will most likely be addressed by the school in a formal way. I agree with the text in that it may be a good idea to send a note home to parents, just to enable them to know what is going on and that you gave their son/daughter a chance to do better. You’ve allowed the student to make up the work (if applicable) and by notifying the parents and/or reminding the student of that chance, you’re less likely to hear negative remarks from them regarding you ruining their grade.

Rachel F.
This chapter may have been short but it was definitely packed with some really useful information. I love the beginning part of this chapter because it emphasizes the teacher’s ability to change their policies about redone work. Instead of making it allowable to all students all the time, really observe what is happening when a student wants to redo their work. By doing so, you can determine if the student truly wants to redo their work or if the student is just slacking off and is taking the redo for granted. This will teach students to be more responsible and grateful for their work. Another aspect I liked was in the section titled “Redos and Grades.” What happens when a student redoes their work but does worse? It is important for that student’s teacher to talk with the student and figure out what the underlying issue is. This way, the issue can be resolved and the student will be able to understand the material better. Also, the teacher should always only record the higher grade because it is the most accurate measurement of the student’s mastery. Allowing students to redo work can be remarkable because it will allow students to reach out to their farthest and do the best they can do. However, it is crucial not to be lax and to monitor students when they are requesting to redo their work.

Geoff
From the outside, allowing students to redo their work for full credit can appear to be a slippery slope. Rick Wormeli obviously agrees with this perception; otherwise he would not have dedicated an entire chapter to making clarifications in our belief that students should have plenty of feedback and opportunities to revise their work on the path to content mastery. We obviously can not allow //everyone// the opportunity to revise a bad essay, or redo a bad test, can we? What about the student who didn’t try the first time. Should they be allowed to do it a second time? Wormeli resoundingly answers this question in chapter 10 of //Fair Isn’t Always Equal//: no. Wormeli states that students who give the appearance of holding off until the last second to do their projects should not be allowed to redo their projects; it is important to remember that the teacher is in charge and is the one with the power to decide. Nonetheless, we should always try to lean toward approving a redo, because there could be any number of extenuating circumstances that keep students from getting their work done, or performing their best on whatever day the test is taken. I really appreciate the clarifications from chapter nine in this chapter, as I felt confused as to all of the “yeah, but mister!” situations that could arise out of allowing or denying redo’s and revisions. The key to this, it appears, is that we as teachers need to be flexible, while also drawing a clear line as to what we will and will not allow.

Courtney
Letting students redo assignments is something that I believe in and would want to allow my own students. But it can really be a risky thing because some students may just do bad on an assignment because they know they will be able to make it up, determining those students from the rest who tried and really should make it up is going to be difficult. Redoing an assignment does take extra time and effort on top of that that they already had to do to begin with so if they want to redo it then it should be allowed. As a teacher I will have to make sure that any assignments such as tests will have to have a different redo assignment with similar but different questions. It makes sens that they should be able to make it up to the full percentage, because if education is all about mastery then they should be able to improve and as they do their mastery in a subject will too. It would be pointless to redo an assignment if you could only get a few point higher, if they are going to take the time to do it then they should be able to get a perfect score if that is what they deserve in the end. These chapters have really helped me to understand that school is about mastering a given subject or topic and students should be given all kinds of chances to improve their knowledge.

Sara
This chapter corresponds very well with the previous chapter. If a student does a poor job on an assignment it is acceptable and even good to allow a redo, on your own terms. If a student is caught plagiarizing it is probably acceptable to have a mandatory redo with no redone grade, because it is a question of academic honest. Most other scenarios can allow for a redo. Teachers should give a time frame for the redo and can change the format of the assignment or the questions (if it is say, a math exam). When in-doubt choose highest grade to record for it should reflect the students’ better work. I feel redos are wonderful tools that can be used in-order to help students master concepts!

Jen P.
I learned that redoing work policies are pretty much up to the teacher. It should, however, be like a contract between parent and teacher so that each are clear of the rules and less conflicts occur. I like that this chapter explains that it is alright, even encouraged, for teachers to take, shall we say life, into consideration when students do not complete assignments on time. As long as students do not make it a habit to bring in assignments late, it is good that teachers can be understanding. Sometimes life just jumps at you and I like that this chapter agrees with my view that students are going to have special circumstances once in awhile that are legitimate reasons for not completing assignments.

Megan
I am a big fan of the redo. I think students should be able to redo an assignment or project or whatever. If it helps them learn more about the topic then they should be given the opportunity to do it. The only thing I might be hesitant to let kids redo is a test. If there were some unfair questions or material on the test that the kids brought to my attention then yes I would definitely give students a chance to redo a test. Other than that I wouldn’t have problem letting students redo assignments. Like I said in my reflection on my last chapter, kids have a lot going on in their lives and sometimes that gets in the way. Sometimes kids are not going to get it on the first try, for whatever reason. As teachers we should give them a second chance to redo the project and give them plenty of feedback along the way. I would require that students ask me if they can redo it. We’ll talk about why they want to redo it, what they want to improve, what they should improve, etc. I will work with students and give them feedback along the way. We’ll also work to set a date that it’s due. The only exception I have would be plagiarism. Plagiarism constitutes an automatic zero in my book with no redo’s.

Stephanie L.
As teachers, it is important for us to remember that all students are human. Life gets in the way of homework and studying, and sometimes students need extensions or ask if they can redo an assignment. I like the idea of designing a strict redo policy that limits the number of redos a student can have but also allows for some flexibility depending on the situation. I really like the idea of having students pass in the original work along with their redo. On top of that, I feel like it is important to have students reflect on the changes that were made. How do they feel their work has improved? Stayed the same? If students have to verify their reasons for redoing an assignment in the first place, maybe they will begin redoing assignments for the right reasons.

Karin
This is fairly obvious to me. There are only certain circumstances in which redoing an assessment or assignment should receive full credit. I agree that deciding on this policy should be done on an individual basis, based on the situation and the circumstance of the student. I also like the idea of recording the student’s highest grade when redoing an assignment, that way students aren’t afraid of trying again to do better. I also think that this should be something that isn’t “punished” with extra work to better understand, but rather discussed with the teacher. This will definitely impact my classroom, because I hope to be a teacher who won’t prohibit make-up and re-do work, just because I don’t want to grade it. I hope I don’t become that disenchanted. I will do my best to analyze each situation carefully to decide if the student really wants to learn or if they were lazy in the first place so they can put off “really” doing the assignment until later.

Jordan
In this chapter, Wormeli describes certain conditions that teachers should keep in mind when allowing students to redo assignments. I really like the idea of allowing a redo, as it is a major part of mastering material. If the main point of grading is mastery, not allowing a redo on a major assignment where a student did poorly will not give an accurate picture of students progress and mastery. Allowing the student to do a redo can show actual process based on feedback, eventually leading to mastery of the content.

John
I am going to sound like a broken record here, but I think that student effort should always be considered first. If the student has slacked off merely because they hated the assignment or they couldn't get themselves in gear, then at the last minute they decide to bail and just ask for a redo, I will most likely decline that privilege. A redo may be granted if the student feels that they could do better after receiving a grade, however. There is also the constant problem of the students who didn't work well the first time around may have had problems at home, but that will have to be addressed on an individual level.

