This week students in LASS7 will complete a number of different process orientated assignments: in SS7 - The final world map, two geography themed quizzes, the notebook (first assessment), and artifact research and writing.; in LA7 - students will receive a first assessment on the notebook. I stress process sequences at the beginning of the year so that students understand that this class is not about turning in a bunch of worksheets, or jumping through hoops to get a grade. The advantage of the LASS7 core curriculum is to allow students to learn the set of processes that make up units.
Looking at the Notebook table of contents, it is clear to see that it is used 2 - 3 times a week for all variety of elements that will be used to complete each assignment in class. The notebook builds background information - both personal and based on sources - through a variety of activities - brainstorming, organizing ideas with charts and outlines, and sharing ideas with classmates in order to enrich each student's understanding. At least once weekly, students are required to write a "Quick Write" for a fixed amount of time about the various big ideas and themes that are covered in class. About every other week, students will go through a harvesting activity, and find best sentences, great ideas, and great words, that each student has used in notes and quick writes. These harvesting sessions will be shared with partners, on bulletin boards, as well as randomly sharing their ideas by reading a "quotable" passage of their own selection from their writings.
It is a puzzle to some how teachers grade a notebook. Imagine a rubric to grade such a collection of writings: 1. It is a record of students daily involvement in the personal and class discussion of several ideas. 2. Students must engage with these ideas and show their thinking, which is helped through regular paired sharing and class wide scavenger hunts for other student ideas. 3. Students will regularly engage in discussion on these different entries. 4. The Notebook Process also records several developing steps of a theme or concept that culminates in assignments that may combine 3 - 4 entries. 5. The recording of details as an observer of video clips, online research, response to in class readings, notes from in class presentations by both the teacher and students.
For several years I graded every single assignment to generate points, that were totalled to produce a simple percentage grade. It is a very simple and easy to understand method. After examining Standards Based grading for the past two year, I feel that moving to grading based on weighted categories, where each category has a very specific rubric (based on the categories standards) offers a happy medium with more traditional grading. Please read my grading categories link:
For more on Mr. Rodgers Grading Categories (to do email homework): Read HERE
I do not use content categories, nor do I use categories such as Homework, Classwork, Tests, and Projects. Each of these TYPES of Assignments are embedded in the Category standards.
If you have any questions, or would like to make suggestions, please email me at my school email address.
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