Ms. Dankov may be onto something... something new. I do not understand this idea; I am intrigued by this idea. What would education look like if there were no grades?
Elective means you may choose to participate. I'll read these web log entries but they will have no grade.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that if there wouldn't be any grading policies or education without grades, then students wouldn't know if they'd gotten anything right or correct. Teachers might not know if they are teaching the students anything because there would be no reason to have a test or quiz because there wouldn't be any grades. Also, if students would have a final test on everything they've learned during the school year, they wouldn’t have had anything to look back to or review. I actually disagree with Julia. I truly think that it's not only the education, but it's also the quality of the education.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about whether or not I should participate in responding to this web blog, since it is not going to be graded, there is no pressure if it is too wordy or does not meet my teacher’s expectations.
ReplyDeleteSome schools do not give a formal education. They do not give any tests or homework. They allow kids to learn at their own schedule. It may be good for kids who are in the creative field and pace themselves according to their creative moments. A creative student needs an unstructured environment to be able to evolve at their own pace, like a self study program. Some students need a formal education where teachers sit and teach in a structured environment. Tests and quizzes are tools that let the teacher know where the student stands. Homework is a learning tool that is useful in reviewing the work completed/learned in class.
In a society, where jobs are limited, grades will determine who will get selected. If two people graduated and applied to the same company for the same job, how will the company determine which person to hire, if not by their education background and experience? The education background is greatly determined by grades and entrance exam scores.
I know that grades are not everything, for example Albert Einstein and Bill Gates dropped out of school and yet became great contributors to society. For me, getting good grades make me feel special and motivated.
My dad gets an annual evaluation from his boss. This affects his raise/bonus and whether or not he remains employed. I wonder if he would work as hard if his raise was fixed, regardless of how well he worked. I wonder if my teachers would be more or less motivated if they were not evaluated.
“I do not understand this idea; I am intrigued by this idea.”-Ms.Frederick
I agree with Ms. Frederick. It’s all a mystery to me…
I agree with Ms.Leong, students need an unstructured enviornment to learn.Also without grades, there would be no fear for students or their parents about getting left back a grade. With no grades, students can learn at their own pace instead of rushing to keep up with their classmates or feeling strange when your always five steps ahead of the other students.A con about this theory is wouldn't there be confusion in the school system when a student was 65 and he/she hadn't passed third grade? This theory is good to an extent, but catastrophic in the long-run. My opinion is that there should always should be grades, especially in the public school system. To me, a little pressure is good for a student, it makes him/her work harder for their long-term goal in life.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read the article, I loved the idea of going to a school without a formal schedule. A school without any tests, homework, and pressure. You get to learn at your own pace. It's basically every student's dream school, isn't it? But then I realized that learning this way isn't exactly practical. You can't learn everything on your own. And what if you can't learn anything at all? Besides, this idea won't exactly be worthwhile in the long run. Like Mr. Sperling said, a little pressure is good for a student.
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