Second Week of Class - 01/17/12

One of the readings we were assigned this week really stuck out in my mind.  GRADING…Is it beneficial?  What purpose does it serve?  Is there another way to assess someone's mastery of a subject?  I found the article titled Grading:  The Issue Is Not How But Why, by Alfie Kohn extremely interesting.  Kohn suggests that assigning grades is detrimental to the learning process.  He further proposes that students benefit more from teachers providing comments/feedback about their work and assigning letter grades should be avoided.  In essence, the student becomes focused on the grade and that pressure overs-shadows the learning process. 

I must say that the more I read about the subject and reflect upon my own experiences in school, the more I tend to agree.  I have always been a good student.  I was a straight "A" student in high school.  With a little extra effort, I was able to graduate from high school in three years and entered college at the tender age of 17.  I made it through high school pretty effortlessly, but looking back, my complete focus was on grades.  I became a great test taker.  I could memorize for tests, but often would forget the content afterwards.  A perfect example is in math.  I was in all honors math classes throughout high school.  Again, I was a great test taker, but did I really have a handle on the concepts?  Not so much...  I took college algebra three times in college.  To say I struggled is an understatement.  Through many tears and countless hours with tutors,  I finally passed the class with a "C."  I was devastated.  I had never made a "C" in my life.  My whole life, I have lived and died by my grades.


Then, last semester I took Introduction to Teaching at CNM.  It was the first time I had been back in a classroom in almost 20 years.  I was terrified.  We spoke about the subject of grades at length.  It was the first time I had ever been exposed to other views regarding the purpose of grades and exploring the possibility that there might be alternatives.  The class was fascinating to me.  Each class period, we had to turn in a "reflection."  When I got the first one back, I was thrilled to read the comments that the instructor wrote in regards to my thoughts.  I found myself looking forward to class and the discussions that took place.  I couldn't wait to get my reflections back because the instructor always provided comments that would prod me to explore more of my thoughts and begin to form and articulate my own personal philosophy regarding education and learning.  It wasn't until about half way through the semester that I realized the instructor never indicated a grade on any papers - only comments.  It was an incredibly liberating moment for me to realize that I was so enthralled in the subject that the grade didn't even matter to me.  It was just about the desire to acquire more knowledge and consider more concepts and perspectives than I ever even knew existed.  This particular instructor engaged us in dialog and discussions in which there were no wrong answers.  As long as we demonstrated that we were thinking and participating, we were learning without even realizing it.  It was the absolute best class I have EVER taken.  When the pressure of earning a grade was taken away, I was able to relax and concentrate on learning.  The end result was a insatiable desire to learn even more.


In regards to the questions provided in class, one that popped out at me was, "What, if any, are the differences between education and schooling?"  I believe that schooling is a part or perhaps a component of education.  But, in my mind, education is kind of all encompassing.  It occurs from the moment we are born until we die.  Education is the act of acquiring knowledge.  It comes from everywhere and everyone we encounter.  It is informal and comes from merely interacting with our environment.  Schooling on the other hand, to me, is the formal aspect of education.  It occurs in a specific setting.  Schooling involves objectives concerning specific subject content.


Along the same lines, the fundamental purposing in teaching is to share knowledge.  Teaching can be formal as in the setting of a classroom.  It can also be informal such as when a mother demonstrates approval to a child with her facial expression or body language.

The fundamental purpose in learning or the quest for knowledge is to enable a person to reach his or her potential.  In reaching one's potential, the person becomes an important contributor in our community/society.


In ancient Greece, Socrates argued that education was about drawing out what was already within the student. "I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think."


I will close for now - its 2:45 am.  Sorry for my jumbled rambling - I do my homework after my kids are tucked safely into bed - following soccer/softball practice, dinner, homework, and baths...