Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Stupid Bonus Questions on Tests for Students



Teachers that won't grade appropriately to what they are trying to teach are doing a huge disservice to their students.

I'm not a big believer in grades and when it comes to the methods by which some teachers grade and assign points is ludicrous.

The main reasons I suppose teachers use grades are to find out what the students have learned and how well teachers have communicated knowledge. In addition, it should be the main reason for self-improvement so that on-going continual improvement can be done.

Bonus points and award points given on a test that has nothing to do with the subject matter is WRONG! It's a cover-up for someone who may know their subject matter but can not teach it to others.

I've seen students pass because they know what was on TV the night before or can name the characters in some movie. This is shameful and must stop.
Heck why should a student learn just wait and answer some bogus question that hides the inadequacies of the teacher. Students won't complain but parents should.

If you want to give additional points for not going to bathroom or being on time then give them for conduct/participation, not for GRADES!


Don't even get me started about grading on the Bell Shaped Curve!!







4 comments:

Lucienne said...

Please DO start on the Bell curve! Can't wait. :-)

Anonymous said...

Are you kidding me? There exists a great wealth of knowledge out there outside of the five main subject areas and other fields taught in schools. The fact is, students refuse to learn anything that they don't want to learn. I use these questions so that the students who may not be interested in the content from class can at least be praised ONCE for knowing something that pertains to them.

qualityg says said...

No I am not kidding you! I believe all students can learn as long as the teacher is persistent. Of course there is knowledge outside the core subjects but as a parent I want to know if my child is learning the subject matter.

Providing fluff bonus points to hide inadequate instruction is wrong. There are many opportunities to praise student learning but not as a measure to determine if knowldege is being obtained.

Anonymous said...

I can understand your point. However, my students love my ridiculous bonus questions. They are never worth enough points to swing someone from fail to pass. At most, maybe someone may move from a B to B+ for example. The questions are a small relief from the pressure and anxiety that some experience with test taking. I see it as a human expression to have some fun and not take everything so seriously.