Essay grader for teachers7/30/2023 ![]() Similar to portfolio assessment, the goal is for you to become a more effective writer in the long term by engaging deeply in writing processes, rather than focusing on creating a perfect paper to earn an “A.” Becoming a strong, flexible writer requires lots of practice (fortunately, it’s not a natural gift that some people have and some people don’t). Some of our students tell us they wish contracts were used in all their classes! What is Contract Grading?Ĭontract grading emphasizes writing processes and labor as much or more than final products. In fact, the majority of students across disciplines end up really liking contract grading (Hardigan 386-387 Hiller and Hietapelto 664 Taylor 22-29). So, teachers who choose contract grading aren’t just using a different way of tallying up points they are using a method of assessment that lowers stress, helps students focus on learning, and emphasizes educational equity. Moreover, since grades frequently measure how well students produce standard academic discourse (standard academic style and language), some writing scholars consider traditional grading biased against students with less access to the dominant discourse-students of color, first-generation college students, and multilingual students (CCCC Statement on Students’ Right to Their Own Language 1 Inoue, “Theorizing Failure” 332 Shor 9). As you’ve probably experienced, focusing on grades is not only less satisfying than focusing on learning, it’s also very stressful and can put students and teachers into an adversarial relationship rather than a learning partnership. ![]() As a result, students are often more concerned with how to get an “A” than how to write effectively for different audiences, purposes, and genres, all of which are more important to students’ long-term writing abilities. So, why use a different system?Įducational psychologists have shown that grades can undermine student engagement with their own work, making them more focused on grades than on learning (Kohn 29). So familiar, in fact, that most of us have never given that system a second thought. This system is familiar to nearly everyone who goes through the educational system in the United States, and many international students as well. Your teachers probably used a combination of tests, quizzes, essays, presentations, attendance, and participation to determine your grade. Maybe your school used numbers, grades, or GPA-style grading, but whatever the grades looked like, the mechanism was pretty similar. If you met certain criteria, you received an “A,” a “B,” a “C,” and so on. ![]() Throughout your time in school, most of your classes have probably been graded. ![]()
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