Fair Isn't Always Equal Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Fair Isn't Always Equal is focuses on why teachers grade, and if they should grade effort, attendance and participation. Most teachers grade students because they believe it is a requirement, which it usually is. However, there are authentic reasons for grading. Grades can be used to document a student's progress, gauge how effective material is, and to provide feedback. On the other hand, there are reasons why grades should not be given. For example, grades should not be given out solely as a way to motivate or punish or label students. Then there is the issue of grading effort. There are no universal rules for what constitutes hard work and effort. Because of this effort can be difficult to grade, so the author suggests not giving a number or letter score for this particular issue. Grading attendance is also addressed in this chapter. If a student's grade is lowered because of a not so perfect attendance, grading has lost its meaning. Instead student's work should be assessed in this situation, as their attendance may be a result of events they have no control over. Also, does attendence actually matter? Grading participation is also a gray area, and teachers should only give grades for participation if the activity actually involves some sort of active participation. It is also wise to look at participation on a case by case basis, as some students are naturally more comfortable participating, and others are shy.
Many of my peers agreed that grades are an important part of education, but many also believe that there are situations when number or letter grades are not necessary. A number of people believed that effort, attendence and participation are important for effective learning, but also realize that they can be difficult to measure. However, there were some differing opinions about putting a grade on participation. Some people believed that some classes are best graded on participation only, while others thought grading participation was ludacris because student's comfort levels can vary greatly. On the other hand, almost all of my peers agreed that one cannot grade effort.