Jul 21, 2015
Some Thoughts on Assessing Writing with Rubrics...
Last week I started thinking about how I assess writing. In the past, I’ve used rubrics that focus on specific parts of the writing. For example, an essay rubric would have the following categories: evidence and elaboration; organization; ideas; and grammar/mechanics. Developing the criteria for the differences between an A and B, or 5 points and 4 points, feels like splitting hairs! Even while grading, I’d come across writing that did not fit the neat criteria outlined in the rubric I created. It seems silly to break writing down into such discrete parts when we don’t read that way. I read holistically, taking in the whole piece. So why should I break down a piece into discrete categories to grade it? There must be a better way to assess writing...
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Yes, I agree there must be a better way to assess writing. Initially, I thought Nick M’s presentation on Student Made Standards Based Rubrics would provide me with answers; but his data only left me with more questions on the process of grading or evaluating student writing. What is the purpose of the assignment? And how does that purpose relate to the grading of it? Is it for students to show mastery of the state objectives? Like write a poem that has three examples of figurative language. What if those are three ineffective examples? As the teacher -- do I still give the student writer an A? If the purpose is for students to show mastery by writing a “good” piece, how can I quantify “good” writing without considering the use of the figurative language. I believe that it is not enough to simply say because the poem has a simile, metaphor, and alliteration that it is a good poem. Over half of Nick’s students said that they did not write a good poem or essay because of the rubrics they created. What I walked away with from his presentation is that it doesn’t really matter who makes the rubric (student or teacher) if the goal is to have the students compose a “good” piece of writing.
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