Last week on the day complete drafts of documented argument papers were due, I had my dual credit students use their very specific rubrics to self and peer assess. They had to sign each category of the rubric when they and a peer had successfully checked it and they had completed revisions accordingly. For example, the rubric stipulates more than one source per paragraph; students had to check and see if they indeed had used more than one source per paragraph, or make a note where they did not and go back and fix it. The rubric stipulates they use the required form for parenthetical citations; a certain number of sources; a mix of paraphrase and quotes; organizational methods such as topic and concluding sentences in body paragraphs; copy quotes exactly; and more. Why make students guess what we want them to do, what we will be looking for? Give them every possible thing we can during instruction: professional and student samples of how the final product will look, ample feedback, time to really read sources, and especially, a detailed rubric and time to self and peer assess with it. I have found that more than anything else, the rubric on the argument paper empowers students. It takes away their angst and fear, and the papers I get really are very good, since they have already passed through a first level of screening. I have come to view their final papers as much a reflection of my teaching as they are my students’ own abilities. This makes me work harder. If they do well, I have done well.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 17:10:38 +0000
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