Teacher corrects kids' work and the entire class sees corrections

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, they can learn from each others mistakes.

I don't understand her reason for posting grades and comments for everyone to see though. Discussing it in class has it's usefulness. Posting it online? Maybe not.

It may be that the platform used to share student work does not allow work samples to be segregated from grades and teacher comments.

Quite frankly, the actual numerical or letter grades could be omitted reasonably, but showing the samples without comments or a criterion-based rubric is meaningless as a learning exercise. Imagine looking at a website like Consumer Reports and having no idea what criteria were used to rank the products or what reviewers thought about the goods. Just "this is a top one, this is a middle, and this a bottom." Wouldn't you want to know as a consumer why they earned that rank? Wouldn't you want to know as a producer of the good specific ways to improve your product?

[Anonymous]

I'm the poster from another country. The idea of student privacy of their grades and effort etc is much less present outside the U.S. So it may not even occur to the teacher that that's expected here. If it's done right and without emphasis on the shame but with emphasis on what kinds of mistakes can and were made and how to learn from that it can be an effective technique. It's just hard to apply here especially in a competitive environment where the concept is that every kid is competing with all the other kids instead of every kid in the class working together to get the whole class to be better. In my country ES kids were all in the same class cohort for grades 1-8 so you knew those kids really well and you compete with the other same grade level classes for many years and it was class pride to get everyone to do well so peer pressure worked towards that. It definitely wasn't all pretty all the time and there were kids who were hurt by this but it made sense overall and made the bonds between students that much stronger.

I haven't taught in a few years and I certainly do not love the idea that has been presented here. However, the poster cited here has a point. There is a balance that I think we should strive for in educating our kids.

When I taught first grade, I usually had three to five reading groups. I tried to be tactful and sensitive--but I'm pretty sure that every child in my class knew who was at the top and who was at the bottom. Now, it was not rubbed in their faces, but only the seriously disconnected kid would not be able to figure it out--no matter how hard the teacher tries. As for editing each other's work, I don't like that idea. Occasionally, maybe, but I just don't like it. I don't like the idea of parent volunteers doing it either. I always tried very hard to be sure that during conferences that I kept that type of thing out of the discussion. You would be surprised at how many parents want to talk about someone else's child instead of their own. They would frequently bring up the behavior of other kids, etc. Now that I am a parent, I realize that it is human nature to want to know where your kid falls in the class, but as a teacher, I tried very hard to keep that private.
Today, there is a big push for "collaborative learning". I suppose that encourages the editing of other kids' work. Frankly, I think there is way too much emphasis on group projects, etc. This also lets other kids know who is capable and who is not. It also allows the smart, lazy kid to skate through.

I just find it hard to believe that this is happening as OP describes. But, I also think we are all naïve if we think we can keep the performance of kids a secret.

[Anonymous]

So the learning from each other's work is great, IMO. However, there is no reason for names to be associated with it. What do the other parents think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So the learning from each other's work is great, IMO. However, there is no reason for names to be associated with it. What do the other parents think?

I agree that the names aren't needed for learning, but you still haven't verified that this isn't a function of the system that students use to view the work. If the teacher can't segregate names and grades from work samples, she may have to stop using real samples to teach. If her district or school gives her that option. Mine doesn't. Collaboration on certain work is required and no one can figure out how to make it anonymous for student views, but visible for teachers.

When my students collaborate in a document in Google Docs, they can see exactly who made what changes (including erroneous ones) and they can read any comments other collaborators or editors make. I actually send my own comments to individual students directly by email to avoid embarrassment, but I can't stop Google from showing the rest of the students that Larla doesn't understand a concept or can't spell. Our system set up the accounts to show student names.

[Anonymous]

Former teacher here. I agree that real life examples are a good vehicle for students to learn. Also, there's no shame in writing an incomplete or run-on sentence (and in having the teacher correct it). It's important for you to help your DD keep perspective. That said, the students could get all those educational benefits (and none of the "voyeurism" drawbacks) from anonymous/redacted examples. If a new/anonymous system added 20 min to her work week, would it be worth it? 40 min? An hour?

[Anonymous]

Teacher here--It's hard to know if this teacher is crossing the line or if you or your daugher are just overly sensitive about criticism. I'd suggest asking an administrator to check the blog and see if she's using it as an effective teaching tool. If that's the case, the administrator should hopefully be able to help clear up any questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the learning from each other's work is great, IMO. However, there is no reason for names to be associated with it. What do the other parents think?

I agree that the names aren't needed for learning, but you still haven't verified that this isn't a function of the system that students use to view the work. If the teacher can't segregate names and grades from work samples, she may have to stop using real samples to teach. If her district or school gives her that option. Mine doesn't. Collaboration on certain work is required and no one can figure out how to make it anonymous for student views, but visible for teachers.

When my students collaborate in a document in Google Docs, they can see exactly who made what changes (including erroneous ones) and they can read any comments other collaborators or editors make. I actually send my own comments to individual students directly by email to avoid embarrassment, but I can't stop Google from showing the rest of the students that Larla doesn't understand a concept or can't spell. Our system set up the accounts to show student names.

Curious how old your students are? OP's are in second grade which seems young for a collaborative Google doc but maybe times have changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here--It's hard to know if this teacher is crossing the line or if you or your daugher are just overly sensitive about criticism. I'd suggest asking an administrator to check the blog and see if she's using it as an effective teaching tool. If that's the case, the administrator should hopefully be able to help clear up any questions.

I agree that you should check with an administrator. I've got kids with LDs/anxiety and I could easily see how this could be inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the learning from each other's work is great, IMO. However, there is no reason for names to be associated with it. What do the other parents think?

I agree that the names aren't needed for learning, but you still haven't verified that this isn't a function of the system that students use to view the work. If the teacher can't segregate names and grades from work samples, she may have to stop using real samples to teach. If her district or school gives her that option. Mine doesn't. Collaboration on certain work is required and no one can figure out how to make it anonymous for student views, but visible for teachers.

When my students collaborate in a document in Google Docs, they can see exactly who made what changes (including erroneous ones) and they can read any comments other collaborators or editors make. I actually send my own comments to individual students directly by email to avoid embarrassment, but I can't stop Google from showing the rest of the students that Larla doesn't understand a concept or can't spell. Our system set up the accounts to show student names.

Curious how old your students are? OP's are in second grade which seems young for a collaborative Google doc but maybe times have changed.

My students are 6th and 7th graders. But if OP's 2nd graders can log themselves onto computers to read a blog, they can log into Google, too. Collaborating on a Google Doc is as simple as making a change.

[Anonymous]

I'm a teacher and we are not allowed to post student work with a grade that has their name on it. We are only allowed to post graded work so I can only post work that doesn't have the name of the student on it. I'm surprised the teacher is allowed to use such a public forum for grading. Perhaps she can issue student numbers instead of names?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old are the kids? I don't understand what is being done. Are they hanging up their work? Reviewing it in front of everyone and saying "Eliza did this wrong"?

They're 2nd graders. Essentially, yes, this is what is happening. As a class, the kids get on the website and review each other's answers,what they did well, and what they didn't do well.

Are you sure it is the second graders reviewing the online comments? Or is it the moms? It sounds like kids parroting moms, not kids logging themselves on, searching for their friends scores just to rib them. I know my second graders never got online without an adult or older sibling helping, including my current second grader.

Yes, they review online, in class, together, as part of thieir language arts.

Thank you to those who responded in a civilized manner, both in support of and not in support of they process. I appreciate your honesty. Much of this thread is too combative for me so I'll bow out.

It's just wrong! Don't accept that. If you've told her to quit doing that, head on to the principal's office. Not a good practice at all.

[Anonymous]

Your child's teacher is violating FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.) If she doesn't get that, the next step is to contact the principal and after that, the school district's general counsel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. I grew up in q different country and the teacher gave out papers and announced everyone grades oitloi for and any egregious corrections to the whole class. We survived. It's not pleasant to be shamed but sometimes it and peer pressure works. They still teach this way in France and they used to teach like that here too a long time ago. I bunk it's useful to see all the mistakes one can make and learn to do better from that. As long as it's not personal and just about the work. Playing favorites I annoying but will always happen. Life is not fair. Kids may as well see it early.

That is how they taught at my school in the 70-80s (midwest)

Everyone survived

Yes, but you probably had lots of snow, and we have lots of snowflakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and we are not allowed to post student work with a grade that has their name on it. We are only allowed to post graded work so I can only post work that doesn't have the name of the student on it. I'm surprised the teacher is allowed to use such a public forum for grading. Perhaps she can issue student numbers instead of names?

The student numbers might work for 8 year olds, but older kids learn to recognize their classmates' 6 and 7 digit SINs as well. We had a problem with stolen lunch accounts this way until a PIN was added, but we still can't publicly post grades by SIN.

[Anonymous]

We definitely can't use their SINs at all and I agree that kids might eventually recognize a random number I've assigned them. Since we are required to post student work on our hallway bulletin boards, this is an issue we have to figure out. Luckily my principal is too busy with everything else to make this an issue but I'm sure the time will come.