Portfolio Grading

1
Portfolio Grading
A guide to English 1120
Section 028 Fall 2004 Instructor Kristen Miller
2
Portfolio Grading

• The shortest explanation your papers do not
  receive a grade until the end of the semester,
  allowing you the entirety of the semester to
  revise them using feedback from me, your
  classmates, the English Center, and your own
  trial-and-error experiences.

3
The Writing Process

• Writing process in a non-portfolio class
• Receive assignment
• Write paper (probably night before its due)
• Turn the essay in
• Get grade, probably ignore comments beyond
  understanding where the grade came from
• Tend to repeat the same mistakes in next paper

4
The Writing Process

• The ideal writing process
• Getting a draft done is the beginning, not the
  end
• Most time and effort goes toward revising
• Revision ultimately trains you to write better
  first drafts

5
Portfolio Grading

• Portfolio grading allows you to learn from your
  mistakes.

My goal guide you toward being able to
independently and competently plan, write,
revise, and proofread your own writing.
6
The Writing Process
Revising (content)
Editing (organization transitions)
Proofreading (grammar word choice)
7
Locating your paper in the writing process
Revising (content)
Task One
Editing (organization transitions)
Task Two
Proofreading (grammar word choice)
Task Three
8
Grade approximations for each step
Revising (content)
C and below
Editing (organization transitions)
High C to High B
Proofreading (grammar word choice)
High B to A
9
A Task One Paper (Needs Revision)

• Still needs content revision
• May neglect certain elements the essay prompt
  calls for
• May lack development
• May not back up claims sufficiently with
  evidence/research
• May have organization issues that inhibit
  understanding

10
A Task Two Paper (needs editing)

• Completely answers the question/prompt
• Provides enough examples/evidence/research to
  back up claims made
• Is organized well enough for the argument to be
  followed
• Organization transitions need improvement

11
A Task Three Paper (needs proofreading)

• Is well-organized, and the rationale for the
  organization is apparent
• Transitions are in place between paragraphs and
  within paragraphs to connect ideas and make the
  rationale for the organization clear
• Needs attention to grammar and word choice

12
Timeline for this class

• Receive assignment
• Draft due in approximately 2-3 weeks
• Conference with me after due date you are given
  feedback, direction to take in your revision
• The paper is yours from that point on to revise
  or not revise

13
Timeline for this class

• This process will be repeated for the second and
  third essays. You will have submitted a draft of
  all three essays before Spring Break.
• The best way to get a good grade is to work on
  your paper consistently over the course of the
  semester, using me and/or the English Center for
  help and direction

14
Timeline for this class

• You will get a grade approximation based on
  essays 1 and 2 at mid-semester. This grade is
  not recorded and does not count for anything
  except to give you an idea where your grade
  stands and an example of how I grade.
• You can ask for a ballpark grade at any point.
  Im not going to keep you in the dark about your
  progress in the class, but you have to ask if you
  want to know.

15
Timeline for this class

• You will also submit drafts of your essays
  (revised or not) for essay workshops during the
  last part of the semester, during which the whole
  class will offer you feedback.
• In addition to your three essays and final exam,
  you will be responsible for reading and
  responding to the essays of your classmates
  during the workshop portion of the class.
• Your other work for the class will be reading
  occasional assignments from the text book and
  writing 5 1-page reading responses (more details
  about reading responses next class session).

16
Timeline for this class

• Your portfolio (folder containing your work for
  this class) is due on the final exam day. It
  will include
• Final drafts of 3 essays, final exam essay, and
  your five reading responses (left pocket)
• All earlier drafts of your essays (right pocket)

17
My Responsibilities

• To explain as clearly as possible my expectations
  for each assignment

• To give helpful feedback on each draft I receive

• To make myself available (within reason) for
  conferences to answer questions and look at
  additional drafts

• To grade the final product, not the effort

18
NOT My Responsibility

• To tell you every single thing to change in your
  paper in order for it to get an A

Most comments from me will be written as key
words and phrases at the top of the first page of
the draft.
I will not write/revise/proofread your paper for
you, but will model for you how to fix a certain
problem with the expectation that you will apply
it throughout the paper.
If you have not gotten to Task Three, its
probably not an A. However, getting to Task
Three does not guarantee an A.
19
NOT My Responsibility
To read papers sent to me via email
It is difficult for me to give quality feedback
over email.
If Im going to put in the time to read a draft,
youre going to put in the time to bring it to me
and talk to me about it in person.
If I let one person do it, I should let everyone
do it, and I dont have time to read and respond
to twenty-five students emailing me their papers.
20
NOT My Responsibility
To remind you to be working on a paper or to be
revising
Youre a grownup now you can either plan ahead
and work consistently or accept the consequences
when you procrastinate and end up with a grade
youre not happy with.
Do not plan to wait until the last few weeks of
the semester to start revising it is never
enough time.
There is always something you can be drafting or
revising over the course of this semester. This
is probably the only time I will remind you of
this.
21
Your Responsibilities

• To take ownership of your grade and your progress
  in this class

• To work consistently and without reminders from me

• To let me know if you dont understand something.
  In absence of your letting me know something to
  the contrary, I assume you understand what Im
  telling you.

• To take the feedback I give you and apply it to
  everything you can, not just the specific
  instance I point out.

22
Your Responsibilities

• To be in class and on time

• To read the out-of-class assignments and come to
  class prepared to discuss them

• To remember that your grade is not based on how
  hard you try but on the quality of the work you
  produce.

23
Summary

• This is the fairest way I know of to grade you
• Your final grade is your responsibility
• Work steadily consistently
• Make the most of every mistake challenge
• Ask questions when you dont understand
• If you want to know how youre doing, ask!