This seems a little telling being it is the end of the semester for those who are still in school but here goes any way however you want to look at it
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I have been on both sides of the spectrum... I just recently (over a year ago) graduated from a fairly competative college and now I am a math teacher at a high school.
Grades can be a very good tool if they show what you want them to show. In high school grades tend to show more than just merit in a subject; due to the fact that in high schools, all students must take a variety of subjects that may or may not impact their future, grades tend to include an element of effort. This causes a grade to loose some of its power. "Did this person get an A because he or she was good at math, or just worked his or her pants off?"
In college, you tend to get a grade based on your academic ability (or at least how well you can cram for a test or put together a killer project}. Effort helps, but in some classes (such as math) a genius can ace all the tests without much effort at all.
I guess the value of grades depends on what they represent. This is why many high schools (and junior high schools) have started using portfolios as well as grades as a requriement for graduation. These portfolios are full of projects and samples of work. Many places require a portfolio presentation as well. This, I believe, is a much more valid form of evaluation. It is a PAIN to implement, though, which explains why it is not very widespread.
Grades can be a very good tool if they show what you want them to show. In high school grades tend to show more than just merit in a subject; due to the fact that in high schools, all students must take a variety of subjects that may or may not impact their future, grades tend to include an element of effort. This causes a grade to loose some of its power. "Did this person get an A because he or she was good at math, or just worked his or her pants off?"
In college, you tend to get a grade based on your academic ability (or at least how well you can cram for a test or put together a killer project}. Effort helps, but in some classes (such as math) a genius can ace all the tests without much effort at all.
I guess the value of grades depends on what they represent. This is why many high schools (and junior high schools) have started using portfolios as well as grades as a requriement for graduation. These portfolios are full of projects and samples of work. Many places require a portfolio presentation as well. This, I believe, is a much more valid form of evaluation. It is a PAIN to implement, though, which explains why it is not very widespread.
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