In an effort to put off grading some papers during BAT, I scanned the Internet for some interesting articles.
This one grabbed my attention immediately. Why Extra Credit is Extra Wrong I've always thought of extra credit (especially in the way described in the article) as wrong, wrong, wrong. I also abhor giving extra credit when the assigned work hasn't been done. I mean what's the point in that, really? Over the years I've succumbed to the pressure, so I offer a bit here and there just because. Although my feeling on the subject is really in line with this article, I still offer it. I'm starting to rethink it again....
Hi Mrs. Powers,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the article, surprisingly! Extra credit to me is debatable. One half of me says that their should be extra credit and the other half tells me their shouldn't. The half that says their shouldn't be extra credit speaks out to me because it is not fair. Some people work very hard throughout the whole quarter and get the grade they worked for! But some slack off a little, and happen to mess up. I happen to give my vote to the "Yes, extra credit!" This is because everyone has bad days. They can screw up on a test or classwork, or even both! And as you know, these are heavily weighted grades. This could whack up their grade, for the whole quarter!! Yes, it is their fault and yes they did this, but everyone needs to be cut some slack, within reason. Extra credit gives them that extra push from a B to an A, or a C to a B. This could make a child a whole lot happier! Sometimes, a grade can greatly suffer from one stupid mistake. This is my opinion of extra credit!
Taylor Fellman
Period 3
Everyone wants satisfied parents, right?
ReplyDeleteI think that whatever grade the student earned reflects the true effort that was put in towards the grade, but thinking like a student, it would be stupid to say that I don't think that extra credit is not useful if I have an 89% or 79% to lift a letter grade up.
But still, working for extra credit means you want the best possible grade you can get, and that reflects that you are a good student. A few blog posts here and there to get make sure a high "B" becomes an "A" is essentially helpful.
-Rodolfo H. Period 4
I disagree with the article. Some parts, like the kids who asked for extra credit on the spelling test, I agree with. Unless it is marked as extra credit, they shouldn't ask it to be extra credit. Though one thing that I completely disagree with is that the article states that EC is the only motivation students have, and they won't have that motivation when they work a real job. What happened to overtime, or a raise. That's a big motivation for adults! I'll admit, not all jobs have that luxury, but most do! Another reason there should be EC is the fact that maybe students get bad grades not because they didn't study hard enough. Maybe the student legitimately did not have enough time to study because of sports or other after school activities. Maybe there are other things happening in there private lives that are making the student struggle. This is why I like to think of EC as almost a second chance, and the only compromise I'll make is that only hard working students should be able to receive EC.
ReplyDelete-Alex Israel
Per. 5
Like Taylor up there, I somewhat agree with this article. One one hand, if a student has an 89 or 79, those 5 extra points on a test can make all the difference, and I know that would make me super happy. But on the other hand, this is setting a path for children, making them believe that for every little act that exceeds expectations, they should receive a little extra. I especially liked what David Ginsburg said about when he worked in business, "Similarly, when I worked in business, there was an unwritten expectation that employees would go above and beyond without additional compensation. And though the extent to which we went above and beyond may have been taken into account when it came to raises and promotions, those rewards were given annually at most, and were never guaranteed." That, I think, is a perfect example of "extra credit" in real life. People might think, "Oh, my boss told me to finish two papers by tomorrow, if I do THREE, he might be pleased and offer me a promotion. I think I'll do the extra one." But really, now we're getting into speculation. Who says that just because you do a little extra you'll get a reward? In fact 99% of the time, that's not going to be the case.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I think extra credit is good UP TO A POINT. Maybe after 10th grade teachers should just stop. I know when I was in 5th grade, my teacher used to freak out about us putting our names on our papers (she even took 10 points of if we didn't! 10 POINTS!) because "in 6th grade, you forget to put your name on the paper and BOOM! Teachers drop it straight in the trash." Now, being in 8th grade and having somehow survived 6th and 7th grade in one piece, I can tell you that this is not the case. However back when we were young, naïve 5th graders, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT. So if in 10th grade, the teachers start freaking out about how "you guys aren't going to get any extra credit, so you better do your work right the first time!", then it'll train us to not rely so heavily on it. And then if we gt to 11th and find out they DO give extra credit... then we can sit back, relax, and smile smugly, because we know that we're not going to need it. :)
Mira Merchant
Period 3
The grade that you earn reflects on the effort you put into the grade, and whatever you earn, you earn.
ReplyDeleteIn professional sports, your contract can tell you what your value is to your team (Some were off: 23 million dollars were paid to Heat Center Jermaine O'Neal, a contract reserved for superstars, and he averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds, which deserves a seven million dollar contract).
However, with extra credit, you are bumping up the grade, so the student doesn't really get the grade he or she deserves.
However, we all want satisifed parents, so to get one or two extra points to get an "A" is a big deal.
-Rodolfo H., Period 4
But those that use extra credit care about having the best possible grade you can get, so that says that the student's effort equals those points, and the new grade reflects the total effort for the quarter.
Just to clarify: One bad day shouldn't make that much of a difference. We all have bad days. Best effort. I also feel like sometimes you guys put too much weight on a grade when, in the end, it should be about the knowledge you've gained. It's easy to study enough for a test to get the A or B, but retaining and applying the knowledge... that's the hard part.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone on this case.
ReplyDeleteI think that if you have worked the hardest that you can, and yet you are one point away from a grade level up, extra credit is great. You worked the hardest that you can and you deserve the better grade.
On the other hand, if you do not work a lot, do extra credit, and receive a good grade, it is not fair for those who worked hard and yet might not have received as high of a grade as they wanted. It also may convince you that later in life, you will receive a lot of credit for doing a little extra, even if you didn't do your initial job correctly.
For example, if you employer sends you off to find a wholesale t-shirt manufacturer, and you return with a shoe manufacturer, you may expect credit even if you did not complete your initial job. However, I doubt that your employer will not feel this way. You may even be fired because you cannot follow directions.
All in All, I believe that extra credit
is a good thing unless you do not deserve it.
Yuval S.
Period Three
Yes, like most of the other people who commented, I think that if a student is very hard-working and tried his or her best, but ended up with an 89 or a 79, extra credit should be given. Many students and parents really want an "A" or a "B." As a result, when they see that 89 on their report card, it is extremely disappointing because they could have gotten a better grade with just a few more points. In this case, giving a few points of extra credit can turn their world upside down.
ReplyDeleteHowever, one should not just expect extra credit. As previous students had said, this can create various problems for them in the future. People should always try their hardest. Sadly, that is not the case. Thus, I think there shouldn't be extra credit unless it is given to someone who is hard working, and it will actually make a difference in their grade.
Lawrence X.
Period 3
Hi Mrs. Powers,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I always enjoy extra credit on a test, quiz, or just in general, there are definitely two clear sides. On one hand, if the student is prepared they shouldn't need the extra credit and therefore, it isn't necessary. But on the other hand, extra credit is a great way to boost a student up a little bit and make up for a question here or there that may have been difficult. I like having extra credit but I CAN see the other side to this debate.
Lauren White
Period 5
Ryan Greeneberg Period 6
ReplyDeleteI enjoy extra credit, OBVIOUSLY! but I do think it is wrong. We get plenty of grades during the semester and extra credit is just trying for extra points. Extra credit, though is OK if the children actually have to do work. It is like an added assignment. But just giving credit is ridiculous to me.
Hi Mrs. Powers,
ReplyDeleteI agree with both. Extra credit in some ways is wrong. The students who need extra credit shouldn't be receiving it because in order for them to not need the extra credit, they would have completed their work that was assigned. But then, I think back to the times where I had a 89% and the gradebook was closed and I really needed that extra credit to boost my grade that 1%. So, it is hard to say that extra credit shouldn't or should be given. So, i don't think that credit should just be given to the students who do their work. Teachers should decide to give the E.C. to the students if they have seen that all of the students have been dilligent in their work throughout the semester, this way they aren't just giving them the grade, they have to earn it.
Meredith Sheldon
P.3
I like and agree with the ideas that the author of the article expressed, but I like extra credit. In a way, it is a bribe, but it is also motivational. I, for one, like to know that when I don't have a good day and I get a bad grade on an assignment, that my grade won't go down like ten percent. Even if it does go down that much, I always know that the extra credit is there to back me up. I'm not going to lie and say that extra credit is wrong for me (others don't work hard, so they don't deserve anything but the grade that they got)because I work hard, but sometimes I don't get the grade I wanted. Extra credit is a gift and many people that wrote on this wall probably agree that without it, they may have been lost at one point or another. You can never have the perfect grade....unless it's a 100%, but, sadly, let's face the reality because it doesn't ever happen (unless it's the beginning of the quarter). I'm not writing here to please anyone, so here it is, I don't know how else to say that extra credit is okay and I totally support it.
ReplyDeleteJuana D.-P.5
I agree with the article, for the most part. When a student asks for that type of extra credit (the eg. given in the article), it shouldn't be counted because they just weren't following directions. However, I think extra credit in some cases is a good thing. For example, when Mrs. Powers gives us the required vocabulary extra credit on essays. Everybody has to do it, and even if a student uses more that the required amount of words, Mrs. Powers will only give credit for 10 words. In addition, I don't think extra credit is bad when teachers give a hard problem that requires a lot more work and higher order thinking. This motivates students to work and study harder. Clearly, extra credit in schools is a debatable topic, but it depends on the teachers' judgment on whethere it is righ or wrong.
ReplyDeleteAndrea De Abreu
P.5
Hi Mrs. Powers and students! I have nothing to add to the conversation, since I've already put in my two cents as the author of the article. But I'm so honored that you've read the article, and devoted so much attention to it. What a wonderful resource you've created for your students, Mrs. Powers!!
ReplyDeleteDavid Ginsburg (aka Coach G)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI think that this article has some right points and some wrong points. Obviously, the have a good point that extra credit deprives students, but also it does help them. You can't just give away free extra credit for like showing up to class on time, but you can give extra credit for a student doing a non-required academic assignment. I love extra credit, it helps a lot but it should be earned, not givin away.
Kevin Scott Period 5
I obviously like extra credit but I don't do it because I haven't been working hard earlier in the quarter. A grade should reflect how hard a student worked throughout the course of a year. But, if a student needs extra credit to bump them up then I guess they weren't satisfied with how hard they tried. I completely agree with the article in some way. If the drive to do well wasn't there earlier in the year, why would it be there at the end of the year. However I enjoy having extra credit and I think that if it is given students should take advantage of it.
ReplyDeleteRachel Newman
Pd3
Bottom Line: My opinion of extra credit varies. If a student has tried his or her hardest, and ends up on the verge of a higher letter grade, then yes, extra should be given to the student. However, if this student has not been putting effort in to the class, not doing homework, and not doing classwork, then it would be ridiculous to give the student extra credit. A big problem with extra credit is as more credit is promised, students begin to rely on the credit rather than their original grades.
ReplyDeleteRobert Arnott P.5
No no no, theres no need to rethink anything Mrs. Powers. What you are doing is the best thing a teacher to do because it gives students the option to earn extra-credit if they do work outside of school. By reading the articles you post it broadens our view on different topics that we might never have thought about.
ReplyDeleteTyler Levinson Period 6
I mostly disagree with this article because doesn't everyone deserve a second chance? If a student gets a bad grade and can't bring it up, extra credit can do that job. When I read about those students who didn't follow simple directions, then I will go ahead and fight against extra credit.
ReplyDeleteNicolette Sam P.5
I partly agree with the article I mean students should of defined all of the words anyway because they were probably important words that are needed in life.
ReplyDeleteEven so, I feel that some Extra Credit is a good thing, like a bonus assinment at the end so that people that are working hard and go from a 89 to a 90 or a 79 to an 80 but only then not on every assinment because if you need Extra Credit that you probably didn't study for the assinment in the first place.
Evan Harber p5
I've always thought of extra credit as an intereting topic. Some people say yes to extra credit but some say no. In my opinion, extra credit should be allowed because everyone has their bad days. A student might've failed a quiz, they studied for, and their grade is lowered to a C. Although, it is their fault the student deserves to get extra credit because they studied and tried their hardest. Extra credit could raise the student's grade.
ReplyDeleteYumi Rivas
Period 2
Extra credit can be quite controversial. On one hand, it can be quite helpful and nice to have once in a while but on the other hand, if the kids don't even try in class then I, personally, think they should not get the privilege of extra credit. Also, if a student has like a 79% or 89% and they need that one more point to have it raised to the next letter grade, extra credit could definitely help significantly.
ReplyDelete-Victoria Baram P.4
There are many different pros and cons in giving away extra credit. If a student gives 110% effort and has a borderline grade of 79% or 89%, they deserve that extra push to increase their grade. A disadvantage this could hold is that the student, knowing that he or she can receive extra credit, will slack off.
ReplyDeleteMeredith K
Period 2
I agree that extra credit should not be given on every single assignment, but, as most of the other students have said before, if a student is .5 away from getting the next letter grade, and they had been doing their best the whole time, then extra credit would be great!
ReplyDeleteChristal Hector
Period 3
I agree that extra credit should not be allowed because a student should do the assigned work rather than the extra credit or unassigned work. Though, everyone has bad days and sometimes on hard test or assignment I think teachers should give an opportunity for some extra credit.
ReplyDelete-Kayla Moodie Pd.3
I never thought of extra credit that way but it makes sense. Although I enjoy being able to raise my grade of get extra points for doing extra work I do understand that in the future i will not be able to have that advantage. I still think teachers should give the opportunity for extra credit because although we are on our way to becoming more responsible we are still learning and just like riding a bike we need to start with training wheels.
ReplyDelete-Aina Rivas pd. 2