Grading time is reflection time

Yes it is that time of the year again, when we have to spend our time to assess students work. This is the most difficult part of being a teacher, to be fair, to make sure that no one fails. This is also a time for reflection where I tend to spend a lot of time reading and going through the assignments, especially those that require the processes being reported. I find myself stopping and reflecting and rereading.

Interesting findings from my pxgt6103 class. I would say half of the class are transformed, I could see the progress from the first time I met them, until the time I read the assignments. Of course their report and especially their reflections helped alot in my understanding the progress that they have made in learning to be an instructional designer.

I'm happy to see that some of my students are pushing the barriers. They are going all out to get the knowledge that was not supplied by me. So my experiment of constantly telling them to check the difference between "this is what i want you to know vs this is what I want you to find" works. Of course not for everyone. Learning is something that you do to yourself, no amount of showing and facilitating will work if the learner is not motivated or willing to spend the time needed to find the knowledge. The method may not work for those that expect to be spoon fed. I could tell the difference between the two groups.

As much as I believe in mastery learning, it is too late to go back and help some of the students. My hope is always that one day they will realize that they need to spend more time and they need to be more independent.