The Theory and Practice of Grading Writing: Problems and Possibilities

Publisher Marketing: Grading is one of the thorniest issues writing teachers must deal with, yet, surprisingly little has been written on this topic. As writing teachers move increasingly toward practices that focus on writing as a process, they face a growing need to reconsider their systems of grading to determine whether or not these systems support their pedagogies. The authors interrogate the grading of individual papers as well as portfolios and the assigning of end-of-term grades. This collection explores the issues and problems that have emerged as conventional grading practices have lagged behind and been challenged by new theories of language. While the book will be of interest to theorists, Zak and Weaver have also made the book relevant and useful to teachers whose primary interest is the practical consequences of theory in their classrooms. Where theoretical discussion takes place, the language is clear and accessible. Many of the authors write directly from personal experience, telling stories of the classroom or writing of new techniques and approaches they have tried. They speak with the voices of teachers, and the tone and content of their words convey a sense of the immediacy of the topic. Publisher Marketing: Grading is one of the thorniest issues writing teachers must deal with, yet, surprisingly little has been written on this topic. As writing teachers move increasingly toward practices that focus on writing as a process, they face a growing need to reconsider their systems of grading to determine whether or not these systems support their pedagogies. The authors interrogate the grading of individual papers as well as portfolios and the assigning of end-of-term grades. This collection explores the issues and problems that have emerged as conventional grading practices have lagged behind and been challenged by new theories of language. While the book will be of interest to theorists, Zak and Weaver have also made the book relevant and useful to teachers whose primary interest is the practical consequences of theory in their classrooms. Where theoretical discussion takes place, the language is clear and accessible. Many of the authors write directly from personal experience, telling stories of the classroom or writing of new techniques and approaches they have tried. They speak with the voices of teachers, and the tone and content of their words convey a sense of the immediacy of the topic.

Contributor Bio:  Zak, Frances Zak is Associate Director of the Writing Program at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Contributor Bio:  Weaver, Christopher C Weaver is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Alaska Southeast. Contributor Bio:  Belanoff, Patricia Peter Elbow is Professor of English at the University of MasPat Belanoff is Director of Writing Programs at the State Unsachusetts at Amherst. Before writing A Community of Writersiversity of New York-Stony Brook. She is president of the SU, he wrote two other books about writing: Writing Without TeNY Council on Writing and a member of the College Steering Cachers and Writing with Power: Techniques for Mastering the ommittee of NCTE. Pat is a co-author (with Besty Rorschach aWriting Process. He is author of a book of essays about learnd Mia Oberlink) of The Right Handbook, now in its second edning and teaching: Embracing Contraries. He also wrote Opposition. She has also co-edited (with Marcia Dickson) Portfoliitions in Chaucer, as well as numerous essays about writing os: Process and Product and (with Peter Elbow and Sheryl Fonand teaching. His most recent book, What Is English? exploretaine) Nothing Begins With an N: New Investigations of Freews current issues in the profession of English. He has taughtriting. Pat has a degree in medieval literature from New Yor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Franconia Colk University and continues to teach and publish in this arealege, Evergreen State College, and the State University of N, too. ew York at Stony Brook--where for five years he directed the Writing Program. He served for four years on the Executive Council of the Modern Language Association and is now a member of the Executive Committee of the Conference on College Composition and Communication. He has given talks and workshops at many colleges and university. He attended Williams College and Harvard University and has an M. A. from Exeter College, Oxford University, and a Ph. D. from Brandeis University.