A case of the "wrong color"

[Racket_Man]

This is a story from London where teachers were ordered to NOT mark up students papers/tests with RED ink cause it "upsets" them.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education...ts-pupils.html

It seems that some overzealous Headmaster took the PC thing a little too far.


a great quote from one of the commentors

Memo from head teacher:

Marking in red, green or any other colour pen is prohibited. All marking must be done in pencil so that the oversensitive little whingers can rub out anything that's too upsetting to them.

Henceforth, the marking of proper exams such as GCSE's and 'A' Levels with be conducted under a new regime. To prevent incidents of emotional distress, all pupils will be allowed to pass their exams over to their best friend to mark.

[Akasa]

You have got to be kidding me! Red ink marking your mistakes on your home work/tests could upset student?

Talk about coddling!

[Kheldarson]

I'll have to find it (I think it was in a Cracked article), but I think the research has proven that red actually does affect the ability of a student.

Still think it's a little weird though...

[fireheart17]

I'll have to find it (I think it was in a Cracked article), but I think the research has proven that red actually does affect the ability of a student.

Still think it's a little weird though...

I've heard of the red ink "ban" for years now. Admittedly it was on the forefront of my mind during my last prac (I didn't have any red at all-I just used black and blue since that's all I had in my bag at the time. The kids used brightly coloured pens with everything from green to purple since they marked their friends work. Yes, they were honest too!)

Some of the arguments that I've heard more towards assessment (not so much the colour of a pen) have been more about providing the students with feedback as well as a right/wrong answer-the idea is that you're meant to show them where they went wrong, so they're not making the same mistake repeatedly (example: student spells "receive" as "recieve" on a test, you mark it wrong, but also remind them of the "i before e" rule)

And yes, I have been in a classroom where the kids marked their friends spelling work. The rule was that they couldn't be on the same table and there had to be 2-3 in a group (the kids were sitting in groups of six to eight). The kids used pens in green, purple, orange, blue and yellow then we'd check them. You'd be surprised how honest the kids are. I rarely had to double-check a mark.

Personally, I don't give a shit about what pen I use. I'd be more inclined to use coloured fine-liner pens anyway, regardless of colour, just for clarity (red ink is a little harder to read anyway).

[SongsOfDragons]

Housemate's mum works at a college (British definition here) and they have colour codes: black and blue are used by the students, red by the teachers, and green by second markers/consultants/supervisors/etc.

One of my many wacky English teachers at secondary school would always mark with a calligraphy pen, and changed colours a few times - emerald green and purple were his favourites.

[fireheart17]

One of my many wacky English teachers at secondary school would always mark with a calligraphy pen, and changed colours a few times - emerald green and purple were his favourites.

I plan on doing just this. I've been hoarding away art supplies and among them have been some fineliner markers, which are perfect for writing these sort of things. ;p
You CAN get calligraphy markers and pens, but aside from them being horrifically expensive, the colour barrels are limited to red, blue and black

[bex1218]

Are we the only one's that actually likes constructive critisizm no matter the color of the pen?

[KabeRinnaul]

You CAN get calligraphy markers and pens, but aside from them being horrifically expensive, the colour barrels are limited to red, blue and black

My little sister had a set in high school that included green and brown as well, and I don't recall them being particularly expensive.

[Panacea]

When I was started teaching I was also told to grade work in green ink instead of red for the reasons highlighted above.

And while I do think the argument is bogus, as a new employee I did try to comply. However, I am extremely picky about my pens, and the college only had felt tips. I hate felt tips (probably an Aspie thing). So I buy my own. They come in color packs with a rainbow of colors, and I do like using different colors for taking notes and what not to get away from boring black (I have to use black in the hospital, no choice at all there).

But I would lose the green pens. So I started using different colors, including red on occasion. The students never complained.

I had a colleague who was notorious for marking the hell out of her students clinic paperwork.

One day, I'm lecturing in class. I had a number of choices in Dry Erase markers. I'm writing on the board with a green one when a student interrupts and asks, "Ms. Panacea? Can you write with a different color?"

Well, green dry erase is hard to see. So I said sure.

"Oh, no that's not the problem. We're just tired of looking at green."

[fireheart17]

My little sister had a set in high school that included green and brown as well, and I don't recall them being particularly expensive.

Ah I was referring to one of two types.

The ones with the refill cartridges that come with one pen, down here, are kind of pricey. Especially for a good quality one. I'm considering forking out for a pen that the students on my Steiner prac were using, which is a wooden fountain pen that you can refill. Less than $30 all up for pen and ink. You can get a calligraphy pen or a fountain pen, or you can even change between those and a ballpoint nib. (Although you have to pay the cost fr each individual pen gah) they only do it in blue and black.

The other type I was thinking of were the felt tips that basically look like a triangular prism on a cross-section.