Grading, Derby Style

Break's over.

So as I was saying, I grade exams a little bit at a time. I break them up into groups of questions that I can reasonably keep in my head at once and then go through the whole stack finishing off that group and then going back to the top of the stack for the next group. It makes it go by a little quicker, and like I said I think it helps keep me consistent on partial credit.

While grading I also enter the score for each group of questions in a spreadsheet. The form calculates raw score, percentage, and curved score based on the current high score (people out there are hearing "geek, geek, geek"). This allows me, for my own amusement, to sort the students after each group and see who is doing the best. I've taken to seeing it somewhat like a race; watching someone start strong and then fade, or another person put on a sudden charge to take the lead. It's not as exciting as watching paint dry, but I have to pay attention to what I am doing, and it does add just a little interest to the activity.

In keeping with today's Kentucky Derby, here's how the final I graded this evening might have sounded as a horse race...

Welcome to Purnell Downs for a hard pounding Basic PTM Derby featuring eight hard laps around the oval. We'll get aquainted with all the horses as the race progresses but it worth noting those closest to the rail as they enter as the favorites. Riding the poll is CITIZEN'S BAND, on her right is EVERYBREATH, and rounding out the first three is TAKIN CHARGE.

Its a beautiful day for racing, the field having just finished the Basic Design Stakes with the "Tempest in a Box" event earlier today. This is the busy season for our racers. And there's the gun with the field charging off from our left to our right.

They're tightly bunched coming across the line for the first completed lap. First place is a dead heat between BLOWING WIND and CAREFREE they're neck and neck. Following up just behind them tied for third are NATIONAL EMBLEM and LUNT FONTAINE. Overall it's a pretty slow pace, only matching 2/3 of the track record.

With the second lap complete the slow pace continues, that earlier race must have taken more out of them than we thought. We now have a clear leader. With the strongest lap CAREFREE has sole position of the lead. The rest of the group from the first lap is a tight clump in a virtual tie for second.

And another stand out lap for CAREFREE who retains the lead. The pace is picking up a little bit here in lap three, and that accelleration has sorted out second place, now held by LUNT FONTAINE. BLOWING WIND and NATIONAL EMBLEM continue to try to sort out the third position. Well off the overall pace, but matching the leader on this lap is RARELY THERE charging hard.

CAREFREE crosses the line in first after four laps, one half of the Basic PTM Derby is complete. The fast pace on the last lap must have tired the field as this is the slowest lap yet dropping to nearly half the track record. First, Second, and Third are held by single racers for the first time reading: CAREFREE, BLOWING WIND, and newcomer to the front of the pack AFTERNOON NAP. This time the fastest lap was from a racer in the back of the pack, VIRTUAL WORLD logging the best single lap split.

The second half of the race begins in the same manner we've seen so far with CAREFREE leading the pack. AFTERNOON NAP logs the fastest split and takes possession of second place followed by earlier contender NATIONAL EMBLEM who both slip past a fading BLOWING WIND.

We're now completing lap six and people are starting to wonder if anyone will catch CAREFREE. In another slow lap typical for this years derby four racers: CAREFREE, AFTERNOON NAP, BLOWING WIND, AND LUNT FONTAINE set the pace which means the top two positions stay the same and NATIONAL EMBLEM drops out of the top three, replaced by BLOWING WIND.

We hear the bell ring as the riders enter the final lap of the race. The field is running at its slowest pace yet, but the derby is still very tight. CAREFREE remains in the lead, followed by NATIONAL EMBLEM and AFTERNOON NAP. NATIONAL EMBLEM posts the fastest split in this lap to move up two spaces. Can she get passed CAREFREE at the line?

HERE THE COME SPINNING OUT OF THE TURN...

Coming to the line and leading from poll to poll to take the win is CAREFREE with a respectable time although it won't break any records. Using the whip liberally and charging hard but to no avail is NATIONAL EMBLEM taking place followed comfortably by AFTERNOON NAP at show.

See, isn't that more interesting than just writing down a score?