Red Pen or Not to Red Pen?
My TA duties are grading an advanced calculus class. As I was receiving the first homework assignment to grade, a thought came to my mind: I need a red pen. But why a red pen? I've always seen my work graded in red. According to
the Boston Globe,
Red's legacy as the color used in correcting papers and marking mistakes goes back to the 1700s, the era of the quill pen. In those days, red ink was used by clerks and accountants to correct ledgers. From there, it found its way into teachers' hands.
The article also answered one of my other questions: what other color can I used besides red? Well, it seems that purple is the color de jour. A page marked up in purple is not considered as negative as one marked up in red, thus encouraging the students. But the color of the marking doesn't (or shouldn't) affect the grade. Plus there's nothing wrong with pointing out errors, that's how most people learn. So should I stay with the tried and true, centuries old tradition of correcting in red, or go with today's self esteem building fad of using purple? I think the answer will be which color is cheaper.
