Dave Eddy

@GBGEdu @SusanDebraBlum @GBGEdu I think it has a lot to do because the traditional one size fits all does not fit the needs of every student. Having an alternative grading system that focuses on student growth supports shifting the classroom from teaching to learning.

I've been blown away by the speed at which people have taken up the invitation to reconsider conventional grading practices. @SusanDebraBlum @GBGEdu #growbeyondgrades growbeyondgrades.org/blog/the-ungra…

Give @ScottBackovich an hour with your student leaders and tables are upended and paper hats are on making their school a better place.

Some colleges mull the idea of 'Ungrading' for freshman students kqed.org/mindshift/5995…

@mpwinslow @TG2Chat I don’t believe that the role of any teacher is to simply supply a summative assessment of student understanding. If that were the case, our job can be done by anyone with an answer key. Our role is developing the understanding of students as they are on their journey of learning

SERIOUS request to fellow ungraders: a young colleague at another uni is getting pushback from chair about #ungrading. Can you please reply with your favorite evidence of ungrading’s efficacy in terms of content learning as well as other benefits?

3 Key Areas to Reflect on This Summer edutopia.org/article/3-key-…

A1: Though it is important for teachers to communicate learning, it is more important for learners to articulate their own learning. The learning belongs to the learner. Therefore, it is essential for them to know what they have learned. #TG2Chat

This is a great read to consider the (negative) impact our traditional grading practices have had on our learners.

"When the pandemic started, we heard from our administrators and state education officials to do no harm with our grading. Do no harm. What does that suggest about the way we graded before the pandemic?" @pforster25 #tg2chat ctt.ec/wbFfd+

@ChrisRiesbeck1 @TG2Chat Surprisingly there was no statistical difference between teaching in a traditional system and that of a gradeless system on the performance of the AP exam. I took this as the inherent benefits associated with the student experience and learning are worth it at no cost to score.

@TG2Chat @deadeddys Wonderful work and write-up, clearly a better learning experience. Any information on how students did on (shudder) the AP exam?

NEW POST!!! "A large amount of content needing to be covered was a major hurdle for me. I struggled with how to go gradeless while still preparing students to perform well on the AP exam at the end of the year." via @deadeddys #tg2chat ctt.ec/dKIfS+

@mrmcateer If nothing else, this was the most satisfying result of shifting from points to feedback in my Gradeless classroom.

“We noticed almost an immediate shift in those student-teacher conversations away from “How many points do I need to get my A?” to “How can I better demonstrate my mastery of graphing of thermodynamic cycles?” Sharing this w/my AP colleagues, @deadeddys

I appreciate the conversations addressing accountability and operating in a gradeless classroom. #tg2chat

A5: Instead of using hard numbers and average scores, colleagues communicate with one another on common challenges students face. Traditional and gradeless teachers can recognize patterns and trends in their classes and work together on instructional improvement. #tg2chat

@iamchiaravalli @mrmcateer I would be interested in learning more about how others have used portfolios in the classroom as evidence of student learning #TG2Chat

A5. A portfolio is such a critical piece. Like @mrmcateer, I have also relied on a variety of feedback/reflection tracking sheets. Creating structures for STUDENTS to better curate and communicate their learning is always the goal. #tg2chat

RT Q5: How do you collect and analyze data so you can communicate improvements in student learning? #tg2chat

A4: We use common formative assessments between teachers in the same course. Although others give traditional grades, I still grade the learning standards with feedback only. We are still assessing students over common content, the feedback is the only difference. #tg2chat

RT Q4: How can gradeless teachers be accountable to students while colleagues operate in a traditionally graded classroom? #tg2chat

@mrmcateer @iamchiaravalli I like the shift from a typically individualized "class participation" to community participation between students. Learning is a social endeavor, not a competitive one. #TG2Chat

@iamchiaravalli That's why I think it's important to define what "class participation" looks like. If you assess students' contributions to the classroom community, students will pay closer attention to contributing and respecting one another #tg2chat

A2. Not to sidestep the question, but we've totally undermined any horizontal, communal sense of responsibility by using grades, which makes the vertical, individualistic relationship b/w teacher and student the only one that matters. #tg2chat

A3: At regular time intervals, I have conferences with students during class. I ask them to rank their understanding 1 to 5 about a particular skill or concept and ask them why. They provide evidence of their ranking and there are no surprises by the end of the term. #tg2chat

@dbuckedu thank you @dbuckedu these were the words I was looking for. Student agency over grades. #TG2Chat

RT Q3: For teachers who have to produce grades, how can you reduce the subjectivity of the final grade? #tg2chat