There are many important philosophical and ethical reasons why I want to try #AlternativGrading and #Ungrading. But also: I hate grading!

If you’re an educator struggling with burnout, I wanted to share this course I co-designed to help educators restore health, balance, and wellness. We also used an #ungrading approach that aligns with the theme of the course https://pce.sandiego.edu/courses/live-your-best-educator-life-finding-school-life-balance-through-strategic-self-support-and-wellness-prev-edu-x799k/

I didn't use ungrading in my most recent summer class and this is one of my biggest regrets. The stress around grades, even a minute grade drop or poor performance on a single assignment, was ridiculous.

I can draw a clear line between these students and the middle-aged woman crying about her performance in an art class she was supposed to be taking for fun.

I think (and hope) that #ungrading teaches students to view feedback as an aid for their learning, not a condemnation.

/4

This line in Barbara Baig's writing book triggered a memory: "most adults are very self-conscious about learning anything new."

Years ago I took an ink painting class at my local arts center. A middle-aged woman cried because she wasn't immediately good at it. To me this is a convincing case for #ungrading.

#teaching #pedagogy #Academia #Sociodon #Sociology #AcademicMastodon #AcademicChatter @academicchatter

/1

Day 1 of the Fall semester. A new opportunity to introduce a new batch of students to #oer and #ungrading.

My syllabi are identical between 8-week long classes regardless of the modality.

#ungrading in both. #oer in both. #gamification, #ttrpg in both.

Maybe enrollment will pick up for my September and October on-campus starting classes.

My online Sept and Oct starting classes are already at 32.

But for now, does not look like students are ready, willing, or interested in an August on-campus start.

Fall classes will be a combo of gamification and ungrading. #ungrading. #ttrpg #dnd

Time to review my students' final ungrading essays. Tweaking if I do not agree. As usual, I will look for female students who tend to undervalue their accomplishments and male students who tend to overvalue their accomplishments. A regular thing. #ungrading

Another instructor reports being delighted and "energized" once "the blinders had been removed" and he stopped trying to tweak the *way* he graded students (forget "standards-based" or "contract" grading) and finally stopped grading altogether: https://tinyurl.com/ytcezmzh #ungrading

"It also reignited my enthusiasm for the English language beyond the confines of the classroom." Student in their unessay

Mission accomplished! That's why I do #ungrading and #unessays

For my #ungrading friends out there, a case study. @edutooters

Reading the #unessays is leaving my speechless, gobsmacked and just wow!!!!! Students have written POEMS!!!!!!!!! Sorry for the shouting but I am really happy with my students!!!!! This was my class "English: International Media"

@Journalismus_PR

#teaching #ungrading #unessay #journalism #InternationalMedia

It's easy to tell which students have watched my ungrading video and which students have not. The ones who ask me why I have not graded their work fall into the latter. It's not like I'm Steve Jobs in that South Park episode who was trying to get Kyle to read the iTunes User Agreement. Just watch a 5 min video. #ungrading

First case of attempted grade grubbing has me ready to run back to #ungrading. 🥴

#AcademicMastodon #teaching #highered

I have given my very first #unEssay assignment to my students. I am looking forward to their creativity #teaching #ungrading

Most of my Dual Credit students are not getting the hang of ungrading. Not sure if it's because of the terribly inflated hs grading system or what. But I'm getting so many self-appointed 100s that I needed to bring them down to Earth. #ungrading

“I hoped that this would help students see that whatever perspective they had on grades was valid.”

#Ungrading #AlternativeGrading

My latest: https://www.jessicazeller.net/blog/the-meanings-of-grades

@toddo Yes: other than dealing w/ admin, it’s the worst part of the job (‘94). I’ve shifted things in last few yrs by moving to #UnGrading (healthier!) but still tough

I write about (and practice) #ungrading

My latest writing is posted at https://www.teachersgoinggradeless.com/blog/long-unwinding-road

In this post for the Teachers Going Gradeless blog I report on my ongoing institutional journey away from traditional grading systems towards something... better!

Is there an #ungrading community here on Mastodon?

I dreamt I taught a class called “Historicizing Grades.” Topics included the arbitrariness of signs, vowels vs. consonants, the “A Minus” as an oxymoron, and thinking outside the English alphabet. Final project: We worked together to transform a manicured lawn into a wild meadow 🌱

#Ungrading #Grades #Academia