"In reality, we have created an atmosphere that is toxic to student mental health . . . For so long, school has been about performance divorced from learning, so it's difficult to find value in anything other than an A." -- Warner, Why They Can't Write #UngradingSlowChat https://t.co/naVLLorB2a

"In reality, we have created an atmosphere that is toxic to student mental health . . . For so long, school has been about performance divorced from learning, so it's difficult to find value in anything other than an A." -- Warner, Why They Can't Write #UngradingSlowChat https://t.co/naVLLorB2a

"We conclude that accountability reforms aimed at increased use of testing, assessment and grading can potentially have negative side effects on pupils’ health." (study on effects of assessment on 6th/7th graders, my son's in 6th grade) https://t.co/QAOqRmnwCs #UngradingSlowChat https://t.co/SF94AGcGHz

@AmandaISeligman @HIS450MKE YAY!
hashtag is trickier widget:
you can do a hashtag using the built-in Twitter feature in Canvas rich-text-editor, but it will be text only:
https://t.co/PPbnZQXL1C
but Twitter doesn't have hashtag widgets; you need to use TAGS sheet instead https://t.co/N4oLiJkwqQ
I love TAGS!

@AmandaISeligman @HIS450MKE yes, you can just link to a URL... the advantage of having a TAGS is that it gives you a searchable archive for afterwards; the widget is just kind of an extra. for example, here's the archive we've got so far for #UngradingSlowChat: it can be very useful! https://t.co/EFeRrEHxlD https://t.co/9kJ5ufWVuq

@AmandaISeligman @HIS450MKE yes, you can just link to a URL... the advantage of having a TAGS is that it gives you a searchable archive for afterwards; the widget is just kind of an extra. for example, here's the archive we've got so far for #UngradingSlowChat: it can be very useful! https://t.co/EFeRrEHxlD https://t.co/9kJ5ufWVuq

@AmandaISeligman @Jessifer excellent! very glad this is a space where we can connect. I have met so many new people just in these few days via the slow chat.
and we have a quick website up and running where we'll be trying to compile things as we go :-)
https://t.co/T5s0nDZ2iV
#UngradingSlowChat

@AmandaISeligman Agreed! This is why I have removed all grades in my courses. Students provide evidence of their learning, and this is the participation/engagement that I hope to encourage. With feedback (instead of grades), inquiry levels improve since failure isn’t punished! #UngradingSlowChat

@bree_bop exactly! that's something important for future chat: how does learning/revision process work for different classes? in writing classes it works differently than classes where there are quizzes for content/understanding... but we can always learn from mistakes! #UngradingSlowChat

@brocansky @dbuckedu PERFECT! thanks so much, Michelle!
there's been so much going on, and it's hard to keep up with things, but we'll have another #UngradingSlowChat first week of July, which means I'll be organizing some resources and working on that tomorrow and next week.
sending good thoughts...

@brocansky @dbuckedu yes, that's it exactly! we tweet out a question every day, but any question is fine anytime, any answer anytime... I've been using #UngradingSlowChat whenever I notice something I want to snag.
and you can see them all at our nifty TAGS archive, whoo-hoo!
https://t.co/N4oLiJkwqQ

@brocansky oh, I am sorry I missed this...will the sessions be available afterwards also? I would really like to use this for #UngradingSlowChat
thank you for letting me know, and hopefully there will be a recording available later; it looks like session is wrapping up about now
@dbuckedu

@brocansky oh, I am sorry I missed this...will the sessions be available afterwards also? I would really like to use this for #UngradingSlowChat
thank you for letting me know, and hopefully there will be a recording available later; it looks like session is wrapping up about now
@dbuckedu

@cjdenial @brocansky @dbuckedu we did our first one this month, and it was so nice: some great people, and we started accumulating resources... here's #UngradingSlowChat website: https://t.co/T5s0nDZ2iV
David prepped graphics for July questions already, and I need to grab some more resources people have shared

@cthorndike12 @AsaoBInoue AGREE.
I'm sure that at some point as #UngradingSlowChat evolves, we will do some reading events, and articles/books that are available open access online are always the best choice for group reading...reading @AsaoBInoue together would be fantastic choice IMO
#UngradingSlowChat

@cthorndike12 @SusanDebraBlum in same way that I have an entire Orientation week, I also have an entire Review week for self-reflection, self-assessment, getting feedback from students, etc... just like with a whole week for Orientation, I think it's time well spent.
https://t.co/VSxVEVX009
#UngradingSlowChat

@cthorndike12 SO TRUE: I don't think it is possible to overcommunicate with students not just about the how but also the WHY of ungrading in a class. I do a whole week of Orientation:
https://t.co/X5jEmknpPo
very first activity has section on Grading: https://t.co/gnVqYWNXDz
#UngradingSlowChat https://t.co/SKuxPOLy7G

@dbuckedu @bree_bop @rickwormeli2 I just added this video to the Diigo #UngradingSlowChat library...this is the first video item! I have some videos, esp. some good ones on feedback, that I share with students which I'll tag later and add. growing this bookmark library is going to be fun! https://t.co/iZYdvMjTMc https://t.co/iEpR8SnyQ9

@dbuckedu @dramaqueenbrc P/NP option that we allowed this Spring was positive experiment for me; I've always said I'd prefer to have just P/NP and many (MANY) of my students chose that option: I felt great about their performance and their choice; I could definitely call it a success
#UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu @edmunds_t @dramaqueenbrc making choices, having priorities, budgeting time, weighing long-term and short-term...all valuable skills, but grading short-circuits that, collapsing it all into same goal for all classes: GET THAT A.

IMO students need to develop those other skills instead
#UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu @edmunds_t @dramaqueenbrc yes yes yes! I'll have lots to share about build-on-the-positives approach when we get into #UngradingSlowChat focus on feedback later.
power of positive attention...and improvisational "YES!"

very thought-provoking piece here in HBR:
The Feedback Fallacy
https://t.co/Ox9kuz4eHv

@dbuckedu @jasondefoe I worked with a couple of teachers this year to get some messaging going for their classes around our "open house" time + I'm going to get in touch with them to see if they're willing to share their parent presentations. #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu @mrdyche same across the whole country; very few community college systems could adopt P/NP because 4-years didn't adopt P/NP transfer policies.
that's a whole other topic; I'll just say THANK YOU to schools that went all-P/NP, no letter grades: https://t.co/A2xU1sYx45
#UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu @OnlineCrsLady Do you have the teachers throwing out grades facebook group? (TTOG) it is a great community of folks #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu @OnlineCrsLady How do you feel about this article? It seems to miss certain key nuances in my view. #UngradingSlowChat https://t.co/Oq27LKXRCV

@dbuckedu @scottgr60613 yep, that is the loophole I have exploited to the absolute maximum.
the ONLY grade students ever get is the final grade required by the university, and they generate that grade themselves.
no grades of any kind from me on any assignment.
just feedback. :-)
#UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu @SirKenRobinson that metaphor really resonates with me too, and why I found classroom so hard: people grow in their own ways, at their own paces and times. at least for me, it was so much easier to work with students without the 50-minute clock going tick-tock in classroom...
#UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu #UngradingSlowChat

A1: Hi everyone. I teach high school English in Ontario. In recent years I've focused more and more on formative work and feedback, but I can't seem to escape grades entirely. Looking for more strategies that work within the system. https://t.co/GpC9cBg5vl

@dbuckedu #UngradingSlowChat

A1: Hi everyone. I teach high school English in Ontario. In recent years I've focused more and more on formative work and feedback, but I can't seem to escape grades entirely. Looking for more strategies that work within the system. https://t.co/GpC9cBg5vl

@dbuckedu a thousand times this!
that's why I really like P/NP. there are some reading and writing things I'd like students to be able to do by the end of the semester. that's a pass. and a pass is plenty...because, I hope, what they read and write LATER is what MATTERS.
#UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu A2: First inklings a decade ago with D&W's work: https://t.co/mdulAlPbou. Then Ontario's "Growing Success". Logical next step seemed gradeless, but only heard it recently. #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu A2: For at least the last 12 years, I’ve explored countless grading resources to develop a transformational classroom that focuses on formative / ungraded learning opportunities instead of a “this for that” T-S relationship to often found in our schools. #ungradingslowchat

@dbuckedu A2: Have experimented with portfolios and conferences and standards-based grading. Love the single point rubric. But I am forced to grade with a 4-level rubric for summative work, and % grades for midterm and final report cards. #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu A2. My journey started with broader reflections on trusting students + compliance cultures in a previous school. I didn't want to be complicit. I started with some self-assessment, grew into portfolios, expanded student conferencing + now labor-based grading. #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu A2. My journey started with broader reflections on trusting students + compliance cultures in a previous school. I didn't want to be complicit. I started with some self-assessment, grew into portfolios, expanded student conferencing + now labor-based grading. #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu A3. My biggest goal in ungrading is equity. Evaluating someone using a single standard, especially my white/cishet/male standard, is wrong. Ungrading allows us to separate learning + evaluation, which is more inclusive because it allows for pluralism. #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu along with feedback, I think trust is another topic worthy of its own #UngradingSlowChat week!

as someone who teaches online, trust issue is incredibly important: it can be harder to build relationships of trust at a distance. ungrading is powerful way to build trust both ways.

@dbuckedu I always talk with preservice teachers I work with about this point: grading creates unnecessarily adversarial relationships. By separating ourselves from the evaluation of student work, we can construct much healthier working relationships with students. #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu I was originally inspired 15 years ago by Peter Elbow’s work in using grading contracts and portfolios in composition courses. I am now experimenting with Labor-Based Grading Contracts thanks to the work of @AsaoBInoue #ungradingslowchat

@dbuckedu It is a challenge but there are always loopholes. We must assess in a way that supports student learning and honors dignity #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu It is a challenge but there are always loopholes. We must assess in a way that supports student learning and honors dignity #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu ooooh, yes, sharing hashtags is a great idea! I bookmarked the #UngradingSlowChat hashtag, and then I added into the description these other hashtags that you mentioned, and as others came up, I'll edit the Diigo entry to add them also. super!
https://t.co/uQlYfOwl86 https://t.co/Ppzo7mOBAN

@dbuckedu Part of my role is instructional coach + I was able to work with colleagues ready to start making moves toward ungrading. I've also been talking with others at conferences who are ready to move. I wrote about a few starting points. #UngradingSlowChat

https://t.co/aYfiJfje0D

@dbuckedu pinging @MuratTurkOU because we were just talking about motivation! :-)
one of the biggest problems for me with grades is that they undermine natural motivation to learn... as @alfiekohn showed so clearly DECADES ago:
Punished by Rewards
https://t.co/johiihnqqc
#UngradingSlowChat https://t.co/7fJW38NWzQ

@dbuckedu Q6: As a high school teacher, I need a way to explain going gradeless to parents, who are often more invested in a student's grade than the student is. #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu Q6: As a high school teacher, I need a way to explain going gradeless to parents, who are often more invested in a student's grade than the student is. #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu Thanks for sharing the LiveBinder, David. Even those who are in a “typical grading” situation (like me!) can use the resources curated from our PLN. 👍 #UngradingSlowChat

@dbuckedu yes, that's it! I don't even know who has A or B or C. I just check the lowest totals each week to see if somebody is in danger of NOT passing and I send them encouraging reminder to do some extra credit and revisit their class schedule: https://t.co/oYDmqip1F8
#UngradingSlowChat https://t.co/09vGjuF9pC

@dbuckedu yes! I think some students think it's a trick & don't believe me when I tell them that they get to tell me what grade they earned. The grading contract helps guide them a bit, but they still have a hard time believing they'll get a B #UngradingSlowChat

@dramaqueenbrc @dbuckedu just added this to our Diigo Library (we already had Starr's gradeless book in there too): thank you! :-)
https://t.co/xOkC69KlHk
books so far: https://t.co/lZ7bjbYopE
more suggestions very welcome! :-)
#UngradingSlowChat https://t.co/542iL7hj7q

@dramaqueenbrc @OnlineCrsLady Great point, Shannon! Yes, I use reflections throughout the course, and Ss complete a "Self-Assessment of Mastery" assignment at end of course. Even with those reflections, Ss may still want a midterm marker (conf.?) of their progress. #UngradingSlowChat
https://t.co/PrKG2EEauR

@dramaqueenbrc @OnlineCrsLady Yes! I use 5 Standards of Mastery that we track during the course with feedback and reflections. We have an "assessment conference" where Ss detail their Self-Assessment of Mastery, and we arrive at the final course grade together! #UngradingSlowChat
https://t.co/9I3NXZswU9

@dramaqueenbrc @OnlineCrsLady Yes! I use 5 Standards of Mastery that we track during the course with feedback and reflections. We have an "assessment conference" where Ss detail their Self-Assessment of Mastery, and we arrive at the final course grade together! #UngradingSlowChat
https://t.co/9I3NXZswU9

@edmunds_t @OnlineCrsLady @dramaqueenbrc Love the survey idea! Please share with #UngradingSlowChat when/if you have it ready for your students. Would love to see it!!

@edmunds_t My A3 is similar: focus on development and use of skills over marks. In middle school, this can be a challenge for sure. Lots of discussion of growth mindset etc. #UngradingSlowChat

@edmunds_t yes to student voice/choice for engagement! and that is a great hashtag!
yesterday I learned that @MrAustinA2 is using "liquid syllabus" for a project he is working on, which is a similar concept.
ungrading opens up so much room for those kinds of experiments!
#UngradingSlowChat

@ihaveabug @ndscswildcats and I had snagged your Google Drive from that convo last week, so it's in the Resources page already, whoo-hoo! :-)
https://t.co/iZYdvMjTMc

@ilaba @OnlineCrsLady @matthematician It's so important to remember that educational disproportionality is not just an outcome, but a practice. For white educators especially, we have to consider how our gaze + evaluation of student work is a disproportionate practice. #UngradingSlowChat

https://t.co/uwf6H39tM5

@jasondefoe @dbuckedu I did a workshop at NCTE this year on rethinking grading + many people were in your situation. My advice was worry less about the output + more about the input. Some of the work you're already doing from other answers sounds like you're pushing back. #UngradingSlowChat

@jasondefoe @dbuckedu We've done some messaging work around ungrading this year that has been pretty successful. There's a way in which people know the inherent flaws in grading, but they have a difficult time imagining + naming different metrics of success. Models are important. #UngradingSlowChat

@KWMathias SO TRUE. when students have commented about the grading (no grades on work) in course evaluations, they talk about being able to write-for-the-writing, to grow, to learn, and not be stressed and fearful. https://t.co/GqRHkXXPFS
the result: more/better work :-)
#UngradingSlowChat https://t.co/jzSUpCExjS

@mcjsa @OnlineCrsLady @MrAustinA2 @jasondefoe Great point about the "game"-nature of grades, Mark! One major benefit of #ungrading is the transparency involved in narrative feedback & learner reflections. No guessing and no anxiety for being punished if directions aren't followed. Compliance is not focus! #UngradingSlowChat

@mcjsa @OnlineCrsLady @MrAustinA2 @jasondefoe Great point about the "game"-nature of grades, Mark! One major benefit of #ungrading is the transparency involved in narrative feedback & learner reflections. No guessing and no anxiety for being punished if directions aren't followed. Compliance is not focus! #UngradingSlowChat

@mcjsa @OnlineCrsLady @steph_moore @PhilOnEdTech This has mirrored my experience: students are a problem to be solved or managed rather than humans to be respected + collaborated with. Some of the loudest voices for inclusion were also the most oppressive when they went + closed their door again. #UngradingSlowChat

@MrAustinA2 @dbuckedu Agreed. It removes any attempt to fit everyone's learning into a one-size-fits-all rubric, and instead focuses on the individual's specific learning needs. Individualized feedback is far superior to a series of checkboxes on a rubric for everyone. #UngradingSlowChat

@MrAustinA2 @dbuckedu Our reliance on objectivity turns what should be a transformative relationship into a transactional one. As @JoeCFeldman writes “Using points to measure achievement may seem fair and objective, but it can hide critical information about student learning.” #ungradingslowchat

@MrAustinA2 @dbuckedu this is wonderful! I've added it to the ungrading resources page; the chat is going to be a great way for me to try to build a nice set of Diigo bookmarks (what I've always wanted to do for ungrading, but never did...)
https://t.co/iZYdvMjTMc

@MrAustinA2 @jasondefoe @dbuckedu the thing that is so puzzling to me is we rarely talk about grades!
many of us teaching in higher ed have HUGE freedom when it comes to grading, yet people still stick to traditional methods.
IMO just helping people see they CAN choose differently is important. #UngradingSlowChat

@MrAustinA2 @jasondefoe Thanks, Jeff! Do you mind sharing this messaging? Or how you were able to achieve success in your communications? I think it'll be very helpful if we share some models here on #UngradingSlowChat.

@mrdyche @MrAustinA2 @JoeCFeldman @JoeCFeldman, any thoughts/reflections for our #UngradingSlowChat? We would love to learn from your expertise!!

@NehringBliss @AsaoBInoue Thanks for joining, Curt! I'm also exploring L-B grading contracts in my online comp. courses. A great way to empower students in the formation and assessment of their own learning. #UngradingSlowChat

@NehringBliss @AsaoBInoue Thanks for joining, Curt! I'm also exploring L-B grading contracts in my online comp. courses. A great way to empower students in the formation and assessment of their own learning. #UngradingSlowChat

@NehringBliss @tihighered @bonni208 @AsaoBInoue this is great: THANK YOU! I need to go thru Bonni's list to find more episodes; I remember when she and I talked we ended up talking a lot about grading (and I can't remember what we were actually supposed to be talking about haha). anyway, added to Diigo! https://t.co/iZYdvMjTMc https://t.co/DWYJGGSQbi

@NehringBliss @tihighered @bonni208 @AsaoBInoue this is great: THANK YOU! I need to go thru Bonni's list to find more episodes; I remember when she and I talked we ended up talking a lot about grading (and I can't remember what we were actually supposed to be talking about haha). anyway, added to Diigo! https://t.co/iZYdvMjTMc https://t.co/DWYJGGSQbi

@npaklui @dbuckedu @ihaveabug I am glad we opted for slow chat :-)
I'm fan of asynch in general because people's schedules are always different...
and this way we have had some good convos taking shape each day this week, with a few more days still to go this month!
https://t.co/Sp4N3TQqoY
#UngradingSlowChat

@npaklui @TWUeduc and those are all the things we need even more than before, now in this impossible time!
I am glad we are connected here :-)
and I hope we can document ungrading as a practice of relational CARE... we are going to need all those pedagogies of care this Fall.
#UngradingSlowChat

@OnlineCrsLady -- Check out the section on Assessment and #ungrading. #UngradingSlowChat https://t.co/aPmcb7LL0y

@OnlineCrsLady -- Check out the section on Assessment and #ungrading. #UngradingSlowChat https://t.co/aPmcb7LL0y

@OnlineCrsLady — great resource to add to the #UngradingSlowChat website! 👇 https://t.co/XqREgFnQFG

@OnlineCrsLady @AmandaISeligman It's interesting, we are performing the same skills that we want for our Ss: making informed & intentional choices, considering alternatives, aiming for specific targets, thinking critically, & learning from mistakes! And doing all of that collaboratively in #UngradingSlowChat!!

@OnlineCrsLady @AmandaISeligman It's interesting, we are performing the same skills that we want for our Ss: making informed & intentional choices, considering alternatives, aiming for specific targets, thinking critically, & learning from mistakes! And doing all of that collaboratively in #UngradingSlowChat!!

@OnlineCrsLady @bree_bop Here's a nice discussion of Formative and Summative Assessment from @rickwormeli2 that may help: https://t.co/iDYiaSOwkG #UngradingSlowChat

@OnlineCrsLady @dbuckedu It’s a challenge finding that balance between both forces. I, too, still determine grades but the great majority of the instruction focuses progress over points, which Ss embrace because I’m very purposeful about building & reinforcing that culture. #ungradingslowchat

@OnlineCrsLady @dbuckedu This is a great resource bank! We've had some serious conversations about grading in my department, especially as we move toward fall. This has so much of what we need to continue the conversation. #UngradingSlowChat

@OnlineCrsLady @Doc_Mac19 Thanks for joining #UngradingSlowChat, Clare! Check out the website that @OnlineCrsLady built for us--https://t.co/ZSTKSwhL2v.

@OnlineCrsLady @edmunds_t @dramaqueenbrc Good one, @OnlineCrsLady. This default to deficiency or negative feedback is so pervasive. Instead, positive attention and the power that positivity has on cognitive flexibility/learning. Hoping to use positive attention in my feedback! #UngradingSlowChat
https://t.co/zUpa8wVDBg

@OnlineCrsLady @jasondefoe @dbuckedu I think about @adriennemaree's Emergent Strategy work when I'm helping facilitate conversations around change that requires folx to imagine what's possible beyond what we already know + do. Her framing is super helpful. #UngradingSlowChat

@OnlineCrsLady @mcjsa @steph_moore @PhilOnEdTech At the start of #remotelearning, my district wisely removed to an ungraded, labor-based system, but there are big issues with going back. How do you justify moving back to something so fundamentally inequitable in the fall? #UngradingSlowChat

https://t.co/vqgnQjlcAb

@OnlineCrsLady @MrAustinA2 @jasondefoe And those conversations usually involve the LMS--how to leverage the various tools to deduct points for latenesss, hide info in the grade book, proctor exams/quizzes with surveillance measures, perform analytics supposedly to "assist" struggling learners. #UngradingSlowChat

@OnlineCrsLady @MrAustinA2 @jasondefoe And those conversations usually involve the LMS--how to leverage the various tools to deduct points for latenesss, hide info in the grade book, proctor exams/quizzes with surveillance measures, perform analytics supposedly to "assist" struggling learners. #UngradingSlowChat

@OnlineCrsLady 💯 I share similar insights with my Ss every new school year/term. In the end, kids want to learn; to get better at things. These resources help Ts & Ps get over the mental roadblock that Ss will only learn if rewarded (or punished). It’s just not true. #ungradingslowchat

@OnlineCrsLady A3: I want students to relax and engage. Bring down the walls of fear and anxiety. Trust themselves and the process. And show up, instead of trying to take shortcuts. #UngradingSlowChat

@OnlineCrsLady A3: I want students to relax and engage. Bring down the walls of fear and anxiety. Trust themselves and the process. And show up, instead of trying to take shortcuts. #UngradingSlowChat

@OnlineCrsLady Here's a valuable episode of @tihighered with @bonni208 featuring @AsaoBInoue exploring, among other things, LB grading contracts
https://t.co/DqvbRy7DHW #ungradingslowchat

@OnlineCrsLady Here's a valuable episode of @tihighered with @bonni208 featuring @AsaoBInoue exploring, among other things, LB grading contracts
https://t.co/DqvbRy7DHW #ungradingslowchat

@OnlineCrsLady Yes! @biblioracle mentions this “de-programming” in Why They Can’t Write. Good having conversations early with students so that they fully understand the benefits of our #ungrading approach. Using a common assessment language where everyone has a stake. #UngradingSlowChat

@OnlineCrsLady, wouldn't it be cool if you and/or @Jessifer recorded a @TEDTalks style presentation on #ungrading? A short 18-minute trip into the amazing world of teaching without grades. Could use Zoom to record with slides/images, just like the real thing! 👏#UngradingSlowChat

@PSUOpenCoLab ohhhh, this is so great: pinging @dbuckedu since we wanted to build part of July #UngradingSlowChat around ACE... this will be so helpful: THANK YOU!