A labor day break
Four posts to get you thinking over the holiday
It’s Labor Day here in the United States, so Robert and I are taking an early-semester break. We hope you also have a chance to take a break, spend time with family and friends, and generally relax. We’ll be back next week with new posts and new ideas.
If you’re looking for something to inspire you, here are four blog posts that might resonate at the start of this school year.
A growth-focused icebreaker
I hate icebreakers. I don’t use that word “hate” often or lightly. But here, it’s justified. The purpose of icebreakers is, supposedly, to get people involved in some activity to make them more relaxed when working together. But the idea of going through some contrived activity, with a group of people I don’t know, specifically …
Robert describes the only icebreaker he’s ever liked, and how it can support alternative grading.
Finding middle ground
When you first learn about alternative grading, you might be so excited that you want to burn everything down and rebuild your courses from scratch. That can be exhilarating, and it might work out – or it might burn you out and convince you that alternative grading doesn’t work (see our
If you’re feeling pressure or anxiety about your classroom choices, here’s my advice on how to stay centered and decide what really matters.
When is a number not a number?
The traditional practice of using points for grades on assignments has lots of problems. You will find those problems at least partially addressed in almost every post at this blog. They include:
Robert’s detailed take-down of why weighted averages don’t make mathematical sense.
An Alternative Grading Glossary
Every field of study has specialized terminology that makes communication quicker, easier, and more precise. But jargon can also hide meanings behind a wall of words and exclude new people from discussions. This is just as true for alternative grading as for any area of study.
Got a question about what “ungrading” means? My glossary might help.