How to Build Castles in the Air
Grades undergird nearly everything we do in education. By threatening late penalties and administering one-shot assessments, we focus our famously distracted students on the task at hand.
Playgrounds and Personalization w/Mariana Morales Lobo
This episode features Mariana Morales Lobo, who taught high school in Madrid and Barcelona for 15 years and now works as a consultant in education, training teachers and helping school leaders implement innovation.
Motivation w/Alfie Kohn
This episode features an interview with Alfie Kohn, author of the books Punished by Rewards, The Schools Our Children Deserve, The Homework Myth, and his latest, Schooling Beyond Measure.
Grades and the Future of Schools w/Benjamin Doxtdator
This episode features an interview with Benjamin Doxtdator, a middle school language arts teacher at an international school in Brussels, Belgium.
Getting Stuck on Self-Care: Why Community Care is Important for Educators
Finding ways to save time and practice self-care are important as we move away from grades. But community care is where we move beyond self-care into caring for each other.
How to Value Personal Time While Providing Great Feedback
I was never quite certain if my students actually took the time to read or if they understood my comments. I didn't know if they had questions or concerns. Assessing in isolation seems empty.
Experts in the Classroom w/Starr Sackstein
This episode features an interview with Starr Sackstein, author of the book Peer Feedback in the Classroom and Hacking Assessment.
It's Time We Hold Accountability Accountable
The maxim “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” sums up the continued belief in the necessity and power of accountability. A lack of accountability is seen as a sure path to lawlessness...
Shift This! w/Joy Kirr
This episode features an interview with Joy Kirr, author of the book Shift This!
Genius Hour Roundtable
Many teachers are implementing genius hour, defined as time given during the school day where students can learn about their interests and pursue projects they are passionate about. It's an inherently student-centered and messy undertaking to be sure, but many teachers testify to its power to unleash student passion, creativity, and concern for the community.
Why I Don't Grade w/Jesse Stommel
Jesse Stommel, co-founder of Digital Pedagogy Lab and Hybrid Pedagogy, explains why grades are "the biggest and most insidious obstacle to education”
Equity in the Gradeless Classroom Roundtable
Does going gradeless automatically guarantee an equitable classroom? Could gradelessness produce inequitable outcomes?