Creating a Virtual, Liberatory Feedback-Driven Classroom
More often than not, grading is a given in the classroom. But what if we were to imagine a classroom that gives no grades at all? How would this impact our students and our classroom culture? In addition to the dampening of intrinsic motivation, educators must acknowledge the role that grading plays in the rank and filing of our students, disproportionately targeting students of color and low-income families.
By utilizing portfolios, allowing redos, and letting students drive content, we can create a more student-centered educated system. Further, as we build a classroom without grades, we must change other core systems in education. After all, just yelling “no more grades!” on the first day of school may not reap the benefits we envisioned. Chris and Nick center the work of systemic, progressive change in their organization, Human Restoration Project, which provides entirely free resources to educators.
We will discuss the substantive research on grading, and find ways to liberate our classrooms from the practice – even in institutions that require marks, as well as implementation strategies for virtual and hybrid contexts.
Workshop Leaders
Nick Covington
Chris McNutt