Thread by @garden_rob

I wasn't sure how #ungrading would go in #MCV4U, but at the halfway mark, it has been a rousing success. Here's what's working, how it happened and what's next! #thinkingclassroom #mtbos #udl #assessment #evaluation 1/13

1. It started w clear communication to families. A lot of the fear around going #markless is the fear of the unknown. Ss wonder "How will I get a mark?" & "How will I know how I'm doing?," & parents worry "Will my child get the marks they need to get into post-secondary?" 2/13

A lot of these worries are grounded in the belief that Ss are competing amongst and against each other to earn grades. The whole notion of "earning grades" speaks to a deeper problem, but our focus is on learning. When Ss learn, they will excel & they will achieve! 3/13

2. We spent time early in the quadmester to unpack the achievement chart. Ss worked together to deconstruct each category and put it into student friendly language. Not only do they feel confident that they knew how they are being assessed...4/13

...but they feel agency and comfort that assessment and evaluation is being done with them, as opposed to being done to them. Ss are now able to gauge the feedback to idenfity next steps more easily than they could by getting a mark. 5/13

3. Ss have a very clear understanding of the big ideas, learning goals and success criteria. By being invested in undersanding what we are doing and why we're doing it, Ss can focus more on the learning and less in playing the game to earn marks. 6/13

4. Ss have multiple opportunies to demonstrate their learning through products, observations and conversations. I use Google Keep to track my C and O & use language from the achievement chart so that students know exactly where they are at...7/13

...I can easily capture a voice note to document what I'm observing. Each note is shared with the Ss so that they can view my comments and progress. Using a voice note also allows the Ss to listen and hear my feedback in real time. 8/13

5. I use an evidence collector that allows me to collect triangulation data based on the achievement chart and overall expectations. The tool allows me to track student growth, assessment results by C/O/P and results by performance standards. 9/13

6. Ss conference with me to determine their own mid-term and final mark. We eventually have to get to a mark and I want to evaluate what I value, so I include the Ss in the discussion. They are nervous at first, but relish the opportunity to be part of the process. 10/13

9 times out of 10, Ss know exactly where they are at and suggest a grade that is very close to what my body of evidence supports. I use my professional judgement to determine the grade that goes on the report card. 11/13

7. My next step will be to include more peer and self-assessment. It happens fairly naturally in the thinking classroom through conversations between Ss, but I want to also provide more formal opportunities moving forward. 12/13

I have had ZERO negative feedback. Ss are becoming #expertlearners & A&E is being used to improve learning. My only regret is I didn't make the change sooner, but I take comfort in this proverb:"The best time to plant an oak tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today."