Going gradeless

At some point I suppose I'll have to explain more fully when I'm back here and something about the history of this post. For now, though, just bear with me ...

https://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/howigrade.html

I tried to find the source of the following, but came up empty-handed so far. Obviously I should made a note about the source somewhere. I'll keep looking.

“In this course, I encourage you to claim every aspect of your experience — your thinking, your feeling, your doing, and your reflecting on that doing — and to grade yourself for your efforts and the results of your efforts.”

How could (or should) students use this idea (of grading oneself) to best effect in a gradeless class? What does it mean to "grade yourself"?

A final course grade (at least where I teach) is the only option I have for making a permanent record of a student's performance or work in my courses. As much non-graded work as we may do together in building learning and making lasting change, the only official thing that survives is what's on the transcript. How doe we (each student and I) make that grade mean something?

Being a reformed (or is it "renewed"?) college student myself, I don't think I look at grades the same way some others do. That is, I had a pretty bad college GPA for awhile (long, long stories there), got out of school to work and get my head together, and came back under a program at the university wherein we basically pretended that my early "failures" never happened. In other words, having had plenty of "bad" grades on my official records, I don't tend to see them on other people's transcripts as harbingers of future failure, necessarily. Etc., etc., etc..

So... students "grade themselves." In what ways could they (should they) frame that work? What are they saying to themselves and to others when they give themselves an "A" or a "B" or whatever? Will they, for example, explain to a future college official or employer which of their grades they gave themselves?


In class a couple of weeks ago, a student asked about the requirements for our semester "mastery project." As he began to understand the scope of what we were hoping to do, he obviously began to think about scores/grades/marks/ and so forth. Knowing that I'd said many times that "everything is made up and the points don't matter*," he nevertheless quipped, "I think you are secretly grading use." Am I?

I'm outta time for the day, but I'll be back to consider this some more.

*That's Drew Carey's tongue in that cheek, eh? 

Oh what do you do in the summertime...

Oh what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?

This Primary song from my childhood sets the stage for my summer. The lazy days and loose schedule are so appealing. The cool breeze across the deck as I lounge with a book that I don't have to read... The leisurely stroll from home to library to sno-cone shack... Wearing jeans over to the office to fiddle with stacks of old student papers and to browse through books I last touched in grad school... The delights of afternoons unencumbered by meetings... The freedom to splash in the pool with kids and give them chores when they say the "B" word.

All these are the delights of summer.

And yet...

Last summer I took the relaxing a little too seriously, I think. I binge watched shows I'd been missing through the school year. I stayed in bed until embarrassingly late hours. I didn't shower some days, and I pretended to shower other days (wash your hair, put on more deodorant). The projects I'd promised myself would get done didn't. The books I said I'd read sat idle on the nightstand or the desk. The exercise I set out to do was roundly, soundly, firmly ignored.

And so, another summer comes and I resolve "this" and "that." I set goals and make plans. Though I'm not foolish enough to post them here, I have made a list of things I will do and ways I will spend my precious summer. It's posted in two places... in my brain (that is to say, in my phone, as a Wunderlist) and as a printout on the mirror in the bathroom I built two (or was it three?) years ago. Also there is a list of the things I (try to) do daily to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

I have a few things I have to do later in the summer, but for a few days here, I'm going to choose to make my world a little better, one day at a time.

What do you do in the summertime?

Watch this if you care about parenting...

A thoughtful video about fatherhood. I really enjoyed it and I hope I can learn a bit from it.

Post by Robert Breiner.

Does this sign mean anything to you?

"Notice the good"

I often feel more than a little tortured by my inconsistent and often overly wound-up attempts at parenting. It has been far, far too easy for me to see the negative that my children do and comment on that (and often not very nicely). I suppose that when I see my kids making (or apparently making) the same mistakes that I made, my (supposedly) adult self feels an almost uncontrollable urge to tell their adolescent or prepubescence selves what they must not do. Sheesh!

I don't feel like I've ever been very good at speaking to them on their level and in the terms that make sense to them. As a result, I've probably talked (or yelled) AT them far more than I've communicated with them.

It all makes me rather sad some days. And yet...

I happen to believe that there is grace enough (and to spare) for parents who are willing to try and keep trying. So I keep trying.

Of late, my wife and I have made concerted efforts to see the good in our children (and there's LOTS of it) and comment upon it. What a better way to live... Really.

What do you do to build your children up? How do you help them move along toward worthy goals? Where is the balance between praise and correction?

I'm sure I have lots to learn. Do I need a paradigm shift? Will my children survive me?

Henri Cartier-Bresson

I think I've graded one too many essays tonight...

I can tell. When I start to get a little mean or snarky, it's time to hang it up for the night. I started a mini marathon session about three hours ago... maybe a little more... and I was reading good essay after good essay. Now, however, they seem trite and hokey and contrived. What has changed? Not the students.

So... I'll put away the stylus*, get some sleep, and plug away again tomorrow. I'll probably revisit the last couple of essays I read tonight to make sure I wasn't too hard on them.

The good news is that I'm WAY more than half way done with this big batch.

*I have had some fun grading on "my" iPad (it really belongs to the college, but I still play Plants vs. Zombies on it from time to time... don't tell) with iAnnotate. That overpriced little app allows me to customize almost infinitely and create shortcut after shortcut. Pretty fun, really. And actually, for what it can do, the app isn't overpriced. Especially after I learned recently that it has come down in price since I got it. So... there you go. 

Two days ill...

I'm not sure if it's a head cold or allergies, but I've had a packed head for a couple of days. I took advantage of the down time to grade a bunch of papers. I didn't get as many done as I hoped, but it feels good to have done some. A few per day gets the job done. 

Sometimes people ask me if grading essays is the least favorite part of my job. The answer to that is "no, not really," The first semester I ever taught composition, I recall staying up late into the night grading that first batch of essays. There was a palpable sense of satisfaction in giving feedback to students on their efforts to communicate something in an academic setting. I've since explored that venue many, many times (something like 8,000 essays graded todate) and I know the power it can have for students. When they and I engage honestly in the process, substantive change can happen. 

How do I know this? Because I can see the change from one paper to the next and from one semester to the next. Students sometimes take more than one (and occasionally more than two) courses from me in succession. One recent student not only improved in writing ability, but his confidence level changed markedly. I recall him being unsure that even belonged in college in the first semester, and by the end of the third, he was in the honors program, headed to conferences and excited about a real career. 

Am I tooting my own horn here a bit? Maybe, but I believe in what I do and I know it CAN make a difference. I'm glad when it does. I'm glad to be a part of it when it does. THAT is what's most satsifying about my work. 

So... scoring essays is a little tedious when there are stacks of them, but if I can remind myself (and attend to each one this way) that this little feedback might help make a confident learner out of a timid student, I can make a difference. 

Back to the stacks I go... packed head or not. 

It's not quite a year

I have no real clue whether this tiny little post will inject a little life into this moribund blog. I intend to try however. We'll see what happens. I find real value in writing as catharsis, as exploration, as communication. It's likely that I will wax a little philosophical and/or exegetic here, so be warned.

In the meantime, here's a picture...part of my bookshelf...:

31 days - day 6

Spring has sprung (kind of). Students were playing some crazy game with a football (but it sure didn't look like any game of football I'd ever seen) when I was walking over to the Desert Cafe for lunch.

Here, too, is the delectable dessert I had at lunch:

31 days - day 5

Slight change of plans. I'm finding it difficult to both take and process (crop, enhance, tweak, whatever) a picture every day. So, since this is my game, I'm changing the rules (and if you don't like it, I'm taking my ball and going home...).

I'll post new stuff when I can, but in the meantime, on busy days, I'll post a picture from "the archives"... something I took in the past but which might be interesting to you, my two loyal readers.

Here's one from last summer... taken at an 11-year-old scout camp:

31 days - day 4

Another longish day, and not much time for photography. What was I thinking, attempting a photo project mid-semester?

Anyway, here's mud in your eye . . .

31 days - day 3

Busy day, but happy fulfilling day. Took some extra photos yesterday for today (in case I ran out of time today), but ended up taking this shot during family devotional time:

31 days - day 2

Cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned in the shed today. Took a HUGE load of stuff to DI. Had a slice of Costco pizza with my sweetheart.

Took a picture for day two of 31 days:

31 days - day 1

I admire photographers who tackle 365 projects. I've not quite gotten up the nerve to commit to such a thing (too many expectations or something), but I believe that pushing yourself to take one picture per day for an entire year is a good motivation to be creative... to do something different than you normally do.

I don't have the gumption to do a whole year's worth of daily photographs... at least not at the moment. And yet, I've kind of stagnated of late... both in terms of photography and in terms of overall creativity. I've felt the need to do something...anything... to "see" the world again.

A couple of years ago a group of friends (including me) committed to taking a photo a week on a monthly theme. That held my attention for quite awhile, but it eventually collapsed under the weight of even those mild expectations (or fizzled in the face of the deluge of other responsibilities... or whatever other lame metaphor you can conjure up). 

Last night as I was tidying up the living room, I found the hot-shoe protector, that I thought was lost, tucked up on a shelf. Somehow, that welcome little discovery (they only cost a buck or two, but who wants the hassle of ordering such a small, non-exciting thing on ebay or Amazon or whatever) suddenly seemed like a talisman for my passion for photography. I dragged out the old D90 to replace the protector, and rather than stashing it back on the closet shelf, I left it sitting on my nightstand. Half formed in my mind was the idea of doing something... anything... to "see" the world again.

Even though I had a PILE of stuff to bring to work today, I slung (slinged?) the D90 over my shoulder with the resolve to take some pictures on campus. After nuking my leftover spaghetti  and slugging down a Diet Coke, I announced my intentions to my office mate and headed out the door. Good-natured and supportive fellow that he is, he agreed that it was a good idea. 

So... here I go... promising something that I may very well renege on in just a few days' time. I'm going to take one picture every day in March. Often on campus (because that's where I spend SOOO much of my time), and sometimes from home (where I hope to spend more time than I do), and perhaps occasionally from some other weird place. Thirty one photographs of something... anything... 

... my view of the world. 

Here's day one:

+Cody Hurst +Clint Carter

Let's Talk About It... in Stanley

Went to Stanley Idaho yesterday to facilitate a "Let's Talk About It" session for the Idaho Commission for Libraries. Had a wonderful time eating soup and talking about Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony. 

Saw some snow on the way 

On the way home, we nearly hit a deer and we DID hit an elk.

Miraculously, the elk just sort of rolled up on the hood and rolled off. Then it scrambled up and bounded away-- apparently unhurt. The van has a couple of very small dents, but no real damage. Amazing!

Update to Conference for Kindle files

Cliff, the fine fellow who made the Conference for Kindle files this fall, reported that he found a small glitch in them. He's repaired that glitch and kindly made the updated files available for us. I've updated the links both in this posting and in the one from the other day. Any of the links will download the corrected files.

Happy conference reading.

Conference for Kindle (mobi)
Conference for Kindle (azw)

Thanks again, Cliff.

Conference for Kindle

Conference time again. I didn't get around to making a Kindle file for October conference, but a new friend was kind enough to offer the use of the file he made. I offer it to you here with his permission.

I transferred it to my Kindle Fire and it works beautifully so far. Excellent work, Cliff. Thank you.

It was kind of fun to see where folks were downloading from last time. Post a comment if you wish. Tell us where you are.  :-)

PS
The mobi file that Cliff made worked fine for me, but I've converted it to AZW in case anyone prefers that. Find that one at this link. This one's not yet tested. If you use the AZW file, perhaps you'd be so kind as to provide feedback about how it works. 

PPS
Gospel Library users will have noticed that the conference talks are available for that app (both iOS and Android) now. Update your library to see it.

Happy conference reading, my dear friends!

Prophetic priorities

A year or two ago, my Church's magazine for adults published an article in which one of the leaders suggested that if we profess to believe that the Church is led by prophets we should know something of what those prophets have said of late. In that spirit, I offer some of my personal notes about what prophets, as I see them, have said in the last two days. These notes are my own recollections about what was said, and constitute, no doubt, my own interpretation of what was said. Writing them down, however, has been useful for me in deciding how I might better live my faith and love my neighbor.

Elder Quentin L. Cook 

• "And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?" (Alma 5:26)
• The foundation of kindness and civility is built in our homes. 
• Inadvertent exposure to pornography is very prevalent. Despite social outcry about drugs and other ills, there is not corresponding societal outcry about pornography. 
• Parents must have the courage to filter media access for their children. Parents must have the courage to say "no."

Sis Ann Dibb 

(This one will be on t-shirts by the end of the day, no doubt, and with good reason; it's a good one.)

• "I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it."
• With so many distractions, do we have the strength to focus on what matter most?

Pres Deiter F. Uchtdorf 

• What might our regrets at the end of life?
• We often wear our busyness as a badge of honor. Is it a sign of a superior life? Probably not.
• With the click of a mouse, we can connect with thousands of friends, without every having to face a single one of them. 
• How much time are we will to spend on trivial online things? If we fail to give our best selves to those who are most important to us, we will live to regret it.

Elder L. Tom Perry

• Some core values are in danger of being lost, including the idea that marriage and family protect other virtues and values. 
• The examples of parents are very powerful.
• Parents must resolve that teaching in the home is the most sacred and solemn responsibility.

• 5 things parents can do:
• Pray for love and understanding of their children
• Do many devotional things together: family time, scriptures, prayer, dinner
• Communicate with those in the Church who have been called and set apart to work with our children.
• Share testimony with children. Tell them and show them what we believe
• Organize the family on clear, simple family rules. 

Elder M. Russell Ballard

• Honey bees' magnificent obsession creates honey.
• Each bee's lifetime contribution of a mere 1/12 of a teaspoon is vital tot he health of the hive.
• What about our everyday activities? What would be the cumulative effect of small daily acts of human kindness?
• There is one simply daily practice that can make a difference in the Church: in your morning prayer, ask Father to help you recognize and have the courage to act upon an opportunity to help someone. He answers others' prayers through you and me. 

Elder Neal A. Anderson

• Our faith in Jesus Christ is often tested.
• Our trials need not be spiritually fatal. They need not take us from our covenants or from God's church.
• (There's much more to this talk. I was taking care of some minor domestic emergency during this talk.)

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

• Children are highly vulnerable. They need others to speak for them. Adults must put children's needs ahead of their own selfish adult interests.
• When children are denied birth, and when the birth rate is below replacement levels, cultures and nations are hollowed out and disappear. 
• For children, the relative advantages of marriage matter!

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

• Men & boys get conflicting and demeaning signals about what it means to be a man. Media portrayals of men constitute cultural emasculation. 
• Men, be worthy models and help the rising generation become men. Teach them social skills, how to serve, how to be active, and how to pursue hobbies without becoming addicted.
• "Rise up, O men of God"

Bishop Gary E. Stevenson

• Young men: There will be times when you will have to demonstrate your courage in plain view of your peers. Other battles will be found on a silent, solitary battlefield in front of a screen. 
• Digital peer pressure moves into our homes and into a child's bedroom via the internet. 
• "To click, or not to click."

[That takes us mid-way through the priesthood session. More tomorrow, perhaps.]

My Teaching Philosophy - 2012

A few years ago, not long after I got my first full-time teaching job, a couple of college friends found the teaching philosophy I had composed in grad school and had posted on my faculty page. They rightly observed that it was so heady and pretentious that they could hardly make sense of it. In fact, they made fun of it (in that kind-hearted, stab-you-in-heart kind of way that college chums have ;-)  ).

I spent about thirty seconds feeling miffed that they mocked my well-intentioned effort to spell out what I was doing professionally. Then, realizing (with no small degree of chagrin) that they were right, I re-wrote my teaching philosophy from the ground up. I posted it to that faculty page and hoped that my friends might stumble across the new version. I'm not sure if they ever did (and it probably doesn't matter). 

Earlier today I was searching for the email address of a dear friend/teacher from college days and my web search led to me my teaching philosophy (in which I mentioned her name). Re-reading it today (some three or four years later), I realize that I still believe what I (re) wrote. 

Yesterday, I had a brief facebook exchange about teaching with a good friend from grad school days (though he wasn't in grad school with me per se-- though he gave me a different, just-as-needed education during that time of my life, for which I thank him). Wanting to present a defense of my life's chosen work, and hoping to honor my friends & teachers, I offer to them and to you, that teaching philosophy.

I teach because I was well taught.

Barbara Oberhansley showed me that school is about people and then about ideas.  Steve Evans told me to stop whining and do my best. Betty Griffin and Nancy Percival treated me as a peer. Wilfred Samuels invited me to join him in a dialogue about ideas outside of the classroom. Trix Dahl showed me that I spoke the language of the love of texts. Steve Adkison said “Your idea is better than my idea. Let’s go with yours.”

These names likely won’t mean much to you (though I’m sure you can name important, influential teachers of your own). Teachers don’t often get that kind of wide recognition or fame. They aren’t known beyond the classroom or the school. They matter, though. They matter a great deal. They matter to weak-kneed, self-conscious introverts who don’t yet know who they are or what they can be. They matter to arrogant, self-righteous know-it-alls who are coasting. They matter to eager, optimistic over-achievers who have no balance in their approach to ideas or to living. They give confidence, reality checks, and mentoring. They give lectures, both of the classroom kind and of the I’m-not-buying-your-baloney-excuses kind.

What they taught, I strive to teach.

I teach because everyone needs an advocate.

David Rose (not his real name) has been in four of my courses at CSI. When he settled in to his seat in English 102 I think I wrote him off. I should have known, of course, that dress, deportment, and grooming are poor indicators for performance, intent, or drive. David didn’t surprise me in any sudden or startling ways; he simply steadily and surely made his way into the course material and eventually into my confidence. Though he demonstrated top-tier ability and contributed tremendously to the classes in which he participated, he didn’t turn in every assignment, and he didn’t even finish the last of my courses he started. He wrote me recently, however, and said (I’m paraphrasing), “Don’t give up on me. I’m coming back and I’ll finish what I started. Thank you for believing in me and pushing me.”

What "David" needs, I strive to give.

I teach because ideas matter.

On a poem I wrote as an undergraduate, a graduate teaching assistant jotted, “I wish I’d written that.” On a brief critical essay I prepared about Cather and reader-response theory, Professor Brown penned, “This is a beautiful little piece of writing.” While I was deeply motivated by the praise these instructors gave my writing, I was just as interested in the ideas that prompted the writing. When Kant and Heidegger and Saussure and Barthes began to make sense to me, a part of me I had not known about came alive. Reading Faulkner or Stegner or Heaney and seeing the ways in which their predecessors influenced their writing and created a fabric of ideas—some in alignment, others in conflict with each other—helped me know that ideas and conversation matters. In talking (or writing) to one another we figure out what we think, what we know, and what we must do.

What people in diverse places and times have said and written, I strive to know and to teach.

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