Expanding Learning Frontiers

Our Addiction To Grades

June 3, 2016July 21, 2019 Brad Latzke

The adult world is addicted to grades. Subsequently, so is the child world. There is little else in formal education so firmly entrenched and supposedly irreplaceable as the A-F (but no E) system.

A few examples.

Many educators have stories to tell when the end of a grading period nears. Students begging for grades. Parents begging for grades. Parents offering major external incentives to children like money, technology, even cars for top grades. Plenty of crying, anger, even low-level threats in the teacher's classroom and principal's office.

21st Century Learning

Schools Of The Future

March 29, 2016February 7, 2018 Brad Latzke

What should future schools look like? What will be most valued and important? What should we study? What is the purpose of education? Every school, district, community should be asking themselves these and more questions. From my perspective, we can't possibly answer these questions in the same way we have for the past 20, 50, 100 years. There will be different opinions and strategies but we must all dream, debate, and then do school different.. Here are my essential components to successful schools of the future.

21st Century Learning

Twitter – Powerful Personalized Professional Development

March 19, 2016May 12, 2021 Brad Latzke

Imagine having conversations with renowned educational experts such as Ken O’Connor (@kenoc7) or Rick Wormeli (@rickwormeli2) or Douglas Reeves (@douglasreeves) along with educators from around the globe on important topics of the day. Would you consider this experience to be valuable professional development? Did I mention it is also free?

21st Century Learning

Bring Standards-Based Grading To Your School — SUCCESSFULLY! Part 1

February 10, 2016October 2, 2018 Brad Latzke 0 Comments 21st century, change, grading, innovation, leadership skills, leadershlp, Standards-Based Grading

A teacher's recent tweet. "Standards based report cards coming for us next year. No more isolated ABCDF. Don't really know how to grade like that yet!"

Another tweet from same teacher. "Was told yesterday that we're going to sb report cards next year. No idea how to start."

What a difficult challenge that has been laid down for this teacher and school. Is it possible to successfully implement a change like Standards-Based Grading (SBG) in six months? I'll answer that question with . . .

21st Century Learning

Bring Standards-Based Grading To Your School — SUCCESSFULLY! Part 2

February 5, 2016October 2, 2018 Brad Latzke 0 Comments 21st century, change, grading, innovation, international education, leadership skills, leadershlp, Standards-Based Grading

“Too many students walk through the schoolhouse door with one aim in mind: to get good grades. And all too often, the best way to reach this goal is to get with the program, avoid risk and serve up the answers the teacher wants, the way the teacher wants them. Good grades become a reward for compliance – but don’t have much to do with learning.” Daniel Pink — Drive

Congratulations! You’ve successfully navigated the planning and initial information sharing phase of an SBG roll-out. Sure there have been a few teachers and parents voicing their concerns but nothing major. And you’ve been approached by other teachers and parents eager to see the new grading system move along. There may even be a small contingent already exploring SBG principles in their classrooms. However, no substantive changes have happened yet. That is about to change.