Ungrading means raising an eyebrow at grades as a systemic practice, distinct from simply not grading. The word, "ungrading," is a present participle, an ongoing process, not a static set of practices.
The following vignettes are based on events that occurred during the 2020-2021 academic year, a pandemic year that called me and so many others to “pivot” to teaching and learning completely online.
For many of us, the Covid crisis brought into focus that assumptions underpinning our instructional design, and our ID practices themselves, were failing our teachers, students, and institutions.
By prioritizing care and community in our teaching and instructional design, we give ourselves and our students the opportunity to remake this uncertain world.
I never got the chance to break down my high school experience in a way that was analytical and “academic. Entonces, even though this letter is addressed to y’all, this is an opportunity for me to articulate thoughts I had lingering en mi mente with concepts that I’ve learned aquí.
I wish someone had told me–verified for me, validated for me–that everything would be okay. Just the vote of confidence, a light of hope, would have been enough for me to see the path ahead.
