The Case Against Zero
Grading is one of the most controversial topics in any school staff meeting. I believe that no student should ever get a 0.
Jennifer Gunn
Jennifer L.M. Gunn spent 10 years in newspaper and magazine publishing before moving to public education. She is a curriculum designer, teacher, teaching coach, and educator in New York City. She created Right to Read, a literacy acceleration program for teens, steeped in social justice. She also created the progressive learning models, The Big Idea Project and We the Change. Jennifer is also co-founder of the annual EDxEDNYC Education Conference for teacher-led innovation. She is a regular presenter at conferences and frequently writes about education, adolescent literacy and innovation. Connect with Jennifer on Twitter: @jenniferlmgunn.
Connect With Your Mission
As we turn toward the end of the year, now is a better time than ever to reconnect with your mission.
Powerless Dynamics
School has long been rife with power structures. Recently we’ve come to discover that learning is done best when power is placed with the individual. Putting a belief in the individual – the teacher, the learner – ensures that ownership is felt in each role. But, unfortunately, structures and dynamics haven’t caught up with our knowledge yet.
Burning Questions: Using Big Questions That Lead to Big Learning
It was the early days of remote learning. I was staring at a screen full of avatars, as not a single 12th grade student had their camera on. I was talking into the void, unsure if anyone was listening or learning. I missed their faces. I missed their jokes. I missed their interruptions, comments, questions and most of all, I missed the connection. On the screen, I couldn’t see the ah-ha faces or the looks of confusion. I couldn’t tell if they were drifting or most importantly, if they were okay. But then, I asked some big questions, and the magic was back.