If you are working on course design this week, and you teach a lot of students, let me recommend this guest post on my blog from three fantastic instructors who are pursuing innovative grading methods in their large lectures. It's a lot of work, but alternative grading can be done in big classes!

The “free speech” and “cancel culture” panics have led to overt state censorship because that was always their purpose. (Gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

still thinking about this

It's me! I wrote about how I use IBL, collaborative grading, and much more all together in my favorite course: Euclidean Geometry.

The semester is finally over, so now it’s time for my annual celebration of Festivus. Liz Norell and I are getting together to air our grievances on a podcast, and we’d like to discuss yours as well! More details on how to share your grievance here: emilypittsdonahoe.substack.com/p/air-your-2...

Excited to share a guest post on my blog this week by Jayme Dyer, Katie Mattaini, and Eden Tanner about alt grading in large classes. This is something I get asked about all the time, so I'm glad to have an opportunity to share their work on the topic! emilypittsdonahoe.substack.com/p/alternativ...

Really enjoyed this conversation with Tricia Bertram Gallant on academic integrity and alternative grading. Give it a listen to hear me tell a story about myself as a high schooler and also lament the lack of support for grad students in higher ed! www.theoppositeofcheating.com/post/episode...

I'm being made to understand that grades don't "mean anything anymore" but I'm hoping someone can point me to the time when they were meaningful.

I'm working on a genealogy of alternative grading practices for the book @empittsdonahoe.bsky.social and I are writing for Princeton UP. We're calling the book *How to Grade: Alternative Models for the College Classroom*. 1/x

They broke the republican supermajority in the Mississippi state senate respect to the organizers and power to the people

Stiked to be visiting 'Ole Miss to give a talk on #SnafuEdu! @josheyler.bsky.social, @empittsdonahoe.bsky.social & @liznorell.bsky.social are my awesome hosts. But I already made a mistake: ordered toast instead of grits for breakfast this morning. www.oupress.com/978080619546...

Please do not use AI to grade. If demands on your time are such that you cannot provide students with timely and substantive feedback, that is a labor issue, and you should join your union. open.substack.com/pub/marcwatk...

Only one week left to apply for the Center for Grading Reform's Alternative Grading Institute! This two-day, hands-on, virtual experience offers opportunities to connect grading with your values and design an alt grading system for one of your courses. www.centerforgradingreform.org/alternative-...

Really honored to be included in this list!

Really enjoyed this conversation with colleagues about AI in the classroom! It left me with lots to think about.

Absolutely thrilled to be on a very special episode of @tihe.bsky.social with @bonni208.bsky.social today for a discussion about Grading for Growth (cc @dccmath.bsky.social and @roberttalbert.bsky.social)! teachinginhighered.com/podcast/lear...

Are you ready to align your grading practices with your values? Join us December 17–18 for the Alternative Grading Institute (online), which will bring together faculty from across higher education for a two-day, hands-on experience in standards-based, specifications, and collaborative grading.

Third & final post in my series on Neurodivergence and Alternative Grading w/ @empittsdonahoe.bsky.social We share some of our thoughts on how to make alt-grading more neurodiversity-informed, based on our research and conversations, plus ideas for future research open.substack.com/pub/beyondth...

Well, it's been real, I guess!!

I'm really looking forward to visiting the UM CETL in October! Gonna talk about Snafu Edu & hang out with #SoTL superstars like @josheyler.bsky.social, @empittsdonahoe.bsky.social & @liznorell.bsky.social.

Excited to share this new post in our series on neurodivergence and alternative grading!

The second post in a series on neurodivergence and alternative grading by @sarahesilverman.bsky.social and myself is live! In this post, we review some existing discourse on the topic. beyondthescope.substack.com/p/neurodiver...

And this is why “historian” is usually at the top of those dumb lists of professions most vulnerable to AI. It’s because people don’t understand what historians, or the humanities more broadly, *do*! They think it’s just learning and regurgitating facts!

I'm really excited to be working with @sarahesilverman.bsky.social on this series about neurodivergence and alt grading. More coming soon!

“The tools EdTech entrepreneurs hope to make part of the core infrastructure of education…take for granted that students will accept almost any inconvenience, indignity, and even physical discomfort if they know it is required to attain a high grade.” theamericanvandal.substack.com/p/against-te...

Out Now! "Snafu Edu: Teaching and Learning When Things Go Wrong in the College Classroom" by @geekypedagogy.bsky.social is like a preparedness kit and gives teachers an educational “go-bag” of insights and strategies to have at the ready when things go sideways. www.oupress.com/978080619546...

I'm excited to share last week's blog post by guest contributor Noël Ingram! I definitely learned a lot from Noel's experiences. If you're thinking about how to handle AI in your classroom this fall, her reflections are a must-read. emilypittsdonahoe.substack.com/p/off-the-ra...

In today's Tea for Teaching podcast, @geekypedagogy.bsky.social joins us to discuss her new book, Snafu Edu, which explores ways of addressing classroom issues and offers recommendations for proactive approaches to these issues. teaforteaching.podbean.com/e/snafu-edu/ @cyberthread.bsky.social

Teaching literary theory has been the most influential approach I’ve used to improve HS students’ interpretive ability. Theory helps them see what’s possible with interpretation, not just what’s permitted by “correct” readings. #literacies #iteachenglish #edusky open.substack.com/pub/trevoral...

Today's the day! Can't wait to get started with the 2025 Grading Conference!

New on the UVA Teaching Hub: "Exploring and Defining an Educator's Scope of Practice," a collection curated by Penny Edwards featuring useful resources from @karencosta.bsky.social and @empittsdonahoe.bsky.social. teaching.virginia.edu/collections/...

I had the BEST TIME chatting with @covingtonedu.bsky.social this morning! I’m such a YAPPER, but it was the BEST convo about AI + the purpose of education! Can’t wait for y’all to hear it soon!

This conversation got me excited for The Grading Conference. Hope you can join us! thegradingpod.com/episodes/98-...

Like my previous “take it or leave it” episode, this conversation was a blast! It was great to connect with Derek, Betsy, and Bryan and talk through some hot takes on higher ed.

More on student reading today in The Chronicle, with quotes from my brilliant colleague @liznorell.bsky.social! Earlier this year, I wrote about how I stumbled my way into a good method for teaching reading in my first-year writing class: emilypittsdonahoe.substack.com/p/teaching-r...

Assigning writing for 300-person classes in the age of AI: it can be done!! www.chronicle.com/newsletter/t...

It's me, I'm the expert 🤓 Happy to be quoted in this great piece by Colleen Flaherty about AI and the academic integrity issue.

We're very excited to have @drew-lewis.com contribute a collection to the UVA Teaching Hub! Drew's collection is an introduction to Standards-Based Grading, and you can see what resources he curated here: teaching.virginia.edu/collections/...

I'm seeing more and more people coming to the realization that student misuse of AI is a problem in large part because grades are a problem. My students and I came to this conclusion *two years ago*--and we wrote something about it! emilypittsdonahoe.substack.com/p/the-rise-o...

In July, @oupress.bsky.social will publish the next book in the "Teaching, Engaging & Thriving in Higher Ed Series," @geekypedagogy.bsky.social's "Snafu Edu: Teaching and Learning When Things Go Wrong in the Classroom." (Reviewing a cover proof that includes kind words from @liznorell.bsky.social)

Curious that John was interviewed for, but not quoted in, that NY Mag piece. Similarly, I was interviewed for, but not quoted in, an episode of NYT’s The Daily on this topic because they decided to go with “more of the cheating angle.” Sensing a theme here! biblioracle.substack.com/p/addressing...

We are right at one month away from the 2025 Grading Conference (June 11--13), and have just posted the schedule. Check out all the amazing presentations we will have this year! www.centerforgradingreform.org/grading-conf...

ChatGPT didn't create a crisis in education-it simply revealed what was brewing for decades. Students need to see the purpose and value in what they do. That means we need to speak to students beyond AI about why learning matters. open.substack.com/pub/emilypit...

Gotta give a thank you to Santa Ono. I have not laughed and gasped and cringed like this about something that wasn't reality tv in too long. Should put this under "service to the profession" on his cv.

when we teach students to write like robots of course they use robots to get good grades do enough of them know they might have something important and new to say and need to learn how and why to do it?

Seeing this do numbers on my feed, so if you are worried about this might I humbly suggest you look into the work that a bunch of us have been doing on this issue. Lots of work on alternative grading. My two contributions here: www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1... www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...

The drastic solution to ChatGPT cheating is getting rid of grades. Remove the pressure and motivation to cheat.

One thing to consider is what education would look like if it were free with no grades and no punitive frameworks that make learning about fear.