What’s the point? In the 180 classroom, it’s not a number. It’s not a percentage. It’s not a token transaction to take up space in the grade book. It’s not a pursuit of points, but it is a pursuit of purpose.

Through my evolutionary experiences in the 180 classroom, I have come to avoid the giving of assignments and instead have come to seek the providing of experiences. For it is through experience, I believe, that we learn, that we remember. I don’t want my kids to do to earn points. I want my kids to do to learn. That is not to suggest that the pursuit of points delivers no learning, but it is to suggest that when points are involved that generally becomes the goal and learning takes a back seat.

One of the things that I have recently begun to play with is tweaking my learning-target language. Not entirely convinced “student-will-be-able-to” or “I-can” tags can be anything short of artificial, I have come to use something that more naturally fits my experiential approach.

“Today you will experience…”

Student will be able to write and support a theme statement.

I can write and support a theme statement.

Today you will experience writing and supporting a theme statement.

This approach stems from what I believe is found in the difference between “learned” and “learning.” I have written about this before (What Ya Learning?), and I still hold that my kids are learning, and that is why I am drawn to the latter and shy from the two former, for they suggest a “done” that I find false. They suggest a list to be checked. Learning is a continuum. My kids are experiencing through the “do-feedback-do” cycle in my room. And in that cycle, they learn, they experience the value of mistakes, feedback, and success. It is something that stays with them, not something they ditch for the next lesson, test, unit.

And so, beyond the minimal markers of 3, 2, 1 on performances to help them situate their learning in their learning, there are no points. But there is a point. Learning. Experiencing.

My kids recently created storyboards of sorts to demonstrate their understanding of Night. Not one number will be exchanged between us. We are seeking a different point, and judging from what I have found in their creations, they got the point.

Of course, it’s not perfect approach. But I believe it’s closer to authentic than many of the artificial ways we ask kids to prove their learning. But I alone am not the judge. No, they are the judges, too. They will complete a self-reflection that I hope gets to the point more than I ever could by awarding a point. After all, it’s their learning.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…reflecting on our learning in our Storyboards.

…discovering reality of Japanese internment camps in America.

…presenting a personal impact statement from our study of Night.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.