Yesterday, I began with the question, What if I have them keep a feedback journal? But way led to way, and while I wasn’t completely off topic (I did talk about feedback), I never ventured down my intended path, so today, I will circle back. Of course, it’s not fully formulated, but I will stumble-step through some of my thinking with you this morning.

First, a little context. As my regular readers know, I am in the process of trying to imagine and create learning experiences that de-emphasize grading and emphasize learning. As such, I am many steps into a “gradeless,” “feedback-focused” journey. And it is the latter that has my attention right now–in principle and in practice. Yesterday, my attention caught a notion, the question I posed. What if I have them keep a feedback journal?

This morning, as time allows, I will explore what I am chasing here.

Evidence

If learning is the journey as we move ahead, then we have to leave a trail behind. I believe that trail is marked by experiential evidence: from tASKs, to Learning Checks to Journey Journals to collaboration and communication. Theses and more are all part of my students’ learning journey in my classroom. I call it their story. And at the end, as is reflective of their gradeless experience, my students select and support their final grades in what I call their, “My Learning, My Story” letters. In their latest letter, my students presented experiential evidence from three places: Skyward, Google Classroom, and Experience to support their selection of a final grade. And while feedback was generally a part of their collections, it wasn’t something that got the attention it deserved, and it was this that caught my attention yesterday.

Yesterday, I mentioned the sweet spot that’s created in the feedback/response process. It is the teaching. It is the learning. I believe this with my being. So why, Sy? Why is not a more central part of the story at journey’s end? Why are you not asking kids to present the experiential evidence from the collaborative feedback/response process? I don’t know. I mean, they do. But not to the degree they could/should. I mean, if we are not focusing on the feedback/response process, which is the learning, are we focusing on their learning in their stories? Are we focusing on the teaching in my story? Yesterday, these questions gave me pause. And as I paused, I wondered. What if I have them keep a feedback journal?

That is part of my why. Tomorrow, I will present more of the what and how. I am out of time this morning. Sorry.

Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.