I’ve realized part of what made the fall semester so difficult is that I was so overwhelmed, I lost track of many of the routines that sustain me. It’s not like this hasn’t happened before, but I can’t remember it ever happening so badly for so long.
So as part of my preparations for the spring 2021 semester, I thought about habits I want to continue from the winter break, resume from earlier in my professional life, or begin anew. Continue reading
This fall, I made my first experiments with Grading for Equity, an approach intended to address inequities in traditional points-based grading schemes. Alongside, I adopted the supporting practice of specifications grading. Soon it became clear I was not one instructor acting alone, but part of a movement among CS educators responding to the uncertain conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I’ve been asked to blog on my lessons learned, so I will. But first, to warm up, I’ll tell the story of how I got started.