The Broken Copier

What’s the best way to grade student work? This is one of those questions that seems like it should have an obvious answer, but once you do a little digging, it turns out the answer is far from easy. Not only are schools entirely misaligned when it comes to grading practices and norms, but the more we ask why, the more it seems like nothing really makes sense at all. Marcus & Jim are starting a longer conversation on the podcast about grading, and all of the complications that follow: what to grade, whether to accept late work, if grades are even useful for learning at all, and more. Article: “The End of Grading,” by KC Cole. Wired, February 9, 2023. https://www.wired.com/story/the-end-of-grading/ Want to be featured on the next episode? You can leave us an audio message:podinbox.com/brokencopierThanks to: Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music; Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden; and Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.  Email thoughts to thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

We’re getting into the swing of things now, as most of us have started a new semester. Marcus and Jim check back with each other about writing instruction in general, and continue the conversation around what AI might start to mean for classrooms. They talk about culture through content, and what authentic learning might start to look like in the next era of the internet. How are schools responding, and how should they respond? If ChatGPT represents a new era of learning tools, how do we go adjust in order to keep things fair, and most importantly focused on learning and curiosity?Want to be featured on the next episode? You can leave us an audio message:podinbox.com/brokencopierThanks to Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music. Thanks to Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden. Thanks to Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.  Email thoughts to thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

Gwen Jorgensen became the first American to win a gold medal in the triathlon at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. Her mother, Nancy, and sister, Liz, wrote about her inspiring journey in their book, Gwen Jorgensen: USA’s First Olympic Gold Medal Triathlete. The book targets an important gap for middle grade nonfiction books–especially the importance of telling heroic stories about women and mothers achieving great big dreams. Jim was excited to sit down with Liz and Nancy, both veteran educators themselves, to talk about the book and why it’s such a great story for classrooms and sports teams. If you’re looking for your next fantastic nonfiction unit, this episode is for you!Buy the book on Amazon: Gwen Jorgensen: USA's First Olympic Gold Medal Triathlete Link to purchased signed copies: https://www.booksco.com/signed-copy-gwen-jorgensenFree educator guide: https://download.m-m-sports.com/extras/GwenJorgensen/Teacher_Guide.pdfFor author visits, email nancy.l.jorgensen@gmail.com or elizabeth.jorgensen@gmail.comWant to be featured on the next episode? You can leave us an audio message:podinbox.com/brokencopierThanks to Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music. Thanks to Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden. Thanks to Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.  Email thoughts to thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

It’s a new year, and for many of us, Q3 is either starting or has already started. Marcus and Jim are excited to get back to recording after holiday travel, a little bit of the sniffles, and a whole lot of grading. They talk about what the end of their first semesters looked like, and what they wish it could look like instead.Want to be featured on the next episode? You can leave us an audio message:podinbox.com/brokencopierThanks to Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music. Thanks to Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden. Thanks to Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.  Email thoughts to thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

A new AI writing tool, ChatGPT, has K12 teachers and college professors alike scratching their heads and revisiting a fundamental question: Why do we need to write stuff? Derek Thompson’s recent article in The Atlantic has explored this question, and while the professional world might be excited at the possibilities this opens up for their bottom line, teachers are now suddenly faced with the prospect that their students might not need to think very hard at all in order to submit an essay that earns top marks on whatever rubric you want to use. What’s the role of the writing teacher in this new age of AI writing? Do we block, defend, accept, incorporate, or do something else entirely? Is it time to scrap the Chromebooks and write everything by hand? How do we really prove that we know something, anyways? Classroom teachers will be facing some fundamental questions in the coming months as students become more aware of the ease, accessibility, and quality of AI language models, and we’ll need to be smart about how we talk to them. Plus, Jim’s dog Lucille interrupts the episode. At first he was going to edit her out, but then he thought it was funny and left it in. Happy planning!Thanks to Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music. Thanks to Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden. Thanks to Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.  Email thoughts to thebrokencopier@substack.com.Want to get a shout-out on the next episode? Tag us on Instagram or Twitter @thebrokencopier.Thanks for listening! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

How will AI writing tools impact education? When is writing original? How should teachers incorporate–or avoid–what seems to be an inevitable push towards faster, better, and more nuanced writing tools like AI language generators? Teachers are constantly balancing the world we live in against the world our students will inhabit. We’re often quick to lean into fancy new technologies in service of preparation and equity, but is there a point at which they’ll become too much of a crutch for students that allows them to avoid practicing and developing core literacy skills for themselves? After seeing some very successful and compelling AI writing tools becoming more and more available for students, Marcus and Jim try to reason this out for themselves and their English classrooms. Let us know what you think!Thanks to Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music. Thanks to Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden. Thanks to Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.  Email thoughts to thebrokencopier@substack.com.Want to get a shout-out on the next episode? Tag us on Instagram or Twitter @thebrokencopier.Thanks for listening! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

How many new buzzwords have you had to memorize in the past few years? How many times have you had to… um… tweak… a lesson plan to ensure that it does, in fact, demonstrate XYZ? Especially when the person looking for XYZ has little (read: no) context for your classroom culture, systems, and goals. New buzzwords and acronyms fly around schools all the time. Sometimes they can be a useful way to get everyone on the same page. However, more often than not, they can lead to a renewed energy around box-checking for the sake of pleasing district consultants instead of authentically serving teachers and students. Marcus and Jim are pleased to announce their top 5 picks for Worst Education Buzzwords of 2022. Snake Draft style. May the worst team win.Thanks to Alberto Lugo, one of Jim’s former students, for writing and recording original intro music. Thanks to Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of “Woodstock” from their 2020 album, Garden. Thanks to Courtney Milavec for graphic design.Find Tom’s work at uncivilizedtom.com, and on Instagram @banduncivilized.Find Alberto’s work at djsynchro.weebly.com, and on Instagram @djsynchro.  Email thoughts to thebrokencopier@substack.com.Want to get a shout-out on the next episode? Tag us on Instagram or Twitter @thebrokencopier.Thanks for listening! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

How many students are allowed out of the classroom? What happens when you only let one student out at a time, but another teacher lets two? Should there be a difference between going out to your locker and going out to visit the nurse? What if one student is out in the bathroom, but another student suddenly needs to go fix their contact lens? This week, we talk about the idea of collective efficacy–how hard it can be for all teachers across the school to uphold and enforce rules in a consistent way. It’s much harder than it sounds, and can cause a real headache for everyone when things feel unfair. As we move out of the excitement and positivity from the beginning of the school year, the daily grind has set in, and the full weight of upholding all the rules all the time is starting to take hold.NEW RULE! If you share a post on social media and tag @thebrokencopier, we’ll give you a shout out at the top of new episodes! Unless, you know, we aren’t as consistent as we’re supposed to be.Thanks to Courtney Milavec for graphic design, Casey Roberts for writing and recording original intro music, and Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of, “Woodstock,” from their 2020 album, Garden, available now on Spotify.Check out Tom’s work: uncivilizedtom.com Email thoughts, ideas, and feedback to thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

Who is responsible when students fail? If students aren’t meeting the bar for learning, what should the response be from the teacher? What is the appropriate balance of accountability and opportunity, especially for taking a risk, when the stakes are so high for students? Now that they’re both treading water a little bit better with the start of a new school year, Marcus and Jim are happy to be back talking shop. In this episode, they react to the New York Times story of a Chemistry professor being dismissed because, according to students, his class was too hard. There’s a lot to think about here, but one thing seems pretty clear: we don’t seem to be aligned on grading standards even a little bit. Have a listen & let us know what you think!Link to the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/us/nyu-organic-chemistry-petition.htmlThanks to Courtney Milavec for graphic design, Casey Roberts for writing and recording original intro music, and Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of, “Woodstock,” from their 2020 album, Garden, available now on Spotify.Check out Tom’s work: uncivilizedtom.com Email thoughts, ideas, and feedback to thebrokencopier@substack.com.Thanks for listening! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com

Jim has had students for just over a week, and Marcus is getting ready to go back. They debrief how the first few days of school have been, talk about some tough in-the-moment decisions teachers have to make on a daily basis, and Marcus gives Jim a hard time about his beloved practice of covering textbooks in brown paper bags. Are you a textbook fan? Let us know! Jim apologizes for accidentally recording on the wrong microphone, and wants you to know it won’t happen again.Thanks to Courtney Milavec for graphic design, Casey Roberts for writing and recording original intro music, and Tom Csatari for allowing us to use his band’s recording of, “Woodstock,” from their 2020 album, Garden, available now on Spotify. Check out Tom’s work: uncivilizedtom.com Email thoughts, ideas, and feedback to thebrokencopier@substack.com. Thanks for listening! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebrokencopier.substack.com