Welcome to the Modern Classrooms Project Podcast. Each week we bring you discussions with educators on how they use blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning to better serve their learners. In this episode, Zach Diamond is joined by educators Dacia Guffey and Paul O’Donoghue to discuss the difference between progress and grades.

Paul and Dacia discuss the benefits and challenges of using public progress trackers, as well as the role progress and grades play in their classrooms.

Here are the key takeaways from this podcast:

• Transparency Boosts Motivation: Students, even middle schoolers, tend to embrace progress trackers positively. These tools often motivate them to complete assignments and stay on track. As Zach puts it, "They want the ‘X’!" (that indicates lesson completion) on the tracker. Transparency can harness students' competitive spirit and encourage them to keep up with their peers.

• Educator Anxieties Stem from External Pressures: Dacia says, "I think a lot of the worry about anxiety from educators about the progress trackers stems more from how parents and admins are gonna react." However, both Dacia and Paul stress the importance of framing these tools positively, emphasizing their benefits for student engagement and agency.

• Individualized Learning and Student Choice: Paul says, "I think what I want to continue focusing on this year is just individualizing the learning experience and making kids feel like their needs are being met, versus needing to keep up with the pace that the teacher is setting." This approach aligns with the philosophy of student-centered learning, helping those who have had negative experiences with math find success and enjoyment.

In summary, Paul and Dacia encourage educators to try a public progress tracker with their own students and they recommend considering the role progress and goals play in your classroom setup.

Discussion questions for PLC and PD: 

• How can educators effectively communicate and frame student progress data, such as pacing trackers, to parents and administrators to minimize hesitancy or pushback?

• In what ways can the use of technology and data tracking tools, like pacing trackers, empower students to take ownership of their learning and motivate them to engage more actively in the classroom?

• As educators aim to individualize the learning experience for each student, what strategies or best practices can be adopted to provide targeted support for those who may have had previous negative experiences with traditional teaching methods?

Our Host

Zach Diamond studied Music History and Theory at Oberlin College and received a Masters of Music in Music Education from Boston University. He taught music for five years in Lima, Peru, and is currently a Middle School music teacher at DC International School, a language-immersion school where he teaches in Spanish. He began implementing the Modern Classrooms Model in the 19-20 School Year and enthusiastically continues his work with the organization as a mentor and podcast producer.

Our Guest: Dacia Guffey, Paul O’Donoghue

Connecting with Dacia: Email at dacia.guffey@modernclassrooms.org or her personal email at deja1976@gmail.com

Connecting with Paul: Paul can be found on Twitter with the handle @PaulDonoghue_

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