Today marks a year to the day that I started actively engaging with Twitter, before that, I was lurking and only following a few EduGurus. Saying that it has been transformative would be an understatement. I fully expect my relationship with the platform will continue to evolve over time, but I’m hopeful that some of the connections that I’ve formed will continue beyond this digital iteration. I hope at some stage I will cross paths with some of the folks from my online PLN.

That said, I’m also mindful of the type of Twitter fatigue you mention at the beginning of this article. A few weeks ago I deleted social media apps from my phone because they were becoming a distraction, particularly during downtime. How much harm is one-handed parenting doing because we can’t put down the smartphones lest we “miss” a notification? For me, the difference between digital and real-world relationships is similar to that of grades and feedback, ultimately, only one is expendable. How did you find your hiatus during Lent?

I really dislike the Medium claps. I‘m the gatekeeper of claps, and I take my job very seriously. Your point about bias and subjective assessment hits home every time I clap an article. How many does this article deserve? I need a clap rubric…

Your point about using data and grades to prove accountability reminded me of Aaron’s ReThink ELA article:

Assigning grades was the easy way out of doing the “actual work” of teaching. They made it easy for me to avoid building relationships and meeting the needs of the individual student. When I eliminated grades it tested my creativity and patience. I was forced to rethink what went on in my class. Students had to take ownership of the class. I had to incorporate individualized learning and lots of voice and choice. I had to replace worksheets, tests, and quizzes with better forms of assessment. I had to make sure that students were engaged and wanted to learn. I had to do the work with them.

So much more to ponder from this post, as always, I appreciate your writing.