Best Derek Bruff Podcasts (2026)

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126 - AI-Aware Teaching, Mastery Quizzes, and the Future of Grading with Derek Bruff 57:15

Play Pause

27d ago57:15

57:15

What happens to grading when AI can do so much of what we’ve traditionally asked students to do by hand? In this episode, Boz and Sharona talk with educator, author, and podcaster Derek Bruff about his three-stage journey into mastery-based assessment, from early test corrections to coordinated mastery quizzes to rebuilding exams in a cryptography …

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129 - (Replay) The Results are IN! Traditional Grading and Alternative Grading Went HEAD TO HEAD!!! What happened? 1:01:50

6d ago1:01:50

1:01:50

Happy New Year! We are taking a small break this week from releasing new episodes, so please enjoy our most popular episode from 2025. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode! In this episode, Sharona and Bosley share some of the top line results of a direct comparison between traditional grading and alternative grading. In a tightly coord…

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128 - (Replay)Visionary Leadership: Culture Change through Asking Questions - A 10-Year Journey to Building-Wide Grading Reform 50:30

13d ago50:30

50:30

Happy Holidays! We're taking the week off from recording, so enjoy this replay about visionary leadership!! In this episode, Sharona and Boz interview Doug Wilson, principal of Avondale High School in Michigan, about his advice on implementing building-wide grading reform. This discussion touches on ways of being a visionary leader, how to move tow…

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127 - An LMS Designed from the Ground Up for Alt Grading? Tell Me More! With Stephanie Valentine 55:48

20d ago55:48

55:48

Dr. Stephanie Valentine (University of Nebraska–Lincoln) joins Sharona and Boz to tell the origin story behind TeachFront—a grading-and-feedback platform she and her students built after getting buried in spreadsheets trying to make standards-based / ungrading-style systems work at scale. They dig into what shifted when grades stopped being “points…

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69. Imhotep 7:18

10d ago7:18

7:18

In this episode, we travel back to ancient Egypt, build some pyramids, and compete to be the pharaoh’s favorite architect in Imhotep. Imhotep was said to be the architect of the step pyramid in Djoser, rising 200 feet tall, the earliest colossal stone building in Egypt. Imhotep is also a 2016 game for two to four players designed by Phil Walker-Har…

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125 - Five Steps to Redesign Your Course in the Age of AI 57:19

23d ago57:19

57:19

In this episode, Boz and Sharona take on a big question: What should we be doing to our courses, right now, in an AI-saturated world—without losing the human relationships that actually keep students in school? Sharona shares her own urgency as she prepares to return to teaching precalculus for the first time in a decade, while hearing college stud…

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124 - Extinguishing the Fires in Grading Reform (Replay) 58:20

1M ago58:20

58:20

Happy Thanksgiving! We're on a break this week so enjoy this replay of episode 46! On this episode we welcome back the "sportscaster" of Alternative Grading, Dr. Matt Townsley, to talk about his new book Extinguishing the Fires within Assessment and Grading Reform. As Alternative Grading practices grow and take shape throughout the United States, e…

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123 - Discovering Your Teacher Assessment Identity 56:06

1M ago56:06

56:06

In this episode, Sharona and Boz dive into a concept new to many educators — Teacher Assessment Identity — and explore how teachers’ beliefs, experiences, and professional contexts shape the way they design, interpret, and use assessments. Sharona introduces the idea after hearing about new research connecting assessment practices to teacher identi…

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122 - From Just-In-Time Teaching to Ungrading: A Conversation with Dr. Sharon Stranford 1:00:57

1M ago1:00:57

1:00:57

In this episode, Sharona and Boz follow up on episode 121 and sit down with Dr. Sharon Stranford, Professor of Biology at Pomona College, to explore her journey from traditional grading toward ungrading and collaborative grading in STEM. Sharon shares how her experiences as a first-generation college student, a long-time practitioner of just-in-tim…

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68. Hollywood 1947 21:24

2M ago21:24

21:24

In this episode, we make some movies while accusing our friends and coworkers of being communists in Hollywood 1947. Hollywood 1947 is the latest entry in the Dark Cities line from Façade Games publisher and designer Travis Hancock and artist Sarah Keele. It takes the Red Scare’s Hollywood blacklist and turns it into a lively and thematic game that…

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121 - Taking the Next Step in Collaborative Grading: A Deep Dive into Student Partnership in a Biology Class 55:31

2M ago55:31

55:31

In this episode of The Grading Podcast, Sharona Krinsky and Robert “Boz” Bosley dive into what it means to co-create grading practices with students—especially in STEM disciplines where structure and sequence often seem incompatible with collaboration. Sharona shares her plans to implement a collaborative grading model in her upcoming Precalculus c…

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120 - Learning Takes Time: Dr. Wendy Smith on Teacher Preparation, Ungrading, and Rethinking Deadlines 1:00:24

2M ago1:00:24

1:00:24

In this episode of The Grading Podcast, Sharona Krinsky and Robert Bosley sit down with Dr. Wendy Smith, Director of the Center for Science, Mathematics, and Computer Education at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Wendy shares how her journey into alternative grading began long before the term even existed—rooted in her own struggles as a math st…

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119 - When Flexibility Isn't Enough: Alternative Grading and Neurodivergent Students - A Conversation with Emily Pitts Donahoe and Sarah Silverman 1:01:52

3M ago1:01:52

1:01:52

n this episode, Sharona and Boz sit down with returning guest Emily Pitts Donahoe (University of Mississippi) and first-time guest Sarah Silverman (Goodwin University) to explore the complex intersection of neurodiversity and alternative grading. Drawing on their collaborative three-part Substack series, Emily and Sarah unpack how different grading…

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118 - Designing Evidence-Based Change: Inside the Alt Grading Institute with Michael Palmer 54:19

3M ago54:19

54:19

In this episode of The Grading Podcast, Sharona Krinsky and Robert Bosley welcome Dr. Michael Palmer, the Barbara Fried Director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Teaching Excellence and recipient of the Bob Pierleoni Spirit of POD Award. Together, they dive deep into the origins of the new Alternative Grading Institute being offered by th…

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117 - Excuses, excuses: 10 Reasons People Give for NOT Implementing Alternative Grading and How To Reply to Them 56:57

3M ago56:57

56:57

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67. Unmatched 2025 Tournament (Part 1) 37:10

3M ago37:10

37:10

It just was over two years ago when we covered the game system called Unmatched here on the podcast. In Unmatched by Restoration Games, two players battle, each with a different hero that has their own unique deck of 30 cards for attack and defense. When we covered Unmatched here on the podcast in 2023, we only had six heroes in our collection for …

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116 - Growing Student Autonomy and Agency (Without Driving Yourself Crazy!) 51:54

3M ago51:54

51:54

What happens when we give students meaningful choices in their learning? In this episode, Sharona and Boz dive deep into the role of student choice, autonomy, and agency in both K–12 and higher education classrooms. They start with a simple question: if nearly every school and district mission statement includes “lifelong learners,” how do our grad…

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115 - Don't Do This Alone! The Importance of Community for Creating Sustainable Change 49:32

3M ago49:32

49:32

In this episode, Sharona and Boz dive into the essential role of community in grading reform. They reflect on their own journeys—Boz beginning with a supportive colleague and PLCs in K-12, and Sharona starting out largely on her own in higher ed—and how those experiences shaped their perspectives. Together, they explore why building communities of …

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114 - Grading What Matters: Leveraging Extrinsic Motivation to Grow Students in Multiple Dimensions 59:24

4M ago59:24

59:24

In this week's episode, Sharona and Boz sit down with Marc Aronson, Dean of Academics at Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, CT. This fascinating conversations begins with grading what matters but goes into innovation ways of approaching honors classes, using authentic assessments in the form of final demonstrations of learning, and finding ways to use t…

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113 - Experience First, Formalize Later: How switching to standards-based grading schoolwide enabled drastic change in the classroom, with Jen Smielewski 57:16

4M ago57:16

57:16

In this episode, Sharona and Boz sit down with Jen Smielewski, a math teacher at Avondale High School. Jen works with Doug Wilson, the principal at Avondale High School who was a guest on episode 101 about visionary leadership. In this episode, Jen shares the "experience first, formalize later" methodology that the entire math department has adopte…

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66. Sky Team 20:35

4M ago20:35

20:35

In this episode, we work together to find out just how hard it is land an airplane in Sky Team. Sky Team is a 2023 game designed by Luc Rémond with art by Eric Hibbeler and Adrien Rives published by Montreal-based Scorpion Masqué. Sky Team is a two-player game in which players work together to land a passenger airplane. Emily and I had the chance t…

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112 - Squaring the Circle: Excellence vs Expertise with Jeff Anderson 1:08:24

4M ago1:08:24

1:08:24

In this episode, Sharona and Boz welcome Jeff Anderson back to the pod to talk about power, excellence, expertise, and how to work within grading structures that we are no longer comfortable with. This fascinating conversation touches on everything from analyzing the existing power structures within education and how our individual grading policies…

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111 - Getting Unstuck from the Grade Wrap-Up: The Importance of Purpose Redux 54:49

4M ago54:49

54:49

In this episode, Sharona and Boz look at another common area where instructors get stuck when redesigning a course to use alternative grading - the fourth decision of the grading architecture: wrapping up into a final grade. From too many choices to the issues with complexity, Sharona and Boz breaks things down and provide concrete ideas when looki…

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110 - Developing Your Assessments Through the Lens of Competencies, with Camp from NEIA 58:23

4M ago58:23

58:23

In this episode, Sharona and Boz speak with Camp (Dr. John Camp), the head of teaching and Learning at NEIA, the New England Innovation Academy. NEIA is an Independent day and boarding school in Massachusetts. NEIA's mission is to prepare the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams and shape. In this episode, Camp sha…

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109 - Live from MathFest 2025: Trends, thoughts, and directions 51:48

5M ago51:48

51:48

Sharona sits down with MathFest 2025 attendees Drew Lewis, Jennifer Moorehouse, Lipika Deka, Jennifer Narang, and Cory Wilson to discuss what we heard on the ground at this year's conference. From people presenting their experiences to a variety of data and forward looking opportunities, Alt Grading is making the switch to mainstream! Links Please …

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108 - The Importance of Purpose: Getting Unstuck in the Course Redesign Cycle 55:07

5M ago55:07

55:07

In this episode of The Grading Podcast, Sharona and Boz talk about some common reasons instructors get stuck during the process of redesigning a course. From looking again at the different parts of the course redesign cycle to exploring ways of breaking through roadblocks, join us as we take another look at the course redesign cycle. In particular,…

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107 - Transitioning to Alternative Grading Can Take Time to Be Successful: The Importance of Longer Term Metrics 55:42

5M ago55:42

55:42

In this episode, Sharona and Boz explore a recent article from EdWeek in which a middle school principal shares the motivations behind a switch to standards-based grading as well as the initial failures and eventual successes of that move. Join us as we talk about the tension between short term and long term results, the "why" of the switch to alte…

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65. Wingspan (2025) 27:18

5M ago27:18

27:18

In this episode, we grab our binoculars and our field guides to go birdwatching in Wingspan. Wingspan is a 2019 game designed by Elizabeth Hargrave and published by Stonemaier Games. Most days, if you ask me what my favorite board game is, I'll tell you it's Wingspan. It's my most played game, and it's the one that Emily and I are most likely to pu…

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106 - Reflecting on a six-week summer course with Dr. Robert Talbert. 59:13

5M ago59:13

59:13

In this episode, Dr. Robert Talbert returns to the pod to reflect on how his six-week summer course in discrete math went. Robert talked about this course back on episode 87 when discussing changes he was making to this course due to the impact of AI. In this conversation, Sharona and Boz discuss how it went, how the various changes worked (or didn…

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105 - Is Alternative Grading at a Tipping Point? 54:41

6M ago54:41

54:41

In this episode, Sharona and Bosley explore the ideas from Malcolm Gladwell's iconic book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. During the discussion, they explore the key indicators of a tipping point and discuss how we as a community might try to intentionally move towards a tipping point into mass awareness and (hopeful…

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104: Ideas and Recommendations for Iterating Through the Course Redesign Cycle 48:42

6M ago48:42

48:42

It's Summertime! And how to teachers and instructors often spend their summers? Why, reworking their courses, correct? In this episode, Sharona and Boz share their thoughts, ideas, and recommendations for working through the course redesign cycle and iteratively examining your course. Whether you are newer to alt grading or have been doing it a lon…

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103 - Themes and Lessons from the 2025 Grading Conference 57:04

6M ago57:04

57:04

In this episode, Sharona and Boz recap some of the incredible things that happened at the 2025 Grading Conference. Highlights from the keynote speakers, student voices, and conversations around the "watercooler". This conference was an incredible capstone to a fantastic year for alternative grading. Links Please note - any books linked here are lik…

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64. Mr. Cabbagehead's Garden 11:37

6M ago11:37

11:37

In this episode, we plant a prize-winning vegetable garden while dodging tedious neighbors in Mr. Cabbagehead’s Garden. Mr. Cabbagehead's Garden is a solo game designed by Todd Sanders first released in 2016 as a print-and-play and later published by LudiCreations. The game is inspired by the whimsical illustrations of anthropomorphic vegetables fo…

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102 - Critical Digital Pedagogy: Thinking Critically About Grading, AI and How We Decide to Do What We Do, An Interview with Dr. Sean Michael Morriss 53:41

7M ago53:41

53:41

In this episode, Sharona and Bosley sit down for a conversation with Dr. Sean Michael Morris to talk about Critical Digital Pedagogy. What is it? How can we think critically about our grading practices? How do we think critically about AI and it's impact on our grading choices? Links Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates …

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101 - Visionary Leadership: Culture Change through Asking Questions - A 10-Year Journey to Building-Wide Grading Reform 50:06

7M ago50:06

50:06

In this episode, Sharona and Boz interview Doug Wilson, principal of Avondale High School in Michigan, about his advice on implementing building-wide grading reform. This discussion touches on ways of being a visionary leader, how to move towards culture change around grades, and advice to administrators (and teachers!) on how to question our pract…

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100 - Getting the Band Back Together! The OGs discuss the last decade of Alt Grading and Where We See It Going Next! 1:04:22

7M ago1:04:22

1:04:22

We made it to episode 100! Join us as we welcome back to the pod, for the first time altogether, David Clark, Kate Owens, and Robert Talbert! With Sharona and Boz we made up the original organizing team for the 2020 Grading Conference. We talk about the journey getting to here, and where we see things going (and what we hope to see) in the next 10 …

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99 - Challenging Grading as a System: Labor-Based Grading in Rhetoric and Composition, An Interview with Asao Inoue 1:03:46

7M ago1:03:46

1:03:46

In this episode, Sharona and Bosley sit down with Dr. Asao Inoue, the opening keynote speaker of the 2025 Grading Conference, to discuss his use of Labor-Based Grading in the teaching of writing. Exploring everything from negotiating a grading contract with students to intentionally discussing creating a culture of compassion in the classroom, this…

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63. Challengers 13:05

7M ago13:05

13:05

In this episode, I play capture the flag with seven of my friends in Challengers! Challengers! is 2022 game for 2 to 8 players designed by Johannes Krenner and Markus Slawitscheck and published by Z-Man Games with art by Jeff Harvey. It’s a little hard to describe. If I said it’s a deck-building, auto-battler built around a capture-the-flag tournam…

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98 - Sessions and Topics and Toolkits - oh my!!! Previewing the 2025 Grading Conference with the Conference Organizing Team. 53:05

7M ago53:05

53:05

In this episode, many of the organizers of this year's conference join Sharona and Bosley to preview the upcoming conference and talk about some of the community aspects of The Grading Conference. We welcome Ashleigh Fox, Jenni Momsen, Emily Pitts Donahoe, and Melanie Lenahan. Links Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon Associates l…

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97 - Distinguishing Different Letter Grades: The Three Hurdles Model 59:49

7M ago59:49

59:49

In this episode, Sharona and Bosley discuss different ways to look at the grade wrap up portion of the grading architecture as it relates to learning outcomes as well as assessments. They discuss the well known "more hurdles, higher hurdles" metaphor but expand it into three different types of hurdles instead of the two we have used previously. Fro…

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Parks (Encore) 20:57

8M ago20:57

20:57

Our last episode on second editions of the games Santorini and Tortuga 1667 reminded me about another second edition of a family favorite game that’s out now: Parks designed by Henry Audubon and published by Keymaster Games. We covered the first edition of Parks way back on episode 7 of the podcast, and I thought I would reshare that episode here o…

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96 - Alt Grading and Administrators: Supporting Teachers and Getting Support from Admin 58:43

8M ago58:43

58:43

In this week's episode, Sharona and Bosley dive into some of the details, nuances, similarities and differences regarding the role of administrators in the implementation of alternative grading practices. We talk about what administrators can do to support alternative grading efforts, how to talk to administrators, and the similarities and differen…

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95 - Standards Based Reporting and Grading at the Elementary School Level 57:13

8M ago57:13

57:13

In this episode, Sharona and Bosley look at some of the challenges that elementary school face when considering standards based reporting and standards based grading. From issues with consistency between instructors to the differences between communicating with parents versus communicating with students. Join us in this discussion as we look at the…

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62. Back to the Island(s) 16:33

8M ago16:33

16:33

In this episode, we go back to the island in second editions of podcast favorites Santorini and Tortuga 1667! Santorini: Pantheon Edition takes the original Santorini and its “Golden Fleece” expansion and presents them in a new package with revised rules and upgraded components. The teenager and I have been playing it regularly since we got it, and…

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94 - Replay: The Human Impact of our Assessments on Students, What story do your assessments tell about a student? An Interview with Sean Nank 58:18

8M ago58:18

58:18

Please enjoy this replay of episode 20 from November 2023. Coming to you from the California Mathematics Council - South annual conference, Sharona and Bosley sit down for a wonderful conversation with Dr. Sean Nank. Sean is an adjunct professor at California State University San Marcos, a full professor at the American College of Education, as wel…

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93 - The Importance of Understanding AI as an Instructor in Order to Comprehend It's Impact on Your Students and Your Grading 1:04:59

9M ago1:04:59

1:04:59

Sharona and Bosley sit down this week to talk with Jennifer Martinez-Montes about her work on professional development surrounding AI for instructors. Jennifer is a 9th grade English teacher at Santee Education Complex in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She is currently researching the impact of AI on teachers and the opportunities for eff…

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92 - Researching Grading Reform: Building the Evidence to Change the System 42:30

9M ago42:30

42:30

In this episode, Sharona and Boz dive into what research around grading reform might look like. From the types of studies to the areas of interest and some options for focus. We look at what's been done, what's missing, and how the Center for Grading Reform is planning to launch a new initiative to build a national network of researchers focused on…

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91 - Feedback: Improving How We Give It and How Students Use It 1:01:24

9M ago1:01:24

1:01:24

This week we welcome Joe Zeccola back to the podcast. In this episode, Sharona, Boz and Joe look at how we give feedback, how students use it, and how we make both the giving of feedback and the student use of feedback easier, more useful, and more in line with our goals for our students. Links Please note - any books linked here are likely Amazon …

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61. Black Orchestra (First Play) 13:44

9M ago13:44

13:44

In this episode, we conspire together to take out one of the worst evils of the 20th century in Black Orchestra! Black Orchestra is a 2016 cooperative game for 1 to 5 players designed by Phillip duBarry with art by Lucas Soriano published by Tabletop Tycoon. In Black Orchestra, players take on the role of conspirators in Nazi Germany working togeth…

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90 - Building a Community of Practice AND Even MORE Misuse of Mathematics!!!!!! 58:24

9M ago58:24

58:24

In this week's episode, Sharona and Boz sit down with Caroline Cormier and Françoise Arseneault-Hubert to discuss the movement towards alt grading in Quebec. Beginning with a description of the CEGEP system (pronounced say-ghep) that serves as a bridge between K-11 education and university/technical tracks we then explore how Caroline and Françoise…