Ink: A Powerful Writing Universe!
Literacy Geeks has done something that has never been done before. We created a writing platform that auto-grades authentic, student writing. This is an extraordinary breakthrough. Many companies have attempted it, but no one has been able to evaluate the nuances of language until now. It's true. The technology needed to grade authentic, student writing just become available in March 2023. Now, with advanced computer automation, we can grade an essay (or 10,000 essays) in 90 seconds and provide rubric scores, personalized, skill-based feedback, and data on dozens of writing skills. Like I said, this has never been done before!
As a former secondary English teacher and college lecturer, I can attest to how long it takes to grade papers. Although I attempted to grade a paper in 5 minutes, it typically took me closer to 8-12 minutes. When added together, it would take me approximately 15-20 hours to grade and give feedback to my students. Since I didn't have 20 hours in the evenings and weekends to grade, students would get feedback weeks after they turned in their writing. I always felt guilty because my students didn't benefit from getting delayed feedback. Although I enjoyed learning about my students through their writing, I would have liked to have my evenings and weekends back.
What if educators could have their weekends back? What if I told you that grading papers could be something of the past? Well, Literacy Geeks has made this dream our new reality!
Literacy Geeks launched Ink--a writing universe--in June 2023. To be honest, I was skeptical at first. After all, I had spent 21 years grading papers. I was the authority. I was the one who could explain to my students how to become better writers. I sat in writing committees developing common assessments, and then I spent a week grading them. I know the ownership that comes with teaching writing and the relationship between the teacher and student writer. But Ink doesn't take anything away from the teacher. Ink adds value. Ink delivers crucial feedback to students that they use to become stronger writers. For the teacher, Ink provides essential writing data for each student. Teachers use the data and the extra time they have to design powerful lessons, target learning needs, and explicitly teach writing skills. Teachers can spend more time coaching writing and less time grading it. And when we make that transition from evaluator to coach, the classroom dynamic changes.
Below are some detailed descriptions of how Ink works. If you are interested in piloting Ink, please send me an email at jonathan@literacygeeks.com.
Teachers as Coaches
We know that the classroom teacher makes the greatest impact on student achievement. That is why we developed Ink. We wanted to give time back to teachers so they can do their amazing work. Grading is hard, but it's not the essential work. The essential work happens in the classroom with students. The magic is the relationship. The memories. The inspired moments. The goal is to help students develop skills and confidence. Once teachers know what their students need, they will be able to move them forward. Can teachers still grade student work without Ink? Yes. Teachers use Ink to enhance instruction and give instant feedback to their students. Teachers use Ink to identify critical learning gaps so that they can differentiate instruction for a child or a whole class. And with Ink, a school or district can better understand how their students are performing as writers.
Timely Feedback
Typically, students get feedback about their writing a few weeks (and sometimes months) after they submit it. That is understandable. It takes a lot of time and energy to grade writing. Teachers spend multiple weekends trying to get papers graded and handed back. Similarly, reviewing state writing data months after the exam doesn’t inform students and teachers in a timely manner. Students need immediate feedback so that they can see how it relates to the writing that just happened. Writing assessment and writing data should be relevant and timely so it can effectively drive new learning opportunities. For these reasons, we committed to developing a writing platform that delivered timely feedback directly to students. When writing with Ink, students are constantly getting feedback and learning as they move through the writing process.
Feedback Loop
Our feedback loop begins with the students. Right before students turn in their writing, we ask them a few questions. Their answers are saved for later review by the teacher, but more impressive is the "Class Letter." The Class Letter is composed once a class has submitted their writing. The letter summarizes the class' feedback and shares some of the collective writing strengths in the class.
Then, Ink composes a letter to each student. The letter details the student's strengths. In addition to the letter, students receive a rubric in kid-friendly language, personalized feedback, and goals. The classroom teacher can view the individual student goals and sort students based on those goals.
The Teacher Should Remain Central to the Process
It's important to know that we love teachers. We value them because they are essential to the learning process. Therefore, we make edtech tools that leverage technology and engaging pedagogy in order to enhance instruction. In Ink's writing universe, teachers use Ink's Insights data to drive rich conversations about students' writing skills, to illuminate and address learning gaps, and to make instructional decisions that help all students grow as writers. Teachers use Ink's writing process and writing curriculum to explicitly teach writing skills. Then, teachers make decisions about utilizing other writing tools in the Ink writing universe like the fluency builder. And don't forget about the magic! A teacher's passion and personality can make the greatest difference when it comes to student motivation and engagement. Beyond auto-grading student writing and providing instant feedback and rubric scores, Ink gives teachers the space to be brilliant!
What's in Ink's Writing Universe?
Ink's writing universe delivers writing assessments, writing tasks with revision, writing workshops, proofreading practice, grammar practice and lessons within student writing, fluency building, and writing data we call Insights.
Insights data provides writing skill reports for every student, class, and school within a district. Insights data allows teachers and teacher leaders to group students based on writing skills and overall ability, ensuring teachers have the data they need to effectively facilitate small group writing workshops and whole class instruction. Lastly, our Insights dashboards make it easy for teachers, parents, and school and district administrators to monitor progress, track growth, and view mastery of specific writing skills.
Equitable grading
Ink evaluates student writing based on language and thinking and nothing else. It prioritizes original ideas over formulaic writing structures. It honors thinking and logic over the exact number of paragraphs. It evaluates arguments based on clear claims and evidence not on a particular point-of-view. It also expects well-reasoned arguments and strong counterclaims regardless of bias. Students are honored and celebrated for their critical thinking, logic of ideas, and use of language. How awesome is that!
Oh, one more thing. Ink doesn't get fatigued. Every student gets the same level of attention and consideration even if the student is at the bottom of the pile.
Better Solutions: Better Writing
- District-wide writing assessments multiple times a year
- Calibrated grading so students are evaluated fairly and consistently
- Instant, personalized feedback
- District-wide data that all teachers can review and utilize
- More quality writing practice with opportunities to revise thinking
- Writing curriculum that is rooted in research and aligned to standards
- Seamlessly infuse Ink resources and materials into adopted curriculum
- Transferable writing routines for various steps in the writing process
Contact me today at jonathan@literacygeeks.com or reach out to our Support Team at support@literacygeeks.com to start your pilot today. The Ink writing universe awaits!