Jayme Dyer, PhD 🏳️🌈
@youtoobio.bsky.social
Community College Biology Instructor. Alternative grading. Improving classroom equity. #SciComm. Former YouTuber (/YouTooBio). Trying hard. Not perfect. She/her
📕 I'm writing a General Biology textbook! DM for deets
📕 I'm writing a General Biology textbook! DM for deets
Pinned
Hello new followers! Let me introduce myself:
🌱 I teach Gen Bio at a community college in NC
📕 I am writing an innovative new Gen Bio textbook
✅ I experiment with and write about alternative grading systems
📹 I am a #SciComm YouTuber
More deets below! 👇
🌱 I teach Gen Bio at a community college in NC
📕 I am writing an innovative new Gen Bio textbook
✅ I experiment with and write about alternative grading systems
📹 I am a #SciComm YouTuber
More deets below! 👇
Next up in my Instructor-as-Student Chronicles:
I’ve spent the last few days studying for a physics exam, and in the process I’ve learned a lot about what learning feels like
jaymedyer.substack.com/p/to-learn-i...
I’ve spent the last few days studying for a physics exam, and in the process I’ve learned a lot about what learning feels like
jaymedyer.substack.com/p/to-learn-i...
To learn, it helps to know what learning feels like
Being a student again is teaching me a lot about learning
jaymedyer.substack.com
March 6, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Next up in my Instructor-as-Student Chronicles:
I’ve spent the last few days studying for a physics exam, and in the process I’ve learned a lot about what learning feels like
jaymedyer.substack.com/p/to-learn-i...
I’ve spent the last few days studying for a physics exam, and in the process I’ve learned a lot about what learning feels like
jaymedyer.substack.com/p/to-learn-i...
Bonkers experience today: I'm taking a course & while the instructor was handing back exams, I was idly reading a paper about the harms of grading on a curve.
Instructor goes on to explain that she *would have* graded the exam on a curve (to increase all grades) but the average score was too high 😱
Instructor goes on to explain that she *would have* graded the exam on a curve (to increase all grades) but the average score was too high 😱
February 11, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Bonkers experience today: I'm taking a course & while the instructor was handing back exams, I was idly reading a paper about the harms of grading on a curve.
Instructor goes on to explain that she *would have* graded the exam on a curve (to increase all grades) but the average score was too high 😱
Instructor goes on to explain that she *would have* graded the exam on a curve (to increase all grades) but the average score was too high 😱
Reposted by Jayme Dyer, PhD 🏳️🌈
Letter from the SSE/SSB/ASN councils on the scientific understanding of sex and gender, pls RT
Letter to the US President and Congress on the Scientific Understanding of Sex and Gender
President Donald J Trump Washington, DC Members of the US Congress Washington, DC February 5, 2025 RE: Scientific Understanding of Sex and Gender Dear President Trump and Members of the US Congr...
www.evolutionsociety.org
February 7, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Letter from the SSE/SSB/ASN councils on the scientific understanding of sex and gender, pls RT
Reposted by Jayme Dyer, PhD 🏳️🌈
Interesting post by @youtoobio.bsky.social Should homework count in a student's grade? Is using Multiple Grading Schemes more equitable?
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
Why I use Multiple Grading Schemes
It's about equity
open.substack.com
February 5, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Interesting post by @youtoobio.bsky.social Should homework count in a student's grade? Is using Multiple Grading Schemes more equitable?
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
Kindred spirit right here.
My husband, who works from the same home office with me, has learned to ignore my "Wow's!" as I read and write about biology. He knows I'll interrupt him when it's so cool I have to share
My husband, who works from the same home office with me, has learned to ignore my "Wow's!" as I read and write about biology. He knows I'll interrupt him when it's so cool I have to share
I’ve gone to teaching pedagogy seminars that remind folks to fake enthusiasm if they have to, to get students interested in lectures
that’s one thing I’ve never had to do, can’t imagine any topic in biology I’m not wildly excited to share with whomever would listen
that’s one thing I’ve never had to do, can’t imagine any topic in biology I’m not wildly excited to share with whomever would listen
January 22, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Kindred spirit right here.
My husband, who works from the same home office with me, has learned to ignore my "Wow's!" as I read and write about biology. He knows I'll interrupt him when it's so cool I have to share
My husband, who works from the same home office with me, has learned to ignore my "Wow's!" as I read and write about biology. He knows I'll interrupt him when it's so cool I have to share
I'm learning a lot by being a student again. For example, THINKING TAKES TIME
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
Think-Pair-Share: A View from Both Sides
I'm learning how to teach better by being a student again
open.substack.com
January 22, 2025 at 9:22 PM
I'm learning a lot by being a student again. For example, THINKING TAKES TIME
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
I'm reading about persistence of students in a STEM major in "Talking About Leaving Revisited" (2019). The authors identify:
"An important, common strategy [of persisters in STEM majors] was working with informal peer study groups."
It makes me wonder...
"An important, common strategy [of persisters in STEM majors] was working with informal peer study groups."
It makes me wonder...
Today's teacher euphoria:
Student from last year texts to say that a study group that formed in my class (because I intentionally structured the course to build community) is still going strong and providing support for their new classes. 🥰🥰🥰
Student from last year texts to say that a study group that formed in my class (because I intentionally structured the course to build community) is still going strong and providing support for their new classes. 🥰🥰🥰
January 17, 2025 at 5:48 PM
I'm reading about persistence of students in a STEM major in "Talking About Leaving Revisited" (2019). The authors identify:
"An important, common strategy [of persisters in STEM majors] was working with informal peer study groups."
It makes me wonder...
"An important, common strategy [of persisters in STEM majors] was working with informal peer study groups."
It makes me wonder...
Today's teacher euphoria:
Student from last year texts to say that a study group that formed in my class (because I intentionally structured the course to build community) is still going strong and providing support for their new classes. 🥰🥰🥰
Student from last year texts to say that a study group that formed in my class (because I intentionally structured the course to build community) is still going strong and providing support for their new classes. 🥰🥰🥰
January 16, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Today's teacher euphoria:
Student from last year texts to say that a study group that formed in my class (because I intentionally structured the course to build community) is still going strong and providing support for their new classes. 🥰🥰🥰
Student from last year texts to say that a study group that formed in my class (because I intentionally structured the course to build community) is still going strong and providing support for their new classes. 🥰🥰🥰
Yesterday, I sat in a class as a student for the first time in 15 years. I'm hoping that being a student again will teach me how to be a better teacher.
PS I'm learning physics for the first time! I assume there will be many spherical cows. 🐄⚽
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
PS I'm learning physics for the first time! I assume there will be many spherical cows. 🐄⚽
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
"Clearly" and other words of caution for the classroom
What my first day back as a student taught me about being a better teacher
open.substack.com
January 15, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Yesterday, I sat in a class as a student for the first time in 15 years. I'm hoping that being a student again will teach me how to be a better teacher.
PS I'm learning physics for the first time! I assume there will be many spherical cows. 🐄⚽
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
PS I'm learning physics for the first time! I assume there will be many spherical cows. 🐄⚽
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
January 14, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Every show where someone uses a micropipette without a tip loses all credibility and instantly gets rated -2 stars
January 13, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Every show where someone uses a micropipette without a tip loses all credibility and instantly gets rated -2 stars
Science Question! How do mushrooms do gas/nutrient exchange? 🍄
I'm talking specifically about fruiting bodies. Some are big! Diffusion shouldn't be sufficient, but they don't have vasculature (right?). How does it work? 🤔 Mycologists, pls help!
#biology #mycology #fungi #mushrooms
I'm talking specifically about fruiting bodies. Some are big! Diffusion shouldn't be sufficient, but they don't have vasculature (right?). How does it work? 🤔 Mycologists, pls help!
#biology #mycology #fungi #mushrooms
December 13, 2024 at 5:41 PM
Science Question! How do mushrooms do gas/nutrient exchange? 🍄
I'm talking specifically about fruiting bodies. Some are big! Diffusion shouldn't be sufficient, but they don't have vasculature (right?). How does it work? 🤔 Mycologists, pls help!
#biology #mycology #fungi #mushrooms
I'm talking specifically about fruiting bodies. Some are big! Diffusion shouldn't be sufficient, but they don't have vasculature (right?). How does it work? 🤔 Mycologists, pls help!
#biology #mycology #fungi #mushrooms
Reposted by Jayme Dyer, PhD 🏳️🌈
Deep-sea hermit crabs without shells? 🦀 Meet Parapagurus! Instead of traditional snail shells, many species use deep-sea anemones for protection. It's a mutualistic partnership—crabs get shelter, anemones get mobility and scraps of food. #marinelife oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/expl...
December 12, 2024 at 4:14 PM
Deep-sea hermit crabs without shells? 🦀 Meet Parapagurus! Instead of traditional snail shells, many species use deep-sea anemones for protection. It's a mutualistic partnership—crabs get shelter, anemones get mobility and scraps of food. #marinelife oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/expl...
Hey #Academic bsky - have you tried the AI-assisted research search engine Undermind? I just tried it and I am duly impressed.
undermind.ai
(I have no affiliation with it! I just tried it and thought WOW)
undermind.ai
(I have no affiliation with it! I just tried it and thought WOW)
Undermind - Radically better research and discovery
Our AI assistant carefully reads hundreds of academic papers for you, finding exactly what you need, no matter how complex.
undermind.ai
December 10, 2024 at 8:51 PM
Hey #Academic bsky - have you tried the AI-assisted research search engine Undermind? I just tried it and I am duly impressed.
undermind.ai
(I have no affiliation with it! I just tried it and thought WOW)
undermind.ai
(I have no affiliation with it! I just tried it and thought WOW)
Hey #bio peeps, what subdisciplines rely heavily on the use of model organisms?
I'm thinking cell bio, genetics, some evolution, but not really ecology, etc 🤔
I'm thinking cell bio, genetics, some evolution, but not really ecology, etc 🤔
December 6, 2024 at 3:37 PM
Hey #bio peeps, what subdisciplines rely heavily on the use of model organisms?
I'm thinking cell bio, genetics, some evolution, but not really ecology, etc 🤔
I'm thinking cell bio, genetics, some evolution, but not really ecology, etc 🤔
Reposted by Jayme Dyer, PhD 🏳️🌈
"As the saying goes, when in doubt, turn to the International Association of Amateur Heptathlon Competitors."
Gender Is Determined by God, Biology, and the Highest Governing Body of Some Random Sport
This isn’t complicated. A man is a man, a woman is a woman, and if we have any questions, we simply consult the highest governing body of a random ...
www.mcsweeneys.net
December 5, 2024 at 7:30 PM
"As the saying goes, when in doubt, turn to the International Association of Amateur Heptathlon Competitors."
Reposted by Jayme Dyer, PhD 🏳️🌈
Hi, #AcademiaSky! I'm a #newPI gearing up to teach a mid-level #CellBio course in spring 25. I'm implementing a final project where students work in small groups to make a poster on an emerging model organism in cell bio.
Please suggest potential taxa! Bonus points if you include a paper! (1/N)
Please suggest potential taxa! Bonus points if you include a paper! (1/N)
November 25, 2024 at 4:30 PM
Hi, #AcademiaSky! I'm a #newPI gearing up to teach a mid-level #CellBio course in spring 25. I'm implementing a final project where students work in small groups to make a poster on an emerging model organism in cell bio.
Please suggest potential taxa! Bonus points if you include a paper! (1/N)
Please suggest potential taxa! Bonus points if you include a paper! (1/N)
A5: The most impactful resource for me has been the Biology Grading for Growth #BioG4G group.
We meet monthly on Zoom for #community & an informal chat about our successes & challenges with alternative grading in our Bio courses.
Want to join us? sites.google.com/view/biograd...
#Ungradingchat
We meet monthly on Zoom for #community & an informal chat about our successes & challenges with alternative grading in our Bio courses.
Want to join us? sites.google.com/view/biograd...
#Ungradingchat
November 22, 2024 at 1:49 PM
A5: The most impactful resource for me has been the Biology Grading for Growth #BioG4G group.
We meet monthly on Zoom for #community & an informal chat about our successes & challenges with alternative grading in our Bio courses.
Want to join us? sites.google.com/view/biograd...
#Ungradingchat
We meet monthly on Zoom for #community & an informal chat about our successes & challenges with alternative grading in our Bio courses.
Want to join us? sites.google.com/view/biograd...
#Ungradingchat
Reposted by Jayme Dyer, PhD 🏳️🌈
I always enjoy Jayme's blog posts about trying to teach biology better. They have a compelling mix of storytelling, humility, and wisdom. This latest post is no exception. Even when I don't want to adopt her approach (e.g., her multiple grading schemes) she provides food for thought.
In which I use a strange text thread with friends, and Disney's Ursula, to explain what implicit bias feels like in the classroom.
Plus! Concrete ways to reduce the impact of implicit bias in the classroom.
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
Plus! Concrete ways to reduce the impact of implicit bias in the classroom.
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
What implicit bias looks like
And how to reduce its impact in the classroom
open.substack.com
November 22, 2024 at 1:34 AM
I always enjoy Jayme's blog posts about trying to teach biology better. They have a compelling mix of storytelling, humility, and wisdom. This latest post is no exception. Even when I don't want to adopt her approach (e.g., her multiple grading schemes) she provides food for thought.
In which I use a strange text thread with friends, and Disney's Ursula, to explain what implicit bias feels like in the classroom.
Plus! Concrete ways to reduce the impact of implicit bias in the classroom.
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
Plus! Concrete ways to reduce the impact of implicit bias in the classroom.
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
What implicit bias looks like
And how to reduce its impact in the classroom
open.substack.com
November 21, 2024 at 4:11 PM
In which I use a strange text thread with friends, and Disney's Ursula, to explain what implicit bias feels like in the classroom.
Plus! Concrete ways to reduce the impact of implicit bias in the classroom.
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
Plus! Concrete ways to reduce the impact of implicit bias in the classroom.
open.substack.com/pub/jaymedye...
A4: Since grading is a ranking system, I find it problematic for students to choose their grade bc they don't see the range of other Ss' performance.
However, I'm a big believer in self reflections in which Ss consider their strengths & areas for growth *relative to their own goals*
#Ungradingchat
However, I'm a big believer in self reflections in which Ss consider their strengths & areas for growth *relative to their own goals*
#Ungradingchat
Happy Thursday! Good morning #ungrading
Q4: How do you involve students in the grading process? #UngradingChat
Q4: How do you involve students in the grading process? #UngradingChat
November 21, 2024 at 3:56 PM
A4: Since grading is a ranking system, I find it problematic for students to choose their grade bc they don't see the range of other Ss' performance.
However, I'm a big believer in self reflections in which Ss consider their strengths & areas for growth *relative to their own goals*
#Ungradingchat
However, I'm a big believer in self reflections in which Ss consider their strengths & areas for growth *relative to their own goals*
#Ungradingchat
Reposted by Jayme Dyer, PhD 🏳️🌈
My favorite part of Bluesky right now is the increasingly specific starter packs being formed. Sign me up for "Queer Chemists who Play Violin, Write Poetry, and Predict Weather Changes With Their Knees"
November 19, 2024 at 2:58 AM
My favorite part of Bluesky right now is the increasingly specific starter packs being formed. Sign me up for "Queer Chemists who Play Violin, Write Poetry, and Predict Weather Changes With Their Knees"
Reposted by Jayme Dyer, PhD 🏳️🌈
Thanks for this unvarnished look at #ungrading and the potential for implicit bias in the arrival of a grade! 🙏🏽
I'm guilty of wanting to see only the benefits of #unfgrading for my teaching and students' learning, but it's so useful to step back and view #ungrading through a critical lens.
I'm guilty of wanting to see only the benefits of #unfgrading for my teaching and students' learning, but it's so useful to step back and view #ungrading through a critical lens.
A3: When I used #ungrading, on average white cis-men overestimated their performance, while women and POC underestimated their performance. It's why I won't use collaborative grading again.
I wrote more about it here: gradingforgrowth.com/p/ungrading-...
#Ungradingchat
I wrote more about it here: gradingforgrowth.com/p/ungrading-...
#Ungradingchat
November 20, 2024 at 5:12 PM
Thanks for this unvarnished look at #ungrading and the potential for implicit bias in the arrival of a grade! 🙏🏽
I'm guilty of wanting to see only the benefits of #unfgrading for my teaching and students' learning, but it's so useful to step back and view #ungrading through a critical lens.
I'm guilty of wanting to see only the benefits of #unfgrading for my teaching and students' learning, but it's so useful to step back and view #ungrading through a critical lens.
Reposted by Jayme Dyer, PhD 🏳️🌈
#Ungradingchat A3: The challenges—
1. Deprogramming and re-focusing students' deficiency-based mindset and correcting the myth that deep learning must be hard (the myth of rigor) and full of anxiety.
2. Building trust once the anchor of grades has been removed. Ss find comfort & safety in grades. 1/
1. Deprogramming and re-focusing students' deficiency-based mindset and correcting the myth that deep learning must be hard (the myth of rigor) and full of anxiety.
2. Building trust once the anchor of grades has been removed. Ss find comfort & safety in grades. 1/
Good morning #ungradingchat Q3: What challenges have you experienced with alternative grading paradigms? How did you solve them? Or where do you need help?
November 20, 2024 at 4:44 PM
#Ungradingchat A3: The challenges—
1. Deprogramming and re-focusing students' deficiency-based mindset and correcting the myth that deep learning must be hard (the myth of rigor) and full of anxiety.
2. Building trust once the anchor of grades has been removed. Ss find comfort & safety in grades. 1/
1. Deprogramming and re-focusing students' deficiency-based mindset and correcting the myth that deep learning must be hard (the myth of rigor) and full of anxiety.
2. Building trust once the anchor of grades has been removed. Ss find comfort & safety in grades. 1/