NoRedInk is a Plague
A plague of bubonic proportions is spreading through the United States. This plague, however, does not target the body; instead, it targets the mind. This plague is simply called Noredink. Noredink is absolutely, unequivocally, and indubitably repugnant in every sense of the word. For those too dull to know the meaning of repugnant, it means unacceptable or exciting distaste. Repugnant perfectly describes Noredink and the feeling it evokes in every student.
Noredink is simply incompatible with many students. It appeals only to those that learn visually. Neil Fleming, designer of the VARK modalities, claims there are 4 sensory modalities: visual, aural, read/write (verbal), and kinesthetic (physical). It is utterly preposterous to standardize a program that only works for those who learn visually. Noredink simply doesn’t work for many students, and these students are forced to suffer through Noredink in order to save their grade. Making every student use Noredink is like making every male wear size 10 shoes; it simply doesn’t fit.
The American school system is archaic to its very core. Noredink is simply a product of our ancient schooling philosophy. America’s education system is a one-size-fits-all approach to education. It is ripped straight from the industrial era and Noredink does nothing to change this. Noredink consists of sitting on a computer and blindly attempting grammar questions. This program just contributes to America’s education blunders.
Students do not like Noredink, but American educators do not seem to care. Noredink is fundamentally flawed in its teaching style. In a typical Noredink lesson a student will hop in to a checkpoint in an attempt to skip several lessons and finish quickly. They then use a guess and check system because if you click the help button the question is wrong and you need to get three in a row right in order to continue on the lesson. This creates a learning environment where students are scared of failure because failure means more Noredink, more copy and paste questions and more frustration. When a student dislikes something, they either won’t do it or won’t care while they do. This prevents true learning.
There is no better word to describe Noredink than repugnant. Noredink is incompatible with students, it is archaic in its teaching style, and students simply do not like it. Noredink is a plague but it can be cured. Teachers simply need to teach grammar in their classrooms.
A Frustrated Antarctic Idiot • Apr 7, 2022 at 3:17 PM
It’s easy at first if you know what’s going on and what they’re showing you, but it gets frustrating when it puts you in an endless loop of “try again” questions and you don’t know anything. It doesn’t teach you anything, just puts you in the same cycle of questions and shoves it in your face if you mess up on something. Mess up on it? Try again. Don’t know how it works or even how it is or what they’re showing you? TRY AGAIN. I know it has the lesson part and all but i don’t think it shows you how it works/goes over it fully.
I just attempted to finish this assignment on noredink a few mins ago since i thought it was easy and quick to breeze through, and i wasn’t able to finish a biology assignment the teacher was going over because i got stuck in the try again question loop, and i just gave up and ended up nearly crying in class while just finishing my unfinished work.
Jasper Alexander • Feb 3, 2022 at 8:56 AM
AAHHH yes, being taught grammar by a website that doesn’t even know most of it
A teacher who has used it for 8 years • Jan 6, 2022 at 11:19 AM
Ope… If students hate NoRedInk, their teacher is failing to use it properly. They likely are just clicking through assignments and didn’t watch any training videos. I’m a pretty well-liked teacher, and my students are brutally honest about lessons, so I’m confident in saying that as long as I teach them the tricks and hints, they actually like it. They are rewarded for paying attention and taking notes. It makes them slow down and read the lesson. I feel bad for students who don’t see the value in it. Since we started using the program, our average ACT scores have risen 6 points for both English and Reading. These were the only subjects where our students scored above the state average.
Jasper Alexander • Feb 4, 2022 at 8:58 AM
I understand your point, but as the article has stated most teachers use it to educate rather than test. not many students are able to learn with the type of learning style that no red ink offers. it is best used as a testing device rather than a lesson device.
Jeff • Nov 15, 2021 at 1:43 PM
this is literally child abuse
Bear • Oct 7, 2021 at 7:58 PM
I have spent countless hours on the questions, terrified to get one wrong. This program/website causes more stress than needed. You can literally fail time and time again and it just says not quite. I mean, it literally feels like it’s taunting you. I completely agree with this article. It’s not like we have enough stress already dealing with the rest of our homework, this should be removed from the school system entirely. This would serve as great detention.
NRI Fan • Jan 6, 2022 at 11:22 AM
At the bottom of each lesson, there is a link that says either “View Lesson” or “Show Hint.” Before clicking on any answer, read what that says and write down what’s in the box in your own words. If you do that, it will help. If this doesn’t work, go up to your teacher and ask them to explain the rule. If they’re not able to explain it to you, ask them why they assigned you something they aren’t capable of teaching.
Janik • Sep 27, 2021 at 1:07 PM
I think a way to better improve english class is to GET RID OF NOREDINK. I completely agree with this article and there is aslo a very infuriating website VERY SIMILAR CALLED math XL and it has the same type of principle of if you get on wrong you have to do more and more, you have to get a point score of 80 to pass but EVERY TIME you get one wrong you get less and less points for getting one right. IT CAN GET TO THE POINT WHERE WHEN YOU GET ONE RIGHT YOU GET 3 POINTS AND YOU HAVE TO GET 80 TO PASS, AND WHEN YOU GET A PROBLEM WRONG IT EVEN DECREASES YOUR POINTS BY 10 OR LESS LIKE BRUH
No Red Ink Sucks • Jul 22, 2021 at 4:57 PM
Almost broke my keyboard doing noredink
RAwr • Jun 15, 2021 at 10:02 PM
Honestly speaking, Noredink sucks however, I’m kinda glad they have that little white page where it reviews it for you and shows you example, honestly saved me hours of stress but I still sat his for hours wanted to pummel the absolute sh*t out of the creators of the site. Anyways, I hope they fix their sites and make it much more stressfree.
henry lotter • Jun 8, 2021 at 11:11 AM
I agree, no red ink is a website that does not actually help, it just is infuriating and repetitive. every time i get a topic wrong it makes me do more of the same thing when it probably understands very well that even if they give me more or less questions on it i still don’t understand the topic.
Ronith • May 27, 2021 at 8:17 AM
this is appaling. if i get one wrong it makes me get two right that are EVEN HARDER. and it tries to fix this by using characters you know but that’s just a gimmick
Tago Muf • May 10, 2021 at 8:08 PM
You said repugnant, i didn’t know what that meant because NoRedInk killed all my brain cells
JEff • Nov 12, 2021 at 2:12 PM
I never wanted to commit a crime more than with this wesite.
Shadow • Jan 26, 2022 at 6:57 AM
same here! I’ve told my teacher that if I have to do no red ink for another week I might break my keyboard, I’ve never seen the school counselor more in my life… I think she feels bad for me
I'd rather have Red ink • Apr 7, 2021 at 1:04 PM
I’ve been doing NOREDINK for about thirty minutes and have learned nothing. All this is is a way for ELA teachers to no do their jobs.
someone • Mar 16, 2021 at 9:13 AM
This article speaks the truth, No Red Ink is a plague to the students in the American School System (A.S.S.)
Simon • Mar 12, 2021 at 1:11 AM
I am doing no red ink as I am reading this. I could not agree more, first of all, my teacher is a psycho assigning 7 no red ink assignments due 3 hours after the class has ended. On top of that, I have attempted to answer so far in counting 27 times and have barely got one correct. I have to answer 18 correctly before I can continue. Then I have to do that 3 more times. It is 12 am and I am tired but I can not afford to not get this done because my last no red ink assignment was worth 50 points! In no way is this helping me in English it is making me have PTSD and every time I hear no red ink I sink down in my chair and tear up. If I was president the first thing to go would be no red ink.
Shadow • Jan 26, 2022 at 7:01 AM
I seriously couldn’t agree more with your comment, after getting mad at my computer (I’m doing the site that must not be named now) I’m seeing that I’m not the only one that wants to get rid of this completely.
Lilly • Feb 25, 2021 at 10:01 AM
For a child with ADHD and ADD NoRedInk stresses me out and makes me afraid of getting the questions wrong. It makes me feel stupid and I don’t think it should be used.
Hatin' it more • Feb 2, 2021 at 1:00 PM
when will people realize how bad noredink really is
Leah • Jan 20, 2021 at 7:05 AM
This article is very well written though I do not agree with it. I think no red ink it helps me personally but I have no evidence and neither do you that no red ink is none compatible with many students.
Shadow • Jan 26, 2022 at 7:06 AM
As a student who has to use it every week, and has a psycho teacher… I do not agree with what you said, I have bad enough anxiety, and adding Noredink makes me feel like I’m nothing anymore, considering the fact I’m above the state average in English, and I find no red ink hard and irritating, is saying something.. (I’m trying to just be polite don’t take this as attacking you; they do have much evidence and it’s in the comment section and in their writing)
Mrs. Bryant • Jan 18, 2021 at 1:24 PM
I understand that I am in the minority when I say I agree with Mrs. McCarty. No Red Ink is not designed to replace in-class grammar instruction; however, when I get high school students who have been learning these same concepts since 2nd grade, we have to try something different. These exercises are used for reinforcement allowing students to work at their own pace. I allow my students to retake quizzes as much as they want, so if they are penalized by a grade, it is well within their own ability to fix it. I also allow them to come to me for tutorial. Do you know how many have done that? Zero. Saying that no one wants to sit in front of a screen for hours is kind of a ridiculous statement given that most of my students choose to sit in front of screens rather than have face-to-face interaction with people.
No Red Ink is not meant to replace grammar instruction, but it is meant to supplement it. At the same time, nothing that teachers can do will make any difference if students do not learn to accept some of the responsibility for learning. I go over these concepts in my class. Students are staring off in the distance, attempting to take a nap, or tying to sneak a look at their snapchat. As a writing teacher, it is quite difficult to have a meaningful conversation with high school students about compositions if I say “you need to add more active verbs” or “your subject-verb disagreement needs a lot of work” and they have no idea what I’m talking about.
Macy • Dec 4, 2020 at 8:51 AM
I absolutely HATE NoRedInk , especially when you get ONE QUESTION WRONG and they make you do THREE MORE just to continue. I only do NoRedInk because my teachers make me and I literally spend like an hour sitting in front of the screen feeling like I want to PUNCH IT!! WHAT IS THE POINT!!? IT DOESN’T EVEN TEACH US ANYTHING!! I completely agree with this article.
Mr. Colton • Nov 16, 2020 at 6:07 PM
As a 6’th grade teacher, I don’t enjoy this website either. Many of my students complain about it when I assign it to them. One of them showed me them doing it, and I admit the 3 question in a row system is quite a bit frustrating. I will no longer be assigning it to them. This article was well written.
Ic3H0t • Nov 16, 2020 at 5:59 PM
I couldn’t agree with this article more.
noredinksucks • Oct 27, 2020 at 5:29 PM
Yes I agree they make 3 MORE QUESTIONS IF YOU GET ONE WRONG AND THEY ARENT EVEN EASIER LIKEN BRUH.
ali ali • Oct 23, 2020 at 11:21 AM
i quit doing noredink for the safety of my computer and what fool thought this was a smart way to teach us kids
Liam • Oct 16, 2020 at 10:46 AM
I fricking hate this. getting three in arow right just to move on is the stupidest thing ever
James • Oct 14, 2020 at 11:51 AM
YES!!! FLOOF NOREDINK!!! IT IS DISCRIMINATORY TOWARDS MENTALLY DISABLED PEOPLE AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE A LOW TEMPER!!! I’M SUING THE OWNER AND PETITIONING TO SHUT DOWN THE WEBSITE!!! EVEN THE HORRID I-READY WEBSITE IS BETTER THEN THIS!!! EVEN THE STUPID ALEKS WEBSITE IS BETTER THAN THIS!!! IT’S SIMPLE TO CURE THIS: SHUT IT DOWN!!!
thanksforagreeingwithme • Oct 9, 2020 at 9:10 AM
thanks for agreeing with me
NoMoreNoRedInk • Oct 7, 2020 at 9:02 AM
Now the questions are self submitting when I’m not pressing enter or clicking submit answer, this is not ok.
noredinkisbad • Oct 2, 2020 at 7:37 AM
The person who said the 3rd question is rigged u speak the truth
noredinkisbad • Oct 2, 2020 at 7:24 AM
this is so true i almost threw my computer
CarlosDeStudent • Oct 2, 2020 at 6:52 AM
This website is just horrible…I am forced to use it by my teacher and she apparently “LIKES” the fact YOU HAVE TO GET 3 IN A ROW TO CONTINUE WHEN YOU GET A QUESTION WRONG! THIS SITE IS FLAWED AND IS A PLAGUE! I SIT HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS TRYING TO GET PAST A QUESTION ON THE SITE AND THIS IS HOW I AM TREATED!!! JUST WHY? IF I TELL MY OPINION TO MY TEACHER SHE WONT BELIVE ME AND THINK I AM USING THAT TO NOT DO IT!!!!!11111 NOREDINK IS A STRESSFUL SITE AND IN MY OPINION IT SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN!!!!
jose exotic • Sep 29, 2020 at 12:23 PM
THIS IS SO FAKE I USE THIS ALMOST EVERYDAY AND HAVE NONE OF THE PROBLEMS STATED ABOVE!!!!!
NoMoreNoRedInk • Sep 29, 2020 at 9:22 AM
This article is the truth, no student wants to sit in front of a computer screen for hours trying to answer the same questions over and over. I am almost 90% shure that the third question is rigged so you have to start over every time, so that you spend more time on NoRedInk making it look like the time spent on that website means the students enjoy it because of the hours thay have on it when in reality if you like no red in your as sus as Blue or Red venting in electrical.
Mrs. McCarty • May 26, 2020 at 12:58 PM
This article is incredibly well written! I understand your viewpoint on how infuriating a program can be if it is not accompanied by actual instruction. I also find that when a student gets frustrated with the program, they are more inclined to click in fury, as opposed to taking their time to read the prompt thoroughly, resulting in more and more questions and increased frustration.
I, however, love that it allows for a replacement to traditional worksheets where a student only gets the one opportunity to get something correct- even if worksheets are graded on a pass/fail based on completion, when it comes to an instance where mastery is checked, a student who has not had an opportunity to practice with prompt feedback will often fail. This is in both a traditional test format or in an application format, like an essay or short written response.
NoRedInk presents a modernization of the archaic methods of worksheets, and can be effective when paired with actual lessons. Until a more effective method of instruction is developed that fully breaks away from those traditional methods, I will still employ NoRedInk as a means of helping my students become successful in their grammar and writing.
LOU • May 5, 2020 at 9:51 AM
This article speaks the truth.
Johhny • Apr 13, 2020 at 11:20 AM
Noredink gave me stress and I really get mad I want no red ink to give us 2 tries not 3 I always fail the 3 tries
addison >:) • Apr 7, 2020 at 10:04 AM
this darned website. this website is the worst, you have to get three IN A ROW?! HOW DOES THAT HELP ANYONE? It just makes you sit on one question for an hour, guessing, and praying that you get it right. They try to use purple instead of red when you get one wrong, but IT JUST INFURIATES YOU. This app is horrid, and hopefully teachers can FIGURE THAT OUT. My teacher is just as annoying, but that is a story for another time.
Stella • Apr 6, 2020 at 1:47 AM
NoRedink can be helpful, but I don’t like the part where I need to get 3 in a row to continue. We learn from failure and mistakes, but NoRedink makes us scared of it. Most of all, I agree with your article. My classmates are getting stressed because of it, and my teacher doesn’t take our opinions seriously.
Dominic B • Mar 30, 2020 at 7:39 AM
I agree so much with this article. I sat doing NoRedInk for 3 hours and answered like 150 questions. Because I didn’t understand the lesson, I had to continuously fail and get three right. Now with COVID-19, I am just getting more and more of it. It is a horrible way to teach us students, and we can very easily just watch a youtube video
Justin Ko • Mar 4, 2020 at 5:27 PM
I agree with your article because NoRedInk makes you spend hours at a time to learn something when you can simply learn it in 5 minutes with a youtube video or if the teacher teaches it.
Jake Pobanz • Feb 20, 2020 at 7:18 PM
NoRedInk is horrible. NoRedInk creates an environment where I’m scared to get a question wrong. I’ve spent countless hours wanting to punch my screen out over this website because I get 2 questions right, then one wrong. This makes me restart just for the cycle to continue. This doesn’t help me learn. This helps me hate this website as it just becomes repetitive and infuriating.
miley • Nov 24, 2019 at 2:34 PM
I HATE NO RED INK…. i have to get three in a row and that is not working out on it.