June 26, 2013

  • The Hidden Point.

    How much more obvious could that be? 

    This is not that hidden. 
    Ooopsie.
          
    Dear Eng120 Online Summer School students = 
    for the Hidden Point this week, take something that is happening currently in our world
    - or that is being talked about in the news, essentially - 
    and email me what you think of it all.
    This is due, of course, pre-Saturday (June 29) at midnight.
    DOMA
    Paula Deen
    The fact that Fargo is putting up a dike in June because of all the rain we’ve been getting!
    Kim & Kanye’s baby pictures

  • Common Core meets College Comp…

    “Hi, my name is Common Core, and I need to vertically align what’s happening in English classes K-12 with whatever you’re doing at the freshmen college composition level. Let’s get together and chat about that, okay?”

    This was my life for two days in May and for the first part of this week.
    It was draining at times, and I’m certain I zoned out a lot, but I met cool people and had a blast with them. Yay us!
    I thew myself under the bus, I mean um into the ring, as someone who will pilot the Eng120 outcomes we designed. 
    Huh.

June 20, 2013

  • “Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love. 

    I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.” 
    ― Langston Hughes

  • Ah, love.

    “When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, 

    they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition continuously until death do them part.” 
    ― George Bernard Shaw

  • “I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. 
    Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.” 
    ― Gilda Radner
    I have this quote framed in our entryway.
    I’m zooming around on feedly.com (the new Google Reader) looking at all the blog entries I’ve missed since school ended in May. 
    I found a lot of great essays on Thought Catalog (see below), and after writing this, I plan to look at the Free Tech For Teachers list…
    http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/the-happiness-to-do-list/
    http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/53-quotes-that-will-make-you-rethink-everything/
    It’s a rainy, muggy day. I slept in. I think I kind of deserved it after doing a LOT of work yesterday.
    And Tuesday was a busy day, too. Sheesh.
    So, today I’ll put a fan on me in my home office and wrap up some things before I attempt to clean this damn space.
    Oh, and make t-shirts… as in take old ones and refashion them in a new way.
    Of course, um, I did go and buy a few last night on etsy.com because they were too cool
    (and would’ve been tough to make myself):


    “If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, 
    your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.” ― Frank Zappa

June 10, 2013

  • I have too many things on my melon today:

    — Making homemade candles.
    — Figuring out what to wear for Gma/Gpa’s Anniversary party this coming weekend.
    — Taking care of/checking in on online class.
    — Wrapping up the situation with the student who got the Incomplete this spring.
    — My textbook stuff…
    — Going to Fergus/Fleet Farm to get 1-2 more rhubarb thingies.
    — Taking a nap; who said getting 4 hours of sleep was a good idea. Ugh.
    Already:
    — Had an uber, uber healthy breakfast.
    — Worked out with that evil thing called a kettle bell.
    — Started shopping on asos.com; that site is addictive!

June 6, 2013

  • IDEAS:

    — Pinterest boards for Eng120 that has images of argument.
    — Using some of James Lipton’s questions for the first day of class (see below).
    — Using a Prezi idea I saw where a student found 30 images that were about them.
    — Having students interview each other in class, in front of the class (James Lipton-style).
    — For the 4-week class in July, if it goes, I should have a video for each day.
    What is your favorite word?
    What is your least favorite word?
    What sound or noise do you love?
    What sound or noise do you hate?
    What is your favorite curse word?
    If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

May 30, 2013

  • Tonight:
    —Charge & back-up iPhone.
    Tomorrow:
    —Sign new contract.
    —Email Mindy about the student with the Incomplete.
    —Make sure newest draft of textbook is at home office.
    —Review what’s left to read in new book for fall’s Eng120.
    —Double-check links in summer course online.

May 28, 2013

  • I can only hope the projects in my classes are to my students what biking is to me… “work” disguised as “fun.”

    -When in a hotel, I sometimes feel the need to check out the fitness center & bump the incline up on the treadmill. And watch TV. I should probably get a bike machine for our living room = I don’t feel like biking is exercise.

    -Learning about Common Core State Standards… yeah. My brain hurts. But I’m meeting fun people & getting paid to learn. Yay!?

May 13, 2013

  • Once a Wildcat, …

    Grades are in. This completes my eighth year at NDSCS.

    And that means I’ve taught here for as many years as I went to college/grad school.
    So, officially, I am as much a Wildcat as I am a Bison.