lists

  • Positivity Will Get You Everywhere.

    From a student in my Online English 120, Gabriella:
    "This class really exceeded all my expectations. Or let's say, it was totally different from what I expected. English is not one of my strengths (at least that is what I think); it fills me with dread to even think about writing an essay. Thank you for making in enjoyable and "different".

    What I liked:
    * weird projects, especially the flickr projects. It was fun to learn something new.
    * extra credit opportunities. It is good to have some extra cushioning to fall back on.
    * the reading material was fun and interesting
    * Sybil did not look for work that agrees with her views. She wanted ideas, whether or not we think alike. Very different from my high school days, thanks!
    * mini arguments. Writing short essays made it easier to feel comfortable writing longer ones. Thanks for the large number of topics to choose from.

    What I did not like:
    * my words. I don't think I will use (or even remember) most of the words I found.
    * Doc Sharing has too much stuff in it. It would help to remove some old stuff and unnecessary stuff to make it easier for students to sort through. Leave the examples, though.
    * Shortfolio. I think it is very hard to find time and ways to work together with classmates in an online class. After all, most of us choose this method because we want to be flexible in our schedule."

    Today, I have quite the load of assessment to complete... after our dept lunch, of course. First things first: food & good conversation are good ways to jump-start assessment, kids.
    Anyhow, I just wrapped up, from home, the Course Reflections (as seen above) in the Online 120; I think I have Tests and Shortfolios left in that class as well as Tests and P7s in my English 110s.
    World Lit will get wrapped up this weekend since they have a Friday deadline. Oh wait, they did have something due last night... I could assess that from home I think.

  • that's what she said.

    I just thought of the most demented assignment EVER.
    After having students read something (by George Carlin or David Sedaris, in Eng110, or Chuck Klosterman, in Engl120), require them to create a list of things that one would say, "That's what she said," afterward. That would really make them have to critically read and think, right? I mean, it's crazy, but fun.

  • Tennis balls, bouncing around in the brain...

    Tennis ball #1:
    Another oddity I find with marriage came to me last night. So, we're supposed to want to get married (at least, that's how girls are raised), yet those who are married (from what I've gathered from 70-90% of the married couples I know) don't advertise it well. It's sort of how I look at my bug. I wanted a VW bug BADLY when they came out again in '98. Within the first months of my first teaching job, I saved up money for a down-payment and by Christmas of '99, I had her. I was elated. For many years after, I still was. However, she has endured her share of crazy problems. The freakin' air bag light comes on all the time for the passenger side (I've started to think that it's good luck when it comes on), the alternator went out on me, the motor mount, a massive pigeon who smashed up the rear-view mirror on the passenger side, the bike rack got sucked off by a car wash mechanism. Now, when people ask me about my bug (her mileage, the drive, etc.), I am upbeat. I LOVE THAT CAR, but I also don't advertise the problems I've had which is, yes, misleading to a point, but would I have purchased her anyhow? Yes. So, I guess, what I am saying is that those who are married, and want other singles to get married, are doing a crappy job of advertising because they are listing the problems. Sure, I know that problems exist in EVERY SINGLE RELATIONSHIP ON THIS EARTH... friendships too. But, geez, some of them fight in public only months after getting hitched. Some have screamed at me, in the middle of a fight, "Don't get married!" Yikeys. People have hollered at my sisters & I for fighting openly in public about stupid things, but I'm not supposed to scold couples who do it!? That makes no sense. At least our sisterly fights are funny.

    Tennis ball #2:
    My summer list. Remember how I wanted to acoomplish a lot of it... yea, ooopsie. I think I blogged about how I accomplished a big chunk of the list early on (the Marathon Relay, sewing, cleaning closet, etc.), so I think I had it in my head that I didn't have much left. Once again, I didn't get to my dang pile of Rushdie books this summer. Among other things... when I get back from helping Anne today, I think I'll have to reassess that list and incoporate some of it into the next two weeks if not this semester (for example, I could read Rushdie on my own if World Lit is a no-go due to low enrollment). Oddly enough, I did the same thing as last summer - spent more time daily working out rather than reading. Sheesh.

  • Points left in each class:
    > English 110 - Storyboards (25pts), PPT Project/Presentation (100pts), Final My Words (20pts), and Final Test (100pts) = 965 Total Points
    > English 105 - Proposal/Project (50/50pts = 100pts), Final Portfolio (200pts), Fake Company Presentation (100pts?), Interview Assignment (50pts), Work Day attendance (50-100pts?)... Total Pts = about 1000?
    > World Literature 240 Online- My Words (2 x 20pts?), Individual Project (100pts), Group Project (100pts)... anything else?

  • garfield Let's get organized, shall we?

    English 110:
    Today - My Words Due/Work Day
    Wednesday - Storyboards Due/Work Day
    Friday - Sign Up for Presentation Time/Work Day
    Next Monday - Work Day
    Next Wed & Friday - Presentations of PPT Project In Class
    Monday of Finals Week - Final Test & last batch of My Words
    Finals Week - Pick up Final Grades & P3, hand in My Words

    English 105:
    Today - Handed in Final Docs of Instructions & Description of a Mechanism
    Tuesday through Friday - Proposal & Project
    Friday - Hand out Interview Assignment
    Next Monday - Go over Interview Assignment
    Next Tuesday through Friday - Work Days for the Final Portfolio and Fake Company Presentation
    Monday of Finals Week - Hand in Portfolio & Present Fake Company
    Finals Week - Pick up Final Grades & Portfolio

    World Literature Online:
    This week - Wrap up Unit 15, work on/ hand in Individual Project Saturday
    Next week - Evaluate each other's Individual Projects, read authors chosen for the Open Topic Unit, work on/finish up Group Project
    Finals Week - Hand in and evaluate Group Project

    Other things to remember:
    + iPod/Podcasting meeting sometime this week
    + Dept mtg on Thursday at 10am
    + Grade stuff
    + Create Interview Assignment for 105, Final Test for 110, Portfolio/FC Presentation Guidelines Sheet for 105