So, New Kitty wears a red collar.
Apparently it is a cheap red collar.
Overnight she got it wet and the red dye gave her a red neck.
Do y'all have any thought as to how to clean her up?
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
those darned students...
My summer class was 6 weeks long. My ethics class took one quiz per week. I dropped the lowest score, so the math is really easy.
I started giving participation/discussion points as part of the quiz points and all you needed to do is to show up to get them -- of course, the catch is that you need to show up for the brainstorming session AND when your topic is discussed to get the points, but all you need to do is show up.
The other half of the grade is a paper. We started talking about the paper the first day of class and most of the class got the idea -- they were supposed to read an applied ethics topic in the textbook NOT covered in class. They were supposed to present the most persuasive arguments on both sides of the ethical controversy and then present their own position on the topic and support their answer with an ethical theorist. I gave them access to my old PowerPoint slides that covered most of their possible topics, I offered to read drafts etc.. Most of my students wrote good to excellent papers....
but, there was Student X.....
If your quiz scores are consistently in the F neighborhood, wouldn't you get a clue that the course material contains concepts you aren't understanding? Especially since my quizzes were given AFTER discussion, so in all reality you don't need to do the reading at all if you pay attention in class.
Student X didn't make a peep. He just kept failing to do the reading and thus he failed the quizzes like clockwork. Sometimes X's answers were exactly the opposite of what was required by the question, so if I could have taken bonus points off of his quiz for being a dumb-ass, I would have.
So, if you were X, wouldn't you ask for help on your paper? Your paper is the only chance you have to get a C. You need at least a B on the paper (not that hard to do if you follow instructions) -- but, you don't do that either.
In fact, I suspect that X turned in a paper he wrote for a comp class on Animal Rights. It made the argument that animals should have rights, but it didn't cite ANY authors from the textbook. Since I doubt that X did any of the class readings, I sincerely doubt that X did a whole lot of original research on animal rights. Also, the paper didn't present any arguments against animal rights, which was a major part of the assignment.
I'm sure by now you've figured out why I'm blog-venting about this... I got an e-mail from X asking about their grade.
ummm... duh...
Secret message to X,
you are lucky to get the D instead of having to defend yourself against a plagiarism charge. I'm pretty sure that your paper wasn't original work.
When you re-take the class make sure you are understanding the material.... or, at least recognize you are in trouble.
love,
your ethics prof....
I started giving participation/discussion points as part of the quiz points and all you needed to do is to show up to get them -- of course, the catch is that you need to show up for the brainstorming session AND when your topic is discussed to get the points, but all you need to do is show up.
The other half of the grade is a paper. We started talking about the paper the first day of class and most of the class got the idea -- they were supposed to read an applied ethics topic in the textbook NOT covered in class. They were supposed to present the most persuasive arguments on both sides of the ethical controversy and then present their own position on the topic and support their answer with an ethical theorist. I gave them access to my old PowerPoint slides that covered most of their possible topics, I offered to read drafts etc.. Most of my students wrote good to excellent papers....
but, there was Student X.....
If your quiz scores are consistently in the F neighborhood, wouldn't you get a clue that the course material contains concepts you aren't understanding? Especially since my quizzes were given AFTER discussion, so in all reality you don't need to do the reading at all if you pay attention in class.
Student X didn't make a peep. He just kept failing to do the reading and thus he failed the quizzes like clockwork. Sometimes X's answers were exactly the opposite of what was required by the question, so if I could have taken bonus points off of his quiz for being a dumb-ass, I would have.
So, if you were X, wouldn't you ask for help on your paper? Your paper is the only chance you have to get a C. You need at least a B on the paper (not that hard to do if you follow instructions) -- but, you don't do that either.
In fact, I suspect that X turned in a paper he wrote for a comp class on Animal Rights. It made the argument that animals should have rights, but it didn't cite ANY authors from the textbook. Since I doubt that X did any of the class readings, I sincerely doubt that X did a whole lot of original research on animal rights. Also, the paper didn't present any arguments against animal rights, which was a major part of the assignment.
I'm sure by now you've figured out why I'm blog-venting about this... I got an e-mail from X asking about their grade.
ummm... duh...
Secret message to X,
you are lucky to get the D instead of having to defend yourself against a plagiarism charge. I'm pretty sure that your paper wasn't original work.
When you re-take the class make sure you are understanding the material.... or, at least recognize you are in trouble.
love,
your ethics prof....
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Done, nearly done and almost done...
Almost done:
Writing assessment project... the bulk of the essay reading is complete, now we just need to read the "tie breaker" essays... maybe 20 of them.
Nearly done:
My feminist epistemology paper. I think it is good and could get better -- but I'm letting it sit for a month or so before I take one last look at it.
I left myself a clean copy of the most recent version and a checklist of stuff to look at later -- essentially notes to myself in a couple of forms -- so that when I go back I don't have to remember what I was doing when I left it to simmer on the back burner.
Done:
#1 My teach-a-thon... two semesters, no breaks --
My semester started a few days before everyone else's when I met my debate team in Rocky Mountain state.
My spring break was two days in Red State -- a long nap and a pedicure in my pjs doesn't really count as a Spring Break.
Between Spring and First Summer session, BNCC seems to think that a weekend is sufficient...
Add to that a kind of time consuming search for adjunct philosophy faculty, and the result is a pretty darned long time of teaching...
#2 My time as a commuter -- we are moving to within 5 minutes of BNCC, and not a moment too soon. I spent an extra 30 minutes stuck in traffic today on the highway, all due to a relatively minor car accident -- gack....
For the next few days I'm going to catch up on housework, go to water aerobics and have some fun. No serious academic stuff for me -- my brain needs a break.
Writing assessment project... the bulk of the essay reading is complete, now we just need to read the "tie breaker" essays... maybe 20 of them.
Nearly done:
My feminist epistemology paper. I think it is good and could get better -- but I'm letting it sit for a month or so before I take one last look at it.
I left myself a clean copy of the most recent version and a checklist of stuff to look at later -- essentially notes to myself in a couple of forms -- so that when I go back I don't have to remember what I was doing when I left it to simmer on the back burner.
Done:
#1 My teach-a-thon... two semesters, no breaks --
My semester started a few days before everyone else's when I met my debate team in Rocky Mountain state.
My spring break was two days in Red State -- a long nap and a pedicure in my pjs doesn't really count as a Spring Break.
Between Spring and First Summer session, BNCC seems to think that a weekend is sufficient...
Add to that a kind of time consuming search for adjunct philosophy faculty, and the result is a pretty darned long time of teaching...
#2 My time as a commuter -- we are moving to within 5 minutes of BNCC, and not a moment too soon. I spent an extra 30 minutes stuck in traffic today on the highway, all due to a relatively minor car accident -- gack....
For the next few days I'm going to catch up on housework, go to water aerobics and have some fun. No serious academic stuff for me -- my brain needs a break.
ok... this is weird... for the debate folks out there...
I'm in the coffee shop near BNCC.
Right across from me is a big, mean-looking version of Jim Hanson. He has a very similar face and haircut. His beard isn't nearly as nice and he's wearing shorts and scowling at his laptop, things I doubt Jim would do.
I'm a bit weirded out.
Right across from me is a big, mean-looking version of Jim Hanson. He has a very similar face and haircut. His beard isn't nearly as nice and he's wearing shorts and scowling at his laptop, things I doubt Jim would do.
I'm a bit weirded out.
Summer semester by the numbers...
4 final exams to grade (the rest have earned their A... YEA!).
23 quizzes to grade
23 papers to read
35 grades to enter
.... and, this is the biggie....
1 more day to commute.
after we move we'll be VERY close to BNCC, so I won't have to get up really, really early to teach at 7:45! That is the BEST thing.... ever....
23 quizzes to grade
23 papers to read
35 grades to enter
.... and, this is the biggie....
1 more day to commute.
after we move we'll be VERY close to BNCC, so I won't have to get up really, really early to teach at 7:45! That is the BEST thing.... ever....
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
It's good thing we aren't bugged around here...
I'm finally used to having hubby back for the summer... When hubby and I are together we have fun/shocking conversations.
Today, with blind kitty yowling in the background, we had the following exchange:
Me: Did you arrange for the automatic acid drip for his head, he seems unusually happy... and you know how he hates to be happy...
Hubby: No, but I did set up the trip-wires for the booby-traps that will impale him on the spikes I installed under the coffee table.
Me: good, we wouldn't want to lower his paranoia level or leave him without something to complain about...
Today, with blind kitty yowling in the background, we had the following exchange:
Me: Did you arrange for the automatic acid drip for his head, he seems unusually happy... and you know how he hates to be happy...
Hubby: No, but I did set up the trip-wires for the booby-traps that will impale him on the spikes I installed under the coffee table.
Me: good, we wouldn't want to lower his paranoia level or leave him without something to complain about...
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
taking the good with the bad...
the bad --
There is one student who is making me a bit nuts this semester.... The thing is that I feel guilty that this person is making me crazy -- because it is clear to me that this person's native language isn't English and that they probably have some developmental challenges I don't understand.
On the other hand, the students with disabilities office doesn't seem invovled with this person, so perhaps the challenges are physical and not intellectual.
One way or the other, this person just seems to be oblivious to what is going on in class -- and makes no obvious (to me) effort to correct the situation. This makes me irritated because it is like they aren't trying. I can understand someone failing this class, it is hard, but not trying isn't acceptable.
I suppose it really makes me angry /frustrated because I tried really hard to teach this person and my suggestions were either ignored or otherwise dismissed. I suppose it is possible that the person didn't understand my directions, but then they need to ask questions to get at what I mean. Don't just nodd your head and then not do it!
the good --
A short conversation with a decent student today who earned her A in the class. She didn't get it at first, she struggled, asked questions and worked hard -- and performed. I suggested she take some honors classes and she said she didn't think she was honors material... well, honestly, if she isn't then I don't know who is honors material.
She's smart, she works hard and she gets into abstract material. Her flaw is that she underestimates her own abilities... Who wouldn't want that kind of student??
After a bit we started talking about the nature of college, how it is about getting yourself into intellectual hot water by finding ideas and areas of study that are challenging. We discussed why a college education is valued by employers and decided that the exposure to situations and new ideas that comes with a college education is the most important thing you can have as an employee, because it gives you a set of resources to use in problem solving...
Finally we discussed her plans for a major (finance) and her love (chemistry). I told her that she should get out and get a good job in finance so she can save her money to do what she wants to do, like go to grad school. I really hope she does save some money and that she goes to grad school in the hard sciences. She's smart, funny, ambitious and becoming more and more fearless... what more could you ask in a scientist?
I feel good today because I did a small bit to increase the cognitive diversity in science...
There is one student who is making me a bit nuts this semester.... The thing is that I feel guilty that this person is making me crazy -- because it is clear to me that this person's native language isn't English and that they probably have some developmental challenges I don't understand.
On the other hand, the students with disabilities office doesn't seem invovled with this person, so perhaps the challenges are physical and not intellectual.
One way or the other, this person just seems to be oblivious to what is going on in class -- and makes no obvious (to me) effort to correct the situation. This makes me irritated because it is like they aren't trying. I can understand someone failing this class, it is hard, but not trying isn't acceptable.
I suppose it really makes me angry /frustrated because I tried really hard to teach this person and my suggestions were either ignored or otherwise dismissed. I suppose it is possible that the person didn't understand my directions, but then they need to ask questions to get at what I mean. Don't just nodd your head and then not do it!
the good --
A short conversation with a decent student today who earned her A in the class. She didn't get it at first, she struggled, asked questions and worked hard -- and performed. I suggested she take some honors classes and she said she didn't think she was honors material... well, honestly, if she isn't then I don't know who is honors material.
She's smart, she works hard and she gets into abstract material. Her flaw is that she underestimates her own abilities... Who wouldn't want that kind of student??
After a bit we started talking about the nature of college, how it is about getting yourself into intellectual hot water by finding ideas and areas of study that are challenging. We discussed why a college education is valued by employers and decided that the exposure to situations and new ideas that comes with a college education is the most important thing you can have as an employee, because it gives you a set of resources to use in problem solving...
Finally we discussed her plans for a major (finance) and her love (chemistry). I told her that she should get out and get a good job in finance so she can save her money to do what she wants to do, like go to grad school. I really hope she does save some money and that she goes to grad school in the hard sciences. She's smart, funny, ambitious and becoming more and more fearless... what more could you ask in a scientist?
I feel good today because I did a small bit to increase the cognitive diversity in science...
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