Today is the start of finals week. I have my students do a comprehensive terms test where they match 75 terms (randomly selected from a pool of close to 500) with 75 definitions. I only make it work 5% of their grade so it isn't too scary. The format allows me to give a comprehensive test for a final that is low-stakes. There are plenty of others this week for students to worry about.
I've decided that for the Fall I will put in my syllabus that I will refer a student to a success coach if they are doing poorly the first few weeks. Early intervention may help. I had one success story this semester of a D student transforming into a B student after engaging in Quizlet.
I also had a non-traditional student tell me she wished her Microbiology class was structured like my BIO 201. She was frustrated and felt like she retained very little of the material they covered in class. That made me feel better and that I am on the right track. I still have so long to go. I suggested that she write the division chair and voice her concerns about her Microbiology class.
The other day during a specimen review session, I watched some students struggle with the names of parts of the respiratory system. I forget that not everyone is familiar with words like pharynx or larynx. It was eye-opening.
My BIO 202 class has a few suspicious students in it that may have a cheating problem. Things are kind of fishy when their solo quiz grade is an 86 while their group quiz grade is a 74. Did they guess different? A lot of wandering eyes out there during quizzes.
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Weak students, Foot-forward, and Cell phones
Last week I had a very enlightening and depressing visit with our new success coach. We have a new system called AVISO that allows us to flag students who are at-risk for failure. Unfortunately I waited too long to pull the trigger this semester, so many of them are too far gone to do anything except withdraw from the course. Natalie was very candid about the students she sees. The majority of them don't seem interested at all about putting in the effort to practice outside of class. It doesn't take long for Natalie to surmise who is serious and who is not. After they blow off an appointment or two, she gets the message, and puts them on the back burner.
I found a great word from Shakespeare for describing intrusive advising; "foot-forward." Rusty, a former chemistry instructor we had years ago, used to teach at Troy University. He told me of a colleague of his who would tell students who bombed the first test that they would not be allowed back in the class until they got some tutoring from him. That is what I envision foot-forward being.
Wednesday, I watched one of my weak students during the group quiz. One problem with her group is that two male students take over. One is a very academically strong student and he runs the show. She sits across the bench from them and one good female student and watches them take the group quiz. The part that gets me is when I hand the quiz back, she watches them go through the quiz to see what they missed but she never bothers to check herself. She never even touches the quiz. No feedback whatsoever.
I have a serious phone addict who sits in the front of the class. Every semester I have a few students who just can't seem to stay off their phone. She's looking at it during lectures. She takes it to the lab bench with her. I had to take her solo quiz away from her Wednesday because she had her phone on hidden between her legs. During the quiz, I kept seeing her looking down at her seat. I have no idea that she was cheating or not, but she knows that cell phone use is verboten during quizzes. I let her take the group quiz.
Wednesday is quiz day during lab in my A&P II course. The problem is that I often see a sea of phones out during lecture. They are cramming for the quiz. It is a problem I have faced for years. The only solution I have is a testing center where they can take their assessments outside of class. That would require campus space and since we have none and our budget keeps getting slashed by Republicans, a testing center will never become a reality.
I did have a few successes this week though. Against probability, I had two weak students improve their performance on a quiz (20-30 points above normal). This almost never happens. I was so proud of them. I got goosebumps seeing their scores and their faces. I hope they can keep it up.
I found a great word from Shakespeare for describing intrusive advising; "foot-forward." Rusty, a former chemistry instructor we had years ago, used to teach at Troy University. He told me of a colleague of his who would tell students who bombed the first test that they would not be allowed back in the class until they got some tutoring from him. That is what I envision foot-forward being.
Wednesday, I watched one of my weak students during the group quiz. One problem with her group is that two male students take over. One is a very academically strong student and he runs the show. She sits across the bench from them and one good female student and watches them take the group quiz. The part that gets me is when I hand the quiz back, she watches them go through the quiz to see what they missed but she never bothers to check herself. She never even touches the quiz. No feedback whatsoever.
I have a serious phone addict who sits in the front of the class. Every semester I have a few students who just can't seem to stay off their phone. She's looking at it during lectures. She takes it to the lab bench with her. I had to take her solo quiz away from her Wednesday because she had her phone on hidden between her legs. During the quiz, I kept seeing her looking down at her seat. I have no idea that she was cheating or not, but she knows that cell phone use is verboten during quizzes. I let her take the group quiz.
Wednesday is quiz day during lab in my A&P II course. The problem is that I often see a sea of phones out during lecture. They are cramming for the quiz. It is a problem I have faced for years. The only solution I have is a testing center where they can take their assessments outside of class. That would require campus space and since we have none and our budget keeps getting slashed by Republicans, a testing center will never become a reality.
I did have a few successes this week though. Against probability, I had two weak students improve their performance on a quiz (20-30 points above normal). This almost never happens. I was so proud of them. I got goosebumps seeing their scores and their faces. I hope they can keep it up.
Saturday, March 10, 2018
Student Learning Outcomes
A couple of years ago, we were surprised by an accreditation requirement handed down from the administration called student learning outcomes (SLO). The idea was that we had to come up with a plan that would demonstrate improvement in student learning. The problem was that we really didn't know what we were expected to do and the administration didn't really know either. So we slapped a bunch of lame assessments together that were inconsistent, a major time suck, and didn't tell us much at all. The problem is we ended up having to keep doing them for a few years until the accreditation review was over. The agony frustrated all of us and we promised we would replace it with something better and, more important, useful.
Well the time has come to replace the SLO's. We are having our first division meeting today to discuss it. For a long time we have considered that to make something useful, we need to find out how well our students do when they transfer to a four-year school or an allied health program. If we knew that, then we would know if are students are leaving LBWCC prepared. If not, then we can pinpoint the areas of weakness and beef them up.
Unfortunately, the data are not readily available. So we are stuck, we have no idea whether our graduates are succeeding elsewhere. The slippery slope leads to standardized testing that would tell us how we compare nationally. No one is thrilled with that prospect. One obstacle is that we would have to pack in more material during the semester just to cover what is on the exam. I don't know how other schools do it.
Another idea for creating SLOs is to identify the fundamental skills students need to master for success in future courses and programs. For example, can they use a microscope? That may work for lab-heavy courses like chemistry and physics, but for us biology folks, the list is very limited. My chemistry colleague has suggested we focus on basic content that would embarrass us as teachers if students didn't know when they advance. For example, a biology major who couldn't explain what a gene is.
So far, most of our SLOs are just a series of quiz questions on basic content. An intriguing idea being floated is that, instead of 5 different quizzes assessing the basics, we make one quiz, that focuses on the links between concepts. Since information builds on itself. You have to know such and such to understand thus and so. We could identify at what point did the learning fail. Did they fail because they didn't master the beginning material or was it midway or near the end? For example, calculating yield limits in chemistry. You have to know nomenclature first, then using that, you can master balancing equations, and, once you have mastered that, then you can do stoichiometry, that ability then leads to successfully calculating yield.
My biggest problem with all of this is collecting new data. We already have assessments that measure all of this; quizzes and exams. We already know where learning is weak and what topics are tricky. We assess learning all through a semester. The problem we have with SLO development is matching. To be scientific, the assessments must be similar, identical is best. My quiz on enzymes might be tougher than that my colleagues use. Their 80% average may not mean the same as my 80% average. We need something else. Some sort of metric, independent of assessment differences, that would be useful but wouldn't require extra standardized assessments.
So this is my idea. For years I have noticed that student's test scores rarely vary from exam to exam or quiz to quiz. It is amazing to see. You may have one student, who in quiz after quiz, scores within 5-10 points of the same grade. In fact, most teachers can predict after the first few assessments, who will likely pass the class and who won't. The scores are so consistent, you start to wonder, what makes a student who gets B's on every quiz different from a student who gets D's on every quiz? What is going on? Why is there so little fluctuation?
We have a very strong push from the top down to get as many students as possible successfully through our program. Sadly, one easy way to accomplish this is to reduce the rigor of the courses. Classes that are easy As are popular, packed, and ignored by administrators. Ego, purpose, and the big picture prevent me from following that path. The result is that I am constantly working on the problem, what can I do to help my students learn? How do I help the D students become C students?
_________________________________________
Well, we had our division meeting yesterday on the SLOs and sadly we are back to what we did three years ago. We spent the hour talking about what basic knowledge would embarrass us as teachers if students moved on to future courses without learning. The lists look very similar. I had a bit of a breakdown, but thankfully, Brian explained how grades were not enough to answer the question. How do we know that a C student mastered X,Y, and Z?
I am tired. The stress of creating a hybrid course from scratch, teaching a brand-new orientation class, building canvas sites for newly web-enhanced courses, keeping weekly track of attendance and grades on two new platforms, and trying to improve my classes have done me in. I spent yesterday afternoon and evening painfully processing everything. I was overwhelmed. Thankfully, a long walk at the lake with Mr. B ameliorated a lot of the agony. Two weeks to Spring Break and two more months until the end of the semester, I think I can make it.
Well the time has come to replace the SLO's. We are having our first division meeting today to discuss it. For a long time we have considered that to make something useful, we need to find out how well our students do when they transfer to a four-year school or an allied health program. If we knew that, then we would know if are students are leaving LBWCC prepared. If not, then we can pinpoint the areas of weakness and beef them up.
Unfortunately, the data are not readily available. So we are stuck, we have no idea whether our graduates are succeeding elsewhere. The slippery slope leads to standardized testing that would tell us how we compare nationally. No one is thrilled with that prospect. One obstacle is that we would have to pack in more material during the semester just to cover what is on the exam. I don't know how other schools do it.
Another idea for creating SLOs is to identify the fundamental skills students need to master for success in future courses and programs. For example, can they use a microscope? That may work for lab-heavy courses like chemistry and physics, but for us biology folks, the list is very limited. My chemistry colleague has suggested we focus on basic content that would embarrass us as teachers if students didn't know when they advance. For example, a biology major who couldn't explain what a gene is.
So far, most of our SLOs are just a series of quiz questions on basic content. An intriguing idea being floated is that, instead of 5 different quizzes assessing the basics, we make one quiz, that focuses on the links between concepts. Since information builds on itself. You have to know such and such to understand thus and so. We could identify at what point did the learning fail. Did they fail because they didn't master the beginning material or was it midway or near the end? For example, calculating yield limits in chemistry. You have to know nomenclature first, then using that, you can master balancing equations, and, once you have mastered that, then you can do stoichiometry, that ability then leads to successfully calculating yield.
My biggest problem with all of this is collecting new data. We already have assessments that measure all of this; quizzes and exams. We already know where learning is weak and what topics are tricky. We assess learning all through a semester. The problem we have with SLO development is matching. To be scientific, the assessments must be similar, identical is best. My quiz on enzymes might be tougher than that my colleagues use. Their 80% average may not mean the same as my 80% average. We need something else. Some sort of metric, independent of assessment differences, that would be useful but wouldn't require extra standardized assessments.
So this is my idea. For years I have noticed that student's test scores rarely vary from exam to exam or quiz to quiz. It is amazing to see. You may have one student, who in quiz after quiz, scores within 5-10 points of the same grade. In fact, most teachers can predict after the first few assessments, who will likely pass the class and who won't. The scores are so consistent, you start to wonder, what makes a student who gets B's on every quiz different from a student who gets D's on every quiz? What is going on? Why is there so little fluctuation?
We have a very strong push from the top down to get as many students as possible successfully through our program. Sadly, one easy way to accomplish this is to reduce the rigor of the courses. Classes that are easy As are popular, packed, and ignored by administrators. Ego, purpose, and the big picture prevent me from following that path. The result is that I am constantly working on the problem, what can I do to help my students learn? How do I help the D students become C students?
_________________________________________
Well, we had our division meeting yesterday on the SLOs and sadly we are back to what we did three years ago. We spent the hour talking about what basic knowledge would embarrass us as teachers if students moved on to future courses without learning. The lists look very similar. I had a bit of a breakdown, but thankfully, Brian explained how grades were not enough to answer the question. How do we know that a C student mastered X,Y, and Z?
I am tired. The stress of creating a hybrid course from scratch, teaching a brand-new orientation class, building canvas sites for newly web-enhanced courses, keeping weekly track of attendance and grades on two new platforms, and trying to improve my classes have done me in. I spent yesterday afternoon and evening painfully processing everything. I was overwhelmed. Thankfully, a long walk at the lake with Mr. B ameliorated a lot of the agony. Two weeks to Spring Break and two more months until the end of the semester, I think I can make it.
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Midterm Blues
Midterm was Thursday. I posted lots of failing grades. I have had more tension headaches this past few weeks than in the last three months. Now that I am the sole A&P instructor on campus, all eyes are on me. Several weeks ago, I was visited by my Academic Dean who worried that I was failing way too many students. I showed her my results from Fall, a shimmer of success, and told her that I was doing my best to help them succeed: fewer practicals, lots of quizlet, more practice activities in lab.
She told me to be more intrusive in aiding weak students. We have success coaches now and a new app called AVISO. I waited too long to pull the trigger this semester. I think it is too late now to get them up to speed. What do you do with the absentees? Flu and colds knocked out weeks of attendance in February. They don't catch up.
I have known for a long time that the best way to learn is the study how you are tested. Practice by answering questions. So for years I have given them recall-level assignments on material we covered just an hour before during lecture. They work in groups but I am amazed how few of them remember anything. It is like all of them never picked up the same things. That strongly indicates that I failed in lecture or they were not paying attention. Practice time then becomes frustrating for both of us. I start giving them hints (e.g. the word starts with an "A"). My reading assures me that the frustration is helpful in memory consolidation. I tell them that the struggle is good.
Today I thought about scaffolding my practice sessions. I have been throwing them into the deep end of the pool right off the bat. I am thinking of starting with recognition-level practice and then later move into recall. However, some of my frustration arises from practice assignments on material from the previous week. Stuff that they ought to know. Material that should already be at recall-level but often it is not. I realize they haven't studied it. That is when I get punitive. "Didn't bother to study, well maybe after sitting with a blank sheet in front of you for 20 minutes might make you study next time." It may feel like justice, but it rarely works, and gets old fast.
Lab time is a tricky balance. I have to have enough practice planned so they stay the entire time. Students rarely take the time to review the practical specimens. If I give them time, they waste it, or leave early. This semester I have eliminated it completely. They have the lecture and the practical review set on Quizlet. In addition, I started having a 16 question practice practical at the start of every lab. They have been doing it with their groups. I guess it has been helpful, but there are always the weak students trailing their group and not engaging during the activity. I don't know what to do about them. Riding coattails has always been a problem in my classes. It won't help them pass though.
There has been grade inflation for so long that students getting a C is a tragedy. Unfortunately, really important things like, program entry, and scholarships, are tied to grades in classes. For STEM classes, I think C's shouldn't be look down upon. STEM is tough and A's are very hard to earn. Our programs must be more realistic about mastery and academic ability. But I am disheartened when programs like Ultrasound rely so heavily on high grades. They must consider the course and who taught it. Regretfully, a C student in my class my be given an A by a different instructor. Unfair.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Xmas Vacation Ensues
I learned a new word today from the New York Times: bildungsroman. A German word literally translated as "education novel". A great word to describe a coming-of-age story. Now if I could only pronounce it correctly.
Lately I have been looking up unfamiliar words on Google during my NYT perusals and then posting them on twitter. Now I have a record and I and my two followers can use these words whenever possible. I wish I had the same while reading Ulysses by James Joyce. The other day I thought I was close to the end because Leopold Bloom finally made it home. He undressed and climbed into bed and kissed his wife's butt. Now the novel is in her voice. She doesn't like punctuation or periods but she is great at explaining her side of things.
I have officially been on vacation for three days. Grades were due on Friday. I posted most of them on Thursday and then the final class Friday. I made an error an gave a D to a student instead of a C. Thank goodness she caught the mistake and emailed me. So Monday I had to make a trip to the Registrar and sign a form to correct my flub. Today is the first day I don't feel bad about failing a few students. I go through such agony during finals week. This semester I had so many borderline students. I had some athletes that I really wanted to fail. They had low D's and their group grades would have sent them over the edge but I put that "injustice" caveat in my syllabus. What is odd is that I always go back to my own days as a student and consider those classes where I got much higher marks than I deserved: insect physiology, evolution, genetics, aquatic vascular plants, environmental law, paleobotany, biostatistics.
Yesterday I was leafing through a BYU alumni magazine and came across some astounding statistics. The average ACT scores for incoming freshman -- 28, the average High School GPA for incoming freshman -- 3.8. Wow! The average BYU freshman has the same credentials as an LBW honors student. I'm wondering now if I would have been accepted to BYU today. Those are some smart kids.
Lately I have been looking up unfamiliar words on Google during my NYT perusals and then posting them on twitter. Now I have a record and I and my two followers can use these words whenever possible. I wish I had the same while reading Ulysses by James Joyce. The other day I thought I was close to the end because Leopold Bloom finally made it home. He undressed and climbed into bed and kissed his wife's butt. Now the novel is in her voice. She doesn't like punctuation or periods but she is great at explaining her side of things.
I have officially been on vacation for three days. Grades were due on Friday. I posted most of them on Thursday and then the final class Friday. I made an error an gave a D to a student instead of a C. Thank goodness she caught the mistake and emailed me. So Monday I had to make a trip to the Registrar and sign a form to correct my flub. Today is the first day I don't feel bad about failing a few students. I go through such agony during finals week. This semester I had so many borderline students. I had some athletes that I really wanted to fail. They had low D's and their group grades would have sent them over the edge but I put that "injustice" caveat in my syllabus. What is odd is that I always go back to my own days as a student and consider those classes where I got much higher marks than I deserved: insect physiology, evolution, genetics, aquatic vascular plants, environmental law, paleobotany, biostatistics.
Yesterday I was leafing through a BYU alumni magazine and came across some astounding statistics. The average ACT scores for incoming freshman -- 28, the average High School GPA for incoming freshman -- 3.8. Wow! The average BYU freshman has the same credentials as an LBW honors student. I'm wondering now if I would have been accepted to BYU today. Those are some smart kids.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Last Day of Withdrawal
I got back from Dallas on Sunday afternoon. Thank goodness for the end of daylight savings time, I needed the extra hour of sleep. I covered the nuts and bolts of meiosis in bio. It was kind of a rush job since they would be tested on it the next class meeting. I had to use a lab from the past since my chromosome beads had disappeared. Of course I found them a few days later inside a milk crate under a cart.
At first sight, my third exam looked super easy. But after seeing their group scores I was a little shocked on how poorly they did. It was shorter than normal so I could lecture a bit on genetics afterward. I had a whole hour for my Monday class but I have one very thorough student in Tuesday's. So I only had thirty minutes in there. I never seem to have enough days in the semester to cover everything. I would really like to jettison the water and pH sections and jump right into organics.
I was very proud of myself in physical science. I wrote up a quick activity on glaciers. I started Tuesday's class finishing the Alabama geo activity I invented the previous week. One problem with that class is they like to visit, text, check facebook, and not work. It took the whole lecture period to finish and even then I had to start a countdown and make them turn it in before their 9:15 break. They sort of cruised through it with ten minutes left in the period so we played jeopardy with questions on glaciers.
There is a funny scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, where a teacher dies at his desk halfway through the school day and no one notices. He had his students do worksheets all period. He had no interaction with them at all. They came in, picked up their work, sat down in their desks, which were pointed away from the teacher's desk and then dropped off their work on the way out. So here is this teacher, dead at his desk and class after class comes and goes without ever noticing he is deceased.
I would like to sort of imitate the dead teacher for the rest of my PHS 111 class and not lecture but just do activities. For the glacier activity, I went through my lecture and wrote questions based on the slides. I threw in a few figures and facts along the way so they wouldn't be completely lost. It worked out great! I am going to try to repeat it for the next five classes.
Today I got my teeth cleaned. They have a new fluoride treatment where instead of rinsing for a minute they paint on a varnish. Mine was caramel-flavored. And I didn't have to wait an hour to eat or drink again.
Brian told me that he sleptwalk last night. In the middle of the night, he got up, unlocked and front door, walked across the front porch and fell off. His wife found him in the front yard staring off into the night. She asked him what he was doing. He turned around and said he fell off the porch. She got him back to bed. This morning he had no memory of it. He thinks it is a side effect of his cholesterol statins. He used to sleepwalk as a kid and then a few times in graduate school. He said his neck and back are sore due to his face plant. He said he woke up with dirty palms and knees. Poor guy.
At first sight, my third exam looked super easy. But after seeing their group scores I was a little shocked on how poorly they did. It was shorter than normal so I could lecture a bit on genetics afterward. I had a whole hour for my Monday class but I have one very thorough student in Tuesday's. So I only had thirty minutes in there. I never seem to have enough days in the semester to cover everything. I would really like to jettison the water and pH sections and jump right into organics.
I was very proud of myself in physical science. I wrote up a quick activity on glaciers. I started Tuesday's class finishing the Alabama geo activity I invented the previous week. One problem with that class is they like to visit, text, check facebook, and not work. It took the whole lecture period to finish and even then I had to start a countdown and make them turn it in before their 9:15 break. They sort of cruised through it with ten minutes left in the period so we played jeopardy with questions on glaciers.
There is a funny scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, where a teacher dies at his desk halfway through the school day and no one notices. He had his students do worksheets all period. He had no interaction with them at all. They came in, picked up their work, sat down in their desks, which were pointed away from the teacher's desk and then dropped off their work on the way out. So here is this teacher, dead at his desk and class after class comes and goes without ever noticing he is deceased.
I would like to sort of imitate the dead teacher for the rest of my PHS 111 class and not lecture but just do activities. For the glacier activity, I went through my lecture and wrote questions based on the slides. I threw in a few figures and facts along the way so they wouldn't be completely lost. It worked out great! I am going to try to repeat it for the next five classes.
Today I got my teeth cleaned. They have a new fluoride treatment where instead of rinsing for a minute they paint on a varnish. Mine was caramel-flavored. And I didn't have to wait an hour to eat or drink again.
Brian told me that he sleptwalk last night. In the middle of the night, he got up, unlocked and front door, walked across the front porch and fell off. His wife found him in the front yard staring off into the night. She asked him what he was doing. He turned around and said he fell off the porch. She got him back to bed. This morning he had no memory of it. He thinks it is a side effect of his cholesterol statins. He used to sleepwalk as a kid and then a few times in graduate school. He said his neck and back are sore due to his face plant. He said he woke up with dirty palms and knees. Poor guy.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Prepping for Dallas
On Wednesday, Susan and I are heading to Dallas, Texas for this year's NABT meeting. I skipped last year since it was in Anaheim, California. Ten minutes from where I grew up. I wasn't in the mood to see the old stomping grounds. So we are to spend four nights in the Hyatt. The weather forecast is looking beautiful. Susan is planning on a long visit to the botanical gardens where they are having a Dale Chihuly blown glass exhibit. Saturday we are going to visit the Art Museum and Sculpture garden. I've spent the last few days perusing the schedule of presentations at the meeting and planning my schedule. This is the first year I have gotten an advanced look. Usually I get the program that day of and scramble to pick some meeting to go to. Unfortunately there are always 3 or 4 good talks going on at the same time so picking one to see is a minor league Sophie's choice.
Last week was a tragic time for a few people we know. My buddy John Carpenter lost his wife on Sunday. I had just seen them together the night before at the Covington County fair. Her funeral was yesterday. I don't know how to face him this week. Our neighbor, Tammy Puckett, lost her mom too. Her mom lived just on the corner. They had moved her here from Opelika a few months ago. We took care of Lucy for them while they were away.
My PHS 111 class had their second exam last week. Most of them did terrible as I expected. For weeks I had wondered why my grading program had their current grades so high. I found the error. I had miscategorized a group exam. Once I fixed that, the grades fell out to where they needed to be. I spent Friday morning printing out progress reports on the athletes for the coaches. They have two more exams at the end of the semester worth about a quarter of their total grade. I hope they are ready.
Weekends are such difficult times to do class prep. Today I was going to work on my geology assignment for Tuesday but it didn't happen. I did prep bio on Saturday though. I need to get back to leaving work at work and savoring my evenings and weekends.
The weather has turned chilly. Yesterday was the first day I wore a jacket out to walk the pups. Four months of this on the horizon. I know how happy I get in the Spring when I can finally put my coat away. I am rethinking my meds. I seem a little more stressed out and irritable. I'm also feeling lonelier.
Last week was a tragic time for a few people we know. My buddy John Carpenter lost his wife on Sunday. I had just seen them together the night before at the Covington County fair. Her funeral was yesterday. I don't know how to face him this week. Our neighbor, Tammy Puckett, lost her mom too. Her mom lived just on the corner. They had moved her here from Opelika a few months ago. We took care of Lucy for them while they were away.
My PHS 111 class had their second exam last week. Most of them did terrible as I expected. For weeks I had wondered why my grading program had their current grades so high. I found the error. I had miscategorized a group exam. Once I fixed that, the grades fell out to where they needed to be. I spent Friday morning printing out progress reports on the athletes for the coaches. They have two more exams at the end of the semester worth about a quarter of their total grade. I hope they are ready.
Weekends are such difficult times to do class prep. Today I was going to work on my geology assignment for Tuesday but it didn't happen. I did prep bio on Saturday though. I need to get back to leaving work at work and savoring my evenings and weekends.
The weather has turned chilly. Yesterday was the first day I wore a jacket out to walk the pups. Four months of this on the horizon. I know how happy I get in the Spring when I can finally put my coat away. I am rethinking my meds. I seem a little more stressed out and irritable. I'm also feeling lonelier.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
My School Week
Want to make a teacher and students a bit uncomfortable? Teach natural selection in the bible belt. I've done it every semester for years. I get few questions. This year I even threw in a few more Richard Dawkins vignettes for good measure (especially one that jabs at creationists by postulating whether his example shows a incompetent or heartless creator).
I have tried a half a dozen different natural selection simulations through the years. I found one I liked last year but it takes several hours of lab time to do. In my schedule I have one hour. So I went back to one I had done years ago. It has a nice combination of variation (mutations) and selection. Students evolve a "bird", actually a straw with two paper wings, to fly further. The problem is that each generation takes awhile to build and the students who throw the birds usually suck at it. So they only get a few generations into it and never get to a point where a significant flyer emerges. I thought about being the thrower for every group but I changed my mind. However, one group hit upon a beneficial mutation early on and got a bird that flew the width of the room. I kept it and showed my other two classes near the end of the labs.
I ran into a problem with straws. You just can't buy normal straight straws at stores anymore. They are all flexible. So if you want straight straws you got to go to a restaurant. I realized too late that I didn't grab enough from the local chevron so I had to resort to flexible ones (which worked okay btw) for my first class. Ruth, a very nice extra clean janitor who works in my building, went and got me a handful at Hardee's on Monday morning. I thought that was very sweet and thoughtful.
Although you would think that a quiz on science and selection would be simple, my students did terrible on it. I have come to expect it though. Either they think they know it or they blow it off more than usual. One surprise was two F students passing the quiz with C's. I know one went in for tutoring. I hope they keep it up.
The practice peer review went on as usual. I find it odd that some groups, although there are obvious contributors and coasters, rate each other identically. There were a few surprises out there on who is a major contributor. Two students who I hadn't expected turned out to be well respected by their groups.
Physical science is still going along. It's the class I stress about the most. Now that I am in geology, I want to do really well and I don't want to lecture too much. Unfortunately all the basics of geology require some lecture so I have gone through plate tectonics and rocks. We spent two labs going through the rocks. I did a lecture on relative dating but didn't make it all the way through. By having a weekly quiz and labs, my lecture time shrinks considerably. I have biostratigraphy to go through and then absolute dating (which I dread) before I can get them into landforms. Somehow I need to show them that you can demonstrate a really old earth without dealing with creationist shit about radiometric dating. My plan is to show them a recumbent fold in the Canadian Rockies and take them through the layers and then explain that folding requires depth and lots of time. If I can get them to understand that then there shouldn't be any stupid questions about fossil tautology or isochron dating. I got so behind in astronomy. I am running out of time. I've got to start weather in a few weeks.
Well the foundation funded my grant. So we'll be getting ceiling projectors in two classrooms in the administration building. I'm pretty happy about it. Thank goodness I went to the open forum last month and asked about it. I am going to have to thank Rene for her suggestion. This is the second time I have gotten funding. Does this count as a roll?
This week in biology is going to be pretty dull: cells and mitosis. I find it hard to spice up those topics. There is always cloning to spark interest in mitosis, but cell parts are lacking a cool factor. Maybe goblet cells making snot? I do get to pontificate on endosymbiosis though.
I was a bit shocked the other day when I walked into the library and saw that one of my lazy basketball players now works as a work-study for Susan. I made a joke about a spy in our midst. She has a test next week. Let's hope she does better on it than her previous exams. Now that she is working with Susan, I am rooting for her to pass.
I have tried a half a dozen different natural selection simulations through the years. I found one I liked last year but it takes several hours of lab time to do. In my schedule I have one hour. So I went back to one I had done years ago. It has a nice combination of variation (mutations) and selection. Students evolve a "bird", actually a straw with two paper wings, to fly further. The problem is that each generation takes awhile to build and the students who throw the birds usually suck at it. So they only get a few generations into it and never get to a point where a significant flyer emerges. I thought about being the thrower for every group but I changed my mind. However, one group hit upon a beneficial mutation early on and got a bird that flew the width of the room. I kept it and showed my other two classes near the end of the labs.
I ran into a problem with straws. You just can't buy normal straight straws at stores anymore. They are all flexible. So if you want straight straws you got to go to a restaurant. I realized too late that I didn't grab enough from the local chevron so I had to resort to flexible ones (which worked okay btw) for my first class. Ruth, a very nice extra clean janitor who works in my building, went and got me a handful at Hardee's on Monday morning. I thought that was very sweet and thoughtful.
Although you would think that a quiz on science and selection would be simple, my students did terrible on it. I have come to expect it though. Either they think they know it or they blow it off more than usual. One surprise was two F students passing the quiz with C's. I know one went in for tutoring. I hope they keep it up.
The practice peer review went on as usual. I find it odd that some groups, although there are obvious contributors and coasters, rate each other identically. There were a few surprises out there on who is a major contributor. Two students who I hadn't expected turned out to be well respected by their groups.
Physical science is still going along. It's the class I stress about the most. Now that I am in geology, I want to do really well and I don't want to lecture too much. Unfortunately all the basics of geology require some lecture so I have gone through plate tectonics and rocks. We spent two labs going through the rocks. I did a lecture on relative dating but didn't make it all the way through. By having a weekly quiz and labs, my lecture time shrinks considerably. I have biostratigraphy to go through and then absolute dating (which I dread) before I can get them into landforms. Somehow I need to show them that you can demonstrate a really old earth without dealing with creationist shit about radiometric dating. My plan is to show them a recumbent fold in the Canadian Rockies and take them through the layers and then explain that folding requires depth and lots of time. If I can get them to understand that then there shouldn't be any stupid questions about fossil tautology or isochron dating. I got so behind in astronomy. I am running out of time. I've got to start weather in a few weeks.
Well the foundation funded my grant. So we'll be getting ceiling projectors in two classrooms in the administration building. I'm pretty happy about it. Thank goodness I went to the open forum last month and asked about it. I am going to have to thank Rene for her suggestion. This is the second time I have gotten funding. Does this count as a roll?
This week in biology is going to be pretty dull: cells and mitosis. I find it hard to spice up those topics. There is always cloning to spark interest in mitosis, but cell parts are lacking a cool factor. Maybe goblet cells making snot? I do get to pontificate on endosymbiosis though.
I was a bit shocked the other day when I walked into the library and saw that one of my lazy basketball players now works as a work-study for Susan. I made a joke about a spy in our midst. She has a test next week. Let's hope she does better on it than her previous exams. Now that she is working with Susan, I am rooting for her to pass.
Fall Weather
The start of jacket weather is almost here. I don't really look forward to it. In fact, in the Spring I'm excited when I can hang it up for good. Tonight is the Covington County Fair. Susan and her best friend Candace go every year to visit and mosey through at a snail's pace. I have become quite picky and am really only interested in the art and food. So I meet them there, see what I want to see, and go home. I have a feeling that this year will be a short visit.
Last year we watched the fair's beauty pageant. No talent, swimsuit or interview competition, just teenage women in fancy dresses standing and smiling while a woman read off their CV's. Three women judges picked the winner while families gathered around their contestants for support. It was very odd and there were some tears of disappointment among the also rans. I still don't understand why pageants are still around. LBW has one and they give out a scholarship for the winner. Why should your looks determine if you get your college funded? It is almost as bad as getting free schooling for dribbling, or hitting a ball. What has any of this have to do with academics?
Last year we watched the fair's beauty pageant. No talent, swimsuit or interview competition, just teenage women in fancy dresses standing and smiling while a woman read off their CV's. Three women judges picked the winner while families gathered around their contestants for support. It was very odd and there were some tears of disappointment among the also rans. I still don't understand why pageants are still around. LBW has one and they give out a scholarship for the winner. Why should your looks determine if you get your college funded? It is almost as bad as getting free schooling for dribbling, or hitting a ball. What has any of this have to do with academics?
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Midterm
Susan came down with my cold I caught two weeks ago. She is still asleep upstairs. I lived on Nyquil for three days and slept through most of it. I still have the cough though. Mucinex has helped some but it hasn't gotten rid of it.
My bio classes heard about mutations this week and were brutally beaten by a fairly innocuous quiz. I was shocked how many still couldn't transcribe a gene. Anyway, the ordeal continued when I hurt their brains with the hemoglobin B-chain gene. I love it because it sums up everything we covered in nucleic acids. Plus, they get to see a real-life gene. The part that makes me smile is their discovery of introns. All of a sudden the gene skips a huge section that isn't translated. Plus the gene makes this weird shift between reading frames. It is a struggle. By the end they are worn out and fried. I had one group bail five minutes before the end of class but I talked them down. The test is on monday and tuesday: 77 questions. It is easier than the quizzes. I've already had a few students ask me if there is any hope for them getting a C (one just wants a D--Pell Grant). Hard to say after just one exam. But there is a trend that exam scores run about the same throughout the semester. I've been really trying to push the idea that they need to study 5-10 hours a week outside of class. Apparently they don't believe me.
Physical science had their midterm this week. Fifty terms to match with their definitions. I had a couple of 100's and a few in the teens. Fortunately for the unengaged students, I didn't weigh the midterm very much so although they failed two exams they are still in the passing range. I guess the rest of the semester will sort of be like a balloon payment. They have a unit exam in two weeks. I really hope my athletes get their acts together by then. Three came late to the midterm so it cut my lecture time in half so instead of starting fresh with geology on Tuesday I will be finishing astronomy.
I was successful on my reshuffling of courses for Spring. They had A&P I down as a hybrid on our campus. I think that is really unfair for students. They do much better and are happier in a traditional course. If they want a hybrid, they can go to MacArthur where all they have is hybrids.
My math colleague Pat Senn and I put in Foundation mini-grant applications for ceiling mounted projectors in two classrooms. For years the math folks have wheeled portable projectors down the hall to teach their classes. I hope we get at least one down in the math room on the first floor. They are about $2000 a piece.
I have returned to my long-range plan of teaching BIO 103 as a PBL class. PBL stands for problem-based learning and looks like a more effective and interesting way to teach. My goal is to cover four units during a semester. So far I have two units mapped out: malaria and milk. By exploring these two topics, students will hit upon the major principles of general biology. It will also help them focus more directly on the goals of college: reading for understanding, writing to communicate, logical reasoning and critical thinking. I would really like a two more units, preferably one dealing with photosynthesis and another dealing with reproduction and inheritance.
I had an epiphany yesterday when I realized that I needed topics that repeated the same general principles in their own way. So by encountering the same principles four times, hopefully, learning will be reinforced. That took a lot of the pressure off.
My big obstacle right now is what to do about the labs. It has taken me years to develop lab activities that reinforce and expand upon material covered in lectures. By eliminating lectures and the traditional slog through the book, what will the lab consist of?
My second problem is dealing with evaluations. How are the students going to demonstrate their comprehension of the material? Exams and quizzes will still be in there but they will also have to be revised. The writing component plagues me the most. Lately, I have been extremely impressed with graphic novels. Since biology is such a visual topic, I thought it would be great for each student group to illustrate their findings as "graphic non-fiction". A few months ago I read about a wonderful library in NYC where they hand out blank sketchbooks. People can fill them with anything. The one caveat is they must donate it to the library. So now they have a growing collection of hand-drawn works. I thought of making my own learning journal when I watch my teaching company course on the weather. So I picture my student groups making their own "graphic biology book" for each unit.
What I will need to do before all of this comes to pass is to work out one unit completely and see if it is possible. I am also considering teaching one course where we would have one unit the first month and then the remaining three as traditional just to see how it works. I am really excited about all of this. I wish I could find some kindred spirits who I could exchange ideas with. I am sure there are other PBL fans out there teaching biology.
My bio classes heard about mutations this week and were brutally beaten by a fairly innocuous quiz. I was shocked how many still couldn't transcribe a gene. Anyway, the ordeal continued when I hurt their brains with the hemoglobin B-chain gene. I love it because it sums up everything we covered in nucleic acids. Plus, they get to see a real-life gene. The part that makes me smile is their discovery of introns. All of a sudden the gene skips a huge section that isn't translated. Plus the gene makes this weird shift between reading frames. It is a struggle. By the end they are worn out and fried. I had one group bail five minutes before the end of class but I talked them down. The test is on monday and tuesday: 77 questions. It is easier than the quizzes. I've already had a few students ask me if there is any hope for them getting a C (one just wants a D--Pell Grant). Hard to say after just one exam. But there is a trend that exam scores run about the same throughout the semester. I've been really trying to push the idea that they need to study 5-10 hours a week outside of class. Apparently they don't believe me.
Physical science had their midterm this week. Fifty terms to match with their definitions. I had a couple of 100's and a few in the teens. Fortunately for the unengaged students, I didn't weigh the midterm very much so although they failed two exams they are still in the passing range. I guess the rest of the semester will sort of be like a balloon payment. They have a unit exam in two weeks. I really hope my athletes get their acts together by then. Three came late to the midterm so it cut my lecture time in half so instead of starting fresh with geology on Tuesday I will be finishing astronomy.
I was successful on my reshuffling of courses for Spring. They had A&P I down as a hybrid on our campus. I think that is really unfair for students. They do much better and are happier in a traditional course. If they want a hybrid, they can go to MacArthur where all they have is hybrids.
My math colleague Pat Senn and I put in Foundation mini-grant applications for ceiling mounted projectors in two classrooms. For years the math folks have wheeled portable projectors down the hall to teach their classes. I hope we get at least one down in the math room on the first floor. They are about $2000 a piece.
I have returned to my long-range plan of teaching BIO 103 as a PBL class. PBL stands for problem-based learning and looks like a more effective and interesting way to teach. My goal is to cover four units during a semester. So far I have two units mapped out: malaria and milk. By exploring these two topics, students will hit upon the major principles of general biology. It will also help them focus more directly on the goals of college: reading for understanding, writing to communicate, logical reasoning and critical thinking. I would really like a two more units, preferably one dealing with photosynthesis and another dealing with reproduction and inheritance.
I had an epiphany yesterday when I realized that I needed topics that repeated the same general principles in their own way. So by encountering the same principles four times, hopefully, learning will be reinforced. That took a lot of the pressure off.
My big obstacle right now is what to do about the labs. It has taken me years to develop lab activities that reinforce and expand upon material covered in lectures. By eliminating lectures and the traditional slog through the book, what will the lab consist of?
My second problem is dealing with evaluations. How are the students going to demonstrate their comprehension of the material? Exams and quizzes will still be in there but they will also have to be revised. The writing component plagues me the most. Lately, I have been extremely impressed with graphic novels. Since biology is such a visual topic, I thought it would be great for each student group to illustrate their findings as "graphic non-fiction". A few months ago I read about a wonderful library in NYC where they hand out blank sketchbooks. People can fill them with anything. The one caveat is they must donate it to the library. So now they have a growing collection of hand-drawn works. I thought of making my own learning journal when I watch my teaching company course on the weather. So I picture my student groups making their own "graphic biology book" for each unit.
What I will need to do before all of this comes to pass is to work out one unit completely and see if it is possible. I am also considering teaching one course where we would have one unit the first month and then the remaining three as traditional just to see how it works. I am really excited about all of this. I wish I could find some kindred spirits who I could exchange ideas with. I am sure there are other PBL fans out there teaching biology.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Off the Meds
I stopped taking my anti-depressants seven weeks ago to see if I really needed them. I began them almost ten years ago when I started have thoughts of suicide. A few years later the Lexapro stopped working and I lost interest in most everything and wanted to sleep all the time. My therapist Fonda noticed the change and got me into Dr. Harwood. I got my meds sorted out but after years of being an easy patient, I wondered if I still needed them so I stopped. So far so good. I haven't had any bad blue days and I still have lots of interests. I'm a little more joyful at times and today a bit serious. The biological imperative has gotten stronger though.
Mid-term is next week and I am right where I want to be in biology but I am a week behind in physical science. I finish astronomy this next week and then onto rocks! I may never make it to weather. They have turned room 224 into a physics lab. It has some beautiful benches, a front lab desk and soon electrical outlets. Good news for bio since we could use it if there is ever a lab conflict.
I spent several hours Thursday afternoon and Friday morning revising the Spring semester schedule for Abbie and me. I worked it out so Abbie could teach A&P I as a traditional course instead of as a hybrid. I finally understood why Abbie teaches so many hybrids. Her family demands and commute from Greenville are complicated. I hope Mary Ann goes for it because it accomodates Abbie and is 100% better for our students.
I had one major faux pas this week. I had scheduled a stargazing activity for Tuesday night. I had checked the weather channel forecast the previous night and it said Tuesday night would be cloudy. I checked it Tuesday morning and it had changed to clear. Well, I went out at 4PM to calibrate the telescope and the clouds came in. At 5 I decided to cancel so I send a teacherease email out to my students. Kind of a late notice but I hoped they would spread the word. I put a note on the door just in case. I felt terrible. I should have warned them when I announced it to check their emails for any unforseen changes.
I finally got an expectorant for my cough and it seems to have helped. I have also been enjoying a beer during my evening shower. So far I've been drinking Miller High Life and last night I had a Sam Adams. No heartburn yet but man mix that with a antihistamine and reading before bed is impossible.
On my drive up the Montgomery yesterday I popped in my new Mark Knopfler CD Privateering. It is a double album. I haven't liked his last three albums so my hopes weren't too high for this one. I was pleasantly surprised. I could hear his old styles from Brothers in Arms, Golden Heart and Ragpicker's Dream plus some more blues-driven stuff.
After my appointment with Dr. Harwood, I bought some new underwear and socks (real exciting) at Target, ate a veggie burrito at Moe's (next time I am ordering a bowl of chili con queso), and bought dog food and dog bones at Earth Fare. They are great big cow cannon bones (toe bones) that Mr. B and Lucy girl love to chew the ends off. Basil was so thrilled when Susan gave him one. He pranced around and would come up to us to show it off. He whittled it down in no time.
The season premiere of Big Bang Theory started Thursday. We have it Tivoed but haven't found the right moment to watch it. So far I have enjoyed only two new shows this season: Go On and Ben & Kate. I tried the New Normal and the Mindy Kaling Project. Too preachy and too awful. Why does everyone in TV need a prestigious occupation? Why not just retail drone, office minion or service worker? After the pilot, the job part disappears pretty quickly.
We watched the season premieres of The Middle and Modern Family. Although Modern Family gets all the awards, the Middle is a much better show. The first episode of the Middle was excellent and went deep right off the bat into the family dynamic. I keep thinking about Axl playing college football. What a waste of college scholarship! He hates academics. I wonder if Frankie or Mike ever went to college? Probably not. Party on Garth!
Mid-term is next week and I am right where I want to be in biology but I am a week behind in physical science. I finish astronomy this next week and then onto rocks! I may never make it to weather. They have turned room 224 into a physics lab. It has some beautiful benches, a front lab desk and soon electrical outlets. Good news for bio since we could use it if there is ever a lab conflict.
I spent several hours Thursday afternoon and Friday morning revising the Spring semester schedule for Abbie and me. I worked it out so Abbie could teach A&P I as a traditional course instead of as a hybrid. I finally understood why Abbie teaches so many hybrids. Her family demands and commute from Greenville are complicated. I hope Mary Ann goes for it because it accomodates Abbie and is 100% better for our students.
I had one major faux pas this week. I had scheduled a stargazing activity for Tuesday night. I had checked the weather channel forecast the previous night and it said Tuesday night would be cloudy. I checked it Tuesday morning and it had changed to clear. Well, I went out at 4PM to calibrate the telescope and the clouds came in. At 5 I decided to cancel so I send a teacherease email out to my students. Kind of a late notice but I hoped they would spread the word. I put a note on the door just in case. I felt terrible. I should have warned them when I announced it to check their emails for any unforseen changes.
I finally got an expectorant for my cough and it seems to have helped. I have also been enjoying a beer during my evening shower. So far I've been drinking Miller High Life and last night I had a Sam Adams. No heartburn yet but man mix that with a antihistamine and reading before bed is impossible.
On my drive up the Montgomery yesterday I popped in my new Mark Knopfler CD Privateering. It is a double album. I haven't liked his last three albums so my hopes weren't too high for this one. I was pleasantly surprised. I could hear his old styles from Brothers in Arms, Golden Heart and Ragpicker's Dream plus some more blues-driven stuff.
After my appointment with Dr. Harwood, I bought some new underwear and socks (real exciting) at Target, ate a veggie burrito at Moe's (next time I am ordering a bowl of chili con queso), and bought dog food and dog bones at Earth Fare. They are great big cow cannon bones (toe bones) that Mr. B and Lucy girl love to chew the ends off. Basil was so thrilled when Susan gave him one. He pranced around and would come up to us to show it off. He whittled it down in no time.
The season premiere of Big Bang Theory started Thursday. We have it Tivoed but haven't found the right moment to watch it. So far I have enjoyed only two new shows this season: Go On and Ben & Kate. I tried the New Normal and the Mindy Kaling Project. Too preachy and too awful. Why does everyone in TV need a prestigious occupation? Why not just retail drone, office minion or service worker? After the pilot, the job part disappears pretty quickly.
We watched the season premieres of The Middle and Modern Family. Although Modern Family gets all the awards, the Middle is a much better show. The first episode of the Middle was excellent and went deep right off the bat into the family dynamic. I keep thinking about Axl playing college football. What a waste of college scholarship! He hates academics. I wonder if Frankie or Mike ever went to college? Probably not. Party on Garth!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
BBQ and Froyo
Today is the Autumnal Equinox and Summer is over. The Earth will be tilted away from the Sun for the next 6 months. It is time to get pasty people!
Basil and Lucy, or as I like to call her, Lemon Drop, just got me up from a food-induced nap. They are an hour early for their trek to the golf course. LD is particularly persistent using her sharp claws to poke you. Susan and I had a nice lunch at Green's BBQ just north of us in Gantt, Alabama. In a role reversal, I ordered a BBQ sandwich and onion rings off the menu while Susan hit the buffet. The BBQ was excellent and though I know better, the onion rings are great but rough off on the stomach. Susan got her fill of fried okra (I don't get the appeal myself), maters, slaw, tater salad, and scalloped taters.
Ms. Susan needed to drop off some donations at goodwill and afterward we hit the new froyo place on the square. I got lemon ice box with graham cracker sprinkles (very good) and Susan opted for strawberry with fresh strawberry. We walked around the square for a bit, staring into the old CCB building, Wards, and Timmerman building. I discovered that the Timmerman building is built of fossiliferous limestone. I found some beautiful bryozoans embedded in it.
On the drive home a katydid hitchhiked on my window. Susan tried to take a photo of it through the glass but the camera kept focusing on the landscape behind. I enjoyed watching to breathe through it s thorax and first few ab segments. We dropped it off in Susan's favorite neighborhood.
One more week of September left. I am on stars right now in PHS 111 so I will need to repair the telescopes if I am going to take them out this week. Like an idiot I discovered that we have missed the evening planet window. If you want to see Jupiter you gotta wait until the early AM. Saturn just moved to days entirely. Just the moon and stars are on tap this semester. I invented a constellation lab and tried it out Thursday. I kept wondering why the planispheres didn't match the website printout I had used. Shane the idiot thought 19 hours was 9 PM. Nope, it is only 7 so my students were struggling. I forged ahead acting like nothing was wrong. I've got to admit my error on Tuesday.
The biological imperative has been extremely persistent of late. I don't know if it is normal or due to my brain becoming med-free. It is going to get me in trouble. I am sure the BD wish from Surfbabe hasn't helped. Party on Garth!
Basil and Lucy, or as I like to call her, Lemon Drop, just got me up from a food-induced nap. They are an hour early for their trek to the golf course. LD is particularly persistent using her sharp claws to poke you. Susan and I had a nice lunch at Green's BBQ just north of us in Gantt, Alabama. In a role reversal, I ordered a BBQ sandwich and onion rings off the menu while Susan hit the buffet. The BBQ was excellent and though I know better, the onion rings are great but rough off on the stomach. Susan got her fill of fried okra (I don't get the appeal myself), maters, slaw, tater salad, and scalloped taters.
Ms. Susan needed to drop off some donations at goodwill and afterward we hit the new froyo place on the square. I got lemon ice box with graham cracker sprinkles (very good) and Susan opted for strawberry with fresh strawberry. We walked around the square for a bit, staring into the old CCB building, Wards, and Timmerman building. I discovered that the Timmerman building is built of fossiliferous limestone. I found some beautiful bryozoans embedded in it.
On the drive home a katydid hitchhiked on my window. Susan tried to take a photo of it through the glass but the camera kept focusing on the landscape behind. I enjoyed watching to breathe through it s thorax and first few ab segments. We dropped it off in Susan's favorite neighborhood.
One more week of September left. I am on stars right now in PHS 111 so I will need to repair the telescopes if I am going to take them out this week. Like an idiot I discovered that we have missed the evening planet window. If you want to see Jupiter you gotta wait until the early AM. Saturn just moved to days entirely. Just the moon and stars are on tap this semester. I invented a constellation lab and tried it out Thursday. I kept wondering why the planispheres didn't match the website printout I had used. Shane the idiot thought 19 hours was 9 PM. Nope, it is only 7 so my students were struggling. I forged ahead acting like nothing was wrong. I've got to admit my error on Tuesday.
The biological imperative has been extremely persistent of late. I don't know if it is normal or due to my brain becoming med-free. It is going to get me in trouble. I am sure the BD wish from Surfbabe hasn't helped. Party on Garth!
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Virus Defense Mode
I woke up with a head cold yesterday so I didn't work or drive Montgomery for my quarterly appointment with Dr. Harwood (he's my psychiatrist who manages my depression meds). I spent most of it sleeping, sneezing and coughing in between hits of nyquil, advil and sudafed. Today I am mostly just coughing. My back is pretty sore from laying around so much.
American Airlines, after a month, found and Fedexed my bag. It was a complete surprised. I had filed a claim and was just sitting around waiting for my check when it showed up on my doorstep Thursday morning. I had replaced a few things but I was so happy to see my favorite shirts, pants and underwear. The best part were all the cool things I bought at Capitol Reef National Park: geo maps, t-shirts, postcards and a book on rock art for Susan.
Two women basketball players came by on Thursday to tell me they were from now on going to be respectful and work hard in class. I had made the mistake of threatening to talk to their coach earlier in the day. I still wonder what brought it on but I was very touched.
My first exams in bio are this coming week. It is always bittersweet. I made the mistake of looking at my afternoon 103 scores from spring semester to see how many passed: only one-third. Should I share the news? Tough call.
American Airlines, after a month, found and Fedexed my bag. It was a complete surprised. I had filed a claim and was just sitting around waiting for my check when it showed up on my doorstep Thursday morning. I had replaced a few things but I was so happy to see my favorite shirts, pants and underwear. The best part were all the cool things I bought at Capitol Reef National Park: geo maps, t-shirts, postcards and a book on rock art for Susan.
Two women basketball players came by on Thursday to tell me they were from now on going to be respectful and work hard in class. I had made the mistake of threatening to talk to their coach earlier in the day. I still wonder what brought it on but I was very touched.
My first exams in bio are this coming week. It is always bittersweet. I made the mistake of looking at my afternoon 103 scores from spring semester to see how many passed: only one-third. Should I share the news? Tough call.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Studying the Weather
I began watching my meteorology lectures from the teaching company. You think you know something until you see someone who really understands explain it. By the end of the remaining 22 lectures I may even be able to teach my students something in the fall.
Mr. B is getting a bath today at Dr. Jones' vet clinic. I guessed his weight and I was exactly right; 87 pounds. He is also getting tested for heartworm. I hope he gets to come home soon. He looked so sad and pitiful in the car when he realized where he was going this morning. It will be several days before he gets to smelling good again. Nothing like that wonderful dog smell to make one happy.
My favorite war movie is "A Bridge Too Far" that was made back in the 1970's. Everyone and their cat are in that movie: Robert Redford, Michael Caine, James Caan, Anthony Hopkins, etc. It is the story of a huge airborne mission into occupied Holland in the Fall of 1944. The mission failed. I had been reading several military history books (The Crimean War, WWI and WWII) and so I thought I would try reading the story behind my favorite war movie. The book is excellent and I am pleased to say the movie was accurate.
Mr. B is getting a bath today at Dr. Jones' vet clinic. I guessed his weight and I was exactly right; 87 pounds. He is also getting tested for heartworm. I hope he gets to come home soon. He looked so sad and pitiful in the car when he realized where he was going this morning. It will be several days before he gets to smelling good again. Nothing like that wonderful dog smell to make one happy.
My favorite war movie is "A Bridge Too Far" that was made back in the 1970's. Everyone and their cat are in that movie: Robert Redford, Michael Caine, James Caan, Anthony Hopkins, etc. It is the story of a huge airborne mission into occupied Holland in the Fall of 1944. The mission failed. I had been reading several military history books (The Crimean War, WWI and WWII) and so I thought I would try reading the story behind my favorite war movie. The book is excellent and I am pleased to say the movie was accurate.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Part-timer
After a wonderful lunch at Sugar Rush (a great little coffee place downtown that makes wonderous sandwiches) with Susan, I actually went to my office. I had a nice long visit with Brian about my Pennsylvania trip and he told me about his wife's snakebite ordeal. She was bit on the pinky by a copperhead and spent two days in ICU to monitor the swelling. She is mending well at home but she stills has some numbness.
I wrote a letter of recommendation for a former student. They are easier when the students are excellent. I cleared my email, copied all my astronomy powerpoints and brought the book home. Trying to organize my schedule to get into work has proved difficult so I am going to try to work at home so B will have one to hang with.
I am soaked with sweat. Rain showers have been off and on for the last few days and although the sun is out right now, the humidity is high. Nothing is drying out. I started watching a great documentary last night on street art called "Exit through the gift shop". So far it is excellent. That reminds me I have a article to pass on to Misty, our art instructor at school. Boldly go!
I wrote a letter of recommendation for a former student. They are easier when the students are excellent. I cleared my email, copied all my astronomy powerpoints and brought the book home. Trying to organize my schedule to get into work has proved difficult so I am going to try to work at home so B will have one to hang with.
I am soaked with sweat. Rain showers have been off and on for the last few days and although the sun is out right now, the humidity is high. Nothing is drying out. I started watching a great documentary last night on street art called "Exit through the gift shop". So far it is excellent. That reminds me I have a article to pass on to Misty, our art instructor at school. Boldly go!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Ranchhand
After two weeks of sightseeing through Pennsylvania, I am back home. So far I have seriously loafed and napped every day. Now comes the big trial. How much class prep will I get done before August? They have me teaching physical science. I haven't taught a full on lecture version of that class in a couple of years. Right now I have ridiculous goals: students reading outside of class, term papers, me happy teaching an 8 o'clock class. Based on past experience I know I will only accomplish about a third of my list.
I realized a few days ago that the Olympics start Friday July 27th. I got a little panicky since I will be out with Brent and Caroline in Utah next month. Luckily I will be home for the Opening Ceremonies. The Track and Field events are my favorites especially the 5K, 10K and marathons. Meb is running again this year. London should make for some fast times.
I realized a few days ago that the Olympics start Friday July 27th. I got a little panicky since I will be out with Brent and Caroline in Utah next month. Luckily I will be home for the Opening Ceremonies. The Track and Field events are my favorites especially the 5K, 10K and marathons. Meb is running again this year. London should make for some fast times.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Lucy the Bruiser
The other night Susan took Lucy home to the Puckett's next door. However, it didn't take Lucy long to break free and head back over to our house. She cried at the door. Of course Basil went nuts and barked along with her. A few minutes later, Lucy came waltzing through the doggy door and into the living room. She had knocked open the back gate. She is a tiny little fullback. The next night Lucy tried the same manuever but Susan had propped a big 4 x 4 post against the gate. Lucy knocked out one of the slats on the gate trying to get in. I am very flattered that she wants so badly to stay with us.
Susan drove down to Milton this morning with the B so I have the house to myself. I chickened out on Saints Day and didn't do my standup. All the jokes I liked were too risque. I was impressed that my 1:15 students showed up on time while all the BBQ and games were going on. I have three lectures left and then finals week. I always get a little sad to see them go. I've had a good semester. Of course I have made mistakes but overall we survived.
I have picked out a destination for my May trip; Pittsburgh. You may ask why. Well, Andrew Carniege funded some of the earlier dinosaur digs in the western states. So the natural history museum in Pittsburgh has a magnificent fossil collection. After Pittsburgh, I thought I would drive east across Pennsylvania and see Gettysburg. My mom and dad took us there when Brent and I were kids. Of course, it didn't make any sense to me at the time. I was so moved by other battlefields I have visited: Vicksburg, Corinth, Bull Run and most of all Shiloh that I thought Gettysburg needed another visit. I would like to visit Antietam one day since that was the bloodiest battle of the war...insanity.
After Gettysburg, I want to visit Bethlehem to see the giant steel mill that built much of America. I heard the other day on NPR an interview with a former steel worker who now gives tours of the site. I know the Sloss Furnaces are just up the road in B'ham but Bethlehem steel sounds like the epicenter of the industrial might of last century. Just down the road from Bethlehem and Allentown is Philadelphia, home of the nation's oldest natural history museums: the National Academy of Sciences at Drexel University. The NYT had a wonderful slideshow of their collection including an early photograph of Edgar Alan Poe in the museum (he studied mollusks). And then there is the fact that Edward Drinker Cope worked out of Philly...one of my paleo heroes.
Last of all I am thinking of returning home down the coast through Delaware, the southernmost state I have yet to visit. I will probably be ready for home after that so I may just speed home as fast as I can. Time for lunch. May all your bases be paired.
Susan drove down to Milton this morning with the B so I have the house to myself. I chickened out on Saints Day and didn't do my standup. All the jokes I liked were too risque. I was impressed that my 1:15 students showed up on time while all the BBQ and games were going on. I have three lectures left and then finals week. I always get a little sad to see them go. I've had a good semester. Of course I have made mistakes but overall we survived.
I have picked out a destination for my May trip; Pittsburgh. You may ask why. Well, Andrew Carniege funded some of the earlier dinosaur digs in the western states. So the natural history museum in Pittsburgh has a magnificent fossil collection. After Pittsburgh, I thought I would drive east across Pennsylvania and see Gettysburg. My mom and dad took us there when Brent and I were kids. Of course, it didn't make any sense to me at the time. I was so moved by other battlefields I have visited: Vicksburg, Corinth, Bull Run and most of all Shiloh that I thought Gettysburg needed another visit. I would like to visit Antietam one day since that was the bloodiest battle of the war...insanity.
After Gettysburg, I want to visit Bethlehem to see the giant steel mill that built much of America. I heard the other day on NPR an interview with a former steel worker who now gives tours of the site. I know the Sloss Furnaces are just up the road in B'ham but Bethlehem steel sounds like the epicenter of the industrial might of last century. Just down the road from Bethlehem and Allentown is Philadelphia, home of the nation's oldest natural history museums: the National Academy of Sciences at Drexel University. The NYT had a wonderful slideshow of their collection including an early photograph of Edgar Alan Poe in the museum (he studied mollusks). And then there is the fact that Edward Drinker Cope worked out of Philly...one of my paleo heroes.
Last of all I am thinking of returning home down the coast through Delaware, the southernmost state I have yet to visit. I will probably be ready for home after that so I may just speed home as fast as I can. Time for lunch. May all your bases be paired.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Lucy and Basil
Our neighbors the Pucketts have a chabrador (half chow half labrador retriever) named Lucy. She comes over several days a week to play with Basil. We feed her and she often stays the night with us. I would love for her to live with us permanently but Susan thinks Basil would feel neglected. They are so active with each other. They chase each other, romp and play. I love watching them run around the golf course or Lake Armstrong.
My microscopic hematuria seems to be idiopathic. My IVP (intravenous pyelogram) showed my kidneys and ureters to be normal. However, I did see a gallstone. Dr. Benet did a cystoscopy on me on Wednesday afternoon to check for bladder stones or cancer. My bladder looked fine. He gave me photos of my ureteric orifices and my prostate. Luckily I was on valium before during and after the procedure. The only pain I felt was when he squirted some numbing gel up my urethra and then when he moved the cystoscope the last few centimeters into the bladder. Once he got into the bladder the pain was gone. After the procedure I went and home and slept for a couple of hours. The only side effect was getting up to pee and it stinging. I am back to normal now thank goodness.
I am down to five lectures left in the semester. My numbers have shrunk with some of my student groups down to one sole survivor. This week is Saints Day and I promised to tell some jokes. I am not looking forward to it though. Spring is here. The weather is warm but not hot. The privet is blooming and all the trees have leafed out. I have missed the green.
My microscopic hematuria seems to be idiopathic. My IVP (intravenous pyelogram) showed my kidneys and ureters to be normal. However, I did see a gallstone. Dr. Benet did a cystoscopy on me on Wednesday afternoon to check for bladder stones or cancer. My bladder looked fine. He gave me photos of my ureteric orifices and my prostate. Luckily I was on valium before during and after the procedure. The only pain I felt was when he squirted some numbing gel up my urethra and then when he moved the cystoscope the last few centimeters into the bladder. Once he got into the bladder the pain was gone. After the procedure I went and home and slept for a couple of hours. The only side effect was getting up to pee and it stinging. I am back to normal now thank goodness.
I am down to five lectures left in the semester. My numbers have shrunk with some of my student groups down to one sole survivor. This week is Saints Day and I promised to tell some jokes. I am not looking forward to it though. Spring is here. The weather is warm but not hot. The privet is blooming and all the trees have leafed out. I have missed the green.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Frozen Birdbaths
The temperature dropped below freezing last night and the birdbaths are frozen over. I gave the feathered ones extra rations this morning to help them ward off the cold.
I gave my first exams this past week for BIO 103. Lots of D's and F's as I expected. It has been hard to find a happy medium between scaring and encouraging them to study. I have been pushing the 5-10 hours a week outside of class mantra. I don't think I will see much of a change over the next month. This morning I did play with the idea of modifying my syllabus to give F students extra homework assignments. It is a stick incentive that would probably backfire. What bothers me the most are the sweet students who attend faithfully but never catch on.
I made a huge mistake this week and accused my colleague Shannan of not returning the 104 specimens she borrowed. I apologized but I still feel bad. Abbie's uncle died on Wednesday. She left soon after she heard the news.
I pick up my new prescription glasses tomorrow. I finally broke down and got my eyes examined by an optometrist. A former student of mine, Dr. Barton, had taken my micro class way back when I used to teach it. Damn presbyopia...My new glasses make me look like Drew Carey.
I gave my first exams this past week for BIO 103. Lots of D's and F's as I expected. It has been hard to find a happy medium between scaring and encouraging them to study. I have been pushing the 5-10 hours a week outside of class mantra. I don't think I will see much of a change over the next month. This morning I did play with the idea of modifying my syllabus to give F students extra homework assignments. It is a stick incentive that would probably backfire. What bothers me the most are the sweet students who attend faithfully but never catch on.
I made a huge mistake this week and accused my colleague Shannan of not returning the 104 specimens she borrowed. I apologized but I still feel bad. Abbie's uncle died on Wednesday. She left soon after she heard the news.
I pick up my new prescription glasses tomorrow. I finally broke down and got my eyes examined by an optometrist. A former student of mine, Dr. Barton, had taken my micro class way back when I used to teach it. Damn presbyopia...My new glasses make me look like Drew Carey.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
January is a very long month
Three weeks of school are over already and I am just now getting organized. I volunteered for a weekly recitation for BIO 103 between classes. I feel like I probably made a huge error. Thursdays may kill me off by the end.
Today was Bev Smith's memorial. Bev was an outstanding english instructor at LBW in the 90's. He retired due to macular degeneration and eventually moved back to Oxford, Mississippi to live near his son. He died a few months ago from emphysema. Susan just couldn't get the strength to go so we got lunch at Pic-and-Sav and ate down at the farm with the B.
I took B out for a walk this morning at 6:30. Out of character for myself but I did enjoy the morning and B was very happy. One more boring post....
Today was Bev Smith's memorial. Bev was an outstanding english instructor at LBW in the 90's. He retired due to macular degeneration and eventually moved back to Oxford, Mississippi to live near his son. He died a few months ago from emphysema. Susan just couldn't get the strength to go so we got lunch at Pic-and-Sav and ate down at the farm with the B.
I took B out for a walk this morning at 6:30. Out of character for myself but I did enjoy the morning and B was very happy. One more boring post....
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