I had a great conversation with a coworker about this week's episode of Glee, particularly relating to Kurt's storyline this season. A lot has been said about the "gay agenda" on the show this season. The thing is, this show intentionally portrays "misfits". Fat, nerd, handicapped, gay, hoe, emo, stupid, etc. Anyone not considered normal by the mob. We all know high school can be very cruel. This show celebrates being different. And one thing to also notice is that every misfit portrayed has at least one person who accepts them and in an over-the-top way (Puck's crush on the overweight girl, anyone?).
But out of all those words I just listed, which is really the hot-topic, taboo issue? Gay, right? So that's what we are inclined to debate the portrayal of the most. It's also the issue that most resonates with the show's creator, Ryan Murphy. I've discussed how Murphy is "preaching to the choir". Most people who watch the show are probably already okay with homosexuality as a lifestyle for those who choose it. But now I'm thinking that's not who Murphy is targeting at all....it's this young generation who maybe haven't solidified what they think just yet. My issue is that Murphy is trying so hard, I find it a little unbalanced. The Santana/Brittany storyline a couple weeks ago seemed completely out of the blue! Sometimes it feels like everyone is going to come out. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Shue does, after all his lady problems. And the whole Karofsky bullying storyline sends out this strong message that if you are a homophobe, you must really be a closet gay. What most viewers are at odds with in Kurt's character, and why he has become so unlikable, is that he is guilty of being just as intolerant of straight people as he thinks everyone is of him. I don't have to remind anyone of the uncomfortable scenes of him sharing a bedroom with Finn, the intolerance to his friends wanting to pray for his dad when he was sick, or the wedding that ended up being all about him instead of his dad and Finn's mom. Everyone has to conform to him; he is always the character who has done nothing wrong. Pop culture, big hits like this DO have tremendous influence, so if it were me and I wanted to teach tolerance to my viewers through diversity, then yes, I would change a few things. Kurt HAS misstepped several times in his pursuit to end his persecution, and I would have him come to realize his own intolerance.
But here's the thing we have to remember: EVERYTHING is over the top about this show, including the representation of said "misfits". One example: on this week's episode the Kathy Griffin character--one of the judges at Regionals-- was an obnoxious ultra-conservative, Sara Palin-esque character. For one second, I thought, "nope, I'm finally done with this show." I really did. I did not like the portrayal of a Christian to be so overly and negatively painted; her line seemed way too forced anyway. Why the need to throw in a line about her not agreeing with gay people getting married and implying they are going to hell in a discussion about who should win a singing competition? That's Murphy trying too hard! (And by the way, being gay does not lead to separation from God--or hell; not having a relationship with Jesus Christ does.) But then I decided, EVERYONE is portrayed that way. Look no further than Sue Sylvester for that evidence. She's throwing students down stairs, shooting them out of cannons, and verbally/physically abusing them in the halls on a daily basis. These would all obviously be criminal acts in real life. It is just that *I* am particularly sensitive to the Christian character portrayal. I personally wish every Christian would be known more for what they DO stand for than don't, but the reality is quite the opposite. Griffin's character was portraying that reality in Glee's way.
At the end of the day, Glee's message is about celebrating diversity and it's medium is through over-the-top comedy. That means it is going to cross a "comfort line" once in a while and it is up to each person to decide if that is worth the value of the entertainment they are receiving. This season has pushed me almost to that limit, admittedly, from--my opinion--the unbalanced tolerance storyline of Kurt. But the entertainment I get from everything else Glee does so well is enough to keep me in and enjoy it! And so I will!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
HB 1002
Friends and family of Arkansas, we need your help. This is a serious request. I don't want to go so far as to say "if you love me, you'll do this" but this is a pretty severe problem being faced by state colleges. As you know, I work for one of those colleges.
The issue is with bill HB 1002. The name is the "Capital Gains Reduction Bill of 2011". It just passed the House by 53 votes. If this passes the Senate, state-funded colleges will lose an estimated 5-10% of their funding.
I don't think I have to tell you that in an economic climate where more people have returned to school, this is not the time to cut college funding. At PTC, we have seen record enrollment of over 11,000 students. As my friend, you may be aware of the extra classes that I had to teach last semester and how stressing and awful it was to have a full time administrative job plus an overload's worth of teaching. Without administrative duties, a full load is three sciences; I taught five. Well, most of our instructors will be forced into overload schedules because we will not be able to hire to meet the demand. That means quality of our instruction goes down. Our student services and administration is already taxed; our computer systems can't stay online on the busy days. We simply can't keep our heads above water.
I'm asking you to write your state Senator. Urge him/her to vote against this bill. If you don't know who your Senator is, click here. Please don't just read this and do nothing. This will affect me on a personal and daily level.
Here is the letter I wrote my senator, if you'd like an example:
The issue is with bill HB 1002. The name is the "Capital Gains Reduction Bill of 2011". It just passed the House by 53 votes. If this passes the Senate, state-funded colleges will lose an estimated 5-10% of their funding.
I don't think I have to tell you that in an economic climate where more people have returned to school, this is not the time to cut college funding. At PTC, we have seen record enrollment of over 11,000 students. As my friend, you may be aware of the extra classes that I had to teach last semester and how stressing and awful it was to have a full time administrative job plus an overload's worth of teaching. Without administrative duties, a full load is three sciences; I taught five. Well, most of our instructors will be forced into overload schedules because we will not be able to hire to meet the demand. That means quality of our instruction goes down. Our student services and administration is already taxed; our computer systems can't stay online on the busy days. We simply can't keep our heads above water.
I'm asking you to write your state Senator. Urge him/her to vote against this bill. If you don't know who your Senator is, click here. Please don't just read this and do nothing. This will affect me on a personal and daily level.
Here is the letter I wrote my senator, if you'd like an example:
I was surprised to get a reply back within 10 minutes! Here is what he said:Dear Senator Johnson, I am writing to simply urge you to vote against HB1002, which just passed the House with 53 votes. I work in administration for Pulaski Technical College. We have experienced explosions of student growth during these more difficult economic times. We have barely contained the record 11,000 students. Faculty are teaching overload schedules, administration and staff struggle to stay above water with support requests; there are days when the computer systems fail because so many people are on the servers. If this bill passes and we lose an estimated 5-10% of our state funding, I don't want to even imagine the results. The quality of our service and instruction to students will suffer. This is a time we need to be expanding our workforce, our student support services, and our economic development, not reducing it. Thank you for your time, Benjamin Peacock Little Rock, AR
Benjamin, thanks for writing. I agree with you and plan to vote against the bill. DavidI'm by no means any kind of activist, but internal emails from the upper echelons of PTC have notified us about the seriousness of this bill. I'm just asking for a few minutes of your time to help us out. Thank you.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tea
Last Friday, a buddy and I went to the mall and happened to stop by the Teavana store. I made the mistake of saying "yes" to "would you like a sample" as we walked by. That turned into a 30 minutes spiel, but it ended up being pretty interesting. And wow, were those teas tasty. See the problem, apparently, is that we have been hoodwinked by big tea companies to think that what we all typically drink as tea is really tea. The difference in a Lipton tea bag tea and what they were brewing was immediately apparent. Tea is meant to be steeped open leaf, not in little bags with ground up leaves. I believe it.
Teavana was a little pricey for me; if I had bought everything the guy wanted to sell me, it would have easily topped $400. They had cast iron pots (that get seasoned with each brew) and matching serving sets. That was about $300. Then he scooped out what I told him was my favorite tea--apparently a rarer Chinese white tea--which would have been another $100. o_O Yes, it was something like $20 per ounce!
I thanked him for his time, told him I am not really an impulse buyer, and explained that I would need time to think and research. I happen to watch a tech podcast where the host is really into tea. He even took a vacation to China last year just to sample local teas. He really knows his stuff. He recommended a site called Adagio. I read their lessons on tea and found it quite interesting, actually. Here are some of my notes (yes, I took notes):
Tea, properly, comes from the plant Camellia sinesis. There are three components to the plant that make the tea. The essential oils, which give tea its aroma and flavor; the polyphenols, which give tea its astringency and health benefits (which are numerous); and caffeine, which gives an energy boost. Tea comes in many categories, but there are four main families of them: white, green, oolong, and black tea. Each is processed a little differently. Organic materials undergo oxidation, which more or less causes decay. White teas are unprocessed, so they keep their fine white filaments on the leaves--thus the name. They are allowed to oxidize very little, and as a result, are the highest in antioxidants. Green teas are also oxidized very little but undergo a series of steaming, pan-firing, and/or rolling. Oolong teas undergo the same processes and are allowed to oxidize anywhere from 20-80%. And finally black teas are processed like oolong but are allowed to oxidize almost completely. There is also a class commonly referred to as herbal teas, but they aren't technically teas. They are called "tisanes" and are caffeine free. The variety of tisane blends is a bit overwhelming to me right now, but it can be flower, fruit, leaves....whatever can be steeped.
Proper brewing of tea should consist of pure, filtered water. Approximately 2 teaspoons of tea per 6 oz water. The water should be boiling for black, oolong, and herbal teas; about 185 F for green and white teas. Steeping time is about 3-5 minutes for black and oolongs; 2 minutes for green and white teas. I'm not quite sure what these descriptors mean--seems kind of relative--but they note that "delicate" teas can be enjoyed with seafood, salads, and chicken. "Bright" teas are best with meat and spicy foods. "Rich" teas for desserts". And "Pu Erh" teas for digestive and calming effects at the end of the day.
I'm pretty excited to get into this, if the samples I had at the mall were any indication. I'll let you know how the tasting goes when my supplies arrive! I welcome the opportunity to cut back on my caffeine intake, but I don't think I'll quite give up on my "grande white mocha, extra hot, no whip" addiction just yet.
Teavana was a little pricey for me; if I had bought everything the guy wanted to sell me, it would have easily topped $400. They had cast iron pots (that get seasoned with each brew) and matching serving sets. That was about $300. Then he scooped out what I told him was my favorite tea--apparently a rarer Chinese white tea--which would have been another $100. o_O Yes, it was something like $20 per ounce!
I thanked him for his time, told him I am not really an impulse buyer, and explained that I would need time to think and research. I happen to watch a tech podcast where the host is really into tea. He even took a vacation to China last year just to sample local teas. He really knows his stuff. He recommended a site called Adagio. I read their lessons on tea and found it quite interesting, actually. Here are some of my notes (yes, I took notes):
Tea, properly, comes from the plant Camellia sinesis. There are three components to the plant that make the tea. The essential oils, which give tea its aroma and flavor; the polyphenols, which give tea its astringency and health benefits (which are numerous); and caffeine, which gives an energy boost. Tea comes in many categories, but there are four main families of them: white, green, oolong, and black tea. Each is processed a little differently. Organic materials undergo oxidation, which more or less causes decay. White teas are unprocessed, so they keep their fine white filaments on the leaves--thus the name. They are allowed to oxidize very little, and as a result, are the highest in antioxidants. Green teas are also oxidized very little but undergo a series of steaming, pan-firing, and/or rolling. Oolong teas undergo the same processes and are allowed to oxidize anywhere from 20-80%. And finally black teas are processed like oolong but are allowed to oxidize almost completely. There is also a class commonly referred to as herbal teas, but they aren't technically teas. They are called "tisanes" and are caffeine free. The variety of tisane blends is a bit overwhelming to me right now, but it can be flower, fruit, leaves....whatever can be steeped.
Proper brewing of tea should consist of pure, filtered water. Approximately 2 teaspoons of tea per 6 oz water. The water should be boiling for black, oolong, and herbal teas; about 185 F for green and white teas. Steeping time is about 3-5 minutes for black and oolongs; 2 minutes for green and white teas. I'm not quite sure what these descriptors mean--seems kind of relative--but they note that "delicate" teas can be enjoyed with seafood, salads, and chicken. "Bright" teas are best with meat and spicy foods. "Rich" teas for desserts". And "Pu Erh" teas for digestive and calming effects at the end of the day.
I'm pretty excited to get into this, if the samples I had at the mall were any indication. I'll let you know how the tasting goes when my supplies arrive! I welcome the opportunity to cut back on my caffeine intake, but I don't think I'll quite give up on my "grande white mocha, extra hot, no whip" addiction just yet.
Friday, February 4, 2011
A Case for Cutting Cable...Or Not?
I've toyed with the idea of cutting cable and going with an internet-based TV model and wanted to do the numbers on if it would be worth it. Let's face it, the DVR has revolutionized the way we watch TV. It used to be that a station's decision to air a show at a certain time dictated when you had to be home to watch. Now, I know plenty of people who--even if they are home--wait at least 15 minutes into the show so they can fast forward commercials. I'm the same way. The only time I ever see commercials is during live sporting events.
There's a couple of other annoying factors. First is the sporadic breaks that networks take between new episodes. Especially when a show is heavily serialized, like Lost, it is frustrating to have to wait for, say, sweeps month. (That's when ratings dictate how much networks will charge for ads based on viewership.) Some networks heard this cry and the old model of starting the new season in September and running it through May is slowly dying. Shows like "Lost" and "24" began mid-season (January/February) and ran straight through. Networks are also introducing new shows staggered throughout the year. But with a new show, who wants to invest themselves in it and it end up being canceled?
Not only are commercials loud and annoying, but so are the in-show lower third banners. They are becoming downright distracting and obtrusive. I watched three seasons of "Big Bang Theory" on DVD to catch up with the current fourth season. Nice and clean. Just the show. Now that I'm watching live, I'm completely disgusted with the network's self-promoting banner ads. Unfortunately, they are becoming bigger and more frequent BECAUSE we are DVRing and skipping their commercials.
Technology has made it so we have a choice in how and where we view our favorite shows now. The market is still young and in flux, so who knows what this will look like a year from now, even. But here's what I would consider except for a couple of problems. You may think the problem is no DVR, but it's not. I'll refer to it later.
Cut cable. The first thing you can do is watch your local channels in high definition over the air. In fact, that is the best quality you can get. There is no compression from the cable provider. You'll catch a lot of sports, news, etc. Yes, you lose the DVR for shows but just wait on that.
Add Hulu Plus for $7.99/month. This gives you access to limited-ad supported, whole seasons of shows on the major networks. This effectively acts like a DVR. You just have to wait 24 hours before the show is available on Hulu. There's usually 4-5 30 second ads per hour long show. Hulu is expanding where you can watch, instead of just a computer. It's on all game consoles and i-devices. It's also coming to Boxee (a set-top box that allows you to connect to internet "channels" on your TV). $7.99 is a lot easier to swallow than $79.99, huh?
To supplement Hulu, go with Netflix, which begins with a streaming-only plan at $7.99. Netflix is so popular, it accounts for 20% of internet traffic in the US at peak times. That's enormous. I've only recently tried streaming, when it was added to the PS3. I'm watching the entire back-catalog of Stargate SG-1 right now. The first few seasons are only in 4:3 standard definition, so it looks fine on my TV. But when I've tried to watch a 16:9 SD stream, it was awful. I'm very interested to see how HD streaming is going to look. For a few dollars more, you can add disc rental and you gain the ability to watch episodes of a season of your show back-to-back rather than live. Of course, you have to wait months and won't get to talk at the water cooler with your coworkers about what happened on last night's episode. I like to talk about shows, so that is a concern for me, but then again, that's where Hulu comes in. Netflix is for those shows not on Hulu.
Well, now it is time to address the problem I have with this model. Live sports. Obviously, you still have the over-the-air local channels, but there are a lot of sports on cable networks like ESPN and Fox Sports. Well, I see two options right now. 1) Boxee has an ESPN3 channel, which effectively takes care of most of cable's sports. 2) You can buy internet packages for each sport. Some you get the whole season, every team. Others you can pick a few teams. A few examples: Baseball has MLB.TV, which I found for $99.95 for the entire 2011 season. NBA has a package for $64.95 for all season. NHL has one for $119.95 for 40 games/week all season. Unfortunately, the NFL has no internet package due to their exclusive all-access pack with DirecTV.
The quality of the streams would be a concern for me, which is my second problem. Everyone knows I love hockey; it would be a concern for me if the stream was not in HD. But not just that, all of the streams from Hulu or Netflix that aren't available in HD, whereas they are with cable.
So let's look at the cost savings here. That's probably the primary concern. I pay $74 per month for HD cable and $45 for high speed internet with U-Verse. That's $1,428 a year. If we cut the cable and bump up the internet to ensure we get good speed, internet will go to $55 per month. Add $7.99 for Hulu Plus and $11.99 for a one-disc/streaming Netflix plan (with Blu-Ray, of course). That's $899 per year without any sports packs. So savings are $529 or about 34%. However, I would want baseball and hockey, so we have to add in $99.95 and $119.95, bringing my yearly total to $1119.66. That's only saving $309 or 21%.
So now I've written this long blog post to only find out the savings for me is probably not enough to justify what will probably be a loss in quality by streaming across the board. The $309 is arguably worth keeping a DVR, maintaining HD quality, and having the ease of just turning on the cable box. But if you aren't as picky as me about HD quality and don't need the sports packs, you can potentially save a lot of money. Of course, if you don't already own a gaming console that can do these things, you'll have to buy one which will eat into those savings the first time.
This ended up being a pretty indecisive post, but truthfully I was writing it live as I researched. I didn't know how it would turn out when I began it. Turns out, it is probably easier to just keep cable for now. Ha.
There's a couple of other annoying factors. First is the sporadic breaks that networks take between new episodes. Especially when a show is heavily serialized, like Lost, it is frustrating to have to wait for, say, sweeps month. (That's when ratings dictate how much networks will charge for ads based on viewership.) Some networks heard this cry and the old model of starting the new season in September and running it through May is slowly dying. Shows like "Lost" and "24" began mid-season (January/February) and ran straight through. Networks are also introducing new shows staggered throughout the year. But with a new show, who wants to invest themselves in it and it end up being canceled?
Not only are commercials loud and annoying, but so are the in-show lower third banners. They are becoming downright distracting and obtrusive. I watched three seasons of "Big Bang Theory" on DVD to catch up with the current fourth season. Nice and clean. Just the show. Now that I'm watching live, I'm completely disgusted with the network's self-promoting banner ads. Unfortunately, they are becoming bigger and more frequent BECAUSE we are DVRing and skipping their commercials.
Technology has made it so we have a choice in how and where we view our favorite shows now. The market is still young and in flux, so who knows what this will look like a year from now, even. But here's what I would consider except for a couple of problems. You may think the problem is no DVR, but it's not. I'll refer to it later.
Cut cable. The first thing you can do is watch your local channels in high definition over the air. In fact, that is the best quality you can get. There is no compression from the cable provider. You'll catch a lot of sports, news, etc. Yes, you lose the DVR for shows but just wait on that.
Add Hulu Plus for $7.99/month. This gives you access to limited-ad supported, whole seasons of shows on the major networks. This effectively acts like a DVR. You just have to wait 24 hours before the show is available on Hulu. There's usually 4-5 30 second ads per hour long show. Hulu is expanding where you can watch, instead of just a computer. It's on all game consoles and i-devices. It's also coming to Boxee (a set-top box that allows you to connect to internet "channels" on your TV). $7.99 is a lot easier to swallow than $79.99, huh?
To supplement Hulu, go with Netflix, which begins with a streaming-only plan at $7.99. Netflix is so popular, it accounts for 20% of internet traffic in the US at peak times. That's enormous. I've only recently tried streaming, when it was added to the PS3. I'm watching the entire back-catalog of Stargate SG-1 right now. The first few seasons are only in 4:3 standard definition, so it looks fine on my TV. But when I've tried to watch a 16:9 SD stream, it was awful. I'm very interested to see how HD streaming is going to look. For a few dollars more, you can add disc rental and you gain the ability to watch episodes of a season of your show back-to-back rather than live. Of course, you have to wait months and won't get to talk at the water cooler with your coworkers about what happened on last night's episode. I like to talk about shows, so that is a concern for me, but then again, that's where Hulu comes in. Netflix is for those shows not on Hulu.
Well, now it is time to address the problem I have with this model. Live sports. Obviously, you still have the over-the-air local channels, but there are a lot of sports on cable networks like ESPN and Fox Sports. Well, I see two options right now. 1) Boxee has an ESPN3 channel, which effectively takes care of most of cable's sports. 2) You can buy internet packages for each sport. Some you get the whole season, every team. Others you can pick a few teams. A few examples: Baseball has MLB.TV, which I found for $99.95 for the entire 2011 season. NBA has a package for $64.95 for all season. NHL has one for $119.95 for 40 games/week all season. Unfortunately, the NFL has no internet package due to their exclusive all-access pack with DirecTV.
The quality of the streams would be a concern for me, which is my second problem. Everyone knows I love hockey; it would be a concern for me if the stream was not in HD. But not just that, all of the streams from Hulu or Netflix that aren't available in HD, whereas they are with cable.
So let's look at the cost savings here. That's probably the primary concern. I pay $74 per month for HD cable and $45 for high speed internet with U-Verse. That's $1,428 a year. If we cut the cable and bump up the internet to ensure we get good speed, internet will go to $55 per month. Add $7.99 for Hulu Plus and $11.99 for a one-disc/streaming Netflix plan (with Blu-Ray, of course). That's $899 per year without any sports packs. So savings are $529 or about 34%. However, I would want baseball and hockey, so we have to add in $99.95 and $119.95, bringing my yearly total to $1119.66. That's only saving $309 or 21%.
So now I've written this long blog post to only find out the savings for me is probably not enough to justify what will probably be a loss in quality by streaming across the board. The $309 is arguably worth keeping a DVR, maintaining HD quality, and having the ease of just turning on the cable box. But if you aren't as picky as me about HD quality and don't need the sports packs, you can potentially save a lot of money. Of course, if you don't already own a gaming console that can do these things, you'll have to buy one which will eat into those savings the first time.
This ended up being a pretty indecisive post, but truthfully I was writing it live as I researched. I didn't know how it would turn out when I began it. Turns out, it is probably easier to just keep cable for now. Ha.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thoughts on the Semester
I think everyone knows by now that I had to take some extra classes this semester due to an instructor canceling on me right before the semester began. Well the hellacious semester is over. Still have some grading to catch up on but the teaching is done. Never again. Yah, I have a pretty easy job otherwise and love its flexibility, but I think that was overcompensated this semester. After it is all done, it'll be worth it because of the things I was able to do with the extra income (i.e. backyard project, new Mac). It was also, without a doubt, the fastest semester I've experienced.
Well along the way, there are always ups and downs. And the downs this time were REALLY down. For example, I had to withdraw several students for non-attendance and in return was accused of discrimination and prejudice and was called (and I quote) cold, callous, unapproachable, and arrogant. Some of the decisions were admittedly tough to make, but a policy is a policy and I can't judge who it will apply to and who is excused. But why does one student respond that way and another come and say "thank you; I've made the changes needed and it won't happen again"? That was a really low point in my career. There's always those few students, too, who make it interesting. They just don't seem to get it and you wonder what in the world they are doing--and how they got--there.
Take my A&P I online class. I started out with 10 and I'm going to end up with 4. FOUR! And when we met in person for lab, I just felt like we had this huge disconnect. It was a zombie room. I'd go in and give instructions, ask for questions (there'd be none), and the students would work in silence. No interaction online either. Never had quite such a disconnected group before. And it bothered me.
My A&P II online class was refreshingly one of the best groups I've ever had. For the most part, they worked steadily and showed up! I probably had the best connection with them out of the five sections of classes I taught this semester.
My Chemistry online class was pretty typical. This is a tough course to do online. I typically see about a 50% retention and that was the case this time as well. I struggle to get students to interact with me online. It wasn't just this group; that's been pretty typical and I'm trying to figure out what to do about it. To encourage questions BEFORE homework is due and as they study.
Those classes are what I typically teach. The two extra sections I had to take were classroom chemistry sections. Haven't been in a classroom in a few years. I started out with 30 and ended up with 18. The reasons for the drop rate ranged from absences to personal reasons. These sections were a lot of work. I think for the most part we all got along, even though we got off to a shaky start. (I remember saying something the first day I later regretted and apologized for the next class, but it apparently stuck with some of the students.) So no real complaints here.
But I guess the biggest thing that bothers me is the reputation I apparently have among students. And it is a negative one. I think there are two reasons for it. 1. I'm tough. Won't apologize for that. 2. I need to work on my sarcastic humor and empathy.
To speak to #1: I'm pretty easy to get along with. I balance that with high expectations of hard work and timeliness. When those expectations aren't met, then I have a no tolerance policy. I will come down hard. I do so out of the desire to make the most disciplined and dedicated life-long learners. If someone wants to cast me in a negative light because of that, then so be it. I want to make the best health care providers possible and I'm unapologetic and won't compromise in that regard. I do get it, believe it or not, that life happens sometime. Yes I believe I can work on my empathy and will but we have to push on and sometimes tough decisions must be made on my part or the student's. If they can't get childcare or are ill or have family issues...well enough of those happen and the student just needs to consider trying the semester again later when things calm down for them. As I said, I can't be the judge of what is excusable or not. An absence is an absence.
To #2: I've been told I have a pretty dry sense of humor. (I know, you are saying right about now "you think?") Those students who I have the best relationships with say that people just have to understand me. What *I* need to understand is that everyone isn't going to get me. I admittedly can become quickly sarcastic when students ask questions about matters that I have already given instructions. While I do maintain a high level of expectation (see point #1), I think I can respond in a better tone. I also teach Socratically, so the manner in which I respond in that pedagogy can use some adjusting so as not to come off so sarcastically. I also know that when students come with an excuse of absence, I could be more empathetic in that moment while holding to the school's policies.
I'm taking a look at my course policies to make adjustments while still maintaining a proper level of work and attendance for students. These are going to be our health care workers, after all! And I don't know if I should have done this or not, but I was personally affected by things this semester, so I posted a personal message in each of my courses. I said much of what I did above (some parts word-for-word) and asked for feedback. We'll see what happens...
Unfortunately, a reputation can be annihilated in an instant and take years to recover. It's not so much that I care what students think of me--I'm not there to be friends--but it does matter to me that they feel like they can take my classes and when they do, they can come to me. (If nothing else, I need my classes to make, or I'm screwed financially.)
So that was a long and public expression of what's on my mind. No real point other than for me to get it out and not bottle it up.
Well along the way, there are always ups and downs. And the downs this time were REALLY down. For example, I had to withdraw several students for non-attendance and in return was accused of discrimination and prejudice and was called (and I quote) cold, callous, unapproachable, and arrogant. Some of the decisions were admittedly tough to make, but a policy is a policy and I can't judge who it will apply to and who is excused. But why does one student respond that way and another come and say "thank you; I've made the changes needed and it won't happen again"? That was a really low point in my career. There's always those few students, too, who make it interesting. They just don't seem to get it and you wonder what in the world they are doing--and how they got--there.
Take my A&P I online class. I started out with 10 and I'm going to end up with 4. FOUR! And when we met in person for lab, I just felt like we had this huge disconnect. It was a zombie room. I'd go in and give instructions, ask for questions (there'd be none), and the students would work in silence. No interaction online either. Never had quite such a disconnected group before. And it bothered me.
My A&P II online class was refreshingly one of the best groups I've ever had. For the most part, they worked steadily and showed up! I probably had the best connection with them out of the five sections of classes I taught this semester.
My Chemistry online class was pretty typical. This is a tough course to do online. I typically see about a 50% retention and that was the case this time as well. I struggle to get students to interact with me online. It wasn't just this group; that's been pretty typical and I'm trying to figure out what to do about it. To encourage questions BEFORE homework is due and as they study.
Those classes are what I typically teach. The two extra sections I had to take were classroom chemistry sections. Haven't been in a classroom in a few years. I started out with 30 and ended up with 18. The reasons for the drop rate ranged from absences to personal reasons. These sections were a lot of work. I think for the most part we all got along, even though we got off to a shaky start. (I remember saying something the first day I later regretted and apologized for the next class, but it apparently stuck with some of the students.) So no real complaints here.
But I guess the biggest thing that bothers me is the reputation I apparently have among students. And it is a negative one. I think there are two reasons for it. 1. I'm tough. Won't apologize for that. 2. I need to work on my sarcastic humor and empathy.
To speak to #1: I'm pretty easy to get along with. I balance that with high expectations of hard work and timeliness. When those expectations aren't met, then I have a no tolerance policy. I will come down hard. I do so out of the desire to make the most disciplined and dedicated life-long learners. If someone wants to cast me in a negative light because of that, then so be it. I want to make the best health care providers possible and I'm unapologetic and won't compromise in that regard. I do get it, believe it or not, that life happens sometime. Yes I believe I can work on my empathy and will but we have to push on and sometimes tough decisions must be made on my part or the student's. If they can't get childcare or are ill or have family issues...well enough of those happen and the student just needs to consider trying the semester again later when things calm down for them. As I said, I can't be the judge of what is excusable or not. An absence is an absence.
To #2: I've been told I have a pretty dry sense of humor. (I know, you are saying right about now "you think?") Those students who I have the best relationships with say that people just have to understand me. What *I* need to understand is that everyone isn't going to get me. I admittedly can become quickly sarcastic when students ask questions about matters that I have already given instructions. While I do maintain a high level of expectation (see point #1), I think I can respond in a better tone. I also teach Socratically, so the manner in which I respond in that pedagogy can use some adjusting so as not to come off so sarcastically. I also know that when students come with an excuse of absence, I could be more empathetic in that moment while holding to the school's policies.
I'm taking a look at my course policies to make adjustments while still maintaining a proper level of work and attendance for students. These are going to be our health care workers, after all! And I don't know if I should have done this or not, but I was personally affected by things this semester, so I posted a personal message in each of my courses. I said much of what I did above (some parts word-for-word) and asked for feedback. We'll see what happens...
Unfortunately, a reputation can be annihilated in an instant and take years to recover. It's not so much that I care what students think of me--I'm not there to be friends--but it does matter to me that they feel like they can take my classes and when they do, they can come to me. (If nothing else, I need my classes to make, or I'm screwed financially.)
So that was a long and public expression of what's on my mind. No real point other than for me to get it out and not bottle it up.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
NaNoWriMo
MANY years ago, when I was involved in the student ministry at my church, we would regularly make silly videos. We spoofed Monty Python and the Matrix at the highlight of our film-making. I then wrote a silly script based on Lord of the Rings that we were going to do. But due to circumstances I won't go into here, it never happened.
Well, every year about this time--namely November--National Novel Writing Month occurs. I've written about it before and have always wanted to participate but never have. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in November. Well I took the script that has been gathering virtual dust and turned it into a book. I'll be the first to say it really sucks. Just looking over it...it's awful. The characterizations are tripe and as superficial as can be. And in some places, I felt like I got too preachy. The "battles" are horribly written. Enough criticism, though. The point was to write 50,000 words, draft quality. I made it to 51,928. That's something like 95 pages in Word (although I'm using a Mac program called Scrivener.) You can check out how I did over the month.
To be honest, I don't think I'll go back and fix it up. And I'm so unhappy with it, I don't even know that I'll finish it. BUT...I did meet the goal and wanted to share that victory. So yay me! However awful it is, I wrote my first novel.
Well, every year about this time--namely November--National Novel Writing Month occurs. I've written about it before and have always wanted to participate but never have. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in November. Well I took the script that has been gathering virtual dust and turned it into a book. I'll be the first to say it really sucks. Just looking over it...it's awful. The characterizations are tripe and as superficial as can be. And in some places, I felt like I got too preachy. The "battles" are horribly written. Enough criticism, though. The point was to write 50,000 words, draft quality. I made it to 51,928. That's something like 95 pages in Word (although I'm using a Mac program called Scrivener.) You can check out how I did over the month.
To be honest, I don't think I'll go back and fix it up. And I'm so unhappy with it, I don't even know that I'll finish it. BUT...I did meet the goal and wanted to share that victory. So yay me! However awful it is, I wrote my first novel.
Monday, November 22, 2010
TSA: Privacy vs. Security
I'm not exactly what you would call an activist, but these past few weeks, we have been inundated by stories of the TSA's inhumane practices while completing searches to insure we can all travel safely. I hope all the media attention causes some kind of action. There's got to be a better way. The people who work for TSA have got to be more caring. They cannot have omnipotent powers. Take these few examples from the last weeks alone:
1. Full body scanners are becoming more regular as a screening process. But how invasive are they when they come to your privacy, you know, down there? Well hundreds of photos were leaked out recently in a completely embarrassing breach of security in the TSA's databases. Story link
2. A man who must wear a urine bag under his clothing was selected for pat-down. He informed the agents about the bag, but they uncaringly patted him down anyway with no regard to his medical condition. The sensitive equipment attached to his body was damaged and he was forced to board his plane soaked in his own urine. Story link
3. A personal friend said he eye-witnessed a veteran with a war injury set off the metal detectors. He was "treated terribly" by the TSA agent.
4. A woman who survived breast cancer was made to take off her prosthetic in view of the public. Story link
5. A young boy was strip searched in front of the public, even after not setting off the metal detectors. An on-looker recorded the incident and was subsequently followed by TSA agents in the airport until he boarded his plane. Story link
A week or so ago, new policies went into effect. You either get a nude full body-xray scan or you get groped. President Obama has told the public that these measures are necessary to ensure the public's safety. Don't get me wrong, I want to travel safely! But this is an abuse of federally mandated powers by the TSA. The TSA Chief gave some PR nonsense this morning about their procedures. I don't fly often and I honestly don't know why this has me so unsettled. Things like this usually roll off my back. Heck, I'm probably going to get black-listed for this post. But it really is a frustrating thing to see such people as those who served our country and those who have battled cancer be treated in such a way by apathetic workers, who at the heart of their duty, are supposed to have the greatest concern for our well-being.
1. Full body scanners are becoming more regular as a screening process. But how invasive are they when they come to your privacy, you know, down there? Well hundreds of photos were leaked out recently in a completely embarrassing breach of security in the TSA's databases. Story link
2. A man who must wear a urine bag under his clothing was selected for pat-down. He informed the agents about the bag, but they uncaringly patted him down anyway with no regard to his medical condition. The sensitive equipment attached to his body was damaged and he was forced to board his plane soaked in his own urine. Story link
3. A personal friend said he eye-witnessed a veteran with a war injury set off the metal detectors. He was "treated terribly" by the TSA agent.
4. A woman who survived breast cancer was made to take off her prosthetic in view of the public. Story link
5. A young boy was strip searched in front of the public, even after not setting off the metal detectors. An on-looker recorded the incident and was subsequently followed by TSA agents in the airport until he boarded his plane. Story link
A week or so ago, new policies went into effect. You either get a nude full body-xray scan or you get groped. President Obama has told the public that these measures are necessary to ensure the public's safety. Don't get me wrong, I want to travel safely! But this is an abuse of federally mandated powers by the TSA. The TSA Chief gave some PR nonsense this morning about their procedures. I don't fly often and I honestly don't know why this has me so unsettled. Things like this usually roll off my back. Heck, I'm probably going to get black-listed for this post. But it really is a frustrating thing to see such people as those who served our country and those who have battled cancer be treated in such a way by apathetic workers, who at the heart of their duty, are supposed to have the greatest concern for our well-being.
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