Finished!

Except for posting the grades in Compass...

I just finished reading the worst set of essays I've ever read.  It's as though they universally forgot everything I told them about writing essays--no thesis statements (or lame ones), no proofreading--you name it.  And I told them that.  I believe in truth.  And I let them know why I thought that, too.

Well, at least I'm done for now.  I don't have any more papers to grade for the semester. 

After I post the grades, I'm going to write for a while, maybe take a nap, maybe bake some banana bread.  I don't know.  I think I'll just wait a while before I jump into the "getting ready for next semester" mode, though I did sneak into that yesterday in a desperate attempt to NOT grade those essays.

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Yesterday, I did manage to grade an entire set of finals for my Intro to Fiction class.  That was one of the best classes this semester.  My students were funny.  I always have to overcome the "I don't think fiction is important" mentality--a challenge--before we get down to business.  By the end of this semester, though, some of my students were writing 14-page papers (and they're not English majors!); they still need help with thesis statements, but at least they're thinking and developing opinions.  And they'll disagree with me and one another, which is fine as long as they can support their ideas.

I'm just ready for a break.  Teaching five classes--four of them writing classes--is not a picnic.  I taught a freshman comp & lit course online for the first time this semester and that was a challenge, too, though I automated most of the quizzes so I didn't have to grade a ton of papers--just a couple of writing assignments each week.

In the spring, I'm going in two days a week (I hope that doesn't change), and teaching two on line classes; in the fall, if I get the freshman comp (part 1) on line, I'll be prepping four classes and teaching three on line.  I must be crazy.

I do like teaching on line, but I like face-to-face interactions, too.  On line teaching allows me the freedom to work from home, but I like seeing my students and talking with them.  If I could only get more of them to use Skype, that would be good. 

Well, time for more coffee and to tackle a novel.  Later....

Slouching into Podcasting

I'll admit I'm a bit of a geek.  But I've had some trouble getting interested in podcasting.  Late last night, though, as I was trying to work out strategies for my latest online classes, I took a tour of the Internet and discovered a site called WildVoice Studio.

The software they offer is free to download, and they also offer space on their site to upload podcasts and make them available to anyone who wants to listen to them.  I've recorded two lectures for my freshman composition and literature class, and recorded them badly, but I'm learning how to use music and sound clips.  I can record my presentations for my podcasts and take that MP3 file, turn on my Dragon Naturally Speaking software, play the file, and automatically "type" a lecture I've already posted.  That way, my students can have an audio and text copy of my lecture.

I'm still a little new to this podcasting game, but I think, if I can get organized, I'll be able to learn what I need to know to do more professional podcasts.  My English 115 class online will be my guinea pigs.  I hope they don't mind.

More Car Stuff

The new tires are great. The ride has been smoother, but the noise level has not.

Around Monday of this week, I started hearing a knocking noise. Of course, since I know nothing about cars, I begin to think "brake shoes," "struts," "ball joints," "rod." This only started after the guys installed the new tires, so another logical jump was, "Something's loose around one of the wheels." If I went less than 20 mph, I didn't hear a noise, but, the minute I accelerated, there it was. The noise was incredibly deafening and nerve-wracking.

So, today after class, I took the car back over to Gateway. Turns out, one of the brake shields was loose and knocking about. They fixed it for free (thank you!), and the ride home was so much quieter!

I love technology--cars, lawn mowers, iPods, computers--but I just wish it was easier to deal with. When desktop computers first came out, the user had to do everything. I sometimes wish I still had that level of control. Same with my car. Now that everything runs via computer, one glitch and I'm stuck. I hate being that dependent on strangers; forget Blanche DuBois in "Streetcar Named Desire" ("I have always relied on the kindness of strangers."). It's a nice sentiment, but I'm too suspicious and/or cynical. Most people are not going to help you because they want to. They'll help you if they get something for it. That's not everyone, of course; I know enough to not generalize. But the altruistic person (not to mention, business) is hard to find.