posted by YourName on Monday, November 12, 2007, 4:20 PM
This week is THE lab test week.
For the past few hours I have done nothing but to counteract possible misbehavours in the coming lab test. These, I concluded, stem from the brilliant idea of notebook teaching+learning. Everyone uses their own notebook computer during the class, and of course THE lab test! Everyone has access to wiressless network, which is undeniably essential when over-reliance on online materials including test questions has been highly stated. No more campus computers and so as farewelll to all the OS administrative skills I mugged from BackOffice books to gain FULL control of the LAN in my lab.
So I was euphoric for quite a while with the brilliant counteracting method I came up with. Same test question but divided into modular sections. Resequence the sections to produce different combinations of outcomes. Marking is easy, just check the correct sequence happening one after another. Copying is easy, everyone knows that. But modifying it to the RIGHT sequence requires skills and time. If one can thrive it within the limited time - of course deserve the marks even it is a copied+modified one.... sounded perfect.
It is still a good+working idea but creating the documents for the various versions, checking them, authorising them to correct names for all 40 students can truely suck the life right out of you.....
My eyes are burning.
My butts hurt because I've been sitting too long.
Note from a passer-by: (who has just conducted his own lab test)
(good thing not my module): much disappointment!
Note to self: you are doing the RIGHT thing. Passion. Conviction. Keep going....
2 Comments:
dun stop blogging man ... looking forward for your post :)
cheers,
elisha dcpe
Nice to meet u here! How r u? Hope u have been enjoying your vacation. Will be nice to meet your class again :)
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posted by YourName on Saturday, November 10, 2007, 9:42 PM
This is definitely one of the coolest illusions I have ever seen.
Follow the instructions below:
1) Relax and concentrate on the 4 small dots in the middle of the picture for about 20 seconds
2) Then, take a look at a wall near you (any smooth, single-coloured surface wall)
3) You will see a circle of light developing
4) Blink your eyes a few times and you will see a figure appearing ...
5) What did you see? Who did you see?
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posted by YourName on Friday, November 9, 2007, 5:12 PM
Ran a make-up lesson for: 40
Turned up number: 21
Voice volume equivalent: 100000000000!
They are just an interesting bunch! They have the strange capability of draining your energy by constantly talking in FULL volume, making you spending extra time+energy+voice to draw their attention at every single step of the lesson, pushing you till you almost quit, and then suddently fill you with joy by showing their learning and finally thanking you sweetly before making their way out of the room at the end of the lesson....
Many lecturers teaching them have this emotional 'roller-coaster' ride everytime. When asked how they feel about this class? "Surely they are chatty but they are okay, occasionally sweet, smart ......"
Have you ever had an experience: feeling grateful even after you have been tortured?
That is it. Exactly. No doubt about it.
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posted by YourName on Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 5:47 PM
Same room, T12310. But a totally different experience.
There was this tall guy. The moment I walked into the classroom, he declared that he has not been attending class for 'quite some time' and does not know 'what to do'.
I thought to myself, "This is week#7. Schedules, among other information for the module, have been posted online for more than 2 months now."
"Check the BlackBoard(online) yourself," I replied instinctively.
He fiddled on his keyboard for a while and came again, "Where? Cannot find leh..."
Positive energy depleted a little. "Another typical no-know-where-what guy." I thought to myself.
I looked at the rest of the class. Some were moving in extraordinary slow motion. Turning towards the computer, opening their bags and visually scouting around for clues of what they should do....
After a moment of hesitation, I outlined possible strategies for the lesson - they have to decide on one. The test is just two weeks away. Someone made a brilliant suggestion -go through the lecture PPT again, even though this is supposed to be a practical - and it started the ball rolling. Miraculously, everyone suddenly picked up. We actually barely touched on the PPT. Most parts of the lesson were done with the white board. In the next 20mins, I saw many heads nodding in consent whenever a key concept was summarised. I heard responses almost immediately after a question was posted..... Many doubts were cleared. Many relevant questions were asked, and resolved!
What can I say about them?
After the short lecture, everyone went on with their own works. Then, the tall guy came up to me. With notes and diagrams neatly written and drawn on papers, he politely confirmed a few key concepts with me. He actually managed to catch up with stuff that were being taught (by another lecturer) over the many weeks that he had missed!
"I am so effective!" A feeling of triumph overwhelmed me.
And then, he gently drew out a green form.....
It was his LOA (leave of absent) form. He had missed many lessons for valid reasons.
Instantly, the feeling of triumph vanished completely! Instead, the sense of guilt multiples rapidly. I suddenly realised what he meant by not been attending class for 'quite some time' and does not know 'what to do'....
I have failed, after a successful lesson.
I have failed to understand my student before I judge!
Thank you, tall guy. More appropriately, thank you, teacher!
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posted by YourName on Monday, November 5, 2007, 4:44 PM
Deliberately arrived 8 mins after the scheduled time to meet the group of smarties again this morning after a week's break, only to realise that many were still 'on the way'.
Not really a surprising sight anymore, after immersing here for 8 years. Morning 8am lesson is no new problem. The morning rain escalated the toughness a little. But the element of these smarty students perfected it to a complete full-blown challenge!
A 2-hour play slowly unfolded. Directed and dictated, all by them, the smarty students.
For every tutorial question that I put forward for discussion, they effortlessly plowed me back to 'ground-zero', the beginning of the respective topic and watched me repeating every bit of the content that I had delivered, just a week ago.
Interestingly, their plot went in nested manner. The subsequent tutorial questions triggered more nested repeat broadcast of the previous questions....I couldn't help but to think that these smarty students must have had overdose from their programming courses - nested loops!
Loops of repeat broadcast. Every repetition called for further repetitions......
After the lesson, on way out of Room T12310 - I found myself renaming it - the Chamber of Torture!
2 Comments:
Hahaha.. nice post Queen! :) Love it..
Thanks!
Have read through your blogs too.
Envy!
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For the critter!
shasha, at
December 28, 2007 at 1:11 AM
