Quotes from work

[rivka]

The problem, as always, is in translating what we know works from research into what is actually achieved in the classroom environment.

This I agree with.

[Jonathon]

From one of my friends at the Church Office Building:

of all the words I expect to hear while working in the COB, vulva wasn't one of them

[rivka]

*snicker*

[Annie Subjunctive]

From one of my friends at the Church Office Building:

of all the words I expect to hear while working in the COB, vulva wasn't one of them

I get a lot of interesting ones from my hidden cubicle next to the elevators, but haven't heard that one yet. Today was talk of an R2 unit with a bad motivator. Yesterday was a girl singing the "folk song" from Mockingjay that was then in my head the rest of the day.

[Jonathon]

Focus for a moment on the rhythm of his lines. Notice how many words are in each line. In the first verse, there are seven words in each line, but in the second verse there are six words in each line. Now count the syllables in each line. When I first examined the rhythm in this poem, I was amazed. Despite the different word counts, the number of syllables in each line remains the same.

Wow! That really is amazing! Who ever could have guessed that a good poet could keep the same syllable count in every line of metered verse?

[rivka]

Amazing indeed.

[Jonathon]

Then the instructor talks about how she often gets poems like this from students:

My dog Brandy,
Is often handy
When people come to prowl
Brandy starts to howl.
She also is quite sweet
And sits beside my feet
Making me feel love
More than a mourning dove

Yes, the above lines do make up a poem, and the lines rhyme and have rhythm, but because the poet focused so much on the rhyming and the rhythmic elements of the poem, the word choice lacks power.

The lines have rhythm? If herky-jerky is a rhythm, I guess.

[dkw]

I took a poetry writing class in undergrad.  The instructor very much favored "rhythm" over meter. She couldn't actually define rhythm for us, but apparently knew it when she saw it.  She claimed that traditional poetic forms were too restrictive for down to earth poems that connected to real life. They're only good for floaty, ethereal stuff.

[Jonathon]

*sigh*

Meter is really not hard. I don't get why even English teachers don't understand it.

[Tante Shvester]

In a dispute between two nursing home residents, one in her 90's and one in her 70's: "I'm old enough to be your mother!"  "Oh?  Then act your age!"

[Brinestone]

That's awesome!

[Jonathon]

Therefore, students who apply themselves will be able to demonstrate competence in the following areas:

• The ability to demonstrate an understanding of the foundational or factual information essential for a basic understanding of LDS scripture, doctrine and history.

So students should have the ability to demonstrate competence in the ability to demonstrate an understanding? Got it.

[rivka]

 

[BlackBlade]

*barf*

[Annie Subjunctive]

It all started when researchers said that educational objectives need to be actions. So now people try really hard to make vague nothingness sound like an action.

[pooka]

I competenced that.

[Jonathon]

Are the following instructions clear?

Complete the following reading assignments from The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World:
1.   “Preface” (ix–x)
   “The Ecology of Magic” (3–29)
2.   “Philosophy on the Way to Ecology” (31–53, 57)
3.   “Philosophy on the Way to Ecology” (62–72 (top))
   “The Flesh of Language” (86–89)
   “Time, Space, and the Eclipse of the Earth” (181–84 (top))
4.   “Time, Space, and the Eclipse of the Earth” (201–23)
   “The Forgetting and Remembering of the Air” (225–27, 258–60)
For each of the four reading assignments listed above . . .

The original had "Read the following chapters" instead of "Complete the following reading assignments", and the editor was confused about the numbering system. I think it solves the problem if I make it clear up front that each numbered item is a reading assignment, even if it contains multiple sections of text.

[dkw]

Sadly, I have to say no.  Students will not correctly interpret those instructions.

[Jonathon]

Any suggestions? I considered having something like this:

Complete the following reading assignments from The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World:
1. Reading assignment 1
     • Preface (ix–x)
     • “The Ecology of Magic” (3–29)
2. Reading assignment 2
     • blah blah

Does that help?

[rivka]

I think it does.

[Jonathon]

Okay, thanks. It's a bit of a pain because lists in Word are the devil, but I'll manage somehow.

[dkw]

How about moving the instructions to the top, making it "For each of the four assignments below read the selections and . . . "

Then you can list them the first way.

[Jonathon]

I can't remember how lengthy the instructions that follow the list are. I'll have to look at it again tomorrow. Maybe I'll talk it over with the instructional designer too and see if she's got any ideas.

[Jonathon]

How about moving the instructions to the top, making it "For each of the four assignments below read the selections and . . . "

Then you can list them the first way.

I just looked at it again, and I don't think that would work. The instructions that follow are kind of long, so I think it might confuse students to see "assignments below" and then not see the list right away.

[dkw]

Are the four assignments for separate weeks?  I'm having trouble understanding why it's four assignments instead of one assignment or eight reading assignments. I get that the later instructions group the selections for whatever comes next, but "four reading assignments" seems really weird to me. If it is for separate weeks or days, how about labeling them "Day one" Day two" etc., and using "For each day's reading assignment . . . "