Let's see, that's 5 questions x 11 quizzes x 25 students x 3 classes (just for my 1318 classes). That makes 4,125 open-ended answers. Then, there are 6 questions x 15 quizzes x 25 students x 4 classes (my 1311 classes). That makes 9,000 open-ended answers. Add them together and that makes 13,125 quiz answers to grade! ACK! Maybe I didn't wanna know that. :-) Fortunately, most of their answers are (literally) copied word for word from the definitions in the book and they go by very quickly. But my goodness! Thirteen thousand??? What do I think I'm doing??? I know what I'm doing NEXT! I'm revising THAT particular system! LOL Especially since that doesn't EVEN include term papers, discussions, and other activities. Fun, fun, fun! Wheee! Truly, though, I love my job. And I've finally reached my dream of teaching online.
Speaking of teaching online. That's another remarkable statistic. With the exception of an exam question that I re-did in class, I've not exchanged a single paper with ANY of my students. Everything they do is online, even for the face-to-face classes. They turn all of their assignments, quizzes, exams, and papers in online and I grade them there. That has several advantages: they can see their grades and my feedback "instantly" rather than having to wait for me to return them in the next class meeting (that is to say, WHEN I've gotten them graded); they can take their quizzes and exams at a time that's convenient for them; I don't have to use up class time for those assessments; and I can use an online plagiarism checker for the essays. I LIKE this system. It saves both paper and the distribution of germs.
Next semester (Spring 2010), I'll be driving back out to Rio Grande City's campus again two days a week, Mondays and Wednesdays. I'll start out there at 1 pm and finish at 6:50 pm, so I'll be home around 8. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I'll teach one class at 1 pm and teach one online class. Three at Starr County, one at Pecan, and one online makes five classes. Add to that the possibility that I may be doing a special assignment to help promote the theatre program in exchange for two course overloads, and I should be having a pretty nice spring semester. For those of you who remember my driving to Starr County last year, I was assigned to teach out there in the fall semester, I was given three classes in a row followed by a break, and then taught a fourth class all on the same day. I figured out that when it was my turn to take another rotation to Starr County, if I asked for the spring semester instead of the fall semester, I'd have more semester breaks than during the fall semester. The fall semester doesn't have any breaks between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, but the spring semester has both Spring Break AND Easter break (which is now called "semester break" - phooey!). In any case, it'll make bearing that burden a bit easier when there are a few breaks.
I get to travel again this fall. In two weeks I go to Chicago for the National Communication Association (NCA) convention. I went to this last year in San Diego and the weather was quite moderate. We'll see what Chicago in November has to offer. So far it looks like the temps have been in the mid-40s, but that could change with a single cold front. Good thing I bought a new coat this year. :-)
Zachary had his fall concert a few weeks ago where they performed Faure's Requiem. Doesn't he look handsome?
I go back to the urologist tomorrow for my six-week follow up appointment where I expect to find out the composition of the kidney stones I had. Other than that, I don't know what else that visit will be about because he released me six weeks ago with the advice of making sure I drink plenty of water.
Signing off for now,
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