Earth below us, drifting, falling~
Bleh, grading break.
Aside from the sanity gap between undergrads and grads, there is one more gap that I'd not really thought about until now: the grade gap. My students keep track of their grades, want updates on them, even ask about assignments where the grade is, basically, "give it to me for points!" Whereas you get to graduate school--hell, even upper division classes--and your grade is essentially based on a couple of things throughout the semester, and you sorta keep track of that knowledge in your head. Thus, there's a bit of necessary translation between that mindset and the students' mindset...which I really need to get better at.
Also, there's that whole thing where they have no idea how painful grading is. Possibly because it wouldn't be painful for them. It tempts me to try in-class grading, like we used to do in AP Bio, but I dunno if I have the class time for it.
Anyways. Aside from bitching about grading, I would like to bitch about how the Internet has failed me.
See, earlier today, cavalaxis tweeted lyrics from Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)." I was all WAIWAI! I love that song, I wish I still had it! Oh, I know, I'll go buy it!
Except you can't get the regular 80s version in English on Amazon. Or iTunes. Or YouTube. Or Imeem. I finally dug it up on Ye Olde Random Video site (metacafe) and keep hitting the repeat button for my fix, but frankly, 'Tubes, this is ridiculous. I realize it was the early 80s, but it was a top 20 song in the US and a number one elsewhere, you'd think I could find the frickin' version I'm looking for. I mean, I've satisfied my Billy Joe Royal craving by MP3, and he was from much earlier. GRR. SNAP. FNARR. RAR. etcetcetc
--meh. I need a stimulant somewhere between caffeine and meth to get through the rest of this. I've heard that Red Bull is a wonder, but I fear for my ability to sleep on class nights anyways.
Aside from the sanity gap between undergrads and grads, there is one more gap that I'd not really thought about until now: the grade gap. My students keep track of their grades, want updates on them, even ask about assignments where the grade is, basically, "give it to me for points!" Whereas you get to graduate school--hell, even upper division classes--and your grade is essentially based on a couple of things throughout the semester, and you sorta keep track of that knowledge in your head. Thus, there's a bit of necessary translation between that mindset and the students' mindset...which I really need to get better at.
Also, there's that whole thing where they have no idea how painful grading is. Possibly because it wouldn't be painful for them. It tempts me to try in-class grading, like we used to do in AP Bio, but I dunno if I have the class time for it.
Anyways. Aside from bitching about grading, I would like to bitch about how the Internet has failed me.
See, earlier today, cavalaxis tweeted lyrics from Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)." I was all WAIWAI! I love that song, I wish I still had it! Oh, I know, I'll go buy it!
Except you can't get the regular 80s version in English on Amazon. Or iTunes. Or YouTube. Or Imeem. I finally dug it up on Ye Olde Random Video site (metacafe) and keep hitting the repeat button for my fix, but frankly, 'Tubes, this is ridiculous. I realize it was the early 80s, but it was a top 20 song in the US and a number one elsewhere, you'd think I could find the frickin' version I'm looking for. I mean, I've satisfied my Billy Joe Royal craving by MP3, and he was from much earlier. GRR. SNAP. FNARR. RAR. etcetcetc
--meh. I need a stimulant somewhere between caffeine and meth to get through the rest of this. I've heard that Red Bull is a wonder, but I fear for my ability to sleep on class nights anyways.