Slightly bothered...
As most of you might not know, I'm currently a Teaching Assistant for a class. I've gone out of my time to set up a website (through U of M) so that I can post lectures, assignments, announcements and have students post messages if they have questions... which I think is crucial to help students understand course materials better and to assist them with any problems that they have. However, I'm wanting to know if these kinds of messages are considered rude or it's just that the Internet is making me read this student's thoughts and emotions wrong and I'm perceiving things the WRONG way (internet messages send bad messages when typed out)
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Student A:
I just want to confirm. We must have 3 entries in our journal that are not assignments correct?
Me:
I'm not quite understanding your question, but I'm going to assume that you are confused about journal entries vs. assignments.
Journal entries are the assignments. They are questions that you have to respond and reflect on in your journal. Some may require more research than others, but they are essentially assignments for this course.
Student B:
i think i may undestand what you are asking. My assumption is; you may have gotten confused with the length of the assigned journal entries which are to be three pages. The assigned journal entries are the assignments that have been given in class. If you wish i would assume you would be allowed to go out of range on your assigned journal entries and enter your own, as it is a personal journal.
anywho.. hope this helped.
Student C:
{I find this a funny reply...} You are confused youngins!
Student D:
{This is the student that I'm not reading properly...}
I agree, however, you are not helping.
Instead of people asking convoluted questions and getting convoluted answers in response, I propose that we get a proper outline for whatever the criteria is that the assignments are graded upon. I am kind of tired of all this here-say garbage. It gets confusing and occassionaly plants a seed in your brain that might eventually get you thinking is true without you even knowing it! There are many contradictory messages being thrown around and it might be easier if there was an announcement made that sets things straight once and for all!
Now, to my question:
Assignment 1;
Is it 3 or 4 journal entries? I am confused as to whether or not we simply received journal #4 (re: 1 architect, 1 landscape architect) early and it is for handing in Assignment #2.
What is the criteria we are graded on with regard to the assignments? Are we soley graded on our ability to convey our understanding of design and our passion for it? Are we graded on grammar or punctuation? I may be saying this kind of late, but it is all kind of wishy-washy...
Me:
Not to sound rude, but this question should have been brought up in class when you were given the time to ask ANYTHING about the journals...
Your JOURNAL is the assignment for the entire term. JOURNAL ENTRIES are individual assignments compiled in one JOURNAL that makes up the assignment for the term. There will be 3 JOURNAL submission. The first journal submission is due tomorrow and consists of all the questions that have been given so far (which is FOUR JOURNAL ENTRIES - I believe *edit* the prof explained that in class when he gave the assignment)
For this journal submission, you will be graded on your knowledge based on what you have learned in class. i.e. design language, principles, elements and how you apply that to answering the questions being asked. CRITICAL ANALYSIS and GRAPHICS are the main criteria in which you are graded on. Your grammar and spelling will be noted but is not crucial for your first submission but will be crucial in subsequent submissions based on the feedback that you will receive.
In future journal submissions, you will be graded on the content (critical analysis/graphics) as well as IMPROVEMENTS showing us that you know the course material as well as taking in the suggestions given to you.
Hope this is clear.
Student D:
Thank you.
So we will not be given any actaul grading breakdown or specific weighting?
Student D:
Oh, and what exactly do you mean by graphics? We are given extra points for, say, colour? I am trying to 'critically analyze' what exactly are the subjective and objective parts of this whole assignment.
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I haven't replied to this student because it won't help for this submission as it's due tomorrow! LOL... but to give you ppl more of a context, the prof and I have dedicated moments in class (at least 4 times) where students can ask questions about the assignment... I'm wondering if we're not conveying it properly or if it's just this person...? I'm very sure we've explained about the journal very well and there are examples in the library (which we also showed in the first power point presentation as well as bringing it in to the first 2 classes to be flipped through)
I don't know... what do you all think?
----------- added -----------
Actually, after reading this for a while... I can understand that this student wants to have a CLEAR CUT answer on how to do things... i.e. 2+2 = 4
But, this student has to realize that this is how it works in our faculty... LOL. We're subjective bastards! LOL...
I can't blame this person... I was once like that as well. I still get pissed off once in a while about the subjectivity and favouritism in the faculty but this person have examples of journals to work off of... which are A+ to B grade journals.
I just get bothered when I think that people do not have a good impression of me.
-----------
Student A:
I just want to confirm. We must have 3 entries in our journal that are not assignments correct?
Me:
I'm not quite understanding your question, but I'm going to assume that you are confused about journal entries vs. assignments.
Journal entries are the assignments. They are questions that you have to respond and reflect on in your journal. Some may require more research than others, but they are essentially assignments for this course.
Student B:
i think i may undestand what you are asking. My assumption is; you may have gotten confused with the length of the assigned journal entries which are to be three pages. The assigned journal entries are the assignments that have been given in class. If you wish i would assume you would be allowed to go out of range on your assigned journal entries and enter your own, as it is a personal journal.
anywho.. hope this helped.
Student C:
{I find this a funny reply...} You are confused youngins!
Student D:
{This is the student that I'm not reading properly...}
I agree, however, you are not helping.
Instead of people asking convoluted questions and getting convoluted answers in response, I propose that we get a proper outline for whatever the criteria is that the assignments are graded upon. I am kind of tired of all this here-say garbage. It gets confusing and occassionaly plants a seed in your brain that might eventually get you thinking is true without you even knowing it! There are many contradictory messages being thrown around and it might be easier if there was an announcement made that sets things straight once and for all!
Now, to my question:
Assignment 1;
Is it 3 or 4 journal entries? I am confused as to whether or not we simply received journal #4 (re: 1 architect, 1 landscape architect) early and it is for handing in Assignment #2.
What is the criteria we are graded on with regard to the assignments? Are we soley graded on our ability to convey our understanding of design and our passion for it? Are we graded on grammar or punctuation? I may be saying this kind of late, but it is all kind of wishy-washy...
Me:
Not to sound rude, but this question should have been brought up in class when you were given the time to ask ANYTHING about the journals...
Your JOURNAL is the assignment for the entire term. JOURNAL ENTRIES are individual assignments compiled in one JOURNAL that makes up the assignment for the term. There will be 3 JOURNAL submission. The first journal submission is due tomorrow and consists of all the questions that have been given so far (which is FOUR JOURNAL ENTRIES - I believe *edit* the prof explained that in class when he gave the assignment)
For this journal submission, you will be graded on your knowledge based on what you have learned in class. i.e. design language, principles, elements and how you apply that to answering the questions being asked. CRITICAL ANALYSIS and GRAPHICS are the main criteria in which you are graded on. Your grammar and spelling will be noted but is not crucial for your first submission but will be crucial in subsequent submissions based on the feedback that you will receive.
In future journal submissions, you will be graded on the content (critical analysis/graphics) as well as IMPROVEMENTS showing us that you know the course material as well as taking in the suggestions given to you.
Hope this is clear.
Student D:
Thank you.
So we will not be given any actaul grading breakdown or specific weighting?
Student D:
Oh, and what exactly do you mean by graphics? We are given extra points for, say, colour? I am trying to 'critically analyze' what exactly are the subjective and objective parts of this whole assignment.
-----------
I haven't replied to this student because it won't help for this submission as it's due tomorrow! LOL... but to give you ppl more of a context, the prof and I have dedicated moments in class (at least 4 times) where students can ask questions about the assignment... I'm wondering if we're not conveying it properly or if it's just this person...? I'm very sure we've explained about the journal very well and there are examples in the library (which we also showed in the first power point presentation as well as bringing it in to the first 2 classes to be flipped through)
I don't know... what do you all think?
----------- added -----------
Actually, after reading this for a while... I can understand that this student wants to have a CLEAR CUT answer on how to do things... i.e. 2+2 = 4
But, this student has to realize that this is how it works in our faculty... LOL. We're subjective bastards! LOL...
I can't blame this person... I was once like that as well. I still get pissed off once in a while about the subjectivity and favouritism in the faculty but this person have examples of journals to work off of... which are A+ to B grade journals.
I just get bothered when I think that people do not have a good impression of me.