31.8.07
Back to blogging
The following is an abridged version of my life since the last post:
Relationship
Kristyn and I are now in the full blown couple scene. In order to get to this stage, you have to 1) like each other, 2) have everyone in your department know that you like each other, and 3) call each other disgustingly cute pet names, like "schmoopie!"
We are already trying to plan holidays, and for those of you who will be in town for Christmas, you will get a chance to meet the lucky lady at Rousapalooza '07, which is tentatively being planned for December 27-28. Hope to see you all there!
Work
I am now into my second week of classes and teaching. The two classes that I have (Advanced GIS and Active Tectonics) are incredibly easy so far, and I hope they stay that way so I can focus on honing in on what kind of teacher I want to be, and get my research project off the ground. When I say easy, I don' t mean that they are stupid . . . I mean that they are much more effective at getting the information across than undergraduate classes. In undergrad, instructors swamped you with busy work in the hopes that digging yourself out of it, you would pick up something. Grad instructors understand that you have enough on your plate in graduate school, and assign you the bare minimum needed to get the information across to you. It's quite refreshing.
I'm still trying to develop my own teaching style for the Physical Geology Lab I'm teaching. While most of my colleagues have a half an hour powerpoint presentation before each lab, I give a ~10 minute "chalk talk" and send them on their way. My reasoning for this is two-fold: 1) most of the labs are longer than they should be/ undergrads are stupid and can't finish on time, so the more time they have to work on the lab, the better, and 2) all of my students are non-majors that could care less about rocks and minerals, and I can empathize with that. I remember being the freshman engineering student in the physical geology lab at Penn State, wishing my TA would shutup so I could get the lab, do it, and leave. I assign the students a pre-lab every week to make sure they go over the lab before they come to class. I review the basic principles needed to do the lab, and make myself available to answer the questions they have while they do the lab. Any thoughts on my current methods will be appreciated.
Music
I've started using Pandora to find some new artists to listen to, since I'm no longer sitting right across from Mark Zorzie, the indie rock guru (I miss you!). My new findings can be found on my facebook profile, under bookmarked songs and artists. Enjoy!
That's all I have for now.
Relationship
Kristyn and I are now in the full blown couple scene. In order to get to this stage, you have to 1) like each other, 2) have everyone in your department know that you like each other, and 3) call each other disgustingly cute pet names, like "schmoopie!"
We are already trying to plan holidays, and for those of you who will be in town for Christmas, you will get a chance to meet the lucky lady at Rousapalooza '07, which is tentatively being planned for December 27-28. Hope to see you all there!
Work
I am now into my second week of classes and teaching. The two classes that I have (Advanced GIS and Active Tectonics) are incredibly easy so far, and I hope they stay that way so I can focus on honing in on what kind of teacher I want to be, and get my research project off the ground. When I say easy, I don' t mean that they are stupid . . . I mean that they are much more effective at getting the information across than undergraduate classes. In undergrad, instructors swamped you with busy work in the hopes that digging yourself out of it, you would pick up something. Grad instructors understand that you have enough on your plate in graduate school, and assign you the bare minimum needed to get the information across to you. It's quite refreshing.
I'm still trying to develop my own teaching style for the Physical Geology Lab I'm teaching. While most of my colleagues have a half an hour powerpoint presentation before each lab, I give a ~10 minute "chalk talk" and send them on their way. My reasoning for this is two-fold: 1) most of the labs are longer than they should be/ undergrads are stupid and can't finish on time, so the more time they have to work on the lab, the better, and 2) all of my students are non-majors that could care less about rocks and minerals, and I can empathize with that. I remember being the freshman engineering student in the physical geology lab at Penn State, wishing my TA would shutup so I could get the lab, do it, and leave. I assign the students a pre-lab every week to make sure they go over the lab before they come to class. I review the basic principles needed to do the lab, and make myself available to answer the questions they have while they do the lab. Any thoughts on my current methods will be appreciated.
Music
I've started using Pandora to find some new artists to listen to, since I'm no longer sitting right across from Mark Zorzie, the indie rock guru (I miss you!). My new findings can be found on my facebook profile, under bookmarked songs and artists. Enjoy!
That's all I have for now.
22.8.07
Lame update . . .
Hello everyone,
It's been a busy month with Kristyn back and teaching starting. Everything is going great. That is all for now.
-B
It's been a busy month with Kristyn back and teaching starting. Everything is going great. That is all for now.
-B
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