We're back from our week galivanting about California. Since I'm no longer a K - 12 teacher, I don't get my summers off any longer (they were nice). In fact, summertime is actually a very busy time for the technology department at our district. We perform maintenance, upgrades, and many other changes that are best to do when teachers and students are not in session. This 1 week getaway was my one therapeutic chance to get away from it all for a bit. It was nice to drive away from the voices of so many obligations calling out for attention.
I remember the summer of my first year teaching. I was getting "real" paychecks for the first time and stretched it to go out to Europe on a backpacking trip for 6 weeks. I'm really glad that I went when I did. I look back at all the years since then. Every year I had to work summer school or otherwise supplement my income and would not have had the opportunity to go. These days I am lucky to get 2 weeks in a row, very lucky.
On this trip we drove up the coast on Friday night and reached Santa Barbara. On Saturday we had breakfast and walked the pier. We also hid a podcache in Santa Barbara as well. We then drove up to San Simeon to see Hearst Castle. On the way up we stopped by Sandy's Aunt's house to take a look at it. They are interested in creating a website to help promote the rental of the house. It's a nice beach house in Cayucos (near San Simeon).
I'll post some picture soon.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
CSUSM frustration and a vacation
The start of this semester at CSUSM has begun with many points of frustration. I teach an ED 422 class at Cal State University, San Marcos. It's a technology course for individuals seeking a California Teaching Credential. There have ALWAYS been problems and glitches, but this year I'm running into quite a few. I've taught this course for 5 years now. First there are technical problems. For some unexplainable reason, they YahooGroups resource that I've always used each year is having problems. Many students are having problems downloading assignments and readings. Argh! I've started loading the documents directly to my server, as a quick solve, but why isn't YahooGroups "working"?
The other concern at the start of this semester is the ability of certain students to follow directions. Several of them seem to have difficulty following directions. They are turning in things that they do not need to, they are not turning in things that they need to, they are turning in assignments in formats other than what I have requested, they are mis-labeling assignments turned in, they are turning in assignments late, just to name a few problems. My written directions are clear (in my humble opinion) on my website, but some students have not read them or have chose not to follow them. I've given verbal directions in class, sometimes to the point of being comical because I've repeated myself several times, and yet I have still received work that reflects that they did not hear, understand or care to follow the directions.
This year there are also many of them who needed to add the class. I didn't have the heart to turn anyone away this time. So many of them had desperate needs to take this class, this semester. I have a large class this semester. My concern is the amount of attention I will be able to give to each student. Large class sizes were always the thorn in my side when teaching in the K - 12 classroom, the rules don't change when teaching at the university. There is a threshold point somewhere at which the quality and focus of my instruction decreases in direct correlation with class size.
This year my vacation falls on the 4th week of teaching. I will be giving the class an assignment on Ethics and Copyright during this time. I'm really looking forward to this trip. I feel burned out in certain areas. The trip to Kazakhstan was much more of a business, working trip than it was any form of vacation. I kept running into people, once school got back into swing, that had pleasant, restful sounding vacations. When I they asked, and I told them I went to Kazakhstan, they often commented that "Wow that sounds fun, did you have a good time?" Although it was a great experience and I wouldn't have passed it up, it wasn't a break in any shape or form. It was exhausting. We got back on the weekend, had a couple days to recover (from a 13 timezone difference) and I headed back to work that week.
Work at EUHSD is a bear right now. High expectations and low resources. Argh! Sandy and I have been asked to lead a Bible study when we get back. I'm excited but a bit concerned about the time once again. Podcasting is going well, but in the "growing" stage right now takes time to promote and grow the business. We just got back from a fun, but tiring, geocaching picnic event in Los Angeles. We introduced many geocachers to the concept of podcasting. Fun stuff.
The other concern at the start of this semester is the ability of certain students to follow directions. Several of them seem to have difficulty following directions. They are turning in things that they do not need to, they are not turning in things that they need to, they are turning in assignments in formats other than what I have requested, they are mis-labeling assignments turned in, they are turning in assignments late, just to name a few problems. My written directions are clear (in my humble opinion) on my website, but some students have not read them or have chose not to follow them. I've given verbal directions in class, sometimes to the point of being comical because I've repeated myself several times, and yet I have still received work that reflects that they did not hear, understand or care to follow the directions.
This year there are also many of them who needed to add the class. I didn't have the heart to turn anyone away this time. So many of them had desperate needs to take this class, this semester. I have a large class this semester. My concern is the amount of attention I will be able to give to each student. Large class sizes were always the thorn in my side when teaching in the K - 12 classroom, the rules don't change when teaching at the university. There is a threshold point somewhere at which the quality and focus of my instruction decreases in direct correlation with class size.
This year my vacation falls on the 4th week of teaching. I will be giving the class an assignment on Ethics and Copyright during this time. I'm really looking forward to this trip. I feel burned out in certain areas. The trip to Kazakhstan was much more of a business, working trip than it was any form of vacation. I kept running into people, once school got back into swing, that had pleasant, restful sounding vacations. When I they asked, and I told them I went to Kazakhstan, they often commented that "Wow that sounds fun, did you have a good time?" Although it was a great experience and I wouldn't have passed it up, it wasn't a break in any shape or form. It was exhausting. We got back on the weekend, had a couple days to recover (from a 13 timezone difference) and I headed back to work that week.
Work at EUHSD is a bear right now. High expectations and low resources. Argh! Sandy and I have been asked to lead a Bible study when we get back. I'm excited but a bit concerned about the time once again. Podcasting is going well, but in the "growing" stage right now takes time to promote and grow the business. We just got back from a fun, but tiring, geocaching picnic event in Los Angeles. We introduced many geocachers to the concept of podcasting. Fun stuff.
Friday, September 02, 2005
CSUSM, Family and Katrina
The first night of class went well last night except for one thing, there are too many students and not enough sections available. If all the students return next week that were trying to add this week, I WILL have to turn many of them away. Ug! I know that some of the students are in dire need to take the class, and others are taking it because it's convenient at this time. I wish that there were some way to make sure the students with the greatest need get priority. Unfortunately there is no mechanism set up to do that. As I said: Ug.
I'm really looking forward to this weekend. We are spending Fri night, Sat and part of Sun with the France clan at some cabins down by the beach. There will be Mom and Dad France, 4 Husband/Wife couples and kids. There may be other people visiting us at the beach as well. This oughta be pretty cool! Monday we'll be going over to another family member's house for a pool party. The pool party has become traditional get together each year and should be fun too!
Sandy and I did a show recently that didn't have anything to do with geocaching. We mentioned the thoughts we had about the hurricane disaster down in the Gulf and let our listeners know that we put together a bunch of links to help them donate or help out if they were inclined to do so. I got into work today and spent a little time catching up on the headlines before things got rolling. I'm saddened at the state of the situation. Apparently no significan response or help has arrived. There is rampant looting and violence. Thousands and thousands of people are stranded without food, water, shelter, etc. There is no electricity, there are no bathrooms. People are in panic and have stolen guns to use against others. There are dead bodies around. The police are outnumbered and outgunned. It's very sad. Sandy and I will be contributing a portion of the monthly amount that we typically set aside for our church (tithe) to sent toward the relief effort out there. I feel so helpless living way out here without any real way to send help except through money.
I'm really looking forward to this weekend. We are spending Fri night, Sat and part of Sun with the France clan at some cabins down by the beach. There will be Mom and Dad France, 4 Husband/Wife couples and kids. There may be other people visiting us at the beach as well. This oughta be pretty cool! Monday we'll be going over to another family member's house for a pool party. The pool party has become traditional get together each year and should be fun too!
Sandy and I did a show recently that didn't have anything to do with geocaching. We mentioned the thoughts we had about the hurricane disaster down in the Gulf and let our listeners know that we put together a bunch of links to help them donate or help out if they were inclined to do so. I got into work today and spent a little time catching up on the headlines before things got rolling. I'm saddened at the state of the situation. Apparently no significan response or help has arrived. There is rampant looting and violence. Thousands and thousands of people are stranded without food, water, shelter, etc. There is no electricity, there are no bathrooms. People are in panic and have stolen guns to use against others. There are dead bodies around. The police are outnumbered and outgunned. It's very sad. Sandy and I will be contributing a portion of the monthly amount that we typically set aside for our church (tithe) to sent toward the relief effort out there. I feel so helpless living way out here without any real way to send help except through money.
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