Ruined for Life: Phoenix Edition

Here’s a new meme: I Saw Sunday

So, what did you see this week?

One thing or a whole list! – Words or photos or both!

Share it here with us.

The Rules

1. Write your post on your blog and include a link back to I Saw Sunday.
2. Leave the link to your post in the Mr Linky widget so we can find you.
3. Leave a comment after linking so that I know you have been here.
4. Please be sure to visit the other participants and share what they saw.

The Emotional Roller Coaster that will be Econ 170

Well, it’s been a crazy week. One thing I can’t believe I saw was the graph above. I am now facilitating a college economics course full of Chinese high school students. The teacher online has spent three weeks describing his pedagogy and last week told them that as Lead Facilitator (not teacher or professor) he wanted them to know that his approach will involve learning in a dramatically different way that is likely to shock them and bring about regret, depression, panic, etc. Eventually they’ll cross over to the promised land of improved performance.

No one understood this. If they had, they’d have signed their drop slips I’m sure. Why would someone need to introduce this much innovation with students who barely speak English? Also, he expects competency in argumentation including constructing a thesis and spotting logical fallacies. The teams will determine the allocation of points for their grades through consensus. I’ve spent hours helping kids tell the teacher, who’s not real alert, that they did do their homework. That’s the level of language assistance they need. What a train wreck this will be.

I haven’t seen or done much fun or interesting. The workload’s out of control and I have a vague idea that things are happening in the world, that people aren’t happy with Wall St. and Bill Clinton had a birthday.

I so miss news. I do have NPR, but I want more. I want red wine, news and some time to play. Good Chinese food is welcome too.