I do not reveal my political biases to my students, but the upshot is I agree with about 25% of each political party (Republicans and/or Democrats), so I find my own viewpoints left out about 75% of the time. Nevertheless, here are a few postings to get you thinking about current economic life in the United States and educational upheaval in North Carolina.
First with jobs. Remember in good ol' 2008 when JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! was all the cry of elected politicians? Please visit this site on unemployment in North Carolina (county by county) at the WRAL unemployment map. http://www.wral.com/news/state/page/4879060/ You can search unemployment data month by month over the last four years or so. Where is the progress? Beats me!
Two interesting articles below. Note that they are about a year apart, almost to the day.
http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/071912-618874-what-happened-to-obamas-laser-focus-on-jobs-.htm
http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/011813-641311-president-obama-unemployment-jobless-jobs-policies.htm
Secondly, what about public school teachers in North Carolina? Read this article about Diane Ravitch's recent visit to North Carolina. Ravitch is interesting because she transcends tired political ideology. She used to be more conservative, now she has become more liberal. She researches and writes policy for public education. She is someone who is willing to be malleable with her thoughts and when she ticks off everyone, she's probably doing something right!
http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/23/2774218/ravitch-backs-nc-teachers-targeted.html#storylink=omni_popular#wgt=pop
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Your Feedback
Earlier this week I took a few minutes at the beginning of class to get your feedback/assessment of the first half of the semester, asking two basic questions. What worked? What did not work?
I read through all of your responses.
In many responses a consistent theme was that the quizzes covered too much material at once. Some of your direct comments were,
"Test in smaller amounts of chapters."
"I wish the reading quizzes were based on notes and lectures in class and they weren't grouped in several chapters because it is a lot of reading to cover and remember."
"...if we could focus more on one thing at a time it would be great."
Well, there is some madness to my method. When attending college one of the transitions you can expect to make is that you will find more material per quiz/test/exam. We do reading quizzes for every two (sometimes three) chapters. The Midterm and Final Exam cover much broader swaths of course material, but also offer more flexibility with response items.
I think testing on at least two chapters is important because when you transfer to a four-year college/university, you may be tested on many more chapters at a time, and you need to be prepared for this. For example, some college courses (for history) have a midterm, final, and three longer essays (that's five grades, and that's it). Others may have a midterm, final, and one large research paper (three grades, and that's it). Research shows that if you are quizzed on reading, the more likely you are to stay up with the reading and stay engaged in the course material. Granted, a quiz on every chapter may be great, but we do not have this much class time.
I like the response above that says, "if we could focus on one thing at a time it would be great." This is also a challenge for anyone studying history. We do need to isolate and discuss various historical events, or themes, but we also must remember that things do not happen in a vacuum. Events are influenced and connected to other events/ideas. You must be able to see the relationship between various historical events and make a thoughtful analysis about those connections.
One of my professors in college provided a system for us as we studied. He advised us to read through the chapter and then go back through the chapter and think about which events you would characterize as "Political," "Social," "Economic," "Cultural," "Military," and so forth (you can add as many broad thematic categories as you like). What you would end up finding is that while you may define an event as primarily a political, it also had social implications, cultural implications, even economic and militaristic implications for society as a whole. You have to be able to discuss the minutia, but also see the big picture (zoom in and zoom out).
Someone offered a great suggestion which I will try and remember to implement.
"Provide an option to write an essay to replace a bad quiz grade." Wow, I like this. Anytime someone is willing to write more to take the place of multiple choice based questions, I'll probably take you up on this. Look for an option about this later in the semester.
Thanks for you comments, suggestions, and feedback. Keep up the good work and diligence in your studies.
I read through all of your responses.
In many responses a consistent theme was that the quizzes covered too much material at once. Some of your direct comments were,
"Test in smaller amounts of chapters."
"I wish the reading quizzes were based on notes and lectures in class and they weren't grouped in several chapters because it is a lot of reading to cover and remember."
"...if we could focus more on one thing at a time it would be great."
Well, there is some madness to my method. When attending college one of the transitions you can expect to make is that you will find more material per quiz/test/exam. We do reading quizzes for every two (sometimes three) chapters. The Midterm and Final Exam cover much broader swaths of course material, but also offer more flexibility with response items.
I think testing on at least two chapters is important because when you transfer to a four-year college/university, you may be tested on many more chapters at a time, and you need to be prepared for this. For example, some college courses (for history) have a midterm, final, and three longer essays (that's five grades, and that's it). Others may have a midterm, final, and one large research paper (three grades, and that's it). Research shows that if you are quizzed on reading, the more likely you are to stay up with the reading and stay engaged in the course material. Granted, a quiz on every chapter may be great, but we do not have this much class time.
I like the response above that says, "if we could focus on one thing at a time it would be great." This is also a challenge for anyone studying history. We do need to isolate and discuss various historical events, or themes, but we also must remember that things do not happen in a vacuum. Events are influenced and connected to other events/ideas. You must be able to see the relationship between various historical events and make a thoughtful analysis about those connections.
One of my professors in college provided a system for us as we studied. He advised us to read through the chapter and then go back through the chapter and think about which events you would characterize as "Political," "Social," "Economic," "Cultural," "Military," and so forth (you can add as many broad thematic categories as you like). What you would end up finding is that while you may define an event as primarily a political, it also had social implications, cultural implications, even economic and militaristic implications for society as a whole. You have to be able to discuss the minutia, but also see the big picture (zoom in and zoom out).
Someone offered a great suggestion which I will try and remember to implement.
"Provide an option to write an essay to replace a bad quiz grade." Wow, I like this. Anytime someone is willing to write more to take the place of multiple choice based questions, I'll probably take you up on this. Look for an option about this later in the semester.
Thanks for you comments, suggestions, and feedback. Keep up the good work and diligence in your studies.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Seize the Opportunity: Pre-March Madness Strikes!
If you caught my last post, it suggested I was planning a relaxed and calm weekend. Well...not quite. I got a call late Friday from my brother and his wife inviting me to attend the UNC/Duke basketball game (someone at their work had provided tickets, lower-level, almost center court - see pics below).
As a UNC grad, this was a no brainer. Of course I would go. The opportunity was too good to pass up. Even if it meant more travel, less time to grade exams (there will be time next week), and less sleep. Even though the outcome of the game was horrific for my side I had a wonderful time visiting and taking in the experience.
My point, briefly...when you are given opportunities, sometimes once in a lifetime opportunities, take them! It may mean other things get delayed a bit, or your schedule gets reshuffled, but the payback will undoubtedly be worth it. More specifically for this course, take advantage of whatever extra credit opportunities, suggestions, and tips I may offer.
My view for probably the worst Carolina performance in the UNC/Duke game in a decade or more.
As a UNC grad, this was a no brainer. Of course I would go. The opportunity was too good to pass up. Even if it meant more travel, less time to grade exams (there will be time next week), and less sleep. Even though the outcome of the game was horrific for my side I had a wonderful time visiting and taking in the experience.
My point, briefly...when you are given opportunities, sometimes once in a lifetime opportunities, take them! It may mean other things get delayed a bit, or your schedule gets reshuffled, but the payback will undoubtedly be worth it. More specifically for this course, take advantage of whatever extra credit opportunities, suggestions, and tips I may offer.
My view for probably the worst Carolina performance in the UNC/Duke game in a decade or more.
Pregame warm-ups. Of course we are going to beat Dook!
The tipoff. Everyone is in a frenzy.
Oh, okay, tipoff finally happening here. All downhill after this for UNC fans :(
Photos courtesy of Matt James.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Relax, Rest, Renew
"My candle burns at both ends
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -
It gives a lovely light."
Edna St. Vincent Millay
This is an oft-quoted and nice sounding sentiment by Millay. When I read this I imagine someone wringing every bit of energy and opportunity out of the emerging modern world of the twentieth century. "A lovely light" perhaps beaming off of beautiful young faces of New Yorkers scampering to nightclubs, speakeasies, and houseparties at all hours of the night.
But let's be real. If one's candle kept burning at both ends all through one's 20s, 30s or even 40s, the "light" would no longer illuminate beauty, but a face haggard and worn from exhaustion. Even Millay admits in the poem "it will not last the night."
By the time you read this, you have probably finished taking the Midterm Exam. We've already finished eight weeks in the semester, and are now on week nine. This is usually when most colleges have their Spring Break, but we delay ours in order to coincide with Onslow County Schools break over the Easter holiday. Nevertheless, you still need a break.
If you notice the workload on your syllabus, you should discover you've already done the really hard work. We have covered about 60%-65% of the work for the course, even though we have half of the semester left. I intentionally set it up this way so that all of your energy and enthusiasm at the beginning isn't wasted, and by the time you are ready to scream "Slow Down!" we are actually slowing down.
I want to recommend two articles about work/rest/renewal.
"Relax, You'll Be More Productive"
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/opinion/sunday/relax-youll-be-more-productive.html?smid=pl-share
"Managing Your Personal Energy Crisis"
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/jobs/24pre.html
Take some time this weekend to relax and renew.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Humor and Encouragement pre-Midterm Exam
I promise I won't play this video in class as you take the exam. If you feel this much pressure while studying, or scream as much as the people in this video, please take a break, drink some tea, go for a run. Best wishes for your studies.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Peacock Pie and Spit Dogs
I traveled with many of my students and their families today to visit Tryon Palace, in New Bern, North Carolina. Thanks to all of you (I think our numbers were close to fifty) who braved the cool weather and torrents of rain to visit the site of North Carolina's colonial capital.
Even though I have been studying history for a long time, I learned many new things on my visit, some intriguing, and some downright bizarre. For example, while we were all in the Kitchen Office, the cook (a man) described how the roasting spit was sometimes powered by a wind-up pulley system, or sometimes by dogs. What? Dogs? Various dogs (spit dogs, the cook called them, and he said that their breed was no longer in existence due to lack of necessity) would run in cages next to the fire, and their running served as the power source to turn the spit, which evenly roasted the meat. When I got home I Googled and found a few images.
In the image above you can very clearly see the dog running in the wheel contraption to the right of the fireplace. The pulley's coming off of his wheel cage are turning the roasting spit.
Here is another image.
This more modern image shows the wheel cage, again to the right of the fireplace.
Another unusual and disgusting revelation was the food. In the formal dining room of the Tryon Palace they had set a table with several items that might have been served in the late 1700s for formal meals (the main meal was usually served at 2:00pm) with a light breakfast to start the day and a later meal, sometimes of leftovers, to end the day (these meals usually were taken upstairs in one's room at the palace). The main centerpiece for the formal dining room was Peacock Pie. Our guide noted that this delicacy went back to Medieval times, when a peacock was cleaned, cooked, and then served, but the colorful peacock head was attached to an encasement that held the peacock pie (like a body) and then the tail feathers were displayed behind the pie (or body) of the dish. I think PETA would have had a field day with this. Strangely, when I researched this further, I found that cooks from the 1500s-1700s were also seemingly obsessed with taking various appendages of the animals they were cooking and sewing the cooked parts together to create fantastical animals. Just search for some of this...it looks like Dr. Cookenstein.
And then the clothing. The guide took great care to show us a woman's corset, or stay, which every woman wore daily. The guide did suggest that our conceptions of corsets as exceptionally tightly bound might be a bit much. They were tied more loosely, he argued, for women had to eat, walk, and work in them. The biggest surprise to me, however, was that MEN also wore stays. The guide noted that men in military dress wore these to keep an erect posture, but everyday men also wore them, especially as they got older, to keep one's bearing upright (no slumped shoulders please). Perhaps I might need to ask for a stay next Christmas.
Finally, some illumination on the bathroom facilities. Most outdoor privies have more than one seat, or hole. The Tryon Palace interpreters stated that colonists were much less worried about privacy than modern Americans, so if there was a privy with four seats, they may all be used simultaneously. Keep in mind, this was single-sex use, not mixed-sex use.
As you can tell, a very enlightening day!
Oh, and even more enlightening might be more hints for your Midterm Exam (see previous posts for earlier hints). One of your essay possibilities will focus on the transition of early America from a society that valued hierarchy to one that gradually began to see the emergence of greater social democracy. The best way to think or write about this question is to consider the changes in religion (especially how the Great Awakening brings in greater opportunities for social leveling, or equality).
Even though I have been studying history for a long time, I learned many new things on my visit, some intriguing, and some downright bizarre. For example, while we were all in the Kitchen Office, the cook (a man) described how the roasting spit was sometimes powered by a wind-up pulley system, or sometimes by dogs. What? Dogs? Various dogs (spit dogs, the cook called them, and he said that their breed was no longer in existence due to lack of necessity) would run in cages next to the fire, and their running served as the power source to turn the spit, which evenly roasted the meat. When I got home I Googled and found a few images.
In the image above you can very clearly see the dog running in the wheel contraption to the right of the fireplace. The pulley's coming off of his wheel cage are turning the roasting spit.
Here is another image.
This more modern image shows the wheel cage, again to the right of the fireplace.
Another unusual and disgusting revelation was the food. In the formal dining room of the Tryon Palace they had set a table with several items that might have been served in the late 1700s for formal meals (the main meal was usually served at 2:00pm) with a light breakfast to start the day and a later meal, sometimes of leftovers, to end the day (these meals usually were taken upstairs in one's room at the palace). The main centerpiece for the formal dining room was Peacock Pie. Our guide noted that this delicacy went back to Medieval times, when a peacock was cleaned, cooked, and then served, but the colorful peacock head was attached to an encasement that held the peacock pie (like a body) and then the tail feathers were displayed behind the pie (or body) of the dish. I think PETA would have had a field day with this. Strangely, when I researched this further, I found that cooks from the 1500s-1700s were also seemingly obsessed with taking various appendages of the animals they were cooking and sewing the cooked parts together to create fantastical animals. Just search for some of this...it looks like Dr. Cookenstein.
And then the clothing. The guide took great care to show us a woman's corset, or stay, which every woman wore daily. The guide did suggest that our conceptions of corsets as exceptionally tightly bound might be a bit much. They were tied more loosely, he argued, for women had to eat, walk, and work in them. The biggest surprise to me, however, was that MEN also wore stays. The guide noted that men in military dress wore these to keep an erect posture, but everyday men also wore them, especially as they got older, to keep one's bearing upright (no slumped shoulders please). Perhaps I might need to ask for a stay next Christmas.
Finally, some illumination on the bathroom facilities. Most outdoor privies have more than one seat, or hole. The Tryon Palace interpreters stated that colonists were much less worried about privacy than modern Americans, so if there was a privy with four seats, they may all be used simultaneously. Keep in mind, this was single-sex use, not mixed-sex use.
As you can tell, a very enlightening day!
Oh, and even more enlightening might be more hints for your Midterm Exam (see previous posts for earlier hints). One of your essay possibilities will focus on the transition of early America from a society that valued hierarchy to one that gradually began to see the emergence of greater social democracy. The best way to think or write about this question is to consider the changes in religion (especially how the Great Awakening brings in greater opportunities for social leveling, or equality).
The Failures of ESPN - Bait and Switch
I spent this morning with my students on a field trip to New Bern, North Carolina, to visit the Tryon Palace. The rain poured as we walked around the grounds and from the museum to the palace. Eventually the rain gave way to a foggy mist on the return drive. Once home, I was looking forward to plopping on the couch and watching the UNC/NCSU basketball game.
Well, 4:00pm rolled around (game time) and the game did not appear on my ESPN channel. I texted another friend who told me the game was on ESPN News or ESPN3 (neither of which I have on my cable package). I rechecked the ESPN website to check their printed online schedule, and yes, it said the UNC/NCSU basketball game would be broadcast from 4:00-6:00pm on ESPN (not ESPN News or ESPN3).
Instead of the rivalry game, I was treated to post-race coverage from Daytona. It seems there was an accident at the end of the race and everyone was in "disaster news coverage" mode. For 55 minutes, roughly 4:00-4:55, ESPN interviewed numerous racers, staff people, perhaps even a concession stand vendor.
I ended up sending three emails to ESPN during this time when the game was not being aired on ESPN (in complete contradiction to ESPN's printed schedule, as noted above). All emails were answered - by humans? not really sure, as they had the same robotic answer (and also oddly, very jockish, waspish sounding responders..Brad...Brandon...Blake...I kept wondering if I sent dozens of emails would I get to Seth....Smithson....and Stone). The second email did have a phone number that it suggest I call if I wanted to log a more human complaint, which I did. Strangely, the phone representative provided the very same scripted answer as the first two emails. She noted that live national broadcasts sometimes preempted more local coverage. My response was that the race had ended by 4:00pm, and all ESPN was doing at that point was flittering around interviewing people and discussing the possibilities of the accident (how many people were hurt? do we have any news?) So, unless you consider chasing ambulances to the hospital a live national broadcast, the race was over and the UNC/NCSU game should have become the main national live broadcast at roughly 4:05pm. Update: After watching the ABC National News they led with the Daytona car crash story, perhaps emphasizing my point even more...that the post-race crash coverage should have been carried on ESPN News channel, not on ESPN, which mainly carries LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE.
The ESPN representative apologized for any inconvenience, but I responded that her apology could not get the first half of the game back for me....could it? Crickets on ESPN's end. In my last email I asked them to at least send me an ESPN cap for their messy scheduling. I'm not banking on that.
Here's the point. ESPN, if you printed your schedule, even if it was only online, FOLLOW THE SCHEDULE! I'm thinking about just dropping cable altogether. I have a limited package of 70-some channels, and still not much to watch. ESPN's actions today don't help.
Well, 4:00pm rolled around (game time) and the game did not appear on my ESPN channel. I texted another friend who told me the game was on ESPN News or ESPN3 (neither of which I have on my cable package). I rechecked the ESPN website to check their printed online schedule, and yes, it said the UNC/NCSU basketball game would be broadcast from 4:00-6:00pm on ESPN (not ESPN News or ESPN3).
Instead of the rivalry game, I was treated to post-race coverage from Daytona. It seems there was an accident at the end of the race and everyone was in "disaster news coverage" mode. For 55 minutes, roughly 4:00-4:55, ESPN interviewed numerous racers, staff people, perhaps even a concession stand vendor.
I ended up sending three emails to ESPN during this time when the game was not being aired on ESPN (in complete contradiction to ESPN's printed schedule, as noted above). All emails were answered - by humans? not really sure, as they had the same robotic answer (and also oddly, very jockish, waspish sounding responders..Brad...Brandon...Blake...I kept wondering if I sent dozens of emails would I get to Seth....Smithson....and Stone). The second email did have a phone number that it suggest I call if I wanted to log a more human complaint, which I did. Strangely, the phone representative provided the very same scripted answer as the first two emails. She noted that live national broadcasts sometimes preempted more local coverage. My response was that the race had ended by 4:00pm, and all ESPN was doing at that point was flittering around interviewing people and discussing the possibilities of the accident (how many people were hurt? do we have any news?) So, unless you consider chasing ambulances to the hospital a live national broadcast, the race was over and the UNC/NCSU game should have become the main national live broadcast at roughly 4:05pm. Update: After watching the ABC National News they led with the Daytona car crash story, perhaps emphasizing my point even more...that the post-race crash coverage should have been carried on ESPN News channel, not on ESPN, which mainly carries LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE.
The ESPN representative apologized for any inconvenience, but I responded that her apology could not get the first half of the game back for me....could it? Crickets on ESPN's end. In my last email I asked them to at least send me an ESPN cap for their messy scheduling. I'm not banking on that.
Here's the point. ESPN, if you printed your schedule, even if it was only online, FOLLOW THE SCHEDULE! I'm thinking about just dropping cable altogether. I have a limited package of 70-some channels, and still not much to watch. ESPN's actions today don't help.
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