Saturday, June 28, 2008
Pack
This has been an exhausting week of packing. Not only do I have to pack up my apartment but my office as well. I had a yard sale today with a few other people, I only took in about $20 but the sale overall did very well. Still have a recliner and an entertainment center to dispose of. So, somehow I have to get everything done in a few short days in time to see Scott & Jen & Freder in Phoenix. There just seems to be an endless supply of "little things" to get done. Lord, end my pain.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Ugh.
I gained 7 pounds over the course of the AP Reading. Wow. When Holly said "read and feed" she wasn't kidding. I'm going to the gym today.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Reflections on AP Reading
So I'm beginning the long trip home. Had a great conversation with Keith on the bus ride to the airport, about physical chemistry and the lab curriculum. It's 8:55 and I'm waiting for my 11:45 flight.
This whole AP grading experience has been quite illuminating. The experience itself, it seems to me, is an exercise in team building. We are divided up into different questions to grade and then, with the posting of daily progress reports by question, we are placed into a faux competition with each other. So naturally each of us grading Q6 are encouraged to work together to get finished. Even after hours we "stick together" to a degree: while playing cards last night one of my fellow Q6 graders asked for a group picture of her fellow Q6 grader compatriots. This strikes me as a bit odd- it's an AP question, folks-but I suppose this type of team-building is, at the least, benign, and may even be beneficial insofar as we are all members of the chemical education community.
On the other hand, it reminds me of those "team building" exenises that we have all participated in at some point: everybody goes out to the woods and then climb ropes, or build a teepee, or some other exercise that requires teamwork. I have never liked these exercises because the final product at the end is inevitably discarded. What is the point of climbing a bunch of ropes if there is nothing at the top worth climbing to? With AP grading, however, there is a very definite and important final product thar we are helping to create: student AP scores.
So you might be wondering, Jeff, what's the problem here? ETS builds team spirit among chemical educators while at the same time producing an important final product. The problem is, I seriously doubt this is what students are actively wanting to support when they pay their $85. Do students say, "yeah I will pay $85 so my AP teacher can network and be a part of a team"? No, they pay money because they want their chemical knowledge accurately assessed (except for the weaker students, who don't mind if the assessment isn't so accurate).
And the real problem is that these two objectives are, to a limited degree, exclusive. The team-building experience is only formed because we all participate in this industrial, assembly-line grading. We use exam books, for heavens' sake! This is 2008 and these exams could be graded much more efficiently (and probably more accurately) if more of the grading was done online. One can easily imagine a distributed grading system in which readers from all over grade exams, over the Internet, that are either scanned in or taken completely online by the students. It's bound to be cheaper this way than paying for all 200+ of us to fly to a central location and then to house and feed us. It's also fairer for the student, IMO, because we would be able to spend more time on each exam attempting to grade it as accurately as we can. (Currently, because we only have 1 week to grade 100,000+ exams, a rate of 1 exam per minute is considered slow.) Yes there would be security and consistency issues but these can be worked out. And who knows, maybe ETS is working on this right now.
I guess the bottom line is, is it really fair to charge students the exam fee for purposes that are definitely worthwhile, but ultimately incidental, to the goal of student assessment?
This whole AP grading experience has been quite illuminating. The experience itself, it seems to me, is an exercise in team building. We are divided up into different questions to grade and then, with the posting of daily progress reports by question, we are placed into a faux competition with each other. So naturally each of us grading Q6 are encouraged to work together to get finished. Even after hours we "stick together" to a degree: while playing cards last night one of my fellow Q6 graders asked for a group picture of her fellow Q6 grader compatriots. This strikes me as a bit odd- it's an AP question, folks-but I suppose this type of team-building is, at the least, benign, and may even be beneficial insofar as we are all members of the chemical education community.
On the other hand, it reminds me of those "team building" exenises that we have all participated in at some point: everybody goes out to the woods and then climb ropes, or build a teepee, or some other exercise that requires teamwork. I have never liked these exercises because the final product at the end is inevitably discarded. What is the point of climbing a bunch of ropes if there is nothing at the top worth climbing to? With AP grading, however, there is a very definite and important final product thar we are helping to create: student AP scores.
So you might be wondering, Jeff, what's the problem here? ETS builds team spirit among chemical educators while at the same time producing an important final product. The problem is, I seriously doubt this is what students are actively wanting to support when they pay their $85. Do students say, "yeah I will pay $85 so my AP teacher can network and be a part of a team"? No, they pay money because they want their chemical knowledge accurately assessed (except for the weaker students, who don't mind if the assessment isn't so accurate).
And the real problem is that these two objectives are, to a limited degree, exclusive. The team-building experience is only formed because we all participate in this industrial, assembly-line grading. We use exam books, for heavens' sake! This is 2008 and these exams could be graded much more efficiently (and probably more accurately) if more of the grading was done online. One can easily imagine a distributed grading system in which readers from all over grade exams, over the Internet, that are either scanned in or taken completely online by the students. It's bound to be cheaper this way than paying for all 200+ of us to fly to a central location and then to house and feed us. It's also fairer for the student, IMO, because we would be able to spend more time on each exam attempting to grade it as accurately as we can. (Currently, because we only have 1 week to grade 100,000+ exams, a rate of 1 exam per minute is considered slow.) Yes there would be security and consistency issues but these can be worked out. And who knows, maybe ETS is working on this right now.
I guess the bottom line is, is it really fair to charge students the exam fee for purposes that are definitely worthwhile, but ultimately incidental, to the goal of student assessment?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Apartment Dilemma
Ever since we finished the grading, and ETS turned us loose, I have walked all over downtown looking for an apartment. I viewed this one place at 10th and H streets but it is a little far from the university for my tastes, again about 10 blocks. Rent is only $350 though. But on my way back I ran into these hole-in-the-wall apartment buildings thar reminded me of the one in Batteries Not Included. There's three of them, all closer to UNL, but I wonder about their condition -- from the outside they look like they are only one step above flophouses. So here's the plan thus far:
1. Go back home without signing a lease.
2. Call the places where I really want to stay on July 1 to see if something has opened up for August 1.
3. If not, then leave anyway and when I roll into town, check out one of these small brick apartment buildings.
4. If they are at least acceptable then take it. Otherwise take one of these sort-of-close-to-UNL apartments. There don't appear to be a shortage of these.
I'll be attaching a map shortly.
1. Go back home without signing a lease.
2. Call the places where I really want to stay on July 1 to see if something has opened up for August 1.
3. If not, then leave anyway and when I roll into town, check out one of these small brick apartment buildings.
4. If they are at least acceptable then take it. Otherwise take one of these sort-of-close-to-UNL apartments. There don't appear to be a shortage of these.
I'll be attaching a map shortly.
Good news and bad news
Good news. Gerry and Marjorie said I could borrow some of their sabbatical furniture, including -- importantly -- a bed. So I'm not limited to a furnished apartment and I don't have to pay to ship a bed.
More good news -- as of this morning my question is finished. So I get a long lunch.
Now the bad news -- still no apartment. The places I'd like to stay at are either too expensive or all booked up. The available places are all, at a minimum, 10 blocks away from campus. That is not too bad but I really was hoping for something closer (and not infested with either roaches or students).
More good news -- as of this morning my question is finished. So I get a long lunch.
Now the bad news -- still no apartment. The places I'd like to stay at are either too expensive or all booked up. The available places are all, at a minimum, 10 blocks away from campus. That is not too bad but I really was hoping for something closer (and not infested with either roaches or students).
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Called back the property management people
No 1-bedroom condos available now - only 2 bedroom, and they start at $750. Urk. Not sure what to do now. Sign something with Century House and see how it goes? Of course if I do that then I'm essentially committed to furnished apartments because that means I would not be moving my bed out here. There's always the idea of a loft in the Haymarket but those start at around $650 and that's just a little too pricey. There's the apartments at Spaghetti Works but those start at only $295 and the thought of downtown apartments that are that cheap frightens me. (Plus, from the outside, they absolutely do look run down.) So I don't think I'm going that route either. I will sleep on it.
On a lighter note, I am going to have some beer with Gerry.
On a lighter note, I am going to have some beer with Gerry.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Century House
So the first apartment place I looked at, on Friday evening, was Century House, located at 1201 Lincoln Mall. The apartment was nice enough. The super showed me a small furnished studio and a large one. The small simply seemed too small for me, so the large is the only one I am really considering. Here are some pictures of the large studio.
Kitchen:
View from Living Room, looking north:
Bathroom:
(That one didn't turn out too well)
Rent is $495. The place seems nice enough but it's not exactly what I was expecting. It's a little farther from campus than I would like - it's about 10 blocks - and the parking situation is "iffy". There is a lot behind the building and spots are $55 per month; however there are no spots available right now, and "maybe" one will open up in August. Hmm. My other alternatives are to park at the law office lot next door, but only after hours; or park on the street, but move the car once a day.
I scanned around and there are two more places I have my eye on, Georgian Place Apartments and Centerstone Apartments. Those are right downtown - they would only be 2 or 3 blocks from campus - but I don't know if they have vacancies. I imagine those rents would be higher, plus I'd have to pay to park in a garage, which is probably more than $55 a month. Also, they are presumably unfurnished. Century House is closer to my budget but these two other places, at least from my conception of them, seem closer to what I had envisioned in terms of a real urban apartment setting and being within walking distance of everything.
I will call on Monday and see if there are any vacancies. If not then the issue is moot and I will probably just take Century House.
Kitchen:
View from Living Room, looking north:
Bathroom:
(That one didn't turn out too well)
Rent is $495. The place seems nice enough but it's not exactly what I was expecting. It's a little farther from campus than I would like - it's about 10 blocks - and the parking situation is "iffy". There is a lot behind the building and spots are $55 per month; however there are no spots available right now, and "maybe" one will open up in August. Hmm. My other alternatives are to park at the law office lot next door, but only after hours; or park on the street, but move the car once a day.
I scanned around and there are two more places I have my eye on, Georgian Place Apartments and Centerstone Apartments. Those are right downtown - they would only be 2 or 3 blocks from campus - but I don't know if they have vacancies. I imagine those rents would be higher, plus I'd have to pay to park in a garage, which is probably more than $55 a month. Also, they are presumably unfurnished. Century House is closer to my budget but these two other places, at least from my conception of them, seem closer to what I had envisioned in terms of a real urban apartment setting and being within walking distance of everything.
I will call on Monday and see if there are any vacancies. If not then the issue is moot and I will probably just take Century House.
A Day In The Life...
6:00 AM: Wake up. Sort of. Press the snooze button on my cell phone.
6:18 AM: Wake up for real. Head to the shower.
6:20 AM: Shower.
6:40 AM: Get dressed. Brush teeth and shave. Etc.
7:10 AM: Go to the cafeteria. Have some breakfast. Usually with bacon because everything goes better with bacon.
7:40 AM: Begin walk to the reading. It takes about 15 minutes but I leave a little early just in case. Don't want to get chewed out by the table leader again.
7:56 AM: Show up. Mill around. Refill my coffee mug.
7:59 AM: Sit down at table. Stare at yesterday's last unfinished exam.
8:00 AM: A disembodied voice is heard from the speakers: "Readers, it's time to start grading." I dutifully comply.
8:02 AM: Continue to stare at the test. Take another sip of coffee.
8:04 AM: Finally realize what the student is trying to say. It's wrong. Student gets a zero.
8:05 AM: Grade next test.
8:06 AM: Grade next test.
Etc.
9:37 AM: Strive to remember if break time is at 9:45 AM or 10:00 AM.
9:48 AM: It must be at 10:00 AM.
10:00 AM: Disembodied voice again: "Readers, it's break time. Please be back in your cubicle in 15 minutes."
10:01 AM: Stand up. Look at the snack room - long line. Wander down to the bathroom - long line. Walk around a bit until one of the two lines clears up. Have some food and/or relieve myself.
10:05 AM: Surreptitiously hide some free snacks in my pockets for later.
10:10 AM: Surreptitiously scan the classified section of the paper in the apartment section.
10:12 AM: Refill coffee mug.
10:14 AM: Disembodied Voice: "One minute remaining."
10:15 AM: D.V.: "Readers, time to start grading again."
10:16 AM: Put paper away. Grade another exam.
10:48 AM: Chuckle softly as student writes a creative answer/comically stupid answer/song lyrics/love ballad/blame-the-teacher diatribe/why-does-this-exam-cost-so-damn-much complaint.
10:52 AM: Read yet again: "THIS IS SPARTA". Groan as it's gotten quite old.
11:14 AM: Mind begins to wander towards lunch. Not really hungry, just don't want to grade another exam.
11:33 AM: Mind wanders again. Pace of grading slows down.
11:44 AM: D.V.: "Readers, it's lunch time." Yay. One minute early.
11:45 AM: Begin walking back towards the dorms.
12:00 PM: Stop in my room. Put away the hidden snacks. Check email, check on calculations, etc.
12:15 PM: Grab some lunch. Perhaps pizza, but with something healthy, like salad. Oooo, and some ranch dressing, because everything goes better with ranch dressing. Don't forget the Diet Pepsi(tm).
12:18 PM: Sit down for lunch with some other graders. Listen semi-attentively as they describe all the hilarious/stupid/lame answers that they've received on their exams.
12:40 PM: Check watch, put tray away.
12:41 PM: Marvel yet again how fancy the cafeteria is, and how it wasn't like this at CMU, not at all.
12:45 PM: Head outside. This time maybe I will take the bus to the reading. Climb onto bus.
12:48 PM: Bus heads out. 5 minute bus ride.
12:53 PM: Bus drops us off. Walk to reading room.
12:55 PM: Refill coffee mug.
12:59 PM: Sit down. Stare at open exam.
1:00 PM: D.V.: "Readers, it's time to start."
1:01 PM: Grade the exam.
1:36 PM: If you really don't know the answer to the question, or the next, or the next one either, what are you doing even taking the Advanced Placement test in the first place?
1:43 PM: Wonder if I've passed the 1,000-exam mark yet.
2:11 PM: "THIS IS SPARTA". Grr.
2:37 PM: How could a student possibly believe this? Wow.
3:00 PM: D.V.: "Readers, it's break time."
3:01 PM: Find the short line.
3:08 PM: Not as many snacks to hide. Eat them all. Grab two cans of Diet Pepsi and refill coffee mug (will need them both for the home stretch).
3:15 PM: D.V.: "Readers, time to get back to work."
3:41 PM: Could it be - could it be - yes, it's a perfect paper!
4:02 PM: Yeah yeah, you're going to Cornell/Stanford/Harvard/Berkeley so you don't care what you get on this AP test. Spare us next time.
4:17 PM: End of the day is just around the corner. Only 12 exams left in this folder. Can I finish them all before the end of the day? Should I even try?
4:28 PM: Whoops, came up 9 exams short. Oh well.
4:29 PM: D.V.: "Readers, that's the end of Day 3. Just some quick announcements... Yadda, yadda, yadda."
4:33 PM: Head out the door. Begin trek to dorm.
4:49 PM: Bypass the dorm. Walk downtown.
5:02 PM: Wander around. See some potential apartment buildings. It's Saturday so they are all closed of course. Jot down numbers. Will call on Monday to check on availability and to set up appointments for viewing.
6:22 PM: Return to the cafeteria.
6:24 PM: Have some dinner. There is some herb-crusted pork that looks good. And mashed potatoes. With gravy. Because everything goes better with gravy.
6:33 PM: "And so instead of benzene, the student thought it was methane, and so of COURSE that just screwed everything up..."
6:49 PM: Retire to room. Goof around on the Internet.
7:53 PM: Begin to wonder if I shouldn't wander down to the lounge to grab some beer.
7:54 PM: Stop wondering. Put on my shoes and head downstairs.
7:56 PM: Begin drinking my first beer.
8:28 PM: Begin drinking my second beer.
9:10 PM: Begin drinking my third beer.
9:12 PM: Run into some AP Geography graders. They are crashing our party but I don't care because they seem cooler than the chemistry people. One of them is really buff. I call him "Professor Whoop-Ass." He laughs.
9:14 PM: I admit the geography people into the super-secret chemistry club because one remembers what Avogadro's Number is and the other remembers what oxygen is. Good for them.
9:17 PM: I am admitted into the super-secret geography club because I know that Uganda is not in Eastern Europe, apparently in contradiction to the majority of the AP Geography test takers. I feel privileged.
9:55 PM: Time for another beer. Funny how last call seems to come early around here.
10:44 PM: Smuggle the remainder of my beer back to my room.
10:55 PM: Think about reading some more in my book, but think better of it. I should just crash and go to bed.
11:10 PM: Fall asleep. Dream of disembodied voices describing benzene molecules in Uganda.
6:18 AM: Wake up for real. Head to the shower.
6:20 AM: Shower.
6:40 AM: Get dressed. Brush teeth and shave. Etc.
7:10 AM: Go to the cafeteria. Have some breakfast. Usually with bacon because everything goes better with bacon.
7:40 AM: Begin walk to the reading. It takes about 15 minutes but I leave a little early just in case. Don't want to get chewed out by the table leader again.
7:56 AM: Show up. Mill around. Refill my coffee mug.
7:59 AM: Sit down at table. Stare at yesterday's last unfinished exam.
8:00 AM: A disembodied voice is heard from the speakers: "Readers, it's time to start grading." I dutifully comply.
8:02 AM: Continue to stare at the test. Take another sip of coffee.
8:04 AM: Finally realize what the student is trying to say. It's wrong. Student gets a zero.
8:05 AM: Grade next test.
8:06 AM: Grade next test.
Etc.
9:37 AM: Strive to remember if break time is at 9:45 AM or 10:00 AM.
9:48 AM: It must be at 10:00 AM.
10:00 AM: Disembodied voice again: "Readers, it's break time. Please be back in your cubicle in 15 minutes."
10:01 AM: Stand up. Look at the snack room - long line. Wander down to the bathroom - long line. Walk around a bit until one of the two lines clears up. Have some food and/or relieve myself.
10:05 AM: Surreptitiously hide some free snacks in my pockets for later.
10:10 AM: Surreptitiously scan the classified section of the paper in the apartment section.
10:12 AM: Refill coffee mug.
10:14 AM: Disembodied Voice: "One minute remaining."
10:15 AM: D.V.: "Readers, time to start grading again."
10:16 AM: Put paper away. Grade another exam.
10:48 AM: Chuckle softly as student writes a creative answer/comically stupid answer/song lyrics/love ballad/blame-the-teacher diatribe/why-does-this-exam-cost-so-damn-much complaint.
10:52 AM: Read yet again: "THIS IS SPARTA". Groan as it's gotten quite old.
11:14 AM: Mind begins to wander towards lunch. Not really hungry, just don't want to grade another exam.
11:33 AM: Mind wanders again. Pace of grading slows down.
11:44 AM: D.V.: "Readers, it's lunch time." Yay. One minute early.
11:45 AM: Begin walking back towards the dorms.
12:00 PM: Stop in my room. Put away the hidden snacks. Check email, check on calculations, etc.
12:15 PM: Grab some lunch. Perhaps pizza, but with something healthy, like salad. Oooo, and some ranch dressing, because everything goes better with ranch dressing. Don't forget the Diet Pepsi(tm).
12:18 PM: Sit down for lunch with some other graders. Listen semi-attentively as they describe all the hilarious/stupid/lame answers that they've received on their exams.
12:40 PM: Check watch, put tray away.
12:41 PM: Marvel yet again how fancy the cafeteria is, and how it wasn't like this at CMU, not at all.
12:45 PM: Head outside. This time maybe I will take the bus to the reading. Climb onto bus.
12:48 PM: Bus heads out. 5 minute bus ride.
12:53 PM: Bus drops us off. Walk to reading room.
12:55 PM: Refill coffee mug.
12:59 PM: Sit down. Stare at open exam.
1:00 PM: D.V.: "Readers, it's time to start."
1:01 PM: Grade the exam.
1:36 PM: If you really don't know the answer to the question, or the next, or the next one either, what are you doing even taking the Advanced Placement test in the first place?
1:43 PM: Wonder if I've passed the 1,000-exam mark yet.
2:11 PM: "THIS IS SPARTA". Grr.
2:37 PM: How could a student possibly believe this? Wow.
3:00 PM: D.V.: "Readers, it's break time."
3:01 PM: Find the short line.
3:08 PM: Not as many snacks to hide. Eat them all. Grab two cans of Diet Pepsi and refill coffee mug (will need them both for the home stretch).
3:15 PM: D.V.: "Readers, time to get back to work."
3:41 PM: Could it be - could it be - yes, it's a perfect paper!
4:02 PM: Yeah yeah, you're going to Cornell/Stanford/Harvard/Berkeley so you don't care what you get on this AP test. Spare us next time.
4:17 PM: End of the day is just around the corner. Only 12 exams left in this folder. Can I finish them all before the end of the day? Should I even try?
4:28 PM: Whoops, came up 9 exams short. Oh well.
4:29 PM: D.V.: "Readers, that's the end of Day 3. Just some quick announcements... Yadda, yadda, yadda."
4:33 PM: Head out the door. Begin trek to dorm.
4:49 PM: Bypass the dorm. Walk downtown.
5:02 PM: Wander around. See some potential apartment buildings. It's Saturday so they are all closed of course. Jot down numbers. Will call on Monday to check on availability and to set up appointments for viewing.
6:22 PM: Return to the cafeteria.
6:24 PM: Have some dinner. There is some herb-crusted pork that looks good. And mashed potatoes. With gravy. Because everything goes better with gravy.
6:33 PM: "And so instead of benzene, the student thought it was methane, and so of COURSE that just screwed everything up..."
6:49 PM: Retire to room. Goof around on the Internet.
7:53 PM: Begin to wonder if I shouldn't wander down to the lounge to grab some beer.
7:54 PM: Stop wondering. Put on my shoes and head downstairs.
7:56 PM: Begin drinking my first beer.
8:28 PM: Begin drinking my second beer.
9:10 PM: Begin drinking my third beer.
9:12 PM: Run into some AP Geography graders. They are crashing our party but I don't care because they seem cooler than the chemistry people. One of them is really buff. I call him "Professor Whoop-Ass." He laughs.
9:14 PM: I admit the geography people into the super-secret chemistry club because one remembers what Avogadro's Number is and the other remembers what oxygen is. Good for them.
9:17 PM: I am admitted into the super-secret geography club because I know that Uganda is not in Eastern Europe, apparently in contradiction to the majority of the AP Geography test takers. I feel privileged.
9:55 PM: Time for another beer. Funny how last call seems to come early around here.
10:44 PM: Smuggle the remainder of my beer back to my room.
10:55 PM: Think about reading some more in my book, but think better of it. I should just crash and go to bed.
11:10 PM: Fall asleep. Dream of disembodied voices describing benzene molecules in Uganda.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Party
And yes I went to the reader lounge. Had 4 beers, one of which was Canadian. I swear I didn't see the label until it was too late. Next time I will be more careful. Time for bed.
A full day of grading
Okay, after my full day of reading, I can safely say that this truly is assembly-line grading. Of course I should have known this before coming - what, they'd actually want my input or something? So apparently there are 100,000 AP Chemistry exams to grade. Wow. No I don't have to grade every single one but that is still a lot of exams. My current rate is about 40 exams per hour and people tell me that's a little slow. What's more, I don't think my question leader likes me very much. I came in late on Thursday which disrupted her plans and then I arrived late Friday morning, by about 5 minutes, misjudging the time it takes to walk from the dorm to the state fair grounds where the reading is taking place. She appropriately upbraided me. I am trying to impress her with my diligent work but I don't think it is working. Ugh. I am here for 5 more days. Double ugh.
On the lighter side, since I am grading the last question of the exam, I get to see the end-of-booklet shenanigans that students write. So far, there have been the pleas for mercy, the "it's not my fault I don't know the answers, my teacher was an idiot" declamations, the "why do I have to pay $85 for this stupid exam" complaint, the website advertisement (no joke!), and the usual random silliness that highschool students put on exams when they don't know the answer to the questions. Oh, and the love ballad to his highschool sweetheart. How touching. I'd be touched more, however, if he knew what intermolecular forces were. Oh well. More grading tomorrow.
On the lighter side, since I am grading the last question of the exam, I get to see the end-of-booklet shenanigans that students write. So far, there have been the pleas for mercy, the "it's not my fault I don't know the answers, my teacher was an idiot" declamations, the "why do I have to pay $85 for this stupid exam" complaint, the website advertisement (no joke!), and the usual random silliness that highschool students put on exams when they don't know the answer to the questions. Oh, and the love ballad to his highschool sweetheart. How touching. I'd be touched more, however, if he knew what intermolecular forces were. Oh well. More grading tomorrow.
Finally Arrived
Written on: 06/12/08 8:00 PM
Flight was bumpy. I think I have a pretty strong constitution -- I've never been carsick, seasick, or airsick -- but this flight nearly put me over the edge. I was really regretting those two cheeseburgers. Anyhoo, didn't get to Omaha until about 1:30 (pretty good by airline low standards). Limo guy was great, turns out he's a former Husker himself. Linebacker in the 70's. Rode with another reader, Holly, she is reading for the AP Geography exam. I didn't even know there was a geography exam! From her I learned that the unofficial nickname for the reading event is "Read and Feed" -- i.e., there's lots of food. At least I won't starve.
So I checked into my dorm room and didn't actually get to the reading place until about 3:30. There was really only enough time to process my payroll papers and go over the rubric for the question I am grading (#6). I will begin my grading in earnest tomorrow. Will I be docked pay for not working a complete day today? Dunno. Holly thought we might be.
Question 6, it turns out, is the most essay-ish of the bunch. Students have to explain why some compounds dissolve in water and others don't, for instance. Consequently when I mention to other readers thar I am grading Q6, the typical reaction is one of pity. This may be a long week after all. Fortunately the rubric is pretty straightforward and strict, so there is little wiggle room for wretching interpretations.
The atmosphere here, however, is pretty relaxed. I saw plenty of people in shorts and t-shirts. And, apparently the readers for each subject have a lounge, right in the dorm, in which there will be nightly parties, including booze. Don't think I will go tonight, I'm still pretty worn out by the trip but I will definitely take advantage of the opportunity later on.
Flight was bumpy. I think I have a pretty strong constitution -- I've never been carsick, seasick, or airsick -- but this flight nearly put me over the edge. I was really regretting those two cheeseburgers. Anyhoo, didn't get to Omaha until about 1:30 (pretty good by airline low standards). Limo guy was great, turns out he's a former Husker himself. Linebacker in the 70's. Rode with another reader, Holly, she is reading for the AP Geography exam. I didn't even know there was a geography exam! From her I learned that the unofficial nickname for the reading event is "Read and Feed" -- i.e., there's lots of food. At least I won't starve.
So I checked into my dorm room and didn't actually get to the reading place until about 3:30. There was really only enough time to process my payroll papers and go over the rubric for the question I am grading (#6). I will begin my grading in earnest tomorrow. Will I be docked pay for not working a complete day today? Dunno. Holly thought we might be.
Question 6, it turns out, is the most essay-ish of the bunch. Students have to explain why some compounds dissolve in water and others don't, for instance. Consequently when I mention to other readers thar I am grading Q6, the typical reaction is one of pity. This may be a long week after all. Fortunately the rubric is pretty straightforward and strict, so there is little wiggle room for wretching interpretations.
The atmosphere here, however, is pretty relaxed. I saw plenty of people in shorts and t-shirts. And, apparently the readers for each subject have a lounge, right in the dorm, in which there will be nightly parties, including booze. Don't think I will go tonight, I'm still pretty worn out by the trip but I will definitely take advantage of the opportunity later on.
Line
Written on: 06/12/08 11:00 AM
I've spent the entire morning waiting in line. Waited in line to go through security. Waited in line at customer service to find out where my bag was. (It's already in Omaha.) Waired in an unusually long line at McDonald's for a meager lunch. (You would think that the largest concourse at a major hub airport would have more than one fast food burger joint.) Waited in line to board the plane. Doors to the aircraft just closed, time to go. ETA 1:16 PM CT.
I've spent the entire morning waiting in line. Waited in line to go through security. Waited in line at customer service to find out where my bag was. (It's already in Omaha.) Waired in an unusually long line at McDonald's for a meager lunch. (You would think that the largest concourse at a major hub airport would have more than one fast food burger joint.) Waited in line to board the plane. Doors to the aircraft just closed, time to go. ETA 1:16 PM CT.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Trippy Times in Denver
So I call the recommended reservation number for the hotel. They say there's nothing that has a shuttle but there is a hotel for $59 (Sleep Inn). Great. I'll take that. They say the hotel is only 20 minutes away so how expensive could the cab ride be? I'll tell you: $80. And the cab ride was longer than 20 minutes too. When we show up I see that there are lots of hotels right near the one I'm staying at. There's a Radisson, Hampton, etc., all within walking distance. Maybe they have an airport shuttle? Because I am not paying another $80 to go back to the airport. Hampton - no luck. I look for the Radisson hotel and - lo and behold - it's a castle! No really. It's got the parapets and everything. All it needed was a moat and drawbridge. So I'm thinking, well I could stay in the castle, and they have an airport shuttle van conspicuously parked out front, and their rates are $92. Hmm... I call Sleep Inn just to make double extra sure they don't have a shuttle, and thereby confirm my decision to stay in the castle, and it turns out they don't have a shuttle...but you can reserve the Boulder Shuttle van for only $25. So some quick math reveals: $59 + $25 = $84, still cheaper than the $92 castle rate with the "free" airport shuttle. I abandon the castle (my room probably would have been in the dungeon anyway) and trek back to Sleep Inn. Turns out the night manager dude (a former Air Force recruiter, didn't you know?) has been processing canceled flight hotel reservations all night. And voila, I'm in my room, at the early hour of 1:19 AM. It is definitely time for bed. My flight has been rescheduled for 11:00 AM so the Boulder Shuttle is picking me up at 8:00 AM. Alarm is set for 6:55 AM. Let's hope this trip doesn't get any worse.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Bad News
Flight's been cancelled. I'm spending the night in Denver. Who knows when I'll get to Omaha.
Denver Continued
Written: 6/11/08 10:00 PM MT
So I’ve plugged into an outlet that’s actually behind a gate counter. Is this wrong? If I have to ask then the answer is probably... We’ll see if I get caught.
Did you know that Denver’s airport has free WiFi? Wow.
Oh and I saw the most disgusting thing. A rolling suitcase with flashing lights on the rear of its wheels. Almost made me want to throw up.
So I’ve plugged into an outlet that’s actually behind a gate counter. Is this wrong? If I have to ask then the answer is probably... We’ll see if I get caught.
Did you know that Denver’s airport has free WiFi? Wow.
Oh and I saw the most disgusting thing. A rolling suitcase with flashing lights on the rear of its wheels. Almost made me want to throw up.
Sleepless in Denver
Written: 6/11/08 9:00 PM MT
Guess I spoke too soon. I’m here in Denver and the flight to Omaha has been delayed, apparently due to some pesky tornadoes. I just hope I get there (tornado-free) and am able to get enough sleep to be able to function tomorrow. I don’t even know what our schedule is supposed to be like tomorrow, but all the other literature I have read from the ETS website suggests that it’s going to be a pretty rigorous, 8-to-5 type of schedule. Maybe the first day will be introductions and stuff that I can sleep through without much danger. Breaking news from the guy at the gate: flight’s delayed at least until 10:30. Blech. Time to grab some beer.
On a lighter note, it’s somewhat amusing to see the business traveler types scurry around the gate area in search of the last remaining wall outlet in which to plug in laptops/PDAs/gadgets. It has seemed strange to me, with the advent of modern technology requiring electricity, that airports are not more gadget-friendly and provide more outlets so travelers can plug in their laptops.
Guess I spoke too soon. I’m here in Denver and the flight to Omaha has been delayed, apparently due to some pesky tornadoes. I just hope I get there (tornado-free) and am able to get enough sleep to be able to function tomorrow. I don’t even know what our schedule is supposed to be like tomorrow, but all the other literature I have read from the ETS website suggests that it’s going to be a pretty rigorous, 8-to-5 type of schedule. Maybe the first day will be introductions and stuff that I can sleep through without much danger. Breaking news from the guy at the gate: flight’s delayed at least until 10:30. Blech. Time to grab some beer.
On a lighter note, it’s somewhat amusing to see the business traveler types scurry around the gate area in search of the last remaining wall outlet in which to plug in laptops/PDAs/gadgets. It has seemed strange to me, with the advent of modern technology requiring electricity, that airports are not more gadget-friendly and provide more outlets so travelers can plug in their laptops.
Going to Read AP Exams in Lincoln
Written at: 5:30 PM MT 6/11/08
So I finished my last final today. Well it really wasn’t a “final” – it was at 8 AM, I brought donuts and I asked my students to fill out an evaluation form for the class. And now I am at the Boise airport waiting to board a flight to Omaha to begin grading AP Chemistry exams. This isn’t really the start of my sabbatical, but it feels a lot like it: my school-time schedule has ended and I am going to Nebraska. I have already arranged for two appointments with property management companies in Lincoln to see two furnished apartments that I could potentially rent for my sabbatical. I’m really excited about one of them, at least according to the website it looks exactly like what I want. I’ll upload some pictures once I actually see them.
It is strange, but I am actually starting to feel a bit of homesickness, even though I have never really considered La Grande to be “home”. I’m finally at the place where I am saying goodbye to students that I will not see again, some for over a year, others never again. It really should be no different than graduation time for any other year, since then too I say goodbye to students that I will never see again either. But this somehow is different. Maybe it is because, this time, the choice to leave is mine. I will definitely miss working with my research students, especially Wade. Wade is an absolutely stellar student, I am proud to have him doing research with me and it pains me that he will be taking physical chemistry from someone else, the year that I won’t be there. Not that I think he would do poorly with someone else – he will do great, I’m sure – but that I won’t have the pleasure of teaching him the subject about which I feel the most passion. He is perhaps the one student who could persuade me not to take the sabbatical after all. The saving grace is that he will be there when I get back and I will get one more year to work with him – that is, if everything goes well. Who knows, he may have transferred away by time I get back and then the moment will be lost.
Hmm – they just called my name at the gate and I received the bonus-leg-room upgrade (e.g., exit row seating). This trip started out with an inauspicious start – I dropped papers in the mud, got lost going to the Boise mall trying to buy a book, couldn’t find a parking spot at the airport for the longest time – but maybe it won’t be so bad after all. Plus I just ran into a former student, Brian Byrne, who is finishing up medical school at UW and is traveling on this same flight. Small world indeed.
Well I am going to change seats, the guy next to me has a very loud iPod and very smelly fabric softener emanating from his clothes (I am allergic to fabric softener). I will upload this blog entry when I get a chance.
So I finished my last final today. Well it really wasn’t a “final” – it was at 8 AM, I brought donuts and I asked my students to fill out an evaluation form for the class. And now I am at the Boise airport waiting to board a flight to Omaha to begin grading AP Chemistry exams. This isn’t really the start of my sabbatical, but it feels a lot like it: my school-time schedule has ended and I am going to Nebraska. I have already arranged for two appointments with property management companies in Lincoln to see two furnished apartments that I could potentially rent for my sabbatical. I’m really excited about one of them, at least according to the website it looks exactly like what I want. I’ll upload some pictures once I actually see them.
It is strange, but I am actually starting to feel a bit of homesickness, even though I have never really considered La Grande to be “home”. I’m finally at the place where I am saying goodbye to students that I will not see again, some for over a year, others never again. It really should be no different than graduation time for any other year, since then too I say goodbye to students that I will never see again either. But this somehow is different. Maybe it is because, this time, the choice to leave is mine. I will definitely miss working with my research students, especially Wade. Wade is an absolutely stellar student, I am proud to have him doing research with me and it pains me that he will be taking physical chemistry from someone else, the year that I won’t be there. Not that I think he would do poorly with someone else – he will do great, I’m sure – but that I won’t have the pleasure of teaching him the subject about which I feel the most passion. He is perhaps the one student who could persuade me not to take the sabbatical after all. The saving grace is that he will be there when I get back and I will get one more year to work with him – that is, if everything goes well. Who knows, he may have transferred away by time I get back and then the moment will be lost.
Hmm – they just called my name at the gate and I received the bonus-leg-room upgrade (e.g., exit row seating). This trip started out with an inauspicious start – I dropped papers in the mud, got lost going to the Boise mall trying to buy a book, couldn’t find a parking spot at the airport for the longest time – but maybe it won’t be so bad after all. Plus I just ran into a former student, Brian Byrne, who is finishing up medical school at UW and is traveling on this same flight. Small world indeed.
Well I am going to change seats, the guy next to me has a very loud iPod and very smelly fabric softener emanating from his clothes (I am allergic to fabric softener). I will upload this blog entry when I get a chance.
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