tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366909960546184927.post8592509149376043219..comments2023-06-11T02:19:27.429-07:00Comments on Academic Cog: You can lead a student to water, you can show the students the water, you can even splash the water on the students but...Sisyphushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09880634753539329199noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366909960546184927.post-52624019470780804642011-10-18T18:46:21.012-07:002011-10-18T18:46:21.012-07:00Ouch. At least our surveys are required for Engli...Ouch. At least our surveys are required for English majors, so we usually have a genuinely bimodal distribution rather than just a steep decline.Fretful Porpentinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11165078003123517013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366909960546184927.post-48812659661585542242011-10-18T15:09:48.637-07:002011-10-18T15:09:48.637-07:00Protoscholar, I haven't found this to be true ...Protoscholar, I haven't found this to be true of my freshman comp students --- that class is going fine, except for the fact that it's comp and I have to grade the dammed homework constantly. It's just this one survey that goes so crappy.<br /><br />And I have a story that will truly demoralize you; remind me to take the time to actually post it.Sisyphushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09880634753539329199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366909960546184927.post-64012313602622008222011-10-17T16:09:06.693-07:002011-10-17T16:09:06.693-07:00My intro to lit students have to write one page ab...My intro to lit students have to write one page about every single reading assignment they have. And believe it or, they're actually reading. The biggest single influence on their final grade is these short writings, which are focused, unit-wise, on one important thing in literature. (7 units in the semester. We're currently finishing up symbolism; next is irony.) It's a lot to grade, but they are keeping up with the reading and are doing pretty good work. But most importantly, this is a gen ed class and pretty much everyone is reading. (I did have two drop the class.) I'm also giving no tests at all. Everything about their grade depends on their writing.Fie upon this quiet life!https://www.blogger.com/profile/12047096700049201873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366909960546184927.post-60734782133819652982011-10-17T14:45:27.854-07:002011-10-17T14:45:27.854-07:00I'm beginning to think all college students ar...I'm beginning to think all college students are like this now. I teach statistics - about as far away from literature as you can get. I explain the material in painful detail. I say "this will be on the test". I still get about half who fail, all of whom blame me for it. Its as though they feel showing up should be sufficient.<br /><br />Worse, I am an adjunct and narrowly avoided an argument with a full time faculty member recently who said "if they do the work they should be able to pass". This really depends on your definition of "do the work". if they skim the book and get a 50 on the homework, that really isn't enough for them to pass when the test comes around. Showing up isn't enough. Token effort isn't enough. I can't MAKE them read the book attentively or use the study skills and resources that I provide. All I can do is teach the 50% who are trying and try not to let the other 50% drag them down too much.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7366909960546184927.post-46225692404791457802011-10-17T12:15:42.818-07:002011-10-17T12:15:42.818-07:00You can't take responsibility for their (poor)...You can't take responsibility for their (poor) choices. They are college students, for criminey's sake. They make their own choices; it's not your job to save them. Their grade, their choice. Period. <br /><br />Of course they'll try to blame you, your tests, your style, your assignments. You can choose to accept that blame, but why in the world would you?Bellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10849272391043604637noreply@blogger.com