I've got two minutes left on my grading countdown. I'm grading Regents exams today, a delightful task that always gives me cause for a chuckle. I give myself 28 minutes for a packet of 15 essays; any remaining time is "fun" time.
Today I learned that faculty shouldn't give comprehensive final exams because they shouldn't expect students to know those things. I also learned that abortion isn't legal in some states and isn't constitutional. Finally, I discovered that African-American teens are expected to live on welfare.
One minute left--amazing how long 2 minutes can be! I think I'll grab a fresh cuppa joe.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
. . .and we're back!
Not a post about the C's in sight, I see.
Returned last night around 9:30 p.m. to find that the ants had not colonized my kitchen as I'd feared. Breathed a sigh of relief, prepped my classes, and went to bed. Now, 24 hours later, I feel ready to at least acknowledge that which I attended.
So I chatted with UGA peeps (Lex and Bob and Scott, to name a few), met new peeps*, and did a good bit of listening.
* Matt, for one, who is a bit quick on the draw with the camera. To him I say: C & W is coming soon, and if I don't get you this time, I'll catch you when you're on my turf in 2008.
Returned last night around 9:30 p.m. to find that the ants had not colonized my kitchen as I'd feared. Breathed a sigh of relief, prepped my classes, and went to bed. Now, 24 hours later, I feel ready to at least acknowledge that which I attended.
So I chatted with UGA peeps (Lex and Bob and Scott, to name a few), met new peeps*, and did a good bit of listening.
* Matt, for one, who is a bit quick on the draw with the camera. To him I say: C & W is coming soon, and if I don't get you this time, I'll catch you when you're on my turf in 2008.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
CCCC 2007
We arrived in NYC at 10:30 a.m. and headed to our hotel. Within an hour of checking in, we were on our way to the NY Hilton to get our conference goodies (mainly the 300+ page program books) and map out our subway route. Yes, I said subway; we aren't staying at the conference hotel because it's just too expensive AND I know of this lovely little boutique hotel on the Upper West Side that is tres cher...but not too cher...but I digress.
On the way down to the Hilton we chatted about lots of things, including the notion that we could easily pick out "conference participants" from other folks. This led to a discussion of the differences between, say, a roomful of Classics scholars and a roomful of Modernists (that wasn't the actual comparison, but I'm just tossing out an example). I would say that this ability to categorize a person based on their general demeanor/appearance is pretty darn interesting. If we do look the same, is it because we are in a particular cohort or because people like us are drawn to it?
I'm going to try to post about the sessions I see at the C's. There are quite a few of interest to me.
On the way down to the Hilton we chatted about lots of things, including the notion that we could easily pick out "conference participants" from other folks. This led to a discussion of the differences between, say, a roomful of Classics scholars and a roomful of Modernists (that wasn't the actual comparison, but I'm just tossing out an example). I would say that this ability to categorize a person based on their general demeanor/appearance is pretty darn interesting. If we do look the same, is it because we are in a particular cohort or because people like us are drawn to it?
I'm going to try to post about the sessions I see at the C's. There are quite a few of interest to me.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Validation?
In a fit of pique during this utterly unproductive Spring Break (in which I've stared endlessly at charts trying to make sense of them) I replied to a post on the WPA listserv. The conversation had turned, as it periodically does, to the matter of the rhet/comp--literature divide. When "writing" became the sub for "rhet/comp" but "literature" remained, I brought out my little soapbox.
Long term viability for English studies will come not when we jettison the literature enterprise, but when we recognize the multiplicity of activities that come under the banner of English studies. For the purposes of the above conversation, that means ending the verb--noun battle (writing vs. literature) and using the verb--verb connection--writing and reading.
Rhet/comp classes are to Literature classes what writing classes are to reading ones. Two peas in a snuggly language pod.
And the validation? Well, that came when folks started talking about the reading/writing connection in response to my post. Felt pretty good indeed.
Maybe there's a place for my dissertation after all.
Long term viability for English studies will come not when we jettison the literature enterprise, but when we recognize the multiplicity of activities that come under the banner of English studies. For the purposes of the above conversation, that means ending the verb--noun battle (writing vs. literature) and using the verb--verb connection--writing and reading.
Rhet/comp classes are to Literature classes what writing classes are to reading ones. Two peas in a snuggly language pod.
And the validation? Well, that came when folks started talking about the reading/writing connection in response to my post. Felt pretty good indeed.
Maybe there's a place for my dissertation after all.
Labels:
dissertation,
profession,
reading,
writing
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