Looking back over my list from a couple days ago, I guess I'm making ok progress. I have most lesson plans for the semester done, and I have graded about everything except the last few projects and a scan test that won't scan. That scanner is giving me some trouble and I hope I can fix it. Goofy error where it tells me it can't scan the form and then it does but I have to hit enter twice before it will scan the next one. Argh. I think maybe it didn't like my two-sided OCR scanning and it's still trying to read both sides or something? Otherwise I'll reinstall it. Anyway, though, I have about everything else under control I think.
Another annoying note - my internet connection seems to be slower and less reliable, especially around 7/8 but really all day. And Computer 9 doesn't pick up the printer on start-up. I wonder if any do? Something else to look into, I guess.
I have been trying to integrate The Wisdom of Crowds stuff into my English class without really discussing it (because discussing it would go against the message). I have the students watching each project and evaluating them based on the four criteria that we discussed in class. Other than clapping briefly, we don't discuss them at all. I've converted their raw data responses so far to a grade and match them against my own evaluation. According to Surowiecki, I should just accept their grades. However, I have a couple doubts about the wisdom of this, though not based on an underappreciation of Surowiecki's thesis. Instead, I can't share all data - particularly any student's particular special needs. So they don't adapt their grades and can be a little brutal - though perhaps honest. Also, I don't believe the students are able to evaluate one of the four qualities reliably - organization and clarity of information. Nonetheless, I think they are giving a fair evaluation of the overall quality of the projects vis a vis each other as pieces of multimedia. They would also rate American News Programs over BBC News and would be right to say they are sharper to watch. However, if the criteria were changed from "I like watching this better than that" to "I am given more information more clearly", I don't know that they are ready (or that I have prepared them) for such a distinction.
Anyway, I'd better get back to work - last few pattern charts and those pesky scan quizzes. Site usage data to make up, too. Oh, and we've got an offer on our condo and have to figure out what comes next now. We've counter-offered and are probably close, so there's a lot to think about. Back to work... Enjoy the weekend.
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