Not gone yet!

But the return of the fella and our subsequent move into our new digs (over the course of many trips in a borrowed mini-van) kept me busy over the last month. So here, to make amends to any loyal readers and the dedicated spambots:

See you tomorrow, with something more substantial!

The grading sweatshops?

I admit that not all university professors are created equal when it comes to grading. For sure, I’ve had a better experience in the (much tinier) Faculty of Environmental Studies at York than I ever did in the (gigantic) Psychology Department at the University of Toronto.

But I really, really don’t think that the answer to profs who don’t have time to grade students’ work effectively, or who just find it boring, is to outsource grading to India. This has nothing to do with the quality of work that the people hired by this company do; I have no doubt that it is high. But constructive commentary on a single paper is not enough to replace an effective professor or teaching assistant.

Last year, I got a B on my first essay for environmental politics. It hurt; I worked hard on that paper, and it was the only non-A I got last year. I determined to get an A on the second essay, and I did – but I know that part of the reason I was able to improve my work was that I didn’t just go by the comments my TA gave me on the first paper. I went back to her and talked to her about the outline for my second paper in light of those comments. And because she knew me, she knew the work that I had done in the past, and she knew what I was currently working on, she was able to offer helpful criticism before I submitted the paper.

And moreover, that was her job. That’s part of the academic apprenticeship of a teaching assistant position: learning how to gauge a student’s ability and progress and how to help that student improve. I know perfectly well that most full professors do not do their own grading, but I am also well-aware that they supervise their TAs, often quite closely, to help them and help their undergraduate students. It’s a hard job, I know. I spent more than two hours yesterday going over a friend’s application to grad school and giving him feedback on how to make it better. But I think I learned from doing that too. When I start graduate school next year, I want to have the opportunity to learn teach, not just to research; what good is my research if I can’t share what I learn?

This isn’t something that can or should be outsourced. It saddens me that any professor sees so little value in their role as a teacher.

As an addendum to my previous post…

I just got accepted to the master’s in environmental studies program! My whole life is validated and vindicated.

I feel as relaxed as Sputnik.

Can I join the tautology club directly?

I applied for graduate school on 1 February. Acceptances are going out – several friends in my faculty have been accepted. I’m happy for them, but I’m also freaking out; I know that the acceptances go out in waves and depend on variable admission committee schedules, but I haven’t heard anything yet. The last couple weeks have been stressful.

So, when I get an envelope from the university, I tear it open, heart pounding, hoping, hoping…

And when it turns out to be yet another invitation to join the “Golden Key Honour Society”, my opinion of which is admirably summed up by the ever-topical xkcd, I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry.

Does want grad school. Does not want weirdo academic scam.

It's so much harder to worry…

If you can sit outside on a sunny day.

A nature story.

Or, two photo essays depicting a wonderful day for two Richmond Hill squirrels.

Here, a black squirrel makes a delicious discovery.

Something prompts the black squirrel to look up from his delicious almond.

"Oh my!" says he, as his ears perk up.

"Is the coast clear?"

Indeed, the coast is clear! "I can't wait! What luck!"

"You realize that this is mine? All mine."

He sidles carefully over to the unexpected feast, afraid it will vanish as quickly as it appeared.

Sounds of nomming.

Defeated by its size, the black squirrel attempts to drag it away...

But woe for the black squirrel, no longer alone!

Munchy munch. "These seeds are boring," thinks the gray squirrel.

"What are those sounds of nomming I hear?"

"I must join in this nomming!"

The gray squirrel finds the unexpected feast.

"Amazing!"

"Mine! All mine!" The gray squirrel thinks, as he attempts to drag it away.

Filed under random life events | Tags: nature in the city, project365 | Comment (0)

A brief note to the weather gods:

Fall is the season for French onion soup and apple pie, fiery leaves, strong winds, and crisp, cool weather.

It is therefore unacceptable that the first full day of fall is a muggy 27 degrees Celsius (34! with the humidex!).

I trust that you’ll do better next year.

Sincerely,

Tariqata

Figuring out Flickr!

But it sure took me long enough!

Why, hello, blog.

/hiatus

School had me hopping for a month or so with writing that at least one person will actually be reading – and one person with the power to give me a grade.