Final Grades and Blog

I hope your finals week is going well...well enough for finals week that is. I am posting to wrap up a few things for everyone.

Final Grades

I have approximately a week to post final grades. Not only do I have to post your grades, but I also have to post grades for my other 1010 class and grade research projects for an upper-level communication class. In addition, I have to complete my own work for my graduate classes. What this means is that I cannot personally let you know when I will post grades or what your final grades are. That will be your job. Check Blackboard throughout the week for grade updates. All that is left to input is your final participation grade and deductions for absences. Have patience, your grades will be posted.

Blog

The blog is closed for participation comments. I appreciate your participation in this new project and providing your feedback on it. Many of your comments were very helpful and will definitely help me in my future teaching endeavors. Your blog participation is a factor in your final participation grade though it doesn't make up your entire participation grade. I have made the blog a part of your participation grade because while it does not have a huge impact on your grade, making it a part of your grade actually encourages participation. While I am sure some of you would participate if this wasn't part of your grade, I imagine many or most of you would not, hence why I have to factor it into your grade in some way.

SETE

The results are in and one section will be getting 10 extra points. The question is which section...(insert dramatic pause)...section 027, or the Tuesday/Thursday class, will receive 10 extra points on their overall grade for 90% of the class taking the SETE. To my other section, I am sorry that y'all didn't make the 90% as I know many of you did take it. I wish I could give y'all individual credit, but unfortunately the SETE is not set up that way.

Final Thoughts

I have thoroughly enjoyed my 1010 classes this semester. Both sections have contained a wonderful group of smart, motivated, and engaging students. I haven't had this much fun with 1010 classes before and y'all were great. I just hope my next classes can live up to y'all!

Best of luck on finals and in your future endeavors. Enjoy your holidays - relax and watch copious amounts of Netflix - at least that's my plan. :)

Class Blog: Yay or Nay?

So as a new experiment, this blog has gone fairly well in my opinion for its first semester. However, deciding to continue this project depends upon some of your responses. Some changes I intend to make next year if I continue:

• Don't use blogger. I would probably switch to something like wordpress where everyone can comment on other people's comments.
• I would plan all my weekly posts before the semester begins so I would be able to guarantee a post per week even during times when I have conferences and holidays. That being said, I will give everyone another freebie since I've been a slacker the past two weeks. This means in order to get your full credit, you need to have commented 5 times. Some of you are already there and I greatly appreciate that.

Some things I have enjoyed about the blog:

• Hearing from students who don't speak up a lot in class. I know some of you are uncomfortable doing this, and the blog has given me a chance to hear your voices.
• Your perspectives shared on this blog outside of the classroom have really influenced my approach to teaching. I have learned a lot from y'all that makes me better at teaching.

Questions:
1. What do you think about the blog? Is it something I should try next semester?
2. What improvements do you think could be made to the blog if I continue it next semester? Should the topics remain on issues that specifically concern you as college students or should I use it more for class stuff? Or both?
3. Do class assignments/projects like these really help transcend the boundaries of the classroom or are they just one more thing to do? Or somewhere in between?

Final Exam Location

The exam will be located in Wooten Hall 222 at 8:30am THIS Saturday (12/10).

I will see y'all there with bells on. As in I am seriously trying to find annoying Christmas bells to wear.

Final Extra Credit Opportunity

The SETE exam is finally up. The SETE (Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness) is a chance for you the student to evaluate the class content, structure, and your instructor. Yes, we do read these, so this really is a chance for you to share your perspective and comment on what works and could be changed in the 1010 classroom. Now, if 90% of the class takes the SETE, then EVERYONE gets 10 extra points on their final grade. So what does that mean? You need to nag your fellow classmates to take it. :) I don't need any proof that you took it. At the end of the semester, our staff looks up the statistics on the SETE website. You can find the SETE evaluations through my.unt.edu.

Rhetorical Presentations and Exam Review

So, I am trying to figure out a way for us to fit in all the final presentations and have an exam review day. I have some evenings free this week for an exam review, but in order to assure that everyone can go, it would probably be best to do the review in class. So, I am thinking about arranging alternative times for rhetorical presentations. For those of you who are still left, you can either a) present in class or b) arrange an alternative time to come by my office (GAB 322) and present to me in my office. Now, if classtime is the best time for you to present, then you definitely need to present during class. However, if we can work out to have about half the people left present in class and half present in my office, then we can fit in an exam review on Wed/Thurs. I will list my schedule and you will need to book a time during a ten minute interval. So, Monday I am available from 11:00am to 4:00pm. You will need to tell me via email or the blog that you will present at 12:10pm. I will confirm with you and let you know if that time is still available. So here's my schedule:

Monday (12/5): 11:00am-4:00pm
Wednesday (12/7): 10:30am-10:40am; 11:30am-12:00pm; 2:20pm-4:00pm.
Thursday (12/8): 10:30am-12:00pm
Friday (12/9): 8:00am-12:00pm

Keep in mind, if you decide to present this way then you must show up on time and prepared. Consider this like showing up for class. Unless you have an excused absence, you will be expected to present on the day and time you commit to and if you do not, then you will receive a 0 on the assignment.

Help out a fellow classmate!

On Thursday, December 1st the women of UNT's Kappa Delta Sorority are having a fundraising event to raise money for a sister who found out that her mother, without health insurance, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. From 9pm to 3am at the Kappa Delta House, they will be making quesadillas for anyone who comes. For only $5 you can eat UNLIMITED quesadillas. ALL profits are going to her family to help pay for the extremely pricy cancer treatments. This event is open to all and Kappa Delta would love for you to bring as many friends as you would like. Thank you for your support!

What's in a Name? Colleg

One of your classmates sent me a compelling article regarding publications ranking colleges. Here is the link: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/11/what-makes-a-college-good/2814/#.TsAKu8qfprM.email. The article raises some good questions about what makes a college good, which brings me to...

Questions:
1. How did you go about picking a college? What particular features and characteristics were you looking for? Did you consult any sources like the Newsweek rankings?
2. Did "name" and status (by that I mean elite schools like the Ivies or well known schools) affect your choice of college? Why or why not?
3. For those of you who have worked or who are working in a particular field where degrees are significant, have you noticed a bias towards the "name" of a college? Do you think the name of a college holds much sway in the job hiring process?
4. How do you think colleges should be ranked?