orichalcum

Well, Robert Morgenthau, at 86, has just all-but-won another term as Manhattan D.A. Go active seniors. (For L&O fans, this is the guy Adam Schiff (who retired, himself) was based closely on. I say all-but-won because technically he only won the Democratic primary. But he's also the Republican candidate, the Working Families Party candidate (I think), the Green candidate, the Natural Law candidate, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Also, the MA legislature defeated the anti-gay-marriage constitutional amendment. Go gay MA!

And we have at least been told that our stuff will arrive tomorrow! No more oven baking! No more air mattress! We can sing the praises of the great goddess Calphalon again!

I attended a teaching workshop for new faculty today, and was again struck by the vast gulf between teaching workshop advice for academics and actual practice.

Teaching Theory Workshops:
More role-playing!
More small group work!
More interactivity!
Less tests!
Relate the subject matter to the real world!

Actual practice of every class I've ever taken as a student, at some pretty darn good schools, pretty much:
Lecture
Some discussion, dominated by the talkative and assertive students.
Big Important All-Grade-Depending Midterm,Final, and maybe Paper.

So I don't know what this says. I feel like any peer reviewer who actually evaluates my work, who isn't someone from a teaching center, will attack me as silly and unintellectual and unprofessional if I use all the cool role-playing thingamajigies. OTOH, I believe that they really do work better.

Best reminder I got today: Just because a learning style doesn't work for you, doesn't mean it won't be good for your students. Me, personally, I despise small-group-work. I find it dull and prefer to work independently and not rely on others. But it seems to really help a lot of students.

How's by you folks?