Well, all. As Brandon says, I am still working on my dissertation. I would really like to get a complete draft done by the end of summer, and I think that is possible. Unfortunately, I have two writing modes:
1. Staccato: In this writing mode, I must just put little ideas down here and there throughout the day whenever I think of it. This is a great way to get started and still do the work that I need for teaching, living, and loving. However, progress is very slow and can end up being very disjointed.
2. Largo: The other option is for me to just lock myself to my keyboard and write for 8 hours/day. This is incredibly effective but also very unpleasant. I wrote my thesis this way, and in addition to getting a bit crazy, I got nasty carpal tunnel, especially in my right wrist.
I am hoping to merge these two styles for my dissertation. My plan is to have a three month period of gathering ideas, reading, watching my films, putting down general ideas and thoughts, and having deep discussions over pints at Beckett's or Grumpy Dave's. Then, I will spend the summer writing a lot and meeting with my advisor once a week to go over things and keep fresh and interested. Finally, next fall, begins the clean-up phase, which I'm quite good at. All I have to do is to do rewrites and fix little errors.
So that is the plan. I was going to write something deep comparing Christian fundamentalists and those Islamic Imams who are calling for the prosecution of the journalists who printed and reprinted the Muhammed cartoon, but frankly, it is too easier and will just make me mad.
I hope that you are all doing well and are content.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Spring Break...yadda yadda yadda
I love Spring Break although I have never gone anywhere at all. I love it because, for me, it comes at just the right moment in the semester. I've been running on all cylinders for eight weeks now, and I've just been getting to the point where the engine starts glowing white-hot. Then, magically, there are a few days where I can run a little slower.
I've never had a "break" per se since I've been working from the time I was 14, but it is nice to take a bit extra time and do something different.
Yesterday, my wife and I went to drive around the area in the city where we are moving to. It was fun for me because I could just not think about getting copies made or coming up with a creative activity that the students would enjoy. I could just drive, look out the window, and keep on the search for a good bar somewhere near my house. (not much luck, by the way)
On a side note, I've been reading the book of Jeremiah recently because I heard an evangelical minister using passages from this book to blame the homosexuals and liberals for Katrina. Anyway, there is a large quantity of time spent in the book talking about how the fault for the coming disaster comes from the chosen peoples of Israel and Judea pretending that they are doing nothing wrong and pointing the finger elsewhere.
I think that the more significant parallel (if one is actually to believe that God uses hurricanes to punish people in the active way that many fundies and evangelicals seem to believe) would be to the way the Church and its leaders are doing the same thing as Israel and Judea were when threatened by outside powers. They pointed their fingers at each other and did whatever they needed to in order to maintain physical, earthly power.
It seems that the prophet is trying to communicate that God desparately wanted to avoid punishments but that the leaders of the Hebrew people prefer to trust in the strength of their swords and their alliances with other nations rather that trusting in God to protect them.
Just a thought.
On still another note, I had the last day of classes at the CC that I teach at PT. It was so cute. One of my students broke down and started crying because class was going to be over. I will miss that class. It was honestly the best class that I ever had. For the most part, they worked hard and came to class mostly prepared. I hope that this summer tha tI can get another good class.
I've never had a "break" per se since I've been working from the time I was 14, but it is nice to take a bit extra time and do something different.
Yesterday, my wife and I went to drive around the area in the city where we are moving to. It was fun for me because I could just not think about getting copies made or coming up with a creative activity that the students would enjoy. I could just drive, look out the window, and keep on the search for a good bar somewhere near my house. (not much luck, by the way)
On a side note, I've been reading the book of Jeremiah recently because I heard an evangelical minister using passages from this book to blame the homosexuals and liberals for Katrina. Anyway, there is a large quantity of time spent in the book talking about how the fault for the coming disaster comes from the chosen peoples of Israel and Judea pretending that they are doing nothing wrong and pointing the finger elsewhere.
I think that the more significant parallel (if one is actually to believe that God uses hurricanes to punish people in the active way that many fundies and evangelicals seem to believe) would be to the way the Church and its leaders are doing the same thing as Israel and Judea were when threatened by outside powers. They pointed their fingers at each other and did whatever they needed to in order to maintain physical, earthly power.
It seems that the prophet is trying to communicate that God desparately wanted to avoid punishments but that the leaders of the Hebrew people prefer to trust in the strength of their swords and their alliances with other nations rather that trusting in God to protect them.
Just a thought.
On still another note, I had the last day of classes at the CC that I teach at PT. It was so cute. One of my students broke down and started crying because class was going to be over. I will miss that class. It was honestly the best class that I ever had. For the most part, they worked hard and came to class mostly prepared. I hope that this summer tha tI can get another good class.
Friday, February 24, 2006
The Joy of Computer Lab Days...
There is something extremely satisfying in teaching composition. At the end of the semester (I'm teaching an 8-week version of my class), it becomes so exciting to see all of my students dutifully sitting behind their computers editing and revising their research essays.
They ask each other questions that show that they have paid at least some attention throughout the class: "Would you check this paragraph for passive voice?" or "I know that something is not correct in the predicate here, but I don't know what it is."
The improvement in my CC kids is so drastic that I don't know what to do with myself. It certainly isn't my teaching. There is no real way to force composition down someone's throat. They either pay attention to the book and work hard on drafting and revision, or they don't.
They ask each other questions that show that they have paid at least some attention throughout the class: "Would you check this paragraph for passive voice?" or "I know that something is not correct in the predicate here, but I don't know what it is."
The improvement in my CC kids is so drastic that I don't know what to do with myself. It certainly isn't my teaching. There is no real way to force composition down someone's throat. They either pay attention to the book and work hard on drafting and revision, or they don't.
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