Because I'll be going on maternity leave halfway through the fall semester, my department and I hatched this plan wherein I am filming all the course "lectures" through our distance ed office this summer, and then we're creating a distance learning version of the course for the fall. You know, with moderated discussion boards, and online quizzes and all that. And for the first half of the semester I'll be around for the students to come to office hours and such.
Don't ask me too many questions about how that's going to go, because I'm really not sure myself.
Anyway. Filming the classes is a very weird experience, because my normal teaching style is pretty interactive, but this series is just me, a tablet pc, a videocamera for my face, and an empty room. It's kind of unnerving, so I decided I needed a role model to keep in mind while doing this, so that I don't freeze up or fall apart.
I chose Alton Brown. He's nerdy, like me, but informative, and also entertaining to watch, so that it doesn't turn into a complete snooze-fest.
But today, I was going over some material in the middle of the lecture, and as I drew something on the pc I made a little noise, following along with the pen.
And then it occured to me, that really the class is way more like THIS than like Alton Brown (except, the homework is slightly more complex):
1 day ago
3 comments:
I used to love to watch Bill Cosby and the noisy pen! Actually sometimes when I use a whiteboard I think of that.
I also like Alton Brown, at least the nerdy entertainment Alton he gets to be on his own show where he's the center of attention, not the arrogant prick he revealed himself to be on The Next Food Network Star.
I'm sure you're not like that.
I also like your last post: I too repeatedly mix up my house and work keys. Starting doing it in grad school and had no idea at the time that I would still be doing it now, years later. Very sad.
Hm. That's a good idea, and I am going to bring that up to the dean when/if we need to have a maternity leave discussion in the future.
(staying anon for this one, because I'd rather not open up a can of worms regarding leave unless necessary. Paranoia, yes!)
not the arrogant prick he revealed himself to be on The Next Food Network Star.
And does he also have scruffy facial hair on TNFNS? Because I didn't care for that look either!
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