Do Students Read the Trib During Break?

I wonder how many students are aware of this, if not from the Tribune than from some other source.

Illinois universities await overdue state funds - chicagotribune.com via kwout

Did We Engage in Critical Pedagogy?

I thought this piece interesting and relevant. Some of you at the beginning of the course thought about effective change in political terms. Perhaps we should have explored that more.

t r u t h o u t | Rethinking Education as the Practice of Freedom: Paulo Freire and the Promise of Critical Pedagogy via kwout

A Health Update on Me

The diagnosis has come in on what was causing the pain in my leg that I complained about since the Thanksgiving Holiday. It's arthritis, in both hips and my lower back, coupled with some bone spurs. None of this is too severe at present, but the bone spurs can apparently irritate a nerve. Mostly it is under control with some mild pain medication, though I've had a bad day or two since the semester ended. (I'm not counting the Missouri game in that.) If I was cross with you during the last few weeks of the term, I apologize for that. That is likely the explanation (though it could still have been your word usage). ;-)

I hope you are having a fun and relaxing break. That's what is't been for me.

Drum Roll, Please

I'm now done with the grading. (Yippee!) Here's what I did.

On your reflections - I made comments on your Portfolio posts for the world to see and then in Compass I made comments for just you along with the points for your posts. Those are in the discussion area.

On the sub projects for the class project, I made comments for the world to see where your posted work appears. There are no analogous comments in Compass. The sub projects were so different they really couldn't be compared. So, in the end I opted just to give you a participation credit for that. Everyone got full credit. I likewise did that for class participation. Perhaps a little sneaky of me to do it that way, but I trust nobody will object to that outcome.

Grades have been entered in Banner. I have no clue how long it takes for you to see them. If you don't see them by Monday, let me know and I'll post them in the Compass grade book. I hope, however, that won't be necessary.

Have a great break. Once you've put some distance between our class and what you will then be doing, if you have a chance for one last reflection about our course I'd be curious on that score - whether your perspective has changed and any consequences of our course on other things you are doing.

Take good care.

Professor Arvan

Saying Goodbye

Not me, at least not yet. There are still some submissions to grade. It's Judith Warner who is leaving for a different assignment at the NY Times. There is a lot to learn from her writing.

Goodbye to All This - Opinionator Blog - NYTimes.com via kwout