So it's snowing here today. And there's all of about 2 inches - in the deep spots - of the stuff on the ground. And yeah, it's chilly. But the snow is rapidly turning to slush.
So the campus closed down for 'weather event.' Really? With 2 inches of melting snow? Really? I think it must be the novelty of moisture in any form, because folks, this isn't serious weather. In Red Neck State, serious weather is tornados, noisy scary thunderstorms with lots of dangerous lightning, deadly ice storms that, coupled with the ever-present wind, bring power lines down and electrocute people. A mild winter snow storm is nothing. Yes it's nicer to be home than out in it, but there is no real reason to cancel classes and close the place.
Except... liability. And I seriously think that's why they closed the place. Liability concerns. Since they can't keep the sidewalks and steps clear, it's just easier to send everybody home. So a university schedule is less for education than for insurance concerns. Our terms are determined according to the schedule housekeeping has for turning around rooms for summer sports 'camps' and contracted but non-academic events. Our classrooms set ups are according to housekeeping needs, not the best practices for education and learning (that's why we have all those straight rows of seats; it's easier for housekeeping).
Think about it on your campus - when you have technology in the classroom, where are the controls for that equipment? In our classrooms, we have the computers over in one corner of the classroom, with the projector mounted in the ceiling... and the pull down screen (mechanized or manual) right over the white/black board. So you can't use both, but must chose one or the other. The tech set up requires either the instructor sitting over at the computer station - not facing the students - or a student being the designated clicker. And these are small classrooms. They used to have remotes for the computers, but those got stolen, and they would only work on forwarding ppt slides. If you want to do anything on the web, even demonstrate the CMS, you have to either be in the corner working on the computer, or have a student doing it and you issuing instructions. The whole set-up was and is designed by people who never teach. Craziness.
A snow day? Really? Bitch, bitch, bitch...
3 comments:
We closed down the other week - the third time in my 22 years. No one expects clean sidewalks here!
As to the tech headaches? Sympathies! Most of our classrooms have a console at the front with a monitor included and the screens rarely block the whole board. But that's trial and error more than anything else, I expect!
Schools have been closed here all week b/c of the blizzard we had last Friday. Even though power's been restored, a lot of schools sustained damage from fallen trees/limbs and burst pipes. So the kids got a bonus week off in addition to Feb. break next week.
Our console for tech is in the middle of the room, but we bring our own computers. And the screen is in the meddle of the whiteboard, so when you write on the whiteboard, you decide between halves of the room...
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