September 24th--Core 101 (MWF)

Back in class today after missing Wednesday and Friday of last week. A few weeks ago, I developed pain behind my knee and went to the ER because I was concerned it might be a DVT. The ultrasound came back negative, but the pain persisted, eventually moving into my calf, where it felt like a vice was closing in around my gastroc muscle. By that point, I'd also developed shortness of breath. The ultrasound Wednesday revealed a DVT in my calf and thigh, and a CT Scan a while later revealed PE on both of my lungs. I was admitted to the hospital and stayed Wednesday and Thursday night for monitoring and other tests (echocardiogram, etc.).

According to most things I've read online, people aren't really supposed to return to work after a PE for about six weeks, but the doctor at the ER said I should be okay with the medicine (Xarelto), so here I am. I've had shallow breathing once or twice today, which concerns me, but otherwise, I feel pretty good and--somewhat surprisingly--it was nice to be back in class and get my mind off of the clots.

Everything went relatively well in my 3 o'clock class. They are finishing up their personal narrative essays, so I went over a couple sample essays in class to model what I'd like the peer review (Wednesday) to look like. These essays--a sample I wrote called "Rite of Passage" and a student sample called "Fear of Failure"--have been on D2L for a while. I had students fill out a peer review sheet for each essay and submit it to D2L for an in-class quiz grade (10 pts.). The discussion about the essays in the 3 o'clock class was relatively lively. Though written quickly, my essay was relatively good, so I was glad they noticed things that could possibly be changed to make it better, such as adding some interior monologue at points, adding more description near the end of the essay, etc. I believe everyone in the class spoke, which counts as a good class discussion and is a positive sign heading into the units on argumentation, etc., which require more student participation.

Read Sample Deer Essay: file:///C:/Users/maaburne/Desktop/killing%20a%20deer.htm

 (cut and paste the URL if you'd like to read my essay, I guess. I have no idea how to technology). 

5 o'clock class--The five o'clock class is a bit feistier than the 3, and I was missing 6 out of 15 students, but otherwise things went relatively well. Several people spoke up and got involved in the sample peer-reviews. I tried to model what I'd like to see with the peer reviews--1) read the essay aloud, which allows readers and listeners to notice things they may not notice otherwise, 2) be kind, but honest in the process--explain to them how you "see" it, point out any questions or confusions. I pointed out that it's helpful to get multiple perspectives (audiences); peers because perhaps they think more like you, me as instructor because I know what I'd like to teach them, and the Writing Center because they are trained to work with writing needs. I also pointed out that peer review can work because it allows us to see our writing "through" another person, it allows us to see how other students think and write (valuable when seeing writing as craft), seeing other students strengths and weaknesses, and seeing new ideas and ways of explaining ideas.

Overall, not bad. We will see how peer review goes on Wednesday.