
I didn't even have to use it. I had uploaded my presentation to blackboard on Sunday. I did this once last semester too (and then I didn't realize it til the next afternoon). Lesson relearned. It was only after I left that I thought, isn't it kinda early for students to be pulling late-nights in the computer lab?
Anyway my first trip to UMD today was more fun. Driving in, this song came up on my iPod. It's one of my all-time-favorite k.d. lang songs, originally sung by Patsy Cline (maybe I should get into country music programming). And being that I was on the way to teach class, I started thinking about how the song relates to the Philippine Revolution/Spanish American War/Philippine American War. Then I decided, I'll make that their homework for next week. To make sure they read, I make them write a 500-word reflection each week. I give them prompts--words, quotations, concepts--to wrap their reflections around (and to keep them from mindless summarizing). This song just became one of the prompts they can choose from. See, this is why listen to music in the car instead of NPR.
I pulled up the video on youtube when I got to class, played it for them and said: so there are three characters in the song: my love, I, and the stranger that came along. In the drama of these wars, who is my love, I and the stranger? Let's see what they come up with. I have my ideas. What do you think? The lyrics are below.
So four students dropped (including one of the Filipino Cultural Association officers who I was looking forward to having, boo) and four students took their places so I still have 40. They have until Monday to solidify their schedule. Four people were absent today so maybe I'll end up with a smaller class. What's up with the fours? Isn't that an unlucky number?
Having a TA is nice. She did my copying so I didn't have to come early, took roll and best of all, she made my slides look beauteous! (It's a word--I looked it up). The handout was a census form and survey so now she gets to tally them for me. Yay!
But I'm the one who has to remember to take my USB drive out of the computer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbum19PoYRw
Two cigarettes in an ashtray,
My love and I in a small cafe.
Then a stranger came along,
And everything went wrong.
Now there's three cigarettes in the ashtray.
I watched her take him from me,
And his love is no longer my own.
Now they are gone, and I sit alone,
And watch one cigarette burn away.
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