Re: math question verrrrrry off topic
On Sat, 19 Jan 2008, Christina Z. Anderson wrote:
The one I hate, and now say at every start up class, is the student that
**emails** me and says, "Hey I missed class today, can you email me back what
you talked about?" I told them I will NOT digest class on email. If that
were the case, I would just email and not show up for class! And then there
are those that ask for my Powerpoints--I say no because of copyright
violations.
I have a strict attendance policy and elucidate it every semester on the
syllabus, and still last semester I graded 6 students down out of ONE class
of 16.
Chris
And Chris, it will probably get worse as the "thumbs do the walking" more
and more. Tho a lab class is probably much easier to teach than a theory
class.... On first day I gave out a sheet of general rules, including
that attendance would be taken at 9:25 (class officially began at 9 AM),
that three lates equalled one absence, and three unexcused absences (major
illness, death in family, being held hostage in Peru, etc.) would drop
their grade one letter.
This policy was so radical for "art school" (I don't recall another class
where "attendance" was taken), it seemed to get their attention -- and I
had actually done it a few times, which gave it some oompf.
Each new process got a worksheet with formulas and instructions in brief
(seed of Post-Factory in fact), which they could get from me or a
classmate. But, unlike theory, or history, the class was mostly hands on,
with frequent class crits, ie., lots more fun than "curriculum."
Many did begin under duress -- "alternative processes" were not yet cool:
They wanted to be in their darkrooms making C prints (I may have said that
already), but mean and ugly as I could be, the appeal of the processes was
irresistible, which made "discipline" much easier.
Chris & co, don't you find that after a while students take the "magic" of
straight photo for granted, but, say, a cyano, or a gum, is magic all over
again? I think the actual mixing up of the ingredients has a lot to do
with it -- not just a box from a factory.
I would also argue, however, that MOST college classes are simply time
serving. I recall a University (before art school) course in "religion" --
midwest standard brands. I handed in my highschool term paper (retyped) &
got an A. Plus almost anything they teach undergrads in social sciences is
going to be obsolete before the ink on the diploma is dry. I had a course
in "psychology" that would be a joke today. As I have pointed out
elsewhere ("Mutiny and the Mainstream") by the time an artist has achieved
enough "success" to get a tenured position, his/her style/wisdom is
useless to the next generation. (Or as Harold Rosenberg put it, "by the
time there's a bandwagon it's too late to jump on it.")
Unless you have the luck to land with a very special professor. I did have
one once at Northwestern: European Lit taught by Bergen Evans. A lecture
hall the size of Yankee Stadium & you could hear a pin drop. His acting
scenes from actual Shakespeare to contrast with imitation (bad)
Shakespeare, for instance, was among the great moments of teaching. (He
had a TV show for a while after that, tho I never saw it.) As for
teaching art, however, see Rosenberg above.
J.
> >
----- Original Message ----- From: "Katharine Thayer" <kthayer@pacifier.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 8:06 AM
Subject: Re: math question verrrrrry off topic
Well, let's just say I was a little late to class that day, and a little
out of sorts when I got there. It might make a better story if I could
remember what grade he got, but I don't. But since the class involved
homework and written papers, which he hadn't done, and since I graded
strictly on pre-designated points for the assignments, papers and tests, I
can't imagine that he did very well at all.
katharine
On Jan 18, 2008, at 11:02 PM, Dave S wrote:
Wow, that guy had the nerve to ask it. I know teachers/professors hate
that
question even when someone ask it after missing JUST ONE class.
Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: Katharine Thayer [mailto:kthayer@pacifier.com]
Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 1:35 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: Re: math question verrrrrry off topic
While we're way off topic, once when I was teaching
statistics, a guy appeared at my office door just as I was
going to the classroom to give the last lecture of the term,
and said, "I haven't come to class all term; have I missed
anything?" True story.
kt
On Jan 18, 2008, at 10:04 PM, Dave S wrote:
Well, I am OT again. If it gets too much, just let me know. I don't
know, somehow as I grow older, I seem to like things on the lighter
side.
Tonight I went to a meeting. I worked with university
students a lot.
Tonight I chatted to a young sophomore. He is really a smart guy.
During the
chat, I asked him how early did he have to go to school
(because it is
cold here in MI in the morning). He said it doesn't matter
because he
skipped most of his classes (he is an engineering student.
Engineering
subjects are more standardized and "fixed" especially for
freshmen/sophomores so you can learn them yourself from
textbook and
homeworks).
Then he said, "for my 1st and 3rd semester I skipped almost all the
classes, and I got a GPA of 3.9. The 2nd semester I attended almost
all of my classes, and I got a GPA of 3.6; so my conclusion
is it is
better to skip classes."
Talk about making conclusion from statistical data, huh? :-)
Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: Katharine Thayer [mailto:kthayer@pacifier.com]
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 9:49 PM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: Re: math question verrrrrry off topic
:--)
On Jan 18, 2008, at 6:23 PM, Diana Bloomfield wrote:
Hey Katharine,
I don't know-- maybe. I honestly didn't read the other
answers. :)
On Jan 18, 2008, at 8:43 PM, Katharine Thayer wrote:
Hmm, I thought that's what we all already have said, isn't it?
That that theoretical probability (1/4x1/4x1/4) would
hold only if
assumptions were met, and since assumptions are
obviously not met
(for example, judging is not a random lottery of course
but is done
on the basis of criteria, arbitrary or otherwise but
certainly not
random). Also, no one has said whether the 600 entries
are 600 works
or 600 people; I was assuming that they are 600 works
representing
fewer than 600 people, in other words people could submit
more than
one work, in which case, as I said, the number of works
submitted per
person would also have to be figured into the equation somehow.
Besides, if one person submits ten pieces and another
person submits
one, the ten pieces by the one person couldn't be considered
independent entries in the same way one of those ten could be
considered independent of the one from the other person, and
independence is also an assumption that must be met in order to
consider the probability of acceptance to be the same for all
entries.
Katharine
On Jan 18, 2008, at 4:25 PM, Diana Bloomfield wrote:
Okay, Chris. Here is it-- straight from my resident
statistician
here:
If they were the only 3 people from that institution
who applied,
AND if judging was completely random, then the
probability of this
is roughly 1 in 64 (key word: roughly). If more than
that applied
from this same institution, and only 3 got in, then the
calculation
will be more complex.
Hope that helps. :)
On Jan 17, 2008, at 12:00 PM, Christina Z. Anderson wrote:
Where else but this list can I ask these weird questions about
chemistry and math and computers and alt???
OK for you math people (Yves?): If there is a show and 600
entries, and 150 are accepted, there is a 1 in 4 chance of
acceptance. If 3 people from the same institution are
accepted
what percent chance is that--is it 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/4 or a
1.5% chance
or is it a more complex formula?
Forgive the off topic request but it does relate to
photo as 3 of
our program got into a photo show and I want to be able to
mathematically brag about it to the dept. head/dean.
Chris
Christina Z. Anderson
Assistant Professor
Photo Option Coordinator
Montana State University
CZAphotography.com
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