T.O. Mon Aug 30, 9:06pm / AUS Tues Aug 31, 11:06am
Yesterday morning in my 8am Primary Curriculum class we were in the computer lab being taught how to use various ICT programs that are frequently used here in the schools. I feel like I might as well have lived with the dinosaurs, kids know so much about computers, the programs, the applications, uploading and downloading. Knowledge is power, and kids aren't allowed to have the power in the classroom, esp over their teachers, and so we learn the basics of what they know so we can pretend to know more than them about what they're talking about. It's only fair though if I'm going to ask my students to make a clay-mation movie using Windows Movie Maker that I know the program so that I can assess if they actually did a good job or not. Anyway, the point of my story is that at about 8:15am I caught a glance of a bottle of what looked like Smirnoff Ice from the girl across from me in the comp lab.
Two instantanious thoughts went through my mind #1. I cannot believe she is drinking so early in the morning, in class, in a course to be a teacher (judgement judgement judgement). and #2. I Wish I Had A Smirnoff Ice Right Now!!! Upon further observation of the girl it was revealed that it was not in fact a delicious chilled bottle of flavoured vodka but a fancy water bottle. The fact that I'm seeing water as coolers tells me not that I might need to watch how much I drink but that I am too stressed out and need a good patio and a fruity blended drink with an umbrella! And who can blame me -- I had 11 hours left at the school for the day -- you would want to drink too.
I got my first maths (yes, maths ... it's what they call it here) paper back yesterday, I did alright, much better than I expected from myself in math! The first thing our TA said was not to worry, even if we failed this assignment it doesn't mean that we would fail the course. Why do they say that to us?!?! If it's a strategy so that we feel better once we view our actual grade they should try a different tactic, half the class was in cardiac arrest waiting to get their grades, myself included.
We also got our papers back in my EDU101 class. I'm unhappy with it. It's a first year undergraduate psyc class for education. I am a psyc major, and didn't do very well on my paper. I know this TA is a tough cookie and is prone to failing people (I didn't fail) but really, really!?!?! I'm pretty sure I knew what I was talking about! I'm going to send her an email today because all of the comments were very positive and said, and I quote: Very Good Work Courtney, thought provoking and stimulating view of implementation for a classroom setting. The feedback doesn't match the grade and doesn't give suggestions for improvement which is what I would like considering the next formative essay was assigned last night and is due in a week. Huge weight off my shoulders though is that my group presentation for that class is Done! My group presented on Multiple Intelligences last night. I was so worried we were going to be awful, my group was - difficult, to work with. Our tough cookie TA came over to our table after we presented to ask us how we thought it went, I automatically thought she was coming to us with bad news about how we'd done but said that she thought we did a good job - which means we'll probably pass with a 55% because that's what a good job to her is. At least it's over! I only have one more presentation left this semester, I'm happy I got most of them out of the way at the beginning - I have more time in each week to focus on my major unit plan and portfolio.
Upon moving a chair in the living room today I found a cockroach. GROSS! I poked at it with my flipflop because it was on it's back and looked dead. It was not. I crushed it with the leg of the kitchen stool. I am so grossed out. Needless to say, a huge cleaning insued. It's amazing how fast this place gets disgusting. Last Thurs the cleaning people came and gave it a really good scrub down, they come every two weeks to keep things from getting too out of control, and on Sun my roommate swept and mopped the floors and this morning it was already dirty enough that we have bugs and I spent an hour cleaning. Gross. So So So Gross!
It looks like it might rain here again today. It's been raining quite a bit lately, but on the days the sun is out and shining, it's hot. The sun feels closer. I was out by the pool on the weekend doing some reading in the rays and I got some good colour after only 3 hours wearing spf 60. You really have to be careful about the sun down here, Australia is leading the world in instance of skin cancer. SPF, sunglasses (sunny's), and hats are vital in the sun and summertime here. It's coming into spring and should be warmer and warmer each day from here on out. It still really confuses me to think that we're heading into longer days and warmer weather when it's the exact opposite at home. The part I'm not excited about is that spring is the beginning of snake season. At the zoo on the weekend we saw two of the deadliest snakes in the world - guess which part of Australia they're found in ..... guess which residence they've been seen in before ......
I'm going to drop a little letter about snake training into the suggestion box.
Some exciting news, I might be heading to the outback for part my intra-semester break. Some friends here in rez are from out there and are headed home for their small town annual celebration and have invited a couple of us to go with them. If I go, I'll be headed 6 hours north and 3 hours inland to the little town of Emerald, QLD. The town has one stoplight. The stoplight was put in only a couple of months ago. I think it will be, interesting, to see such small town life, in the outback.
That's all I really have to update
<3
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