Here we are, a month into the fall semester, and stuff seems to be settling into some sort of routine. Note that I did not say into any sort of quietness. Things are really busy but today I am taking out a bit of time to do something for me: making a bullet post for my own blog!
- One thing making this semester a wee bit busier than the previous several is that I am teaching an introductory programming class from start to finish. For those who were around in the spring, this is the same course as I finished up for the adjunct who quit last semester.
- Last semester was all about being the substitute teacher who simply continues with what the original instructor was doing. I didn't change up too much, just tried to prepare those guys for the second semester of Java programming.
- This semester it is all about working up a cohesive teaching plan and sticking to it.
- Not quite the same.
- I established a group for the class on
for the class back in August, right after my laptop came back home from its Indiana vacation. - I found out after the semester started that Google is dropping page and file hosting support for their Groups. Existing pages and files will continue to be available for a time but then even that support will be withdrawn.
- Made a new blog for my Java students. Spent a whole day creating new blog posts corresponding to the existing Groups pages and uploading copies of the files over to
. - Not hard, you understand, just time consuming.
- The next step, of course, was to send invitations to the students so that they can access the blog.
- There's one student insisting that they did not receive any such invitation; on to the fun and excitement which is student email...
From: Student With Tact Issues
To: professor trek
========================================
I didn't get the invitation for the blog# # #
No salutation. No signature. No punctuation.
We are all familiar with the joy that is the misdirected email so let's try the spam filter first...# # #
From: prof trek
To: SWTI
========================================
You are on my list of people who have been invited.
Check your spam/junk folder.# # #
From: SWTI
To: prof trek
========================================
I don't have anthing in the junk/drafts folder# # #
New and improved with spelling error!
Perhaps the student is looking for my email address as the sender?# # #
From: prof trek
To: SWTI
========================================
Are you sure you don't have it? The invitation originates from Google/Blogger.# # #
From: SWTI
To: prof trek
========================================
i did not get the invitation# # #
Capitalization and punctuation missing.
I've pretty much had enough of the rudeness by this point...# # #
From: prof trek
To: SWTI
========================================
I shall resend the invitation.
With respect to your abrupt emails, these must stop. Please remember that you are writing to your professor and a polite tone should be used.# # # - Why, yes, I am curious to see what happens next, too.
- Especially since I made it a point to go over email etiquette yesterday and two of these emails came after yesterday's class, which SWTI attended.
Lest I depart on a sour note, let's have one more student email today. This email was far politer, if less informative...
From: Polite Student
To: professor trek
========================================
prof trek
# # #
Yep. That was it. Fortunately, it was followed up with a real message.
Guess this student has the same send message instead of create new line confusion I have with my cell phone.
Posts
6 yarns:
Welcome back to school!
I can hardly wait to see what the next email is. :)
So many subjects that should be taught in high school and aren't: etiquette/ethics, basic home finance, etc. Even when I was growing up, these weren't evenly or universally taught by parents.
I thought the next generation was more computer savvy? Evidence is to the contrary.
Lord help. You're a more patient person than I am. lol Did SWTI ever find the email?
Emailing is not texting! I don't care what the crazy kids are doing these days, email to a professor still means using at least the basics of etiquette.
Should be interesting to see if SWTI learns this during the course of the semester...
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