What’s in a breed?

My mother always brought home the animals that “had something wrong with them.”  This left us with a number of different pets growing up, and while they were all special, one dog has convinced me there’s only one breed I want for the rest of my life.

Speckles was a short-haired dappled dachshund who had one brown eye and one blue, though the blue one was obscured by a cataract of sorts that left him blind at birth.  The woman who gave Speckles to my mother warned us that he would lose complete sight by the time he was a year old.

This dachshund was the star of the family and epitomized doxie behavior:  if you moved over one inch, he moved over two, and he behaved as if everything revolved around his world which, from inches above the floor, was a pretty good place to be.  In the three years that Speckles was with us, he never lost sight in his other eye (and appeared oblivious to the fact that he never had it in the first place in his other.)  But he was overweight and had a weak back–a characteristic of the breed–and after several surgeries, we had to put him to sleep.

So when my husband and I decided we were ready for a dog, I knew without question that I wanted a dachshund.  But with all the good qualities Speckles showed me, I also became wiser to the risks involved with this breed.  I recognized the importance of knowing a dog’s lineage and finding a reputable breeder.  I read of dapples‘ risks of blindness and the importance of weight control and exercise to maintain strong backs. 

I would never claim to be an expert on dachshunds, but I would like this blog to serve as a forum for dachshund owners (or those interested in owning a dachshund).  To address questions/concerns or simply share stories. 

Refer to all posts categorized “Everything Dachshund:  Weenies on the Web.” 

 And we did find the perfect dachshund.  Meet Sherlock, a black and tan short-haired mini!  More to come on this guy…

Truth Behind Twin Tales?

 

If you’ve read my About page, you know I have a twin sister, Kristy.  Yes, we’re identical.  I’m the older one–by two whole minutes.  And while we share the same birthing circumstance, my sister and I are two very different people.  Growing up, this wasn’t easy to establish.

You may know a set of twins (or you may be one!) and you’ve probably heard the myths floating around out there.  In attempt to squash those queries on telepathic tendencies, I’d like to set the record straight on a few of the more popular misconceptions.

Myth #4:  There’s a good twin and bad twin in every pair. 

When I was seven or so I smashed the eye of Kristy’s Fraggle to smithereens–it was hardly my shining moment as a twin, but I wasn’t forced to carry the label throughout our childhood.  Kristy even returned the favor by decapitating Barbie, so you can see we were great at taking turns.

Myth #3:  All twins have a special language.

Haven’t you ever known someone so well that you “got” what they meant when no one else had a clue?  I will admit that Kristy and I have developed a talent for understanding each other’s butchered punch lines.  For instance:  “Your Mama’s so fat, the kids say Hey, Kool-Aid!”  (What?)  Without a thought to my omissions, Kristy would laugh (heartily) while everyone else would stare in perplexity.  Special language?  Probably not, but that may be a twin thing…

Myth #2:  All identical twins share some form of ESP.

Maybe I’m biased in my apparent exclusion from this phenomenon, but I just don’t buy it–though others have tried to place me in this circle.  I actually had a friend randomly pinch me once (hard) and while I clasped the offended area, he looked at my sister expectantly, clearly hoping for the slightest reaction other than the raised eyebrow he was receiving for his rudeness.

Myth #1:  Twins are exactly alike in every way.

We may be split from the same egg, but we’re not clones.  Twins may look alike, dress alike, even act alike, but we want to be seen as individuals.  I know the Olsen Twins both pulled it off as Michelle Tanner on Full House, but do you really want to use a show starring  Bob Saget as your basis for reality?

The point? 

Forget the tales and see twins for who they really are:  regular fellows who just happen to have a look-alike.

     

Why classroom teachers?

The use of E-learning, which broadly encompasses learning that is computer enhanced, poses a variety of advantages for learners:  it can break geographical barriers; in higher education, the cost of tuition is typically lower; programs often utilize a variety of delivery methods that appeal to multiple learning styles; and logging onto a computer is a lot easier than driving 45 minutes to campus.  Besides, who wants to pay for the gas?

Yet the argument could be made that no program, however cost effective, accessible, or convenient, could replace the role a teacher plays in the classroom.

Because this division is far more complicated than the above,  I wanted to start with the basic question: 

Why do we need teachers in the classroom?

For class 1/31: Nielsen and Loranger

Nielsen and Loranger

All–

I’m away on buisness travel this week (in Florida!), so I’m providing some thoughts responding to this week’s Discussion Questions.  I’ve tried to hit on some of the key ideas without rehashing the chapters.  I’ve uploaded the response within this post.  (Above)

See everyone next week!

5 Questions on the Learning Record

1.  As I understand it, part of the purpose of the Learning Record is to move away from set rubrics, but how will the expectations of quality for this course be communicated to us?  Will we just refer to the sample Grade Criteria http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~syverson/olr/grades.html ?

2.  The Learning Plan takes into consideration evidence of student learning and success.  Step 2 on the “Moderation Comment Form for College-Level Courses” requires readers to look for clear signs of development across the five dimensions of learning.  In terms of assigning a final grade, how is a learner’s improvement and development weighed against the determined class expectations?

3.  I was a little concerned about the repeated mention of the Learning Plan being a public record.  I understand why any peer work wouldn’t be anonymous, but who will have access to our records?   

4.  I’m a little confused about the partnering—in terms of the review/assessment, we’re only pairing up once?  Not at all?  Similarly, I see there’s a space for Instructor comments for the Midterm Evaluation.  I know the document says that college students maintain their own Learning Records–will you still be providing feedback at this point?

5.  The other comment I kept coming across that confuses me is concerning Observations:  Do they focus on actual observations of what the student knows or can do, rather than on interpretations, opinions, evaluations, or on what hasn’t been done or what should have been done?  I understand the value of measuring what I can do and have done, but if I have failed to do something that I should have or am lacking in a particular area, does this mean it shouldn’t be addressed in the Learning Plan?  Confused… 

The Learning Record

I will begin by saying that the Learning Record is completely foreign to me.  The Learing Record site made repeated reference to the limitations of standardized testing and rubrics.  Coming from a high school that was becoming overwhelmingly test driven, I’d begrudgingly become used to these forms of assessment.  

I guess it goes without saying that grad school follows a very different philosophy–some of you may also have gone through an entire course without a single grade until you logged into Student Self Services at the end.  Many times I’ve heard professors say that grad school isn’t about the grade; it’s about the learning.  The Learning Plan seems to emphasize both, and while it’s a little overwhelming right now, hopefully by the end of the course we’ll be glad we’ve had it as a resource of sorts.  Right now I’m a little confused    but here go my questions…   

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