Saturday, May 13, 2006

Teaching Half Class...

... when you are supposed to teach the complete class is a fun thing. Today, only half of the students showed up for my class. Not quite sure why - but I guess that's what I have to accept. I used my cardboard version of word (picture will follow), explained how to select text and gave an introduction into different formats (bold, italic, underline, font size, font). Again, my cardboard keyboard was in use to visually show which keys have to be pressed. Mouse was simulated by the blackboard-cleaning-towel, the Word document with chalk - and marking text was done using the long side of the chalk.

It might sound like difficult circumstances to teach an introduction into word processing; but in fact I think that it is actually a good thing to do it that way. One of the students mentioned today after class that he profits a lot more by having this type of theory session than by actually doing things in the lab. Sure, students will have to try all that stuff out and a cardboard version of word might be a bit abstract for a student that has hardly touched a computer so far. But all in all I think that I was able to bring the important messages across.

After class, I went for lunch to the canteen. Well, there I met the other part of the class. They had some sort of birthday celebration. No reason to get angry - they invited me and I even had to sing a song ("I schaenke dir mis Haerz...").

That's how life is treating me in Bhutan. Wish you a lot of fun back home! And Martin, you must be really happy with Stephanie moving to Denmark soon!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, I am! :-) I'm looking forward to it very much. Next week will be hectic with me driving down to Switzerland (via the night train from Hamburg to Lörrach).

When we get back we'll have fun moving in for real --- I've sort of lived temporarely with just the basic stuff: a desk (with a computer! :-) and a bed.

And don't worry about your students skipping class --- mine does too :-) I'm glad if half of them shows up...

Unknown said...

O come on, what more do you (as a computer scientist) really need? A bed, a computer, and a desk - that's all you ever will need in your daily life (just kidding ;-)).
Hope that your week will work out nicely and that you'll have a safe trip. And then happy moving-in!

Anonymous said...

You're quite right -- I don't really need more from my home than three things. Okay, I really like my new stereo, but that's about it :-)

Oh, a chair is nice too... :-)