Big news first:
The application deadline for the spring program, Divided States of Europe, has passed. DSE, which was canceled before as summer and spring terms for lack of students, has four students registered for spring 08. HECUA has asked Tim and I to run the program.
Justifications: Programs have been run with few students. Last year SUST ran with 6. Colombia in its first year had 5. Environmental Sustainability has run with 3. If DSE doesn't run this spring and we cancel, the program is dead. period. Many students have expressed interest in DSE for spring 2009, by finally getting the program going we'll build momentum for the future. The Norway site is still in the black, what with 14 students this fall and support from institutional partner the University of Oslo's International Summer School.
Problems: The pedagogy is dependent on participation of students in discussion and in engaging with guests. With four students, this could be damaged especially if we have quiet kids. Inter-group relations are also quite difficult, if any students are outcast by the others it could be an incredibly lonely and difficult semester for them. We want them to have a good time! They're studying abroad! Four students could kill Tim and I as teachers. Tim struggled with six, but the hope is with me around four can be managed. It is also difficult to schedule the high quality of speakers that we get when we only have four students. And since this is the first semester with this program, we don't have established relationships to rely upon. The program also runs a two-week trip to Poland. Field trips are HARD on groups. Two weeks is going to be just brutal no matter what, but with four students it could be a nightmare.
Personally: I want to go ahead with four, if just have another semester teaching. I've learned a lot this semester, if only by making mistakes. I never quite found my footing with this group, and I would be quite upset if this semester was my only experience as a HECUA TA. There would also be the issue of trying to find a job as soon as I got back.
SO: We are planning to go ahead with the program. We are informing the students of the low numbers, with full disclosure in mind. If any students drop out before November 8th, if we go down to three by next wednesday, we will not run.
Okay, thats out of the way.
HALLOWEEN!
It was a blast! We started partying here, us flatmates. Some friends came over, including Sierra who I've barely seen in the last month what with all the travel. We drank plenty of Tullamore Dew. We went to a party on campus hosted by the International Students Union. It was a good time: decently packed with club atmosphere, cheap drinks, and good dancing. Walked home around 1. I went as a garden gnome (Thanks Mo!). Last week my corduroys ripped, so I cut them off into shorts. I wore my olive green shirt and stuck a red cone on my head. No suspenders, but still an excellent amount of goofy. Nobody got it until I told them, and when I did folks either looked confused or said brilliant. Costume culture among the international crowd is different, there isn't the goofiness factor so much as at home.
I've uploaded photos from Halloween online. I've also posted photos of the SUST field trip and some other random parties in Oslo. Lots of photos of me in there. Click here.
Of course Halloween came at a price. I had to get up early the next morning. Students went off on their regional homestays this weekend. I arranged most of it, so I wanted to be there as they left to make sure they made it and there were no problems. Of course, the first train left at 8 am. Of course. But I made it! And all the students made their travels, which was good. During one stretch between departure times I walked down Karl Johans and went to Tronsmo, one of the best bookstores ever.
And I bought something! Banksy's Wall and Piece. YES! YES! YES!
A few of his pieces:
And the above is from a previous post, of course.Okay, I have more to say about the last few days but I need to go do some actual work.
Shame.
2 kommentarer:
i'm going to be selfish and say, it would be great if you came back early. they're having a replacements trib show at first ave and i thought of you. i'm drinking scothc also and i thought of you.
I'm so happy the gnome worked out! You looked good :) I loved the pictures where I could say, oh hey, I've been there too, or, oh hey, I have that exact same picture, I was standing in that exact same spot! I'd say we could be thought of as predictable, but no, just incredibly photo savvy.
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