In the Middle of a Whirlwind

wine

Good morning from Starbucks,

While I do not normally have office hours this morning, I need to, if for no other reason than trying to catch up myself. While I had some idea that the fall would be rather full (my euphemism for totally crazy), I think I underestimated. I feel things slipping away and I am not sure how to get them back. Part of it might be the sinus infection that has plagued me (and I am serious about the plague-like quality of this particular iteration) for the better part of two weeks. I have hated my sinus tracks, my nose, my eyes, my head, my throat, my lungs, back, legs and even feet. Does that pretty much cover my entire body? All of it has hurt at some point.

We are into the fourth week of school and things are in full-swing. I am trying to just keep my nose (which does not allow me to breath anyway) above the surface. I am very happy with the students in my courses thus far. They are engaged and thinking. I am not a “memorization-regurgitation” type of person. That is not learning; that is not education. I am a “soak-it-up” and realize later that you learned a lot. This morning I was sitting in Starbucks and speaking with the manager. She gave me in a general way how much in revenue that Starbucks generates in a week. I was actually stunned. That is a boat-load of caffeine and banana bread. Holy Buckets!! I must admit, I contribute my fair share to that figure.

This week I am working on proofing a couple of grants and also trying to just get caught up. Over the next couple days I will be in Harrisburg for some meetings and by tomorrow night I will be in Ogden, UT. I will have the opportunity to see the Deckers. Only for a day, but it is worth it so Grace and I can celebrate the birthday we shared this past week. I have been at the AT&T store for Grace again this week. She and phones have a regular battle for superiority, and she regularly loses that battle.

The other thing I am trying to accomplish is get some long-term tasks at least organized and on the radar. That will be perhaps one of the most important things I can achieve. It will make the next few months both manageable and successful. That success has some important consequences. Sometimes I wonder if I am the only person who feels like the tail-is-wagging-the-dog, but I know that there are others for whom life is similar. Is it because I am not content to merely sit and have things pass me by? Is it my father’s words (Anyone can be average, that is why it is) ringing in my ears? I am currently not content to be average. There is so much more that one can do, can learn, can achieve, can experience.

Beginning this weekend, the Bloomsburg Fair opens. It is the largest fair in the state. Quite an accomplishment for a town of 12,000. Every imaginable thing you can eat to create a coronary is available. Last year, I think I went three times. That is not typical for me. I am not a fair person. I do not do rides and for the most part I do not eat most of the “stuff” that is available. I would much rather go to a Renaissance Fair. In fact, I think I need to see if there is one in the area. That might be my autumn get-away.

Well, I need to get back to blogs, discussion boards, resumes, cover letters, intros, conferences, meetings. . . . I think you have the idea. Thanks as always for reading.

Dr. Martin

Fifty-four Days until Halloween

optimism

Good morning from Starbucks in the Commons,

This semester I have all my office hours in coffee shops. While I have done part of my life that way (both in an out of school), it is not because of the coffee or other forms of caffeine that I spend what might seem to be an inordinate amount of time here, it is because I get a lot accomplished. They seem to be productive spaces for me. Back in Wisconsin (and surrounding area) there is a chain called #Caribou. I appreciate them for their commitment to the communities in which they live and their work toward using #fairtrade coffees. I did hear this past summer they were bought out and I need to check that out. I am always concerned when start-up companies get bought out. Sometimes their commitment to what got them started goes by the wayside.

While I seem to get a better response from students coming to see me, I am also able to get reading and work done. I sometimes put in earbuds (like now as I listen to Celtic Music), but even without them, I am able to block out most of the sound around me and just get work done. It has been that way since I was in graduate school. There is a whole string of coffee shops from #Motherlode (circa 1994) to my first stint in Starbucks when I left and went to the Detroit area, where I also had my introduction to Panera Bread (1999). There was the #Wide-Awake Coffee Bar (and #Uncle John’s Record Shop, which I first frequented in high school and I am not going to provide a date for that) in my hometown of Sioux City, IA. I went to Starbucks when I lived in Texas and then got back to the Upper Peninsula, where I finished my graduate work. There was a new coffee shop called the Cyberia Cafe (2000-2003). Moving to Menomonie in 2003 (amazing that it was 10 years ago this fall) I found a local coffee place directly across the street from Harvey Hall, but it closed. It was that October that Caribou came to Menomonie. I wrote the majority of my dissertation there. Now, as many here know, if you want to find me, hang out in the coffee shops and sooner or later, I will appear. Most likely, sooner.

I spend almost my entire weekend working on school things, and while I made a significant dent, what is coming seems overwhelming at the moment. I think the idea of full-time school is certainly understated at this point. However, I merely need to keep plugging away. I have been doing the reading I assigned my #Writing for the #Internet class and the eccosee text is really interesting to me because it forces me to rethink the idea of #rhetorical #analysis once again. I think the reason most students are less effective than they hope with their #writing or #designing or #communicating is because they fail to adequately analysis the rhetorical situation in which they are operating. I think my students probably get tired of hearing “audience” or “purpose” coming out of my mouth, but it is fundamental to good communication. Dobrin and Morey write that “the imagery of language is not a visual image” (eccosee 5). What an interesting statement. One, I think needs some unpacking. Yet we almost always seem to accompany words with images and I am not sure we separate them very carefully or intentionally. In fact, it seems that we are more dependent on that connection than ever before. As we have moved toward more and more electronic forms of communicating and with our ability to attach images to almost everything, we seldom see one without the other. I can attach photos to my texts (and often do) or my tweets, or now with Instagram, I take the picture first and add my description or my #s. Things for me to ponder in my classes and in my work.

Over the weekend, driving down Lightstreet, I saw the first really clear sign of fall. The sumac bushes along the road were bright red, orange, and yellow. It was beautiful, but it also reminded me of just how quickly the summer passed. Maybe I found myself in that place of #”brown study”, or at least perhaps I wish I was. I would have gotten more of my own writing done. It is amazing to me how already it seems like it is necessary to accomplish just what is on the list next to keep my nose above the waterline.

Finally, I guess I should comment on my title, one of my favorite holidays is Halloween and I need to start planning my work for the fall. I did get a number of things done last fall, but I want to take it to another level this Halloween. I did see a Halloween store had opened in the area. It might have to be a destination point soon. In the meanwhile, I think I will work on my classes, my other work, and have my Pumpkin muffin (yah!! Halloween rocks!).

Thanks for reading,

Michael (aka: Dr. Martin)

Writing with Sources

IMG_1183Good Morning from my class,

I am currently sitting in the back of my 9:00 a.m. #Foundations of College Writing course. As I do every semester, I have the #Bloomsburg Writing Center come to class and have them do this presentation for my course. What is evident, both from experience as well as research by the Writing Center director, #Dr. Ted Roggenbuck, many students do not have a very good handle on the ethical or correct use of sources. Most do not intentionally misuse a source, but their lack of understanding, particularly when it comes to paraphrase  or summary, results all too often in unintentional plagiarism. I always do this presentation at the beginning of he semester because I do want to move students beyond the understanding that served them all to well in high school. I am reminded of my own experience with a high school in the area. Those 12th grade students were told by their senior project advisor they did not need a works cited page on their projects. NOT GOOD!!!

I was actually pleasantly surprised in the first class and now in the second one (Yes, it is actually later as I continue to write this. I am now in my 11:00 a.m. Foundations course.), that students seem to be more honest about having some concerns about their writing and ability to use sources. There does seem to be an issue with clickers this morning, but I think we can still work with it. Actually, while I have heard this presentation many times, I always seem to learn something that I might find helpful. I think the point made this morning that most caught me by surprise was when the student presenter said, “If you do not understand the source, you should probably not be using it.” I guess I had not thought of that, but it is certainly a truism.

In addition this morning, I saw my summer student who had some health issues. It was good to catch up and give them a sense of what needs to be done to complete the course. This was a sad situation because I do believe the student is capable, but due to a number of issues, the student could not finish the course. This will, at the very least, allow from completion and receving credit for the summer class. This was a new experience for me here at this university, but because of my own health issues, I know how those issues can get in the way of life. Yet, one still needs to manage the assignments and the work.

We are headed into the Labor Day weekend. This is the traditional end of summer. What I am realizing is the summer flew by; in fact, I am not sure where it all went and how I feel like I somehow missed it. I wrote on my #Facebook page yesterday that we were four days into class and somehow I have ended up a week behind. I hope that is not a harbinger of the semester. Somehow, I am quite sure it might be the case. Yesterday someone asked me about the fall and the return to school. What I remember growing up is an excitement of being back in school. It is interesting the images that come to mind. I think the fall I most remember the excitement of school was in 1977 when I was a student at Iowa State University (#ISU). I still remember walking down Welch Avenue toward the campus and the sounds and smells of the fall. Autumn is certainly my favorite season. I so appreciate the cool nights and the warm afternoons. One of the things I have noticed this past week is how it has gotten significantly later before it is light outside and it is becoming darker much earlier. In fact, at least as far as the calendar, there are only three weeks of summer left, or in another way to think about it . . . we are half way to the shortest day of the year.

Well, I am very happpy for the three day weekend; it will be a catch up and get organized time. Hopefully, next week I will not feel quite as harried.

Thanks for reading,

Michael (aka: Dr. Martin)

Frightened, Excited, Overwhelmed, Underprepared or . . .

Writing

Good mid-afternoon from Starbucks in the Library,

I have turned in my old tablet that was my colleague for my first four years here. Now I have a new tablet, which is sleek, high-powered and terrifically sensitive (I am talking about the mouse pad and not its feelings). I thought things were backed up on the P drive and I am realizing that I might have lost some things. I am not sure what to do about all of that. While I do not think I have lost anything all that paramount, it will still take digging some of it out of BOLT. For instance, I think I have lost my prior work for my Writing in the Professions or Writing for Multiple Media courses. The syllabi are probably on file and certainly in BOLT, at least for the last three years. I know they are going to dump things off the BOLT server, so I am going to have to manage that issue quite soon. It is a good thing that has been postponed.

Today in my classes I asked how many of the students in my Foundations classes felt a bit overwhelmed or shell-shocked. The vast majority raised their hands. It is not uncommon. While I do believe we are a quality institution, I do believe that it could be worse had that person decided to attend, for instance, an Ivy League school. That is not to say that there are not some here who have the ability to teach there and probably thrive. What is, however, evident is the realization that it seems our public school system and parents do not good a very good job of preparing them for what is coming. Today in class I addressed the issue of grades and my philosophical premise that college is about a process, but, even more importantly, the product. So many times I have heard a student lament, particularly after receiving a particularly low grade, “But I tried really hard.” Implying that effort is somehow more important than whatever it is they handed in. That is why I took specific time to address that issue.

In my Technical Writing class, I dealt with the reality of a job market that is still sluggish in recovering after the “great recession”. Figures like “450 people applying for every job openning” is certainly an issue, and even more frightening when one is a senior and looking at their last semester or year at school and they have little or no experience. The idea that someone should do an internship, and I do believe they should be paid, or two internships is a significant issue, particularly when many positions have a line about experience.

As I work toward the continuance of the day, I have work yet to accomplish. I am not finished, or more accurately, I am still tweaking the syllabus for the Writing for the Internet class. This class is so interesting, but  because things are so rapidly changing, it seems I can never catch up. It is hard to believe I have already been back from California for more than a week. The days seem to speed up, not slow down. This is another one of those wise things of which my father reminded me.

Well, overall I am pleased with my classes and my students. It appears that it is going to be a good semester.

Thanks for reading.

Dr. Martin

A New Beginning

carpe diem

Good late afternoon from Starbucks (the Library version),

My “Life is Good” image is closer to what might have happened last week. As I write this I am realizing there is something comforting to sitting at my middle table where I have sat each year since coming to Bloomsburg University. It is interesting to me how many people I have met initially here and then around campus. Today when I arrived, it was only the first day of classes and four students were waiting for me. That was both surprising and gratifying. Those four students demonstrated to me the concept of “claiming their education” from the outset. They had questions and they were wondering about the best way to manage both the class and the semester. It was interesting and insightful to hear their comments and their inquiries. What was immediately evident is they are intelligent, insightful, and committed. Those skills will care them far.

While it is the beginning of a year, it there really such a clear demarcation from the previous years here? Not really, and that is particularly evident as I am working toward tenure this year. The past four years are an accumulation of artifacts and experiences; it is a time to grow much like we expect of our students. What is it that makes one a valuable member of this scholarly community called Bloomsburg? It is the understood elements of teaching, scholarship, and service, but I believe it is more. It is about potential and about never believing you have made it. There is always room for improvement and for learning, even on this side of the blank stare. As I begin work on that tenure process, my nemesis, the picture of John Belushi on the house in the movie, Animal House, once again rears its comical, but frightening head. I remember the same feeling before my comprehensive exams and defense or before my dissertation defense. Yet, much like I tell my students, if you have managed the process well, it should come out reasonably. There are always those moments where we think “if only I had . . . ” (you can fill in the blank). What I wonder at this point is “will it ever slow down?” My colleagues on the other side note that it does seem very different. I guess I am certainly hoping so because it is still stressful at this point. I know there are other reasons for that, but I have to put those experiences behind me. It is interesting that the changes in the program there continue to be never-ending, or so it appears. That brings up a different point. My friend, colleague and confidant is on sabbatical this fall. It is disconcerting to not have him here. I miss him greatly.

Well, I am almost at the end of the first day of the “new  beginning”. It has been productive. I have gotten discussion boards posted, this blog written and a handle on what I need to accomplish for the day and the week. It will be busy, but prioritizing and discipline to do it all will help manage it. I am excited about all of the stuff there is to do. I began the morning at the gym and that has kept me energized for the day. One last class to visit this evening. It is the business class that most of my Foundations students have as members of the Business LLC. It will be good to see them in that different context.

Thanks for reading.

Dr. Martin

Food, Wine, Terroir, and Place

Image

Hello from the foothills in the Sierra Mountains,

After another quick trip to WI, I flew on to Somerset, CA, a small town at about 2,300 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. I am back visiting my friend, and renaissance person, Marco, his wife, Belinda, and their two wonderful children. My first visit to this place was six and a half years ago. In fact, I often wrote in a previous blog (mysummerclasses.blogsome.com), which has been interesting to read lately, perhaps insightful too.

During the past week, I have employed my colleague, Mark’s advice: “be the plumber” . . .  and it has worked well. I have managed contractors, worked on the aesethetics of the Miraflores Vineyard and Tasting Room, and worked on my own course material for the fall. In the meanwhile, things for a search committee have begun and I have been managing correspondence from three time-zones away.

Being back has been both relaxing and productive. I have gotten significant work done on my fall classes and I have also gotten some thoughtful work done on some of my own writing. One of the articles over which I have been pondering and on which I have been writing is about the “sense of place”. It is something I have mulled over for some time (actually years). It is both a personal and professional thing. I am indebted to a colleague who shared a book with me titled Aesethetics of Everyday Life. It has helped me structure something I have struggled with for perhaps a decade. When I think about the complexity of place, or what gives someone a “sense of place”. Is it physicality? Is it experience? Is it smell or taste? It is the weather? Is it a length of time? What I believe is it is combination of all of these things, but together they create a sense of attachment, a sense of pathos. What is that attachment or emotional appeal? Is it memory, either good or bad?

As I have been working this past week in the Herbert Zinfandel blocks of the winery, I have listened to Marco speak about terroir, a concept I remember hearing regularly in Peter DeSouza’s Wine and Spirits class at UW-Stout. Terroir is a combination of a number of things: soil, elevation, wind, rain, sun, temperature, care, grape varietal, and the list could go on. One thing that some have begun to consider is the actual wine drinker him or herself. Is this moving into a post-modern concept of terroir? Perhaps . . .

The past two weeks I have had the amazing opportunity to attend a wine and food pairings luncheon. Those who know me, know I love these opportunities. I love good food and the experience of dining. Last week, it was Chef Dan Moore of the National Hotel in Jackson, CA. Today it was three phenomenally talented sommeliers who call themselves “Three CorkDorks”. An amazing Apple Tartin to accompany the Bottricelli wine. Then speaking about memory. I remember an amazing student who tragically passed away in a fire when I taught at Stout. I remember telling her I was a CorkDork. She laughed hysterically. Thinking of you, April. I so appreciated you. It is her picture that graces this post.

What I know is the 10 days here have created new memories strengthed old ones and helped me relax and prepare. I am indebted to so many for making my life better. It is a combination of food, wine, terroir, and place. The next week will be hectic and in barely a week, the fall semester will have begun. In the meanwhile, I will finish my glass of Bottricelli.

Thanks for reading,

Michael

Grading and Thinking

ImageGood afternoon from the Fog and Flame,

I was supposed to be in Wisconsin as I am writing this, but another great experience on the airlines has grounded me and left me in Bloomsburg. That is not necessarily without some benefit. The change in plans and location has allowed me to manage some of my workload and has forced me (helpfully) to just concentrate on the work I need to slough through. I have finished by CBE work and I am caught up on my summer class, at least for the moment. This lowers my stress level significantly.  It will also allow me to focus upon and organize the work I need to accomplish for the remainder of the year (and I mean that literally).

This time to actually think about,  or ponder some of my work is really helpful. What I know is that I have so much on my plate from time to time (or most of the time) that I do seem to be living the phrase, “the tail wagging the dog”. The problem is the size of the tail seems to be much larger than the dog. That is a problem. It is interesting that I have been telling my students to continue to blog and use it as a way to manage their work. I find myself doing the same thing. What are those things I need to accomplish? What is the order in which I should attempt to do the infamous list? What are the priorities? If I answer those questions and arrange things,  perhaps I can get more accomplished and the “tail” will lose some of its power.

I have spent this summer again teaching writing and having my students create their own blogs. I have had them create a Google Map. It is an assignment, one that I am also doing myself (I will offer the link when I am pleased with the product) and while their is related to their memoir papers, mine is more independent of anything else, again, at least for the moment. As I have been working on it, however, it has forced me once again to think about my sense of “place”. This is not the first time I have pondered this in a blog, but yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with a college and she has me doing some reading by Andrew Light and John Dewey (yes, that John Dewey). Earlier today I had the opportunity, while sitting here and working, to speak with another colleague about the issue of writing and the teaching of writing. We pondered terms like standard versus non-standard, appropriate versus non-appropriate, and correct versus incorrect. The more I ponder this issue, the more I am aware of the disconnect that seems to be happening between teaching writing (communication) in the high schools and what we expect here at the university. This is significant on a number of levels because it affects those who might be here getting their degrees in teaching writing, it certainly affects our students, and it requires us to think about the work we see in our classes as well as how we understand our pedagogical practices.

As many of you know, I have been going back and forth to Wisconsin to visit and help my close friend, surrogate parent, and amazing neighbor, Lydia. She will be 89 years old on Monday. I wish I was there to celebrate (as 89 year old celebrations go) her day. It will be four years ago the next day, that I got on my Harley and headed here to Bloomsburg. It has been an amazing four years and I am blessed to be here. The picture here is to get me excited for where I will be in a week: Northern California.

More to think about, I guess. Thank for reading.

Michael

“The Right to Die . . . The Will to Live”

Good Tuesday Morning from my office,

I am between classes and trying to write a blog post in a matter of 25 minutes. I was in WI this past week because Lydia, the neighbor for whom I care, had some significant health issues as she is sadly moving toward the end of life. When I arrived in Menomonie on Wednesday evening, she was still up and she was aware that I was coming to visit. She was sitting at her table, as is often the case, and looking at the magazine section of the previous Sunday’s New York Times. The title of the cover article for that week was the title of my blog post. While she did not have her glasses on, so I am quite sure she was not reading, the irony of the title and the situation, which necessitated my need to fly back, cannot be overstated. Long-story-short, she has stabilized, but I believe all the things that occurred this past week certainly took their toll on her aging body and mind.

Then to complicate matters of the quick trip, I was in the airport grading and trying to manage my summer classes and managed to miss my flight. Then to make it even worse, I did it twice, so the last flight of the night was also not available and I ended up renting a car and driving from Chicago to Bloomsburg yesterday, about 700 miles, which was also brutal. This morning in class I am working on helping them prepare for the final six days of class, and schedule their priorities and time effectively. I also need to do the same. It is hard to believe that this time next month, we are already into the first week of the fall semester. I think the month between now and then will be difficult. Then with Lydia’s impending health situation, there will be another layer of “what if?” added. Sleep, hydration, and discipline will be the call for the entire fall.

This past week I was reminded of what life is all about . . .  or at least required to reflect upon it. Reflection is the very thing I asked of my morning class and will be asking of my next class, which meets in about 8 minutes. Through their electronic portfolios, they are asked to reflect upon what they have learned and to decide how the artifacts they post demonstrate some sense of how they have met the student learning outcomes for the course. What was particularly clear to me this morning was this: we are not reflective, or nearly as reflective as we should be, about what we do, or why we do it. What might happen if we merely slowed down and took the time to think and analyze? Instead, we seem to be speeding up. We have to get everything done immediately. We need to know everything immediately (hence or affair with our technology). Before we can reflect we are on to the next seemingly important thing. We are awash in information,  but much like I was overwhelmed in those de-embarkation exercises on the ship (I was throwing up from being seasick), I am overwhelmed now by all the stuff (and I want to react much the same way).

Maybe, while I still have breath in me, I will to live in another manner. Maybe then, I will find the right to die much more peaceful.

Just some thoughts,

Dr. Martin

So Much Work . . . So Little Time

Melting

Hello from the Fog and Flame

It has been a crazy week.  The power went out on campus and they closed the university that afternoon. The temperatures have been in the mid 90s and it is humid. My air conditioners have been running continuously. In addition, the amount of work facing me right now seems insurmountable. I think I could do a 96 hour grading binge and I might be caught up, at least for the moment.

This morning there are two things on my mind. First, the Fog and Flame is a great place to come and it is a locally owned coffee shop. Last evening, some “probably intoxicated” person punched out one of the windows, creating a problem for the new owners. Now I am certain they have insurance or the building owner does, but why should they be responsible to manage the mess of a drunk, foolish, and probably angry person who does not know how to handle his alcohol. This is where I think “community service until infinity” should be adjudicated. Fortunately for the owners, I guess the person was caught, probably needs some stitches in his hand, and this will cost him some money. I think he should be required to go through an alcohol assessment, be required to do anger management classes (all at his own expense) and then be required to do some community service for the business. Those are my thoughts on breaking out a window at 11:30 at night,

The second has to do with President Obama’s address. While I had read something about President Obama’s speech about the Trayvon Martin case, I actually listened to his address this morning. How can we not be impressed with his measured and careful words? How can we not respect the argument he posited about the context of the case and what it means to wake up each morning in a society that claims equality, but does not honestly practice it? How can we not appreciate the way he noted that, in spite of the tragic events in Florida, we have made progress as a country? I am glad that I voted for such a principled and intelligent man, both times. Now, I know that some of my friends, and even people for whom I have a great deal of respect, will disagree with me, some even stridently. However, I also know that I do not wake up each morning as a black male. I do not know what it feels like to be stared at, judged by, and discounted because I have a different colored skin or because I speak differently.

Within the last month, I was in a public eating establishment in Bloomsburg and I listened to 4 elderly white men lament the president. There is a problem with my previous statement, they were probably not smart enough to use the word “lament” in a sentence and even worse they were racist and bigots. They spoke in a volume loud enough to be heard in most of the eating area and referred to our elected president using both the “F” word and the “N” word numerous times. I was actually stunned, in addition to being offended. I wondered two things: where the hell had I moved, and what year was it? Had I been time-warped into a pre-civil rights era? Unfortunately not . . .  the experience demonstrates quite clearly the relevance and the truth in the President’s address.

Second semester, Julian Bond, the noted civil rights leader, spoke on campus. He spoke both eloquently and forcefully about how far we still need to move to create a truly equal society. I walked out of his address realizing that my own “cozen comfortableness” needed to be reconsidered. It is so easy for me as an older middle-aged white person to believe we have just made progress and there is not that much that needs to be continually questioned. This is certainly not the case.

Well as I must turn to my own grading and writing, those are the things I am considering outside the scope of my daily chores. On another front of my ever-scattered mind, I had the opportunity yesterday to catch up with two of my former students: one who has graduated and the other who has left Bloomsburg. In both cases, I was reminded of just how fortunate I am. I have been so blessed to have such wonderful people cross my path. I have been privileged to meet them and have the opportunity to both teach and learn from them. It is a great job I have.

Thanks for reading.

Dr. Martin (Michael)