My husband and I went back to the local movie theater for the first time since December 20, 2019 when we saw StarWars: Rise of Skywalker. Things have changed. The theater still has large reclining seats but there are frequent signs ‘Do not use your own seat wipes.’ Apparently they are worried about harming theContinue reading “November 20 Day 622: Movie Theater Popcorn”
Author Archives: Jenny Quinn
November 18 Day 620: #TacomaMath’s COVID Transformations
I love participating in #TacomaMath, a workgroup of the STEAM Learning Network of GraduateTacoma! We started on a project before the pandemic and have been revising our work together ever since. Our goal remains the same: To invite the Tacoma community, especially girls, students of color, and those impacted by poverty, to engage in positiveContinue reading “November 18 Day 620: #TacomaMath’s COVID Transformations”
November 17 Day 619: Still There After All These Days
I took this picture today. What is it of? Back in March of 2020, before the emergency transition to remote teaching, the UW Tacoma Math Club planned for a coming Pi Day celebration. I 3D printed different colored Pi-s and several people hid them around campus. I have previously mentioned them in this blog: MarchContinue reading “November 17 Day 619: Still There After All These Days”
November 15 Day 617: Ready to Improvise
The power went out. All the fire doors closed. And I found my way out of the MDS building by way of the emergency stairs. That was an adventure in and of itself. I wondered how extensive the power outage was. According to Tacoma Public Utilities, the whole campus and then some. Walking to class,Continue reading “November 15 Day 617: Ready to Improvise”
November 14 Day 616: Homebody
As I grow older, certain behavioral traits become more pronounced. I am sure they have been there all along, but sometimes it takes reconnecting with someone who has known you for a very long time to make them abundantly clear. I am a homebody. I am happy puttering around the house, focusing on my family,Continue reading “November 14 Day 616: Homebody”
November 13 Day 615: And Just like That…
… it was over. I was back to feeling like my regular self by morning. My arms don’t even feel that sore. (Flu shot in the left, COVID booster in the right.) Now it’s my husband’s turn to feel crappy. He got his booster yesterday and the after effects hit this morning. I’m trying toContinue reading “November 13 Day 615: And Just like That…”
November 12 Day 614: Take it Easy
Symptoms: A mild fever and a killer headache. Diagnosis: After effects of the COVID-19 booster. Outcome: Be kind to myself. Reduce virtual meetings to only those where action will be taken. Otherwise, keep very still with my eyes closed. It should be over tomorrow. Hope for the Tylenol to kick in. Maybe I can getContinue reading “November 12 Day 614: Take it Easy”
November 10 Day 612: Have You Asked? The Answer(s) Might Surprise You.
I am forever impressed by the grit and perseverance of my students. In a reflection following the oral assessment, I asked how they were doing—both numerically and free response. The numerical range was -5 to 5 where 5=absolutely fantastic 0=meh -5= truly terrible. The average was 1.2–so more positive than the Autumn 2020 score ofContinue reading “November 10 Day 612: Have You Asked? The Answer(s) Might Surprise You.”
November 8 Day 610: Oral Assessment Redux
Oral assessment was something I adopted during remote teaching mostly to reduce the adversarial relationship between me and my students. By giving the problems in advance and allowing all resources (including Chegg and other online services) for preparation, no one was violating academic conduct rules. However, each student must individually present solutions to a smallContinue reading “November 8 Day 610: Oral Assessment Redux”
November 7 Day 609: The Key to an Active Hyflex Meeting
Let’s be honest, there are lots of things I like about Zoom meetings—like dropping links into the chat, visibly random breakout rooms, and having the system keep track of raised hands. There are lots of things I like about in-person meetings—like informal chats during breaks, the shared sense of purpose, and easy transitions for groupContinue reading “November 7 Day 609: The Key to an Active Hyflex Meeting”
Math Belongs to All of Us 