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[oseph]

I'M Thinking Rampant Capitalization Is More Offensive, But I Don'T Know Why.

It's Because It Actually Takes Effort To Capitalize Each Word.

writing with only lowercase letters is just lazy.

Therefore All Caps Is Really Weird.

either that or the student is taking first-year german, is charmed by the regular capitalization of nouns, and wants to extend that practice to all words in a sentence.

[commcycle]

The confusion about raw scores and percentage points appears to be rather common these days. Somehow, though, I can't even remember ANYONE being confused about this distinction, ever... Are kids getting dumber, or did I just go to a much better college?

Here is such an e-mail message from an undergrad:

Professor,

I am writing because everyone in class is confused about the final yesterday. The points added up to 80 instead of 100. This is unfair because I worked my ass off and I am very interested in your class, but you aren't giving me the chance to get an A because the best we can do on the final is like a B-. Are you going to curve the grade, because that's the only way I can get a better grade, and I need to get into grad school because I want to be a teacher and... [and this dumb ass goes on forever...

You should have heard the confusion in a recent class when I tried to explain that even though each homework is 10 points, and each quiz is 100 points, the overall grade is composed of percentages drawn from each category. So an 80/100 for ten homeworks (80%) is weighted the same as a 400/500 for five quizzes (80%). I don't like grading homeworks on a scale of 100, but maybe I will just to reduce confusion.

[alex51324]

I have to admit, I'm having a little trouble wrapping my head around that, too, commcycle.  I believe you that it works for you, but I know if I tried it I'd make mistakes with the calculations. 

However, I do think that if you start marking homeworks out of 100, you'll get more grade-grubbing.  If each question, say, is worth one point, students are less likely to perceive it as worthwhile to ask for "at least half credit" on the questions they got wrong.  But if the same question is worth ten points, I'd bet you dollars to doughnuts you'll have students trying to get five points for their wrong answers.  Even if the impact on the final grade is no different, a hundred points seems to offer more room to negotiate, and you know how these kids today love to negotiate.   

I've had a lot less grade grubbing since I started grading papers not with letters, not with percentages, but as points out of some number that isn't 50 or 100.  Students can't be bothered to figure out whether a 35/40 or a 62/75 (or, for that matter, an 18/40 or a 34/75) equals out to the letter grade they were accustomed to getting in high school, so they don't bother me about it.  It's headology, as Granny Weatherwax would say. 

On the other hand, I do get the ones who trundle along getting grades like 18/40 and 34/75 all semester and are shocked when their final letter grade isn't a C or better.  I suppose if I were a truly noble person, I'd grade in a more transparent way and deal with the grade grubbing, but grade grubbing is the one thing that puts me through the roof.  And I do explain on the syllabus how they can calculate their own letter grade any time their little hearts desire, so they can't honestly say I'm keeping it a secret how well or poorly they're doing. 

[gpfan]

From a student complaining about the grade I gave her on her presentation:

"I don't mean to be rude and usually I am not one to start confrontation, but a 79 and more specifically a C is unexceptable."

There was more, but if I go back and reread it in order to post it here, I will get angry all over again, which isn't helpful for my productivity. I was tempted to make a rude comment back to her about her spelling, but I restrained myself.

[oseph]

From a student complaining about the grade I gave her on her presentation:

"I don't mean to be rude and usually I am not one to start confrontation, but a 79 and more specifically a C is unexceptable."

There was more, but if I go back and reread it in order to post it here, I will get angry all over again, which isn't helpful for my productivity. I was tempted to make a rude comment back to her about her spelling, but I restrained myself.

That is an HOF email.

You probably should tell her that such an email is an UNACCEPTABLE way to begin a conversation with a professor. 

[gpfan]

Yes, I almost said exactly that, but I was afraid that my anger might be clouding my judgment. But I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one who had that reaction!

[grasshopper]

I would be inclined to agree with her, and ask her how she intends to improve her grade.

[oseph]

Yes, I almost said exactly that, but I was afraid that my anger might be clouding my judgment. But I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one who had that reaction!

As long as you said it in a kind and polite fashion, I think you are doing your student a favor.

[happycamper]

From the lab course that my first-year success course is linked to (I get all the emails sent through Bb to the instructors), another Student-As-Class-Spokesperson email:

"Professors,
After discussing the exam with other students in the class after completion, a few of us, that had used the same computer for the [lab topic] part, realized we had had the same error come up and could not complete those questions. Maybe we were all doing the same thing wrong, but it seems unlikely to me. Is it possible that there could have been an error with the program or code?"

Yeah, it COULDN'T POSSIBLY be that you all made the same mistake.  There MUST have been a problem with the program on just that ONE computer in the lab (since not everyone in the lab had the same problem).  I can't wait to hear how this one turns out!

[conjugate]

From the lab course that my first-year success course is linked to (I get all the emails sent through Bb to the instructors), another Student-As-Class-Spokesperson email:

"Professors,
After discussing the exam with other students in the class after completion, a few of us, that had used the same computer for the [lab topic] part, realized we had had the same error come up and could not complete those questions. Maybe we were all doing the same thing wrong, but it seems unlikely to me. Is it possible that there could have been an error with the program or code?"

Yeah, it COULDN'T POSSIBLY be that you all made the same mistake.  There MUST have been a problem with the program on just that ONE computer in the lab (since not everyone in the lab had the same problem).  I can't wait to hear how this one turns out!

In fairness, I have found that sometimes, due to some kind of strange font issues, a minus sign ( – ) sometimes displays as an upside-down question mark ( ¿ ) and sometimes it does not.  This caused some confusion in my online algebra class, as you can imagine.

[extinct]

Hello Prof Extinct,

I am really disturbed by something. When I critiqued John Doe in week 1 and now Jane Doe in week 3, I could view their entire personal photo albums by clicking the right arrow when their designs opened. There are some extremely personal photos here.

Are people viewing MY personal photos unintentionally?

How is that possible? How can it be avoided?

Jane Doe 2

*****

Hi Jane Doe 2,

What happens when you open a jpeg in the Picture Viewer and start clicking the arrows is that you begin accessing images stored in your own computer's memory. This could be images you have intentionally saved, as well as images that are stored in your browser's temporary cache from visiting web pages. It can be surprising to see what all ends up there. But rest assured, you only upload the jpeg you choose to attach into the classroom, no one can access other computer files you have, and vice versa with other students.

Prof. Extinct

--
Prof Extinct,

Oh my God, I bought this computer (my first laptop) from a guy at church, who leads our successful marriage group. I have to find a new church because I know way too much about him!! How awkward is THAT?!!?

Also, I haven't received a grade for my late assignment from week 1.

Thanks!!

Jane Doe 2

[scheherazade]

Prof Extinct,

Oh my God, I bought this computer (my first laptop) from a guy at church, who leads our successful marriage group. I have to find a new church because I know way too much about him!! How awkward is THAT?!!?

Also, I haven't received a grade for my late assignment from week 1.

Thanks!!

Jane Doe 2

HAHAHA!  I don't know what is funnier, changing churches, the look on Jane Doe's face (I can imagine), or the juxtaposition of the first and second parts of this email.  I do know that it made me laugh out loud.

[oseph]

Hello Prof Extinct,

I am really disturbed by something. When I critiqued John Doe in week 1 and now Jane Doe in week 3, I could view their entire personal photo albums by clicking the right arrow when their designs opened. There are some extremely personal photos here.

Are people viewing MY personal photos unintentionally?

How is that possible? How can it be avoided?

Jane Doe 2

*****

Hi Jane Doe 2,

What happens when you open a jpeg in the Picture Viewer and start clicking the arrows is that you begin accessing images stored in your own computer's memory. This could be images you have intentionally saved, as well as images that are stored in your browser's temporary cache from visiting web pages. It can be surprising to see what all ends up there. But rest assured, you only upload the jpeg you choose to attach into the classroom, no one can access other computer files you have, and vice versa with other students.

Prof. Extinct

--
Prof Extinct,

Oh my God, I bought this computer (my first laptop) from a guy at church, who leads our successful marriage group. I have to find a new church because I know way too much about him!! How awkward is THAT?!!?

Also, I haven't received a grade for my late assignment from week 1.

Thanks!!

Jane Doe 2

This is so great in so many ways.

[biomancer]

Hello Prof Extinct,

I am really disturbed by something. When I critiqued John Doe in week 1 and now Jane Doe in week 3, I could view their entire personal photo albums by clicking the right arrow when their designs opened. There are some extremely personal photos here.

Are people viewing MY personal photos unintentionally?

How is that possible? How can it be avoided?

Jane Doe 2

*****

Hi Jane Doe 2,

What happens when you open a jpeg in the Picture Viewer and start clicking the arrows is that you begin accessing images stored in your own computer's memory. This could be images you have intentionally saved, as well as images that are stored in your browser's temporary cache from visiting web pages. It can be surprising to see what all ends up there. But rest assured, you only upload the jpeg you choose to attach into the classroom, no one can access other computer files you have, and vice versa with other students.

Prof. Extinct

--
Prof Extinct,

Oh my God, I bought this computer (my first laptop) from a guy at church, who leads our successful marriage group. I have to find a new church because I know way too much about him!! How awkward is THAT?!!?

Also, I haven't received a grade for my late assignment from week 1.

Thanks!!

Jane Doe 2

This is so great in so many ways.

See, Mom?  *This* is why I don't go to church!

[commcycle]

I have to admit, I'm having a little trouble wrapping my head around that, too, commcycle.  I believe you that it works for you, but I know if I tried it I'd make mistakes with the calculations. 

However, I do think that if you start marking homeworks out of 100, you'll get more grade-grubbing. 

Hey, you can't take a student's side on chronicle!! j/k

I do all my grading on blackboard, so if students want an updated snapshot of their standing in the class, they can just go there. It lays out all the percentages very nicely. It really avoids all this "but I didn't know I was failing" business.