Tomorrow we take our first test in Span 1002. I think that the students are well prepared.

Their recorded audio files to “las preguntas importantes” of the chapter are also due. I am excited to listed to each of my students speaking a little bit of Spanish, and to be a part in their (hoped) improvement over the course of the semester. I’ve never done anything like this before in my teaching. The closest I ever have done was with the individual oral final exams at SPSU. Interestingly enough, I think that the direct teaching of speaking (in the form of question response, in this case) is neglected at my current school. Reading and writing skills are emphasized and taught well enough, but speaking is seemingly neglected (on the assessment end of things, at least). I hope to be able to improve the students’ speaking skills this semester by having them record their voices on mp3 in the lab and submit them to me via the ftp server set up in the lab. Because of the interlocking nature of the language skills, I hope to see improvement in other areas as a result of it, as well. We’ll see.

Assessment, Testing, Class

Yesterday Bets and I finished Xena. (sniff sniff) We watched it all the way from episode 1 to the end. Took us about 3 months, I’m guessing. Xena was redeemed and Gabrielle assumed the full significance of her role as ‘the battling bard.’ Watching Gabrielle march off as a samurai was tough, but fulfilling.

By the way, I just joined the Xena and Hercules board (thanks LadyKate for the tip!) over at:

http://p209.ezboard.com/bxwpweb

Look for “ZacharytheMighty.” (Joxer forever!)

Xena, Fun, TV

Recently I was playing around with my sitemap (the breakdown of the site so that Google can correctly see this site), and I stumbled upon the “related” search string. It finds pages that it thinks are related to yours. You’ve got to read what Google sees as related to my page!

I stored it as a picture here just in case it changes later, but the here’s the link.

Google, Fun

I don’t think I’ve posted about our recent date arrangement yet. Bets and I started a new date thing where we go on a date every Friday. We set the budget and then we alternate turns planning it. This week we went to Whole Foods and bought a bunch of things to make a massive antipasti plate. Then we did a Xena marathon in! It was great. Last week we went out to a nice Italian restaurant, then to a movie, then to get some hot wings.

It has worked out really well and it reminds us to get out and do some dates.

Fun, Dates, Xena

Antsie Pantsie. Is that how you spell that? I’ve been that lately. A funk that I can’t seem to shake this week. Maybe I’m coming off of some sickness.

Well, in other news, in less than a month, Betsy and I roll down to Orlando to present at the big SCOLT conference. I still have many preparations to do with Bernice, but I’m excited about them. Too, I think we are going to go down a day before and go to Disney World or something. Should be a blast. Betsy and I haven’t had a vacation in the traditional sense in… a long time. Probably when we went to that resort down in DR. Not that our life isn’t a vacation, but that’s neither here nor there. hehe.

Betsy made a toy mouse for Hollywood today out of a sock, some string and some chicken wire or something — McGuyver. No, better than McGuyver. He loves the thing. Goes wild over it, stalking it and pouncing all over it. By the way, Bets has a new kitty of the week over at the cat’s dish:

http://coupledreview.weblogs.us/archives/42

Well, this rant is long enough. I really needed a new post.

Cat, Rants