That’s not good news. The good news will be “I’m at #scio14“, because I’ve got a lot of traveling ahead of me. And it’s been one of those days that I always dread: the day I have to return tests in genetics. I write hard tests…well, not really that hard conceptually, but I avoid questions of a form that allows them to be answered with rote execution of a formula, which means that students who are struggling to understand often end up taking weird detours in their answers, and do poorly. And then there’s the usual bimodal grade distribution of a class that emphasizes logic and methodology; some find it trivial, others just freak out. Everyone is miserable, and it makes lecturing no fun at all.
But I can’t do otherwise. I’ll throw more practice problems at them, and drill them through the process over and over again, and usually, most of them will make it through to the end.
Anyway, now I’m off to the airport. Long drive, long night, get into Raleigh-Durham sometime tomorrow. Then I have to be the student for a few days and learn.
I hope there isn’t an exam at the end.
I remember getting chewed out by a professor for confusing genotype with haplotype. So many definitions in biology and the subtleties matter!
PZ If you stay in the area I would absolutely love to get dinner with you or something! I live in Chapel Hill right near Raleigh
Holy crap! You’re here in my town? That was shocking enough news to make me come out of lurk mode.
Too bad you weren’t here a couple of days ago when it was warm and sunny, though.