...we have a photographer! He's in Austin, and is quoting a great price which includes everything I want. He'll be there for the duration of the wedding, and at the end he's giving me the "negatives" on a CD at full resolution so I can print as little or as much as I want through Snapfish, Wal-mart, Walgreens, etc...he's about $750-$950 cheaper than the other photographer I'd considered, and seems more casual about it - he's OK with amateurs following him about as long as they don't get in the way, and when he's done with a posed photo they can take the same shot. COOL!!! It also includes a sitting in his studio prior to the wedding and an 11x14 print I can put on the guest book table. I am totally jazzed :) I'll be submitting my deposit tomorrow :D
For anyone in Austin, here's his info:
Corsair Imaging
Eric Robertson
512-695-3813
He has 20 years of experience with weddings, and he's really flexible...based on my conversation today, I'd recommend him to everyone.
Yay!! Another thing I can soon stop worrying about :D
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Feeling a little better...
This instructor still sucks, but I feel good that I am actually calling this guy on his flaws instead of staying quiet so I don't fall subject to his wrath and a grading bias. At this point, it can't get much worse - if it does it will be obvious, especially since I will be devoting all my time to the class these last 10 or so days. If I expend that much more effort and still do poorly, this isn't my fault and I still got to say what I needed to say. I spoke up, and I was supported for it and THANKED even for having done so - that makes me feel warm & fuzzy inside :) I'm helping me, and I'm helping others...ahh, it feels like cleric-ing :) Kinda, anyway.
Here's my most recent correspondence:
From: ANGELA
To: BARRY
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 10:58 PM
Subject: Re: Attached WK 2 Evaluations of IP & Simulation Summary
While that may be the case, we as students also have full time jobs, families, and other obligations and are penalized for tardiness, whereas instructors are not. I am paying $1500 for this course which I could be reimbursed for if I gain a C or higher. However, at this point I have a D+ and I have no confidence that I can turn this around to be a C or greater, no matter how many points are still available. Hopefully you can understand my concern, as this is the ONLY course in which I have ever received such poor grades with very little useful feedback - even considering Statistics I & II, which I did not even understand most of the time!!! Buyer Behavior is a social science, and has several similar concepts that I just finished studying in Social Psychology, which had similar concepts that I studied in another previous course. Additionally, I feel cheated that I did not learn sooner that my writing style is not appropriate, and is "too impersonal," a comment I received on all of my papers that have been returned thus far. I remember a guide or instructor from UoP telling me that APA format is a formal style and does not allow first person references, and it is not as if this is the first class in which I have used personal experiences to demonstrate concepts taught in the course. Unfortunately, it IS the only course in which I have been reprimanded and marked down for formal writing. Now that I know your preference, I can alter my style, but I would have appreciated this PRIOR to week 2 deadlines. I really disagree with your assessment that I need to do spelling and grammar checks, and I REALLY disagree with the comments about sentences being too long and complex. I spent countless hours in English classes through junior high and high school editing papers in which we highlighted in two different colors to visually see sentence length. The point of that exercise was to vary short & long sentences to create a flow. I know I write long sentences, but I also add in short ones where appropriate.
Anyway, I and several other students are dissatisfied and as students (and customers of UoP!) - we expect better from our instructors. Up to this point, I have never had a problem. I can appreciate your time crunch, but it's nothing that we as students, spouses, coaches, parents, and employees have not experienced ourselves. I can't speak for Team C's loss, but Team A lost two members directly in relation to the lack of feedback and the poor showing in grades. This left us at an extreme disadvantage, but because of the deadline we had to deal with it as we would in the "real world." This would have been difficult but manageable if you had made your expectations more clear, specifically in regards to questions I asked before the second paper was due (I asked about your highlighting and what it meant).
Please make an effort to get feedback out more quickly as our grades are important to us for reimbursements and scholarships, if not for GPA alone.
Angie
----- Original Message -----
From: BARRY
To: ANGELA
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 12:45 PM
Subject: Re: Attached WK 2 Evaluations of IP & Simulation Summary
Dear Angie
There is still quite a bit of time and points available.
Since the University has changed the size of the classes, it takes longer for those of us who do this as a part-time thing to handle the turn around as fast in an earlier period. This past week was an expensive one for me with a snow storm that disrupted a plan business meeting and then my accident which disrupted another meeting.
I will take your concern under advisement.
Barry
Barry, PhD MBAOnline Faculty, University of Phoenix Online
----- Original Message -----
From: ANGELA
To: BARRY
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 10:31 PM
Subject: Re: Attached WK 2 Evaluations of IP & Simulation Summary
Barry,
I really think it is unfair that my grade is suffering because I was not informed my writing style is not what you like until the middle of week 3. I don't want to drop, but I also can't make a D in this course and be reimbursed for it, so I must say I am extremely disappointed with the lack of feedback in the beginning of the course. I will work hard the remainder of the course, but what else can I do?
Here's my most recent correspondence:
From: ANGELA
To: BARRY
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 10:58 PM
Subject: Re: Attached WK 2 Evaluations of IP & Simulation Summary
While that may be the case, we as students also have full time jobs, families, and other obligations and are penalized for tardiness, whereas instructors are not. I am paying $1500 for this course which I could be reimbursed for if I gain a C or higher. However, at this point I have a D+ and I have no confidence that I can turn this around to be a C or greater, no matter how many points are still available. Hopefully you can understand my concern, as this is the ONLY course in which I have ever received such poor grades with very little useful feedback - even considering Statistics I & II, which I did not even understand most of the time!!! Buyer Behavior is a social science, and has several similar concepts that I just finished studying in Social Psychology, which had similar concepts that I studied in another previous course. Additionally, I feel cheated that I did not learn sooner that my writing style is not appropriate, and is "too impersonal," a comment I received on all of my papers that have been returned thus far. I remember a guide or instructor from UoP telling me that APA format is a formal style and does not allow first person references, and it is not as if this is the first class in which I have used personal experiences to demonstrate concepts taught in the course. Unfortunately, it IS the only course in which I have been reprimanded and marked down for formal writing. Now that I know your preference, I can alter my style, but I would have appreciated this PRIOR to week 2 deadlines. I really disagree with your assessment that I need to do spelling and grammar checks, and I REALLY disagree with the comments about sentences being too long and complex. I spent countless hours in English classes through junior high and high school editing papers in which we highlighted in two different colors to visually see sentence length. The point of that exercise was to vary short & long sentences to create a flow. I know I write long sentences, but I also add in short ones where appropriate.
Anyway, I and several other students are dissatisfied and as students (and customers of UoP!) - we expect better from our instructors. Up to this point, I have never had a problem. I can appreciate your time crunch, but it's nothing that we as students, spouses, coaches, parents, and employees have not experienced ourselves. I can't speak for Team C's loss, but Team A lost two members directly in relation to the lack of feedback and the poor showing in grades. This left us at an extreme disadvantage, but because of the deadline we had to deal with it as we would in the "real world." This would have been difficult but manageable if you had made your expectations more clear, specifically in regards to questions I asked before the second paper was due (I asked about your highlighting and what it meant).
Please make an effort to get feedback out more quickly as our grades are important to us for reimbursements and scholarships, if not for GPA alone.
Angie
----- Original Message -----
From: BARRY
To: ANGELA
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 12:45 PM
Subject: Re: Attached WK 2 Evaluations of IP & Simulation Summary
Dear Angie
There is still quite a bit of time and points available.
Since the University has changed the size of the classes, it takes longer for those of us who do this as a part-time thing to handle the turn around as fast in an earlier period. This past week was an expensive one for me with a snow storm that disrupted a plan business meeting and then my accident which disrupted another meeting.
I will take your concern under advisement.
Barry
Barry, PhD MBAOnline Faculty, University of Phoenix Online
----- Original Message -----
From: ANGELA
To: BARRY
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 10:31 PM
Subject: Re: Attached WK 2 Evaluations of IP & Simulation Summary
Barry,
I really think it is unfair that my grade is suffering because I was not informed my writing style is not what you like until the middle of week 3. I don't want to drop, but I also can't make a D in this course and be reimbursed for it, so I must say I am extremely disappointed with the lack of feedback in the beginning of the course. I will work hard the remainder of the course, but what else can I do?
Thursday, March 09, 2006
GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!
I am so irritated with my Buyer Behavior instructor!!
He took a course that I was very interested in and poo-pooed the whole thing. I LOVE social science, and the nuances of marketing that persuade people to buy is what got me interested in the first place. Instead of loving it and doing well, I am hating it and pulling a D+ which is the worst (college) grade I've ever gotten. I'm not done yet so I *might* be able to pull a C-, but still...I don't even UNDERSTAND Chaucer's English, and I still managed a C in my British Literature class...I didn't understand Sadistics I or II, and I got Bs in those courses, while moving twice and dealing with someone close to me dying. But this course...UGH!
Apparently my writing style is "too objective" because I don't use I, me, we, our, myself, etc. - it's not permitted in APA format unless specified by the instructor or assignment, and I've never had an instructor require it of me. In fact "[ ] First person (“I”, “we”) generally refers to your own opinion or experience. Use third person unless otherwise indicated by the
assignment or instructor." HELLO!
GAH I AM SO FREAKING ANGRY WITH THIS DOUCHE! He didn't give ANY feedback until the beginning of week 3, which means I had already turned in 3 of 6 personal papers in that style. In week 4 we are finally getting feedback for week 2.
No bullshit, in my week 2 paper he wrote as a comment, "You have a lot of long sentences. These can be broken into several short ones and mare for a more readable paper." "Mare?" How about you proofread you DUMBASS. And WTH? Color me stupid, but I thought a mixture of short and long sentences was the mark of a MATURE paper. Does this guy read at a second grade level?
"You could be more specific" ABOUT WHAT?! And should I be as specific as you, Mr. I-Could-Win-an-Award-For-Dancing-Around-the-Question-and-Never-Answering-Anything? I ask him questions, which he takes his time answering...I asked him on Friday night/Saturday morning about comments on a team paper so that we could improve our paper that was due on Monday. I got a reply, after prodding him, on Monday at 11:45 when normal 40-hours-a-week people are working. I happened to be off on a vacation day, but STILL - my teammates weren't, and the paper was not entirely written but progressing...it's just a 1,450 word POS, it doesn't take THAT long unless you have the pickiest, most asinine, idiotic, should-still-be-working-with-chimps, random, dodgy ASSHOLE-of-a-teacher on the planet, and for all he knows we finished it Sunday and his NON-ANSWERS were no help! I said in the e-mail
"I sincerely do not understand your grading...[specific questions about the assignment]...We'll follow the rubric closely this time, but the above questions aren't really rubric-related"
and HE said (dodging the specific questions entirely):
Yeah, I'm pissed. Real pissed. I don't think I would have gotten through my degree this far, with 5 classes to go, without having someone indicate to me that I need to check grammar and spelling, APA format, and oh yeah, my "sentences are too long." I and several other students have complained about his lack of feedback and unfair grading, so he's being evaluated...but it likely won't help our grades. I hope the picky bastard gets stuck at every red light he encounters, for the full cycle. And that he grows boobs and has to deal with period cramps. And has or develops a fat ass. Yeah! That should about do it. Until I think of something else!
He took a course that I was very interested in and poo-pooed the whole thing. I LOVE social science, and the nuances of marketing that persuade people to buy is what got me interested in the first place. Instead of loving it and doing well, I am hating it and pulling a D+ which is the worst (college) grade I've ever gotten. I'm not done yet so I *might* be able to pull a C-, but still...I don't even UNDERSTAND Chaucer's English, and I still managed a C in my British Literature class...I didn't understand Sadistics I or II, and I got Bs in those courses, while moving twice and dealing with someone close to me dying. But this course...UGH!
Apparently my writing style is "too objective" because I don't use I, me, we, our, myself, etc. - it's not permitted in APA format unless specified by the instructor or assignment, and I've never had an instructor require it of me. In fact "[ ] First person (“I”, “we”) generally refers to your own opinion or experience. Use third person unless otherwise indicated by the
assignment or instructor." HELLO!
GAH I AM SO FREAKING ANGRY WITH THIS DOUCHE! He didn't give ANY feedback until the beginning of week 3, which means I had already turned in 3 of 6 personal papers in that style. In week 4 we are finally getting feedback for week 2.
No bullshit, in my week 2 paper he wrote as a comment, "You have a lot of long sentences. These can be broken into several short ones and mare for a more readable paper." "Mare?" How about you proofread you DUMBASS. And WTH? Color me stupid, but I thought a mixture of short and long sentences was the mark of a MATURE paper. Does this guy read at a second grade level?
"You could be more specific" ABOUT WHAT?! And should I be as specific as you, Mr. I-Could-Win-an-Award-For-Dancing-Around-the-Question-and-Never-Answering-Anything? I ask him questions, which he takes his time answering...I asked him on Friday night/Saturday morning about comments on a team paper so that we could improve our paper that was due on Monday. I got a reply, after prodding him, on Monday at 11:45 when normal 40-hours-a-week people are working. I happened to be off on a vacation day, but STILL - my teammates weren't, and the paper was not entirely written but progressing...it's just a 1,450 word POS, it doesn't take THAT long unless you have the pickiest, most asinine, idiotic, should-still-be-working-with-chimps, random, dodgy ASSHOLE-of-a-teacher on the planet, and for all he knows we finished it Sunday and his NON-ANSWERS were no help! I said in the e-mail
"I sincerely do not understand your grading...[specific questions about the assignment]...We'll follow the rubric closely this time, but the above questions aren't really rubric-related"
and HE said (dodging the specific questions entirely):
"As for the grading, the rubrics repeat the basic issues in the syllabus that you are asked to address for the assignment. The scale lets you know what a certain level of work will generate in terms of a gradeon that issue. Complete means that you have covered the topic or answeredthe basic question posed by the issue. Excellent means that you havecompleted the answer and have demonstrated understanding by applying the conceptsto the specific situation in the assignment."
Yeah, I'm pissed. Real pissed. I don't think I would have gotten through my degree this far, with 5 classes to go, without having someone indicate to me that I need to check grammar and spelling, APA format, and oh yeah, my "sentences are too long." I and several other students have complained about his lack of feedback and unfair grading, so he's being evaluated...but it likely won't help our grades. I hope the picky bastard gets stuck at every red light he encounters, for the full cycle. And that he grows boobs and has to deal with period cramps. And has or develops a fat ass. Yeah! That should about do it. Until I think of something else!
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