The Crazy Clause.....

I swear someone has snuck a crazy clause into the contract.  I haven’t found it yet, but think it reads, “Faculty will attempt to teach all students regardless of their level of reality and intake of medication."

I have students with paperwork for various issues.  Okay, fine, I can deal.  On the other hand, one had no paperwork, but informs me that they are on medication.  I tell them where to go to get paperwork.  At this point, the student then decides to roll around on the tiled floor and treat me to a TMI session!  Do I need to know how you feel about your family?  No, I don't.  Professional to the end, I offer some non-binding murmurs of sympathy, grab my books, and tell the white lie of having to get to a meeting.  

Am I running a psychiatric clinic?…The powers that be can kiss my asterisk regarding the customer service model.  That incident showed me I don’t teach---I babysit.  The inmates really are running the asylum. When I find that crazy clause in my contract, it’s getting stricken out.  They really don’t pay me enough to deal with things like this.

This Post Is Not Made Up.

PaperHelper: iPad App Splits the Screen for Document Writer and Web Browser Combo

by Patrick Jordan on September 10, 2012 in Education, iPad App Reviews

PaperHelper is an interesting and impressive iPad app from a pair of teenage developers. It offers a writing app and web browser app rolled into one and seems to be aimed primarily at students writing essays. Here’s a little slice of its App Store intro:

Writing essays just got simpler! With PaperHelper, You can have your source and paper right next to each other.
PaperHelper uniquely splits your iPad screen in half providing you with a Internet Browser and a Document writer.

The initial promo email for the app caught my attention because it was a well-written approach from a 17 year old who is the co-CEO of RumbleApps, the publisher of PaperHelper. The other co-CEO is 16. As impressive as that is, it wouldn’t generally be enough to write about an app – but a quick look at the App Store page for PaperHelper had me interested enough to install the app and take a look. And I’m glad I did.

MORE MISERY.