I had an interesting meeting yesterday. The software being used at the local school was so labor intensive that I felt like one of those clerks in a Dickens novel, endlessly scratching away, moving numbers from one place to another. They were using three sets of software which did not relate to each other. I told my immediate supervisor how it could work. Her eyes opened wide and she said, "Really?" Online, I write to students, receive their work, grade each assignment, all on one system that is set up for ease of use by everyone. Their messages back and forth are also in the same location - two different learning systems, both working very well.
I was quite tired of the de-emphasis on teaching itself and the obsession with numbers. And why is this so? It is all about the Benjies - tax money awarded in huge piles to reward literacy programs. If there are many students in special programs, the rewards and salaries are great. Every community college runs on the slaves (adjuncts like me) pulling the oars while a tiny minority have tenure, salaries, and benefits.
I enjoyed teaching the students from many backgrounds: Asia, Mexico, Syria, rural Arkansas, and the Marshall Islands. But I told the bosses I did not like the software and Dickensian labors. I was only given one section for the next semester, and that one at the Vatican (main campus) which meant driving 13 miles in morning traffic.
So I am sticking to the online universities, which are far easier to include in our schedule.
Publishing and Teaching on the Internet
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| One of the gems - soon to be a separate volume - is chosen for the back of each one of the Luther's Sermons. This one is Volume V, almost ready for printing. |
I am excited about sending Luther books to African seminaries. There will be new titles by Luther in time and also more about Luther's Biblical theology.
Gaining time by dropping a school means being able to do more with video teaching on the Net. As Brett Meyer mentioned recently, broadcasting with Bethany has been a big help with teaching online. I have a series of videos for students.
I am planning on a similar series for Bethany, which would include:
- Romans 1-5 in Greek, for those who want an emphasis on English.
- Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant - lectures.
- Basics of Biblical theology.
