Becstarr : Peer assessments

Busy time at work as marking gets underway for essays and group assignment and people start asking me about how in the LMS to mark, release said marks, offer peer assessment of group members' contribution to projects, give feedback on the unit or on the unit's site, etc.

The peer assessment stuff is big at the moment, which pleases me, because I remember how incredibly frustrating it was to do group work and have no avenue for comeback to freeriders in the group who didn't turn up to a single group meeting or write a line of code (this was in Comp Sci) and still got the same mark as the rest of us. Utterly unfair!

Typically the peer assessment mark is counted for about 5% of the total unit mark. Personally I think it's fairer when it's used to modify the percentage of the group work mark you get.

Jen - sad

Found out this morning that one of the loveliest people at work (and a dear friend) passed away last night after an 18m battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 33 and her daughter just turned 2.

Kit is sad about End of the holidays

Coming to the end of my holidays in Nevada/California. Have been playing "just staying ahead" of work colleague in geocaching stakes. There is a lack of internet cafes, but quite a few free wifi spots, mainly around the Casinos (Thanks to Bec's old lifedrive). I guess all that "evilness" is good for something.

Evelyn - How I spent my lunchtime

Dan - back into the routine

Dante's back at school, and his extension classes have started again, so we're back into the weekly busy routine. Work's busy - I'm hiring again, and the next six months look ridiculously busy. On the bright side, I'm planning the family Xmas getaway (to Hawks Nest, maybe, this time).

Poor Jen spent all day ill (see her blog for more details), so the kids and I have been pottering about the house all day, actually having a quite pleasant day. Though Dante might be coming down with the lurgy (complaining of illness this evening; we'll see how he is come morning). Squishy also has a stomach bug, and has been chundering around the house.

YL -Getting old

Blargh. I am a total fish out of water. I dont understand this country at all! Up side is that I am learning Spanish and I see that they sell little packets of pot at the local bottle show in my fishing village of Horcon!

The romantic idea of spending my birthday in another country is just that - an idea. The reality is a bit different. I am now one year older in a place I cannot comprehend and no amount of Neruda poetry is going to help me now.

Guy - What a relaxing GUGS...

I didn't win even one game, so ner to people who say I always win. :-p

Jaime - Just got kicked!

I got to feel my kid kicking. I predict a strong Soccer career. Exciting times.

Shoshe - new windows!

We got new windows yesterday! It was particularly exciting because we'd been told that we wouldn't be getting them. Also, on our old windows, everything that wasn't glass was metal, meaning that there was a direct thermal contact from the outside (which last year got down to about -22C) to our attempting-to-be-cosy apartment. So the double-glazed glass part wasn't horribly cold, but the frame sure was. The new ones have plastic frames and extra-wide double glazing.

Mostly though, it's nice to not be offended by my windows' very existence. Who the fuck makes windows that have a direct thermal contact to the outside?! In a town where it gets down to -22C?!

Guy - That's not the answer I was expecting...

I ask, "So what is poverty?" hoping one person in thirty will think to say "Is it not having enough food?" However, one girl said "Oh oh, I know this! Public wealth, or the lack of it. It's when the government doesn't have enough money to build infrastructure like roads and hospitals." That's a pretty good answer for a thirteen year old.

Evelyn - Back to Scotland

Well, after having to sit on the plane for half an hour in Sydney while we waited for the bags of passengers who didn't make it through customs to be unloaded; then waiting the extra three hours for our delayed plane in Kuala Lumper; then waiting the extra four hours for the replacement connecting flight to Edinburgh - we are finally home!

Evelyn - Back to the UK

So all packed and ready for the family to pick us up for one more family brunch before heading to the airport, and then back to cold, rainy Scotland.

Evelyn - The Dumpling House that wasn't

Tancred and I met up with Jo, V and Lachlan, as well as a couple of other friends (Rachel and Maris) to eat dumplings at the supposedly great dumpling house in World Square. Turned out to be less of a dumpling house, more of a standard restaurant with less than quality service and only OK food. Fortunately, the company made up for it :)

YL - Box Wonderland

I'm channeling the "Box Wonderland" theme for my apartment. lol. There are all kinds of boxes everywhere. They seem to have multiplied like tribbles (which I also found!).

I wont get everything unpacked before I leave on Thur for South America. But over Nov/Dec it'll feel like Christmas everyday as I discover stuff I completely forgot about!

Gah must remember to do my tax before I leave ....

Dan - busy week

It's school holidays, so we've been shuffling Dante around various activities; on Thursday evening Jen and I went out for dinner and a show (!!!). Yep, we actually got to go out by ourselves! We saw Risky Lunar Love, while Bec looked after the kids (having borrowed Dante for the afternoon for experimental education).

Friday I took the day off, flamboyantly overslept, and Dante and I went to the Olympic Aquatic Centre for a swim.

We spent today kind of exhausted and lethargic.

Evelyn - More Holidaying Goodness

Finally managed to get to the beach - went to Clovelly yesterday for a swim. Then had several meetings - for lunch/coffee/drink/dinner lined up - good day in all. Now spending the next few days with family getting ready for my parents 60th birthday celebrations

Becstarr : Pump-ing Bondi J

Dave got me a 2-week free pass to FitnessFirst so we can train together while it's school holidays. We hit Pump at Bondi Junction on Sunday and despite restricting myself to the lowest of low weights (1.25 per side on all but lunges and shoulders, on which I used only the bar), I am feeling it today. Youch!

Kit has 3.5 Days of work to go..

and then it is 1 day of packing, and 2 million years on the plane and I visit California/Nevada this time.

Postcard call! (addresses via email please)

Anna : All tomorrow's parties ...

Weekend of PARTYING DOWN like Slurms MacKenzie (the original party worm) ...

Friday = End of Term Teacher Sock Hop
Saturday = Say "HELLO!" to Tancred and Evelyn Party
Sunday = Nap-Fest! and some videos with a few friends (stuffed toys count right?)

Jaime - .... why oh why

I was horrified when this came on the TV.



Heres the wiki entry

Terrifying!