Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

Had my first two real sessions of lab last Wednesday. Just like my first lecture it was all about measurements.

In both classes the students who were not there the first meeting were enough to fill their own group, and a couple more to add to the remaining groups as well. I figured this was easier than splitting up the established groups just so each group will have “veterans” and “rookies”.

It’s the price the latecomers pay for coming late, having to rush to the bookstore to buy a manual and being one of the last to finish because they had to read the procedure as they went along.

The first class was more prepared for the quiz than the second class though. Again, something they’ll take with them to the next activity.

One of my students from last term though, Justin, did badly in the quiz because he mixed up the significant figures in the lab manual with the scientific notation we took up in the lecture class. He was asking to retake the quiz, but I wouldn’t let him. Given that he got 3.0 in my math class last term, he said he’s aiming for all fours in my classes (and hopefully the others) this term.

But he thinks to do that he has to get perfect in all the requirements, when 93.5 is the least possible grade to which a 4.0 can be attained. Somehow, though, he doesn’t seem to get that. I’ll try explaining it to him one more time.

One of the groups in the earlier class also found a loophole in the latest edition of the lab manual. One of the instructions says that they should only measure the dimensions of their ID cards using the ruler, not including the caliper, despite having used it in the last two measurements, and having blanks provided in the data tables.

The class time was almost up, it was an error in the book that I didn’t see (and am glad they brought to my attention) so I didn’t force them to perform it. But I corrected it in the next class.

A student from that group, Joey, who was one of those who got 4.0 in my Math class last term and has become very at ease, said that we should give deductions to the other groups for not following the instructions and using the caliper for Part III.

What I realized that we have to emphasize to them in the lab is that it’s not like the lecture were they could just attend any of the available sessions for which they’re free. They have a responsibility to their group to show up in all of their assigned meetings.

Anyway, if past experience is any indication (like the procedure correction above), repeating lab classes get smoother with each new class. That means Friday’s lab will hopefully have the least hitches.

My three lecture classes yesterday had fewer attendees than last Monday. And because in my mechanics classes I started discussing velocity and acceleration after finishing with scientific notation and unit conversion last meeting (which I know for most of them is only a review), I got more blank stares than animated responses like last time. Also blame it on the time of classes, which are from 1120am to 1250pm and 1-230pm, when students are battling either hunger or sleepiness.

At least that’s my excuse. That’s right. It can’t be my delivery. I’ll give some more details next time.