Hi guys,
I am asking that you participate in an "art project" I have been considering for a while.
The following is my page on ratemyprofessors.com
http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=695930Students tend to overemphasize the significance of this site. The fact is that most students will tend not to record comments in this sort of site. As evidence of this claim, I would point out that in the 6 years the site has been active, I have had a total of around 1300 students. 23 of them registered a comment on the site.
I would also claim that a student upset with a teacher is more likely to post than a student who was satisfied with the experience. I can not violate her privacy, but historical data for a good friend and colleague of mine show that 94% of her students since 2005 stated in course evaluations that they either "definitely would" or "probably would" sign up with her again, but her approval rate on this site sits at about 30% favorable. The vast majority of her students feel positive about their experience with her, but the ones she pisses off get REALLY pissed off, and want to share it with the world, and anyone getting info about the teacher is scared off from someone most people feel good about.
If you follow the link I have provided, you will see that I get generally favorable ratings (and some of the criticisms I carry like a badge of honor; I am "too silly", or I waste time showing "videos", one of them, not surprisingly, being Tom's vocal re-dub of scenes from Clerks.) But I know that many of you are great and imaginative talents, and despite fear of being accused of stealing a Kenny G sort of idea, I would invite you to go onto the site and leave comments about your experience in my class. My school gives absolutely no weight to this site (since it's ridiculously unscientific,) so what I am asking will not effect my workplace standing in any way. It would be fun to get high numbers, if you feel so inclined, but what I am really most interested in is seeing some outlandish/ridiculous/absurd/surreal made up stories of my abilities and or experiences that took place in my classroom. A few suggestions;
1) My hope is for Paul Bunyunesque tall tales, ridiculous no-way-this-could-have-happened stories, or trippy descriptions of whatever you imagine might happen in a typical class day with DFK
2) I would ask that you not include anything that suggests that I have engaged in any illegal or in appropriate activity of any sort, hopefully for obvious reasons.
If I have any motive, it is to make students understand that this site and other like it are NOT representative of general student perceptions of faculty performance. Hopefully if they hear that my feet are made of mercury, or that I can shoot ping pong balls from my eyeballs, or that if every time a student gives a correct answer I float 6 - 8 inches off of the floor, or that the "Sweet Loretta Modern" from the song "Get Back" was inspired by something I did, they will understand that these things are not to be taken literally.
Anybody want to play?
