Memo from a Former Student

Sent: Monday, January 19, 2015 10:20 PM
To: Ryan James
Subject: multitasking...

Hi Dr James,

A couple of years ago, we got a nice article from you on why multitasking is not a real thing. This came out yesterday, and provides several lines of evidence to the same idea, now rather fact.
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/18/modern-world-bad-for-brain-daniel-j-levitin-organized-mind-information-overload

I hope you are doing fine,
Máté

Dear Máté,

There is nothing more rewarding than hearing from a former student. Well, actually, there is. It is more rewarding to hear from a former student who remembers something shared in class and then sends an updated version back. This e-mail and article is a real gift and I am very appreciative of it. I am going to share this along with your note in my blog. I will not put in your email address or last name. 

I am currently in Ecuador and just escaped a rainstorm, so this really warmed me.

How are the science studies coming? You were so talented in sharing your knowledge, I hope you pursued it.

Dr. J

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Trusting the Unreliables

One never knows the threads that run through life. I taught a course called "Religions Founded in the US" as an elective this semester. The class was small already, but one student came and went as she pleased. Mostly, she went, so we hardly saw her face. If I had to pick her out of a lineup, I would be pressed to get it right. She turned her paper in over a month late; actually, the last day of classes with a 'Sorry this is late' note. I sent it back with a 'Sorry you failed' note.


Alternatively, I have a student in my journalism program who was not able to be at the Blogging/Website presentation. He is a dual major with Biology and had a week long field trip. He desperately wanted to show off his well constructed blog that had received accolades from a US Professor of Microbiology already. We worked on Plan B. We attempted a Skype video call, but the quality was poor and the connection was uncertain in the room we were holding the presentation. He assured me he would work on it and let me know. We had discussed a video.


The presentation night, this last Tuesday, came and went with nothing from Mate. I was disappointed he had not gotten his act together in time. I did a minor presentation of his sites just as a courtesy, but not with the enthusiasm he could have done. I had sent a note to Mate telling him of my disappointment. He wrote back with despair, asking what happened to the video he sent along? He had arranged for one of his roommates to deliver it to me personally as she had a class with me on Tuesday morning. 


Thursday I went in to sign grade books only to find a pen drive on my desk with a note. 


Dear Dr. James,
I was supposed to give this to you. It is late due to my own fault. This is from Mate. It has his video presentation for your Blogging/Website show. I hope you enjoy it. Anna


Anna is the student who appeared in my religion class as often as the Lady of Fatima appears in Budapest cinemas. If I had only known, I could have exorcised the situation in time to save Mate. Not that I needed the contrition, but I did feel for Mate's blind faith in a false prophet. I uploaded his work to YouTube instead. Here I give you Mate.

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