Interviewing at regional high schools (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

Today I took a few hours off from work, so I could go out for an interview at Oosterlicht College high school. I'd seen on their website that they were looking for math teachers and thought I ought to give it a whirl.

Their school is quite large, with around 1800 students at their main location, but I've heard good stuff about them. Besides, the school's been divided into two virtual departments, meaning that I'll only interact with about half of that number of students. In this case the job I'm shooting for is part of the VMBO track (the bottom of three ranks in the dutch high school system).

I had a nice talk with the section chief and the head of the maths team, which lasted for about 75 minutes. I think they were at least moderately interested in having me on their team and we agreed that I'd come and observe the school in full swing RSN(tm). If, after those few hours, I'd still like to work at the OC, then we'll have our official talk about the terms and such. So far, things are looking good :)

I was also reassured that, as a teacher, I wouldn't have to earn a lot less than what I'm getting right now. In the dutch educational system (primary and high school), personnel is divided into four salary groups: LA, LB, LC and LD. As a high school teacher I'd rank in LB, meaning that I'd start out at 2250 euros a month. However, since most schools are willing to match your current paycheck if you're leaving another field, I'd be making more. This would put me over halfway of the salary playing field in the LB class. In the end, this means that I won't be taking a pay cut, but that there is definitely less space for me to grow in the future.

Anywho... I'm quite excited about my first interview in the educational system! I was a bit anxious before we got started, but I soon felt at ease. It was just like any other interview I'd been too. Just a bit friendlier and for once I wasn't the stronger party :)

Posted in: education , high school , interview , job hunt , teacher

"Banenmarkt" at Hogeschool Utrecht (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

An ironed shirt, a stack of resumes and a pouch of calling cards... This can only mean one thing! We're going networking again! ^_^

Today my department in college (hint: the .edu dept) 's holding their annual banenmarkt; call it a "career day" if you will. For about three hours, students will get a chance to talk to reps from all kinds of high schools in our region. The objective, of course, is to get your foot in the door for an internship or a teaching position.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm on the lookout for a real teaching position. I need the experience and I'm anxious to try my hand at a steady teacher's job. So, while I will definitely grasp any internships I can get, I will be on the prowl for fulltime jobs. Or at least to get my name out there.

This is going to be interesting! :)

Posted in: banenmarkt , career day , education , hogeschool utrecht , jobs

Holy wars, every profession has them (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

Whenever two or more parties are convinced that they're on the side of absolute right holy wars pop up. I'm not just talking about the religious conflicts that we see every day, but also professional debates that are verging on religion.

Windows versus Linux versus Mac OS X. Emacs versus Vi versus Pico. Sendmail versus just about any decent email server. Japanese cars versus American cars versus European cars. Ketchup-on-your-steak versus Ketchup-lovers-should-die. Whatever, there's too much to even think of!

The field of education unfortunately is no different. Many people think that they know what's best for today's kids and thus philosophies about teaching vary greatly! For example, in December I wrote about the Het nieuwe leren versus Het oude leren crowds. The first think that the folks over at BON are decrepit relics from a time better forgotten. The latter think that the HNL crowd are nonsensical managers lusting for new and shiny toys. And neither side is willing to give in one inch, or to even concede that the other side has at least -some- merit.

Great.

One of the stories that's been recently snapped up by the BON-folks, is the story of Jan Verhoeven's family and their experiences with De Nieuwste School in Tilburg (The Newest School). While the Verhoevens are actually quite content in their role as chroniclers, the two battling sides grasp any chance to duke it out. The BON-ers ragged on the school on their fora, in their usual fashion. At the same time the DNS-folks grasp at any chance to portray themselves in an overly positive fashion, by grabbing media attention and by spawn camping the relevant Wikipedia pages. So instead of working on a real solution, both sides are just too fscking concerned with their little battles.

Very productive, que no?

Me, I'm just glad that the Verhoevens are alright and that their daughter's happy at her new school after getting out of De Nieuwste School

Posted in: education , heilige oorlog , het nieuwe leren , holy wars , the new learning

It's official: I'm job hunting as a teacher (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

As the title suggests: I've officially started hunting for teaching positions for next school year. So far I've found a few very interesting schools that are actually quite close to home!

Let's see how this pans out.

Any of you Snowers reading this: no need to fret yet. I'm NOT running out on you on a moment's notice ;)

Posted in: docent , education , job hunt , op zoek naar een baan , teacher

It's official: I'm job hunting as a teacher (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

As the title suggests: I've officially started hunting for teaching positions for next school year. So far I've found a few very interesting schools that are actually quite close to home!

Let's see how this pans out.

Any of you Snowers reading this: no need to fret yet. I'm NOT running out on you on a moment's notice ;)

Posted in: docent , education , job hunt , op zoek naar een baan , teacher

Sad but (luckily not very often) true (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

From here.

Posted in: average , complaints , education , grades , scores

A different kind of hacking (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

You know? This whole college deal, burning the midnight oil over homework, feels like hacking to me. It gives me the same feeling I had during my internships or during late-night projects at the office. A feeling that I'm completely into what I do and that I want to keep on going.

Case in point: tonight I'm working on a report for Analysis 1 - Didactics, scratching away at my whiteboard. And of course I turn to the music I always play at times like these.



PLAYTRACKfunkyd.mp3

If you're curious, the song's Funky doll from the original Bubblegum Crisis soundtrack.

It's awfully eighties, but there's something I just love about that song. Of course, I'm also glad there was no video camera there to register my gay-ass dancing at the board. There's just something weird about a geek dancing, while working ^_^;

Posted in: college , education , hacking , homework , midnight oil

punkwalrus @ 2007-10-20T15:49:00 (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

I screwed up because have trouble typing (dyslexia), I couldn't spell Massachusetts without looking it up, and I kept thinking Alabama was Atlanta. Other than that, thanks Lewinsville Elementary School! :) Posted in: education , quiz , states

The Ultimate Steal: Office 2007 - $59 for Students (Martin Gordon's Blog (cptncelchu)) by Martin

Microsoft will begin running a promotion later today aptly named "The Ultimate Steal" in which it will offer Office 2007 Ultimate for $59, less than 10% of the $679 list price. The catch is that you have to be a student (or at least have a .edu email address).

This is an excellent move by Microsoft. Students with fast university internet connections and limited income are more likely to pirate expensive software, something software vendors try to curtail by offering student discounts for their software (with the added benefit of potentially gaining life-long customers). This promotion takes that strategy to an extreme. At $59, the "too expensive" excuse flies out the window. For non-freshmen (as this was the first back-to-school season where Office 2007 was available), this is a good motivator to upgrade from Office 2003 and will most likely drive Office 2007 adoption through the roof.

Office 2007 is one of Microsoft's flagship products and perhaps the best product they've ever shipped. I've written about the new ribbon UI back when the product was in beta, and though I'm using Office 2003 at work, every time I come back to Office 2007, I realize how big the differences between the two are and how less stressful it is to use the newer version. While deciding to "upgrade" to Vista is a difficult choice to make (the quotes around "upgrade" should be quite telling), upgrading to Office 2007 is a no-brainer and I highly recommend doing so to anyone, especially at this price.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Office 2007, The Ultimate Steal, promotion, students, software

Posted in: education , microsoft , office 2007 , promotion , software

Big career changes: submitting my enrollment (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

Well, now there's absolutely no way back: I've sent in my application form for the local college. Hopefully I'll receive more information in a few days time.

I have to say that I rather dislike the application process though. In the Netherlands, there's one big organisation that handles 99% of the college and uni applications: Informatie Beheer Groep. They also take care of all student loans and grants and the resulting debts. As they are a governmental organisation, they allow one to log in using one's national DigID. This DigID is tied to one's social security number and allows one to get a lot of stuff done through the web. Thus one will not have to fill out endless forms, or to wait for hours at city hall.

Theoretically speaking that is. Because for some reason the IB Groep doesn't allow you to any applications online. Oh sure, they've made a very nice web app that'll walk you through the process of filling out the form with all the requisite data. Sure! But once the whole process is done, you're still going to have to print the form, sign it and send it in. :(

I thought we were getting that DigID (which includes SMS verificatin) to sign crap like this?

Anywho: the application is on its way! /o/

Posted in: application , career change , career switch , college , education

Big career changes: talking to my employer (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

I've bitten the bullet and had my talk with my employer, or more specifically the CTO of our company. He was already aware of my doubts about working in IT (I told him during our latest review meeting), but was still surprised by the suddenness of my change of heart. He also was surprised by my choice of direction. I guess he was expecting me to stick around IT.

Anywho... We had a good talk and it was a big relief to finally get it of my chest and tell the people paying my monthly cheque. Such a relief that it even triggered some reactions in my throat and eyes ;) *cough*

Luckily the boss was rather supportive of my choice, opting to help me get where I want to go rather than sending me away. He told me it shouldn't be a problem to let me work 32 hours a week (or even 24 if the need arise), given my record with the company. And finally he gave me some names of colleagues who went through the same process, which adds another group to my list of people to talk to: fellow part-time students.

All in all that was a very positive outcome.

Posted in: career change , career switch , education , employer , part-time

Big career changes: talking to the experts (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

I can heartily recommend anyone considering a career switch to go and have a chat with people who work in their aspired field.

I made a little visit to my old high school this morning, to talk to their HR guy. He gave me a lot of valuable tips and suggested that a part-time study would indeed be the best and safest option for me. He indicated that it would be nigh on impossible for me to get a zij-instroom position, due to my lack of experience.

He also suggested that I go have a talk with the CWI (Centrum voor Werk en Inkomen), the part of the dutch government charged with work and job security. He reckoned that I might strike a lucky deal with them, getting a subsidy for hours I didn't spend working for Snow. In order to make time for my education I'd need to cut back on my working hours (and thus my monthly wages) by about 40%. This grant might help cover for at least part of the money I'd miss out on.

Tomorrow I'll also make a phone call with the CO of another high school. His number was given to me by my father's girlfriend who happens to work with the fellow. I'm curious if he has some other useful tips for me :)

Posted in: career change , career switch , education , money , talk to the experts

Big career changes: where do we go from here? (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

Now that I'd decided to become a teacher, it left me with even more questions (duh). Which subject would I teach? At what kind of school? What kind of education do I need? Where do I study? How will this fit in with my job? Will I even be able to keep my job? OMG, will we be able to pay our mortgage and still have food on the table?! ONOZ!

Stuff like that.

Well... I quickly decided that I'd like to teach english or math at a high school level. I can wax lyrically about both subjects and both fields offer me with loads of new stuff to learn and explore.

So... How do you go from having a completely unrelated job, to being a teacher? Here's how... (mind you, all of this applies to the Netherlands).

You start out with two options:
1. You take up a part-time or full-time college education. (deeltijd or voltijd in dutch).
2. You take up a part-time teaching position and follow additional classes to become a real teacher.

This second option is called zij-instroom in dutch and really is only an option if your ambitions lie in teaching the same field you worked in. So for example, I could get a zij-instroom position teaching Comp Sci at high schools, whereas a biologist could start teaching Biology. Zij-instroom however requires you to have real and provable experience in said field, including the degrees that come with it. You will also need to take an entrance exam because they won't let just everybody start teaching. Should you be accepted for zij-instroom, then you'll get a two-year teaching permit, which is directly connected to a contract between you and the school in question.

Anywho... What with zij-instroom not being an option for my two chosen fields (I have neither a degree, nor work experience in english or math) I have to opt for the longer path. Getting into a full-time education (voltijd) really isn't an option for me anymore: I wouldn't have any income, I'd be bored stiff and I'd be in a class full of eighteen year olds. Which automatically guides me towards a part-time education.

Luckily every college in the Netherlands offers deeltijd educations for professionals looking for a career switch, or an upgrade to their knowledge. The Hogeschool Utrecht offers teachers educations that are actually reputable and it's close to my home as well! Now all that remains is to convince my employer to let me work either three or four days a week. *gulp*

Posted in: career change , career switch , education , it , sysadmin

Big career changes: finding my bearings (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

This blog post was made invisible initially. It has now been made available to the Internet at large. Sorry for breaking continuity :D

Actually... I didn't decide to go into education right from the get-go.

On the 27th of June I first had that breakdown, followed by a lot of talking with Marlijne. After that came a lot of soul searching of what I'd like to do and what I -could- do. While I wanted to do something radically different, I also needed to stay realistic.

So I started reading up on career switches, visiting the Ars Openfora and various dutch websites dedicated to the subject. And then I started to think of career options... I'd repeatedly expressed interest in becoming a craftsman, building furniture or getting into metalwork. Big, mechanical machines turn me on. I enjoy gardening and being outside. I considered becoming an office assistant. I even thought about joining the military!

And then, one evening, Marli reminded me of aspirations I'd harbored a few years ago. Back then I'd thought of getting a part-time teaching job at the local college, educating the next generation of sysadmins. This little nudge made me remember that, yes indeed, I do enjoy teaching! I love explaining stuff to people, making sure they understand all they need to and want to about the subject. This made me browse the Gathering of Tweakers fora, to search for stories about IT folks studying to become teachers. Well, I found these stories and they enticed me even more.

So the decision was made: I'll become a teacher!

Posted in: career change , career switch , education , it , sysadmin

Big career changes: prelude (Kilala.nl (Cailin Coilleach)) by Cailin Coilleach

This blog post was made invisible initially. It has now been made available to the Internet at large. Sorry for breaking continuity :D

Back in April, I felt like crap. Then, in June, it came back. Now, with the start of July I've made my decision:

I'm getting out of IT.

That day in June something snapped inside of me and I decided that I could no longer carry on working as a sysadmin. The work no longer motivates me, nor does it offer me some shine of glamour. I know that, while there are still endless, uncharted seas for me to discover, this field no longer holds a challenge for me. I know that whatever I'll need to learn, I'll be able to do so in a few days. Lather, rinse, repeat, until I grow old.

No thank you.

No longer will I be shifting bits and bytes around, being a faceless peon in a huge corporation. No longer will I be burning midnight oil at the altar of Unix.

Instead I will make difference in this world and I will be of use to the general public. I will try to educate this world's children, nudging them into directions they might otherwise ignore.

I have decided to go into education and become a high school teacher.

Posted in: career change , career switch , education , it , sysadmin

The false obsolescence of formal grammar (Gilgamesh) by Eric Hutchins

I conversed with another person yesterday and the topic turned to formal education in language. He posited that formal grammar training was not necessary, because human beings have an intuitive understanding of language that permits them to learn to speak and write through their normal interactions with others in society.

I disagree with this statement that human beings have an intuitive understanding of language. To the degree that our brains have evolved with cognitive centers for communicative ability, this is somewhat true. But primitive communication and formal language are two different things. The Ukrainian girl discovered a few years ago who was literally raised by wild dogs did not, upon being found by humans, begin quoting Shakespeare with the erudite tone and inflection of William F. Buckley Jr.  She barked and snarled.

Humans have an innate desire to communicate with others and a latent cognitive ability to do so. This does not diminish the utility of formalized training in grammar, the absence of which detrimentally impacts our ability to communicate complex intellectual concepts and leaves us with modes of language suitable only for communicating primitive emotional feelings. That type of primitive communication is important, indeed vital, to our character as human beings, but it is not alone sufficient to convey our thoughts and feelings to others in more formalized social settings, or to explain and expand our technical and scholarly knowledge.

Formal training in grammar and usage is essential for higher learning and communication with others in formal situations. Why many students and even adults fail to realize the need for such formal training — and to realize the failure to communicate in formal settings will likely hinder one’s upward mobility in society — is beyond my comprehension.

Posted in: education

Free NY Times Select for .edu's (Martin Gordon's Blog (cptncelchu)) by Martin

Scott points out that the New York Times premium content, NYT Select, is free for current students and faculty. It only requires a .edu address, so alumni with lifetime addresses would likely fly under the radar. YMMV

And because it wouldn't be a 2007 blog post with a Twitter mention…

I've signed up but still haven't gone through the registration yet. Twittervision is too time-consuming for me to have enough time to even skim the New York Times.

Technorati Tags: free, newspaper, NYT, New York Times, New York Times Select, education, edu, students, faculty, academia, university, college

Posted in: education , free , news , school , traditional media

A note about the recent law firm salary increases (Gilgamesh) by Eric Hutchins

For those not in the loop, the hot topic in law firm management for the past few weeks has been the increases in associates’ salary at the BigLaw firms, which began when Simpson Thatcher raised its first-year associate salary from $145,000 to $160,000 in January. Many other white-shoe firms followed, with most New York City and some Washington D.C. offices going to $160,000 and other offices going from $135,000 to $145,000. The recent wave of increases was sparked by the growing demand and relatively constant supply of qualified law school graduates.

This recent salary increase has also prompted some frustration from the managing partners at smaller “big” firms and mid-size firms that were very reluctant to follow the salary increases in the marketplace. This frustration is understandable because each time associates’ pay is increased, the additional payroll needs to come from one of three sources: (1) increased billable hour minimums, (2) increased attorney billable rates, or (3) reduced profits-per-partner. Raising billable minimums causes frustration because associates are frequently stressed to the breaking point before any salary increase, and you can only squeeze so much blood from that stone. Raising billable rates has the potential of alienating clients and causing them to take their business to mid-size firms with lower rates. And of course, reduced profits-per-partner isn’t a popular option for reasons that need not be explained.

Of course, for some of these firms, the additional associates’ pay will come from partners’ profits, and that carries the risk of engendering some animosity in partners for what they perceive as associates’ greed. Nonetheless, I think that it is important to maintain a sense of perspective when discussing this most recent bout of salary increases. Although a ten thousand dollar increase in associates’ salary may seem like excess, it’s actually very reasonable given the fact that, according to the American Bar Association, law school tuition has increased an astounding 267% since 1990.

The result is that the vast majority of associates are not enjoying a higher quality of life with their new found wealth, they’re simply more able to keep up with their massive student loan debt while treading water with their quality of life. If firms want to blame someone, don’t look at the associates, blame the law schools.

Posted in: education , law

I <3 IvyGate (Martin Gordon's Blog (cptncelchu)) by Martin

I've been following IvyGate, a blog about the Ivy League, for a few months now and I absolutely love them. Not only is it relevant (though not for long :(), but the guys who write it are hilarious. Here's some choice quotes/links:

• Grad students are, pretty much by default, creepy. Not undergrads, not yet professors, they're caught in the murky gray zone that's home to both legitimate career academics and social misfits with no job prospects. (source)

• Killer econ prof may soon learn something about the prisoner's dilemma. (source)

• An Enrique Iglesias parody about Facebook stalking
• And last but not least: Penn's reputation-demolishing stories of the year

Technorati Tags: Penn, University of Pennsylvania, Ivy League, UPenn, university, college, school

Posted in: blogs , education , funny , penn , school

Dear Student Loan Servicers, (Gilgamesh) by Eric Hutchins

Please stop calling me and sending me junk mail requesting me to consolidate my student loans with you.  I have already consolidated my loans from my first two years of law school, and do not wish to consolidate loans from my third year because this would increase my interest rate on the consolidation loan.  Please stop harassing me and go peddle your wares to students and former students who are actually in need of your service, because you will not get any further business from me.  Thanks.

Posted in: education , unsent letters

Something tells me I should get back to studying for Venture Capital (Martin Gordon's Blog (cptncelchu)) by Martin

As I continue discovering new ways to put off studying for my Venture Capital final that's tomorrow at 3, Wharton grad, Half.com founder, and venture capitalist, Josh Kopelman, has posted a link to the Blueprint Ventures' 2006 holiday card. It is available on YouTube as well. So while it won't help me learn how to value Participating Convertible Preferred Stock, the break-even valuation for a Series F investment, or what a real option really is, it does show me what I can look forward to if I do learn those things ;)

Technorati Tags: Venture Capital, FNCE 250, finance, VCFI, Andrew Metrick, Josh Kopelman, video, funny, VC, YouTube, holiday, school, Wharton, Penn, University of Pennsylvania, UPenn

Posted in: education , finance , penn , school , vc , wharton

Law School Classes: Method vs. Politics (Gilgamesh) by Eric Hutchins

John Steele wrote a wonderful blawg entry regarding the purpose of law school classes.  Since legal education is something about which I hold strong opinions, I wanted to comment on the subject.

David Hricik commented in the above linked blawg conversation that the common response by members of the legal academy is “this isn’t a trade school.”  I completely agree with David.  I graduated this year, passed the bar, and entered biglaw practice, and I tell you that I can count the number of courses that actually helped prepare me for practice on one hand.  Law is a profession, and while law school may not be a trade school, it shouldn’t be modeled after a social sciences Ph.D. program either.  The disconnect is widened by the fact that law professors are measured by the number of articles they’ve published, while lawyers are measured by client satisfaction relative to their competitors in the marketplace.

Law schools focus far too much on rote memorization of substantive law and not enough on the toolbox of skills that a practicing lawyer needs.  Law professors say they want “analysis,” but often that’s just a code word for “parrot back the rule and the facts with the word ‘because’ in the sentence.”  Worse yet, some professors rely on multiple choice exams rather than essays, which completely removes an examinee’s ability to display their critical thinking skills to the reader. 

Harvard’s approach of making a course in international law a mandatory component of the first-year curriculum is nonsense.  International law courses are long on politics and short on law to begin with, so their utility in law school in general is suspect.  Even if the course actually presents the history and principles of international law, so what?  Is another course in substantive law, in addition to the countless others already required, going to enhance the students’ legal skill set?  Aren’t substantive courses in torts, property, contracts, evidence, constitutional law, and criminal law sufficient in that regard? 

Big picture time — this is what law schools ought to do:  Reduce the number of required “substantive” law courses.  Mandate a course in statutory interpretation.  Redesign the courses in legal research and writing so that they actually teach those skills — I recommend splitting the legal writing program into two courses: an introductory course in general persuasive writing, to be taught in an interdisciplinary fashion by instructors in both the law school and undergraduate English department; and a second course in which the students’ new-found persuasive writing abilities are aimed towards legal problems. 

I’ve only discussed problems I see with J.D. programs generally, and I’ve so far neglected pedagogy and classroom approaches to training lawyers.  More on this some other time…

Posted in: education , law