Re: [Phys-l] Unit Conversions (was Mass and Energy)

["Bob LaMontagne" <rlamont@postoffice.providence.edu>]

This is slightly OT. However, I am still seething about it so I'm going to
vent. Throughout the past 20 years I have started all of my classes with a
short 5 minute conceptual quiz that I use to keep the students occupied
while I pass back the graded homework from the previous class. I require the
students to read the day's lecture material before coming to class and the
quiz simply checks that they have read it.

In all this time I have never had a learning disabled student ask for any
accommodation on the quiz - lucky for me because I still haven't figured out
what I would do if they wanted extra time to complete the quiz.

This year, the lacrosse coach started demanding that I allow the team
members that I have in my conceptual physics course take the quiz when they
return to campus when they had to miss class because of an exam. I balked at
this because the only purpose of the quiz (5 percent of the class grade) is
to ensure that the material was read so that students could engage in class
discussion and better understand the brief lecture presented each class.
Specifically, the coach wanted me to email the quizzes to the students so
they could return them on the next class they attended. I didn't want to
have copies of the quiz on file at the athletic department, so I refused to
provide them - I don't want to make a whole new set of daily quizzes each
semester. I was recently informed by the Dean's office that I must make
special accommodation for the athletes or else stop giving the quizzes.

Thank goodness I'm getting close to retirement.  :-)

Bob at PC

-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
[mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of John Clement
Sent: Monday, May 29, 2006 11:53 AM
To: 'Forum for Physics Educators'
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Unit Conversions (was Mass and Energy)

I had totally missed one point.  By giving them accommodations, you also
took away some learning opportunities.  According to the law this is not
giving them accommodations, and is illegal.  You are not allowed to make
them miss important class time to get accommodations.  If this is
challenged, and there is a law suit, it might be lost.

The extra time must indeed be extra.  You are not required to be present to
proctor the exam, or quiz.  That can be done by the learning support people.
The alternative would be to go over the quiz the next class period, and then
give extra time separately.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> > For the LD students, they
> > must make a choice.  They
> > can have extra time by starting the quiz (in another
> > room) at the start of
> > the period, then turn it in and join the class, or
> > they can sit through the
> > Q&A session and take the quiz in the normal time
> > frame.


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