Evaluation #3

Good Evening Professor,

This week has been the most constructive one so far. Even though, I have definitely enjoyed the last weeks of class, I had trouble finding the direction in which the course was suppose to take me, or where I was suppose to take the course. Although the course entails teaching methods that I find very productive, until now, I had not been able to attain an overview of it. 

You might be asking yourself, why this week seemed to tie everything together for me. There are two major reasons. The first one was how the lecture and the lab nicely complimented each other. The fact, that the lab only extended what had already been started by you, made the lab fit much better into the curriculum of the week.

The second reason why this week was very constructive was the methodology in which the class was taught. I really embraced the fact, that you were the one teaching the class. Because after having done the amount for this class independently, in my opinion it seemed that summary was needed. It was essential not only to estimate if the direction I was taking was the correct one but also for the class to attain an equal foundation of the new concepts. That is why I would find it very useful, if we could do, in the following weeks, what you did this week with the term of "Systems Approach". The lecture that you held in class, was very needed and therefore very appreciated. 

In addition the summary, reminded me of a book I read in the past by Franz Kafka called "The Castle". Too bad, that it did not come to me when the definitions were due. Being written by Kafka, the book is dark and pessimistic but it tells the story of how character K. arrives at a village that is solely dependent on the castle that is up the valley. Character K. was previously hired as a land surveyor but when he gets there his paperwork has been lost. Since people are only allowed in the village if the castle permits it, Character K. is given a temporary substitute job. As he attempts to sort things out, he realizes the complex bureaucratic system that has been created by the castle to control the village. No one seems to understand it. After months of trying, he finally receives a viewing with the king. Yet his exhaustion from his incapacity to understand the complex system prevents him from having a successful meeting and is therefore unable to get his initial position as a land surveyor. What happens to Character K. afterwards is left to our imagination for the novel ends abruptly since Kafka was not able to finish it.  

What made me think of that novel is the fact that the systems approach is just a method so that we can simplify and direct our complex and boundary-less reality.

Have a nice week.

Looking forward to our meeting,

Andrea