A student in my “American Literature: 1915-Present” class used the medium of a 2D graphic adventure game to deliver her multimodal final project. (Students also wrote a traditional term paper.) You are the cameraman of a new TV show based on Thornton Wilder’s “The Skin of Our Teeth.” But things quickly go downhill when a…
Reagan recognized that as leader of the free world, his words carried enormous weight, and he used them to inspire the unprecedented spread of democracy around the world. | President Trump does not seem to understand that his rhetoric and actions reverberate in the same way. He has threatened to continue his attempt to discredit…
A mechanism description analyzes (that is, subdivides into components for further scrutiny) an object in space. When you try to organize your major subsections, if no other obvious pattern seems appropriate, you can always fall back on the more-important-to-less-important strategy. Don’t sell the object. A technical writer is not required to persuade the reader that the object is wonderful,…
Don’t spend three pages establishing that some people burn to death, some people freeze to death, and some people drown. Start by saying what we need to do now that the iceberg we are stranded on has caught fire. Similar:How ‘twisted’ early childhood education has become — from a child development expertKids who got…
The car shop wanted to charge over $300. I found the part online for under $40. With the help of a YouTube video, the job took about 45 minutes. (Much of that time I spent wandering around my house looking for tools. Grateful that my father-in-law gave me a ratchet set as a wedding present.)…
Similar:Hi, I’m the St Joe’s basement doorstop. Let me start your three-day weekend by wrapping my…PersonalThe daughter was invited back to perform at this year’s Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Co… The daughter was invited back to perfo…AwesomeThe girl will be performing as the Dew Drop Fairy in the Dec 8 evening performance of The…
That’s a prop knife in my right hand. Similar:Enjoying the “Science of Pixar” 3d computer modeling and storytelling exhibit with my son….Enjoying the “Science of Pixar” 3d compu…PersonalRehearsing for Little Women Tuesday (Carolyn plays Amy)PersonalOne of the benefits of teaching at a small college, with small classes…In a final reflection video for a freshm…AcademiaCode? Not…
I have no reason to trust Facebook to filter my news for me. However, so many people get their news by social media, maybe this will be an easy way for people to check whether a viral meme is a hoax. Maybe an option marked “Look up vetted news reports related to this post.” Yes,…
In general, I avoid clicking on any headline with the weasel words “can” or “might.” However, I did enjoy this reflection on the positive impact of literary reading. I’m teaching a compressed online literature course, so that involves re-reading the literary works I assigned, as well as engaging with what my students write about those…
Similar:Children struggle to hold pencils due to too much tech, doctors sayWhen I was in middle school, I developed…CultureWhat Khan Academy's Fun, Free Learning Empire Has to Do with Dystopian Social Control Over the Christmas break, I’ve been ch…AcademiaAnnie — Cabinet TomorrowMy 10yo daughter Carolyn played Annie in…AmusingI think I’ve mentioned I have a daughter who sometimes…
Similar:My Daughter's Synesthesia: "S" Is Always Red, and "T" Is Lime GreenAccording to a color-picking test at syn…AestheticsIn April, 2001 I was blogging about interactive fiction, Roget's Thesaurus, John Lennon, H… A student newspaper article about in…Books"The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does …PersonalPop song…
Similar:My colleague @crissycp offers warm soda bread and tea every year, as part of her authentic…AcademiaShe doesn't have keys or a phone or an ID. Why does my tween need a purse?To stash her Lemonheads and Smarties. ht…AmusingI was perhaps a bit more conversational and chipper than usual during class today. A grinn…I was perhaps…
Working on the syllabus for my “Media and Culture” class on the history and future of the book. Similar:Another social media post attacks journalists for doing their jobs — Updated Elijah McCla…If you’ve been following the sad story o…Culture'Anti-dopamine parenting' can curb a kid's craving for screens or sweetsA good article about kids and dopamine.&…CybercultureWe…
I’m spending a few days visiting my parents in Northern Virginia. Similar:I'm not showing you my email inbox, or my laundry pile, or the state of my soul. Just…PersonalMaking progress.PersonalAt Computers and Writing #cwcon for the weekend.Am I wise now? At an event for encouragi…AcademiaThe Best of Both Worlds, Part 1 ( #StarTrek #TNG Rewatch,…
Words, words, words. With the advent of the stream of consciousness in twentieth-century literature, it has come to seem that the self is very much a thing made of words, a verbal construction forever narrating itself and reconstituting itself in language. In line with the dominant, internalist view of consciousness, it is assumed that this…
Similar:One wild place. (Sunday.) NatureHomeschool prom 2017PersonalIn Which I Bow Before the Mistress of Teen SnarkThe Girl: I’m sorry I’m being so… Me:…CultureShe’s on her way to the @thepublicpgh for two shows today as Margot in Dial M for Murder.She’s on her way to the @thepublicpgh fo…AestheticsSlow flyby of a scout shop. Starfield backdrop;…
A Google self-study found that its own most successful employees had soft skills, such as mentoring ability, empathy, and critical thinking and problem-solving. “Those traits sound more like what one gains as an English or theater major than as a programmer,” according to the Washington Post. [A]mong the eight most important qualities of Google’s top…
Instead of flagging links to questionable news items, Facebook will instead hide them. Which is nice, but it still means we have to trust the algorithm Facebook uses. (Don’t trust Facebook to filter your news for you.) False news undermines the unique value that Facebook offers: the ability for you to connect with family and…
“Dammit Mom, I’m a daughter, not a theoretician!” — the girl, responding to a pointed rhetorical question. Know Your Meme Similar:Historians Admit To Inventing Ancient GreeksI knew it! Busted!! “One night someone …AcademiaNature walks 2012 and 2018.AestheticsThe Problems of Real-Time Feedback in Teaching WritingSometimes my students get nervous becaus…AcademiaJust a #steampunk captain inspecting the æther…
Similar:I was perhaps a bit more conversational and chipper than usual during class today. A grinn…I was perhaps a bit more conversational …AcademiaBackstage opening night.Personal"I might be putting a little too much effort into designing the cravat for the captai…AestheticsThe Last Outpost (ST:TNG Rewatch. Season 1, Episode 4) Riker shouts from a cliff while Fer…Rewatching…