In an opening lecture for my journalism class, I listed the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. I’ve referred to the importance of the First Amendment several times, but I haven’t listed the freedoms in class. One week after the opening lecture, I asked students to list those freedoms on…
Wish I’d known this technique when I spilled tea all over my JC Superstar script. (I did the paper towel and fan thing, but didn’t try leaving the book under weights overnight — probably because I needed to use the script at rehearsal.) Similar:I didn't ask for the AI icon on my Kindle app. I…
His despair is only part of his artistic journey. When researching Poe last year, I was surprised to come across an anecdote about him playing leap-frog with his wife and splitting his pants, causing both of them to collapse in fits of laughter. I’m sure it was the memory of joyful moments like this that haunted him as she lay dying and long after she was dead.
Similar:I may have mentioned that I have a daughter who does things. @frontporchtheatricalsI may have mentioned that I have a daugh…CultureI Made a Cheerful Maze Game in Scratch Well, it’s cheerful unle…CybercultureChoice of the Journo: A Branching-path Phone-friendly Role-playing Simulation for Journali…How can a nostalgic, branching-path stor…AcademiaI am at that stage of life where I…
Like vegan pizzas and secular Christmas celebrations, I can hear and understand the reasoning behind why people like football, but their explanation does nothing to make me want to participate on any level. So it’s very interesting to me to read this report of an apparent cultural shift, sparked by concerns about brain injury. You…
I’ve recently processed and absorbed my recognition of the “left brain vs right brain myth.” (One side of the brain may work harder on some tasks, but there’s no evidence to suggest that whether a person is logical or creative has anything to do with how that person’s brain hemispheres relate to each other.) The…
Your mileage may vary, but I immediately thought of Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, who states this problem in negative terms. Yes, she’s a made-up character delivering a line in a movie about an imaginary ring from a fantasy book, but anyone who really understands Tolkien’s story will have reflected on the…
Kim Ash teaches the Newseum’s “Fighting Fake News” class. Whereas teachers once feared that teenagers would fall for everything they read online, now they’re concerned young people won’t believe anything they read. —Washington Post Similar:COVID-19 deaths vs. other common causes (in America) The number of weekly COVID-19 deaths…Current_EventsCNN Holds Morning Meeting To Decide What Viewers…
Is your academic essay a bit short? First, make sure that you have formatted your draft as required (usually professors ask you to double-space). Faking a longer paper won’t make your writing any more persuasive or intelligent or analytical or factual. It won’t help you to learn what your instructor wants you to learn. My…
Similar:My brother is visiting to play a game of chess with his nephew and watch his niece perform…GamesT-Shirts for student journalists who recently leveled up to “staff writer”(with bear signe…PersonalI am not really sure why I have kept it up this long. I have no immediate or foreseeable p… CultureIt’s so heartbreaking seeing the amount…
When you’re a homeschool parent, you go with what works. Yes, Carolyn, you may have my plaid bed sheet. Finish reading this book on Scottish history and I’ll take more pictures. No, you may not wear your kilt to church. Similar:Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society induction ceremony. Congratulations new members. #s…PersonalReading fiction early in…
Carolyn: “Does no one have a kind word for my Scotland?” Similar:A stranger approached me today.A stranger approached me today. I was a…CultureChess tournament final pairing. (He’s currently tied for 2nd.)PersonalQuoth the ramen, "Eat some more!"PersonalLaying out our anti-socialization defenses & cleaning out the penitence shack for anot…Visiting Fort Ligonier. When the girl…CultureMy colleague Dr.…
Each element of the periodic table gets its own haiku. What a clever project — traditional haiku frequently celebrate nature. An interactive review of the periodic table — composed of 119 haiku The elements, in haiku Similar:"I’d never heard of this play before now, but I love it." — World Drama studentA gifted graphic design…
Wife: “What did you do with your bedsheet?” Me: “Is that my missing belt?” Girl: “Kilt-y as charged.” Similar:Thoughtful Gestures Sometimes Speak Louder than WordsShe ended up waiting out the light cycle…AmusingAnd Now for This Breaking News Report “Police have cornered the suspect wh…AmusingA Matter of Time (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 5, Episode 9) Smarmy…
Similar:Short Reports: How To Write Routine Technical DocumentsI don’t get to teach technical writing m…Business31 Undeniable Truths That Journalism Majors Can All Agree OnBecause you know you have the chance to …AcademiaJeff Bezos Plan for News: The Washington Post Becomes an Amazon ProductFor the past few months, a group inside …BooksReal or Fake? (News Game)Real…
Fascinating academic effort to find a pattern in apparently random conspiracy theories that regularly pop up in our infostreams during social crises. Experts usually dismiss them because they are so wild and unlikely, and have thus failed to notice their impact. Starbird’s insight was to map the digital connections between all this buzzing on Twitter…
I did in fact search YouTube for videos featuring corridors on the starship Enterprise. And I found this bizarrely satisfying video, featuring not just corridors, but also doors. (Whoosh! Whoosh!) I remember this — our first look at Captain Kirk in the 1979 “Star Trek the Motion Picture.” Similar:Our family has seen David Whalen in…
Similar:If I don't design the control panels for my fantasy #steampunk project, who will? #blender…AestheticsMy wife reports: “There was one smart aleck walking along the street who exclaimed: “Look,…PersonalMy 14yo Helps Teach a Vacation Bible School Class In character as “Pontius Pilate,” wa…PersonalGreensburg Holiday ParadePersonalVolunteering at our local food bankEthicsThe girl told me to post…
Student (shouldering backpack and heading for door): Why does MLA Style have to keep changing? Me (checks clock): Well… Similar:Just an elegant retro keyboard for a #steampunk #cgi project. Procedural materials mean I …AestheticsThe Day I Stopped Saying ‘Hurry Up’Adorable photos help tell this story abo…CultureDestroying trust in the media, science, and government has left…
I posted a new handout with tips on surviving group projects in college. Employers value applicants who can work in groups. Most college students say they hate group work, but in the real world, few people work alone. Your assigned partner for a class project may be slow to respond because he or she is dealing…