Dennis G. Jerz | Associate Professor of English -- New Media Journalism, Seton Hill University | jerz.setonhill.edu

Nerd siblings are awesome siblings

My 15yo wanted to show me Terminator 4, but he opted to watch T3 w/ his little sister (her first time). Nerd siblings are awesome siblings. Similar:Hacking the WordPress Social Plugin to Include Pages in Addition to PostsI love the WordPress Social plugin, whic…HomeVerizon Forced Me to Remove Parentheses, Quotation Marks, and Apostrophes from a…

Udacity’s Sebastian Thrun, Godfather Of Free Online Education, Changes Course

Suddenly, something that had been unthinkable–that the Internet might put a free, Ivy League–caliber education within reach of the world’s poor–seems tantalizingly close. “Imagine,” an investor in the Professor’s company says, “you can hand a kid in Africa a tablet and give him Harvard on a piece of glass!” The wonky term for the Professor’s…

My 15yo son’s Christmas wish list: “An iPod case t…

My 15yo son’s Christmas wish list: “An iPod case that fits, and a letter opener. I hate to tear an envelope.” Similar:Former student: "I remember sometimes being annoyed with all of our blogging assignments, …A third alum in the last few weeks has c…AcademiaHello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsWhat kids do when Dad won't…

Such deep roots you have: How Little Red Riding Hood’s tale evolved

Did all these stories spring from a common source? To resolve that question, Tehrani took 58 variants of the X-eats-Y tale and classified them based on 72 plot variables: For example, are the protagonists human children or animals? Male or female? What kind of creature plays the villain? Do the protagonists escape, and if so,…

“I am endeavoring, ma’am, to construct a mnemonic…

“I am endeavoring, ma’am, to construct a mnemonic memory circuit, using stone knives and bearskins.” #StarTrek Similar:Habits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking o…PersonalHello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsParallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels cover the issue well….HumanitiesFormer student: "I…

Introducing my kids to the classic #startrek episo…

Introducing my kids to the classic #startrek episode “The City on the Edge of Forever.” They don’t make TV like this anymore. Similar:10 Rules of Internet – Anil DashA very useful, concise summary of web-en…BusinessMaybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in …CybercultureHow hate and misinformation…

What inspires my awesome journos to meet their dea…

What inspires my awesome journos to meet their deadline? The “Empire Strikes Back” soundtrack. (Editor: “I love you.” Reporter: “I know.”) Similar:How hate and misinformation go viral: A case study of a Trump retweetOn Sunday night, President Donald Trump …AcademiaCarolyn Gombell Is Not a Real Person: #JusticeforCarolyn Is a Campaign Against Twitter Ref…Fascinating use of…

RT @ProfJeffJarvis: Hey @DeltaAssist, do you hones…

RT @ProfJeffJarvis: Hey @DeltaAssist, do you honestly feel that “tapas box” is a suitable meal for a thinkfluencer? Similar:Habits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking o…PersonalProto iPads and Paper Coexist in Classic Star TrekRewatching the classic Trek episode “The…CybercultureI asked my geekling whether she was…

IPads in the classroom: The right way to use them, demonstrated by a Swiss school.

The devices are not really valued as portable screens or mobile gaming devices. Teachers I talked to seemed uninterested, almost dismissive, of animations and gamelike apps. Instead, the tablets were intended to be used as video cameras, audio recorders, and multimedia notebooks of individual students’ creations. The teachers cared most about how the devices could…

RT @dancohen: I finally figured it out. iOS 7 is s…

RT @dancohen: I finally figured it out. iOS 7 is supposed to be like Zork. “Put finger on the northeast corner of the slab.” “A secret pa… Similar:She doesn't have keys or a phone or an ID. Why does my tween need a purse?To stash her Lemonheads and Smarties. ht…AmusingTweet: For an anatomy project, my…

RT @jcmeloni: Cultural highlight of my life, achie…

RT @jcmeloni: Cultural highlight of my life, achieved: spent 2.5 hours 100 feet from very funny & amazing @SirPatStew & Sir Ian, at Waiting… Similar:Juror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureRT @DDeClaudio: Who do you think controls the news…RT @DDeClaudio: Who do you think control…TweetsProto iPads and Paper Coexist in Classic Star TrekRewatching the classic…