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:Hypertext as a Teaching Tool — Brown University Poetry Classroom 1974This short film documents an early attem…AcademiaThe Rule of Capek's Robots: A public lecture, in which the word “robot”…

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:What kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So I’m not being selfish… this is …EducationAnd the girl has succeeded in getting me to wear t…And the girl has succeeded in getting…

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:Overheard at Quora: "Why after all these years is Moodle still so ugly?"Moodle is a free course-management tool …AcademiaHabits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking o…PersonalFormer student: "I remember…

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:And the girl has succeeded in getting me to wear t…And the girl has succeeded in getting me…TweetsHello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsParallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels…

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:Tweet: Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on…Came around the corner and saw my kids h…TweetsJuror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureHello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsI asked…

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: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…AmusingHello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsMaybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF…

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:RT @JordanFor: One of the counters from the Civil…RT @JordanFor: One of the counters from …TweetsI asked my geekling whether she was ready for bed…I asked my #geekling…

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:Yes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…PersonalMaybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in …CybercultureRT @DDeClaudio:…