Nerdy Rainbow Loom Crafting

My wonderfully geeky tween made these Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde pendants with her Rainbow Loom. Next on her list: making Pac-Man. Similar:Dress rehearsal for Mamma Mia.PersonalHow Humans Respond to RobotsThe play that coined the word “robot,” K…AestheticsA very happy geekling playing Dungeons and Dragons on her one free evening. #llapGamesThe ballroom of my #steampunk…

AP reporter’s mistake: Did the punishment fit the crime?

Reporters have been sometimes fired for willful misconduct, such as repeated instances of plagiarism or fabrication. Reporters who’ve suffered that fate, such as the New York Times’ Jayson Blair and The Washington Post’s Janet Cooke, were guilty of gross journalistic malpractice. But firing a reporter over an unintentional mistake is “extremely rare,” said Scott Maier,…

The Decline of Wikipedia: Even As More People Than Ever Rely on It, Fewer People Create It

I’m getting ready to introduce my freshman writing students to college-level research, so I found it helpful to read this brief introduction to the internal problems Wikipedia creates for itself. When a major news event takes place, such as the Boston Marathon bombings, complex, widely sourced entries spring up within hours and evolve by the…

“Does size matter?” — student journalist, making…

“Does size matter?” — student journalist, making a person-on-the street video interview about the new iPad. Similar:Juror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureProto iPads and Paper Coexist in Classic Star TrekRewatching the classic Trek episode “The…CybercultureRT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #context htt…RT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #co…TweetsI'm no longer surprised, but still want…

RT @joningold: Thing is, the freedom of the parser…

RT @joningold: Thing is, the freedom of the parser is a sham – not because it *doesn’t* understand everything but because no-one plays as t… Similar:Hello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsWhat kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So I’m not being selfish… this is …EducationShe doesn't have keys or…

Attribution, Editorializing and Defamation

In the Nightly Noodle Monthly, former North Adams Transcript journalist Isaac Avilucea posts this passage, which he says was removed from a sports feature that got him fired. But there’s a reason she’s not at MountGreylock anymore, choosing to transfer to a school with somewhat inferior academics and athletics. Part of it has to do with the stuffy social atmosphere that…

I just did the thing where you look everywhere for…

I just did the thing where you look everywhere for your glasses but you can’t find them because you are already wearing them. 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…AmusingRT @PhilKomarny: A floppy disc… In #context htt…RT @PhilKomarny: A…

The t-shirt many professors would enjoy wearing

Inside Higher Ed Similar:Walking in Another's Skin: Failure of Empathy in To Kill a MockingbirdThe money quote: “In this essay, I argue…AcademiaBlogging is NOT Analog Writing in Digital SpacesBlogging in education is about quality a…CybercultureGreat energy at our Comp & Culture poster paper session. So proud of these students an…AcademiaValid for any new yearEthicsDog and…

Digital Storytelling (EL231: Topics in Creative Writing)

EL231 “Digital Storytelling” (Dec 18-Jan 22) Unit 1 (Dec 18-22) mostly experiencing digital stories (reading, watching, listening, playing, whatever), and reading articles & discussing them online. (We take a break Dec 23-Jan 1: no classes, no homework.) Unit 2 (Jan 2-7) trying out 4-5 tools for creating digital stories, and learning two in a little…

Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming

Neil Gaiman tells us why books matter: When you watch TV or see a film, you are looking at things happening to other people. Prose fiction is something you build up from 26 letters and a handful of punctuation marks, and you, and you alone, using your imagination, create a world and people it and…

In the publications office with student journalist…

In the publications office with student journalists. I’ve heard them saying “affirmative” and “negative.” The editor just said “Make it so.” Similar:Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices.Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook pric…BooksIt's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsJury Duty UpdateI’m a happy, responsible, and no-longer-…GovernmentDesert Bus: The…

Thou shalt not commit logical fallacies

  Thou shalt not commit logical fallacies poster. Similar:John Speed’s 1611 map of #medievalyork features a “scale of paces.” My #unity3d placeholde…AestheticsWhen He Clicked the Link, You Won't Believe How Disappointed He WasAuthors of overhyped link text are like …CybercultureMonument Valley: Minimal story, but an engaging world and a satisfying ending.I was in no rush…