“Bach is not for the weak of mind.”

“Bach is not for the weak of mind.” — Miss Renee, my kids’ piano teacher. “I’m in trouble.” — Peter, my son. Similar:Today's students aren't growing up reading "man" for "mankind" — and they notice when the… I’m about 1/4 through teachi…AcademiaComputer scientist Leslie Lamport to [Brandeis] grads: If you can’t write, it won’t comput…I…

Classroom collaboration marketplace

While I am uncomfortable with the whole “classroom as marketplace” metaphor, since it’s pretty much gamifying without the fun, I am nonetheless interested in this strategy for encouraging students to collaborate by having them attach a value to the artifacts they present to the class for sharing.. We shop for everything from apps to ideas.…

Study: Singing together synchronizes your heartbeat

The researchers found that each singer’s heartbeat was linked to the song’s melody – i.e. the speed and structure of the music. They also found that when the choir sang together, their heart rates tended to increase and decrease at similar times. “As soon as the singing begins, (the hearts) start following each other,” Vickhoff…

In Defense Of Metaphors In Science Writing

We live in an elegant universe. The cosmos is like a string symphony. Genes are selfish. There is an endless battle between thermodynamics and gravity. Do you love these statements, or hate them? The reading world gets pretty divided over whether or not it’s okay to apply metaphors and similes to descriptive science writing. It…

The Reading Project

Literature majors and students otherwise drawn to literature courses can be an introverted bunch. Students overall can at times resist course projects that fall outside the expected parameters of a given discipline. Yet my class proved my assumptions wrong. Many of the students were nervous, to be sure, but overall they seemed to enjoy the…

Tweet: Feeling productive. Hammered out eight scripts fo…

Feeling productive. Hammered out eight scripts for training vids (3-5min each). It helps that I had an outline & know the content well. Similar:What kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So I’m not being selfish… this is …EducationJuror's CreedWhile researching my obligations for #ju…CultureI'm no longer surprised, but still want to document.This…

Tweet: So, the correct quote from “Miri” is actually “No…

So, the correct quote from “Miri” is actually “No ‘blah blah blah’” not “No more ‘blah blah blah.’” Classic Trek trivia I did not know. Similar:Habits for happiness: tips for looking on the bright side of lifeHabits for happiness: tips for looking o…PersonalMy Minecraft-obsessed tween made this blocky foam pig at art camp. Next up:…

The Library Adjacent to My Ethership Control Room Needed Books

For me, summer vacation means spending hours modeling shelves full of antique books in Blender-3D, so that the library adjacent to the bridge in my steampunk ship-of-the-line looks more lived-in. Similar:Why Our Brains Make Us Click on ListsThe article-as-numbered-list has several…CultureThe Liminal Classroom”What,” I asked, “are we to make of Plat…AcademiaTake a look at the…

Tweet: Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on…

Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on the couch, reading an Iron Man comic. http://t.co/S3xPQoZh1o Similar:Parallel Structure vs. Faulty ParallelismI just touched up a handout on Parallel …HumanitiesHello, there, mini.Hello, there, mini. Let’s restore you fr…TweetsMaybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in…

The Humanities: What Went Right?

The search for what went right might take a hard look at the job market for our graduates. One recent survey, by the Web site payscale.com, paints a somewhat depressing picture of salaries, with humanities majors typically earning from $5,000 to $15,000 less than those with undergraduate professional degrees. Fifteen years after graduation, however, the…

Handshakes Really Do Matter

Monday night handshake/eye contact practice. [W]hen was the last time you analyzed your handshake? Consider these questions: If you are a male and you meet a female, who should extend their hand first? If you are a male and you are meeting another male, who should extend his hand first? If you are a female…

My daughter found where all the missing pens and pencils end up

Similar:Fair use prevails as Supreme Court rejects Google Books copyright caseFair use is a concept baked into US copy…BooksSold out opening night of Mamet’s Oleanna. Chilling. Gasps from the audience. Office furni…Sold out opening night of Mamet’s Oleann…PersonalTechnology's Impact on Education Technology’s Impact on Education | V…AcademiaFYI, 13yo skool grl is nu US txt mssg…

‘LOL, JK’: Texas teen faces 8 years in prison for making ‘terroristic threat’ online

An Austin, Texas, teenager faces eight years in prison for making a “terroristic threat” after he made a sarcastic comment online about shooting up a school. —Washington Times. Similar:An Excerpt from Mechanisms [2]: 'Professor RAMAC'Among the attractions at the 1958 World’…BooksWhy fake news worksFake news works on our emotions, usually…CybercultureWhat blogging wasI’ve maintained this blog…

Tweet: RT @EKSwitaj: Higher Ed drinking game: every time…

RT @EKSwitaj: Higher Ed drinking game: every time someone says MOOC, buy 1000 bottles of liquor, drink three shots, and say you drank all 1… Similar:And the girl has succeeded in getting me to wear t…And the girl has succeeded in getting me…TweetsWhat kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So I’m not…

Shy Preschooler Won’t Say Her Lines in “Peter Pan” Rehearsal (Stage Right! Greensburg)

Little Maggie isn’t so sure she wants to say her line, but during a rehearsal, director/choreographer Renata Marino and the cast of home-schooled children do their best to encourage her. On the night of the show, Maggie steps forward for her big moment. What will happen? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wNFw1gslwU Similar:If you like bloody, singing, punning demons you…

Tweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…

For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan instead of a human. (Note heart where liver should be.) #startrek http://t.co/9ct0O20gRA Similar:Overheard at Quora: "Why after all these years is Moodle still so ugly?"Moodle is a free course-management tool …AcademiaFormer student: "I remember sometimes being annoyed with all of our blogging assignments, …A third alum in the…

Tweet: Grammar test for 11-year-olds. http://t.co/tVph471…

Grammar test for 11-year-olds. telegraph.co.uk/education/educ… Similar:Maybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in …CybercultureAnd the girl has succeeded in getting me to wear t…And the girl has succeeded in getting me…Tweets10 Rules of Internet – Anil DashA very useful, concise summary of web-en…BusinessLoved seeing A Comedy…