We are mindful that questions have been raised about the educational value of an approach to learning so heavily dependent on the experimental use of a very new piece of mobile technology—skeptics have called the iPad a gimmick, a marketing tool, a toy, or a passing technology whim. Yet our faculty and staff believe that…
Overheard as people settle in… “Are we ARGing or LARPing?” These are my rough notes, very lightly edited. Looks like 50 or 60 people — a good crowd. Liz Losh and Bonnie Lenore Kyburz are presenting in separate panels elsewhere… I hope somebody’s blogging there. Chair Matt Davis Samantha Blackmon Designing Education: What Video Game…
These are very rough notes; not liveblogged, but posted as I walked through the lobby and got a free wifi connection. SRO Scott Geisel, “Analytical Steps toward Creating Self-Sufficient Writers: Rubrics, Peer Response, and Self Assessment” (Comp and business writing.) There isn’t much research into peer review. Cindy Selfe: “I can’t believe we’re still asking…
I am in Atlanta for the big annual conference for writing teachers. I did not attend last year because of a family conflict, but I have attended (and presented in some manner) almost every year since… hm… I’d have to look on my c.v., which I can’t do because the WiFi access is restricted. I…
I’m very interested in this, since I’m hoping to teach “Video Game Culture and Theory” again this January. Atari’s Greatest Hits brings the best of retro gaming to iOS with 100 Classic Atari Games. This suite brings you the hottest Arcade and 2600 titles from Atari. For those who love the classic gaming experience this…
Just stumbled across the wonderful “Story of the Week” web page, from the Library of America (publishers of the ubiquitous black-with-a-red-white-and-blue-ribbon classics). The current run of baseball-themed stories aren’t really my thing, but the archives go back to 2009. Further exploration of the site led to this thoughtful response to “Bartleby the Scrivener,” a precursor…
I realize that video-chatting teenagers everywhere already know this, but last night, while holing up in my hotel and preparing for the Conference on College Composition and Communication, I checked in with my family by video call. My wife, who usually doesn’t really care for computers at all, was interested enough to hang around for…
Striking story of how, on the very spot where African captives first landed in the American colonies in 1619, slaves who had been forced to build fortifications for the Confederate Army claimed asylum on Union soil. Back at Monroe — dubbed “the freedom fort” — fugitives continued arriving daily. Each morning, dozens lined up to…
Interesting exploration of correlation vs. causation, on a topic that will likely appeal to freshmen. They called 106 teenagers on special cellphones as many as 60 times over eight weeks and asked what they were doing. About half of the teens had been diagnosed with clinical depression by a psychiatrist. When called, the teenagers reported…
At the Mariott Marquis in Atlanta. A citadel of formed concrete. I’m in a Half Life 2 state of mind. Your browser does not support the video tag Similar:The Course of True Fun Never Did Run Smooth: A Midsummer Night's Dwarf Fortress ReflectionI am in rehearsals to play Oberon in a c…CultureAre "Keds" still a…
I wore out my key to the media cabinet. It snapped right off in the lock. Similar:Viral App FaceApp Now Owns Access To More Than 150 Million People's Faces And NamesViral app FaceApp has been giving people…BusinessIs this why oldsters love nostalgia? I’m 50. I’m in my office casually sharp…CultureAt Computers and Writing #cwcon for…
The move would transform the electronic market and add to Rowling’s already impressive net worth. J.K. Rowling is considering releasing digital versions of her lucrative Harry Potter books. Though she has declined eBook deals for years, her agent Neil Blair now says, “The e-book format is now something that is being actively considered,” according to the…
via YouTube – Complete History Of The Soviet Union, Arranged To The Melody Of Tetris. Similar:More split-screen actinghttp://youtu.be/EGgeZWskEs8DesignMaybe Star Wars 7 won't suck, but I'm not holding my breath.I was burned in 1999 when I saw The Phan…HomeClassroom Project: Students Get 1 Hour to Propose, Shoot, Edit, Publish DocumentaryStudents created this in 60 minutes. …HomeLEGO…
Here’s an interesting reflection — are iPads worth the extra cost, when compared to netbooks? EdReach says no. (More on that later.) At Seton Hill, students get a very nice MacBook (and they trade up after two years), as well as an iPad. It’s been great being at a university that is so supportive of…
Okay, this one was cute, too. Top 5 Viral Pictures of 1911. Similar:BWW Review: TWELFTH NIGHT Is Farcical Fun at Prime StageIn his review, Greg Kerestan, who must h…CultureEmily Dickinson Manuscript for "The Chariot"A new Emily Dickinson archive is online….CultureEye of Sauron, Hobbit Door, Palantir and One Ring Easter Eggs.AestheticsWhen the Bough Breaks (TNG Rewatch:…
One of the better April 1 gags I’ve seen in a while. Love the “lick a stamp and place it down” gesture. Gmail Motion BETA. Similar:In-home schooling popularity slipping across stateWe were on our way out the door to see A…CultureAn apology to Donald Trump, from the "fake news" mediaA good example of the power of…
Why read? You’d think that with the e-book and the Internet, with Google searching and channel surfing, the experience of curling up with a good book is as archaic as a buggy ride. You’d think, too, that with graphic novels and celebrity memoirs, and with Wikipedia offering their entries in “simple English,” the very idea…
Through the magic of FaceTime and the very light iPod Touch 4, yesterday my daughter gave me a ride in her Barbie car. Today, I took her flying in a Jedi fighter. The iPod Touch easily fits into larger toys. My daughter sat at my MacBook, and watched on the screen as I gave her…
I spent hours fighting to remove a virus from the virtual Windows box on my MacBook. I could have just flipped a switch and restored a backup, but that would have let the bad guys win. Similar:"The threat is no longer simply from government censorship."After using examples from Warsaw and Pra…CultureA Successful Failure: The TI-99/4A…
How writers should not respond to criticism. It started when Big Al himself posted a review of a self-published novel by British writer Jacqueline Howett called The Greek Seaman. He starts off with a friendly bio note of the author and offers a link to her own blog, and gives a short objective description of…