Gotta Keep Reading – Ocoee Middle School

Suggested by a colleague. If only we could get our students this excited about our summer reading titles!  Similar:The Mom From The Cat in the Hat Finally SpeaksAs a toddler, my son once methodically s…AmusingThere was a hand, too. Did you bring the hand?AmusingWhat’s Lost as Handwriting FadesWhen I used a Windows XP Tablet computer…CultureWhen…

The Silver Lining

A fan-produced Kings Quest sequel is shut down. What a way to treat your brand’s most loyal followers. Recently, however, ownership of the Sierra IP changed hands and became the property of Activision. After talks and negotiations in the last few months between ourselves and Activision, they have reached the decision that they are not…

The Internet Bible: The Fall of Eve

Via Similar:Facebook Hired Journalists to Train Its Trending Topics AlgorithmRecently I noticed an unusually incendia…BusinessBoston Bombing Survivor Dances Onstage for First TimeTechnology and artistry combine in this …CultureRemember That Class Assignment I Hated? The One That Landed Me My Dream Job?ME (a couple years ago): Okay, students….AcademiaShare a Coke with "Pepsi"AestheticsWho is the more dramatic…

Doyle Redland Says Goodbye

I’m still mourning the loss of Herman T. Zwiebel.  And now this? Similar:Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales wants new Facebook feature to burst 'filter bubble'It’s extremely important to understand w…CybercultureThe Adversary #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 3, Episode 22) A Changeling saboteur uses the…Rewatching ST:DS9 The cold opening ha…MediaUniversity disavows chocolate milk, concussions studyThe University of Maryland…

"By Their Sidewalks You Will Know Them"

There are no sidewalks where I live, but if there were, my sidewalk, and my conscience, would be clear. Here’s the first stanza of a five-stanza poem by TImons Esaias. Originally there were eleven CommandmentsMoses, perhaps confused by the unfamiliarsnow, ice, and sidewalk,botched one, and left it out. Similar:Kids Rarely Read Whole Books Anymore. Even…

The ABCs of Adventuring

Thanks for this find, Mark Sample (via Twitter). The ABCs of Adventuringby Admiral Jota, Dylan O’Donnell, G. Kevin Wilson, and Dan Shiovitz.A is for Adventure, the first of them all;B is for Brass lantern, so you don’t take a fall.C is for Compass, an unseen one you keepD is for Drinking, eating and sleep.E is…

What Makes a Great Teacher?

Gripping story of an effort to use data to predict teaching excellence. As Teach for America began to identify exceptional teachers using this data, Farr began to watch them. He observed their classes, read their lesson plans, and talked to them about their teaching methods and beliefs. He and his colleagues surveyed Teach for America…

Why Google Has Become Microsoft's Evil Twin

Google Buzz combined the openness of Twitter with the “whoo-hoo look at me!” aspects of Facebook. The result? A total face plant. —PC World Similar:YouTube Now: Why We Focus on Watch TimeYouTube has adjusted its search algorith…CybercultureYour first test layout of medieval city streets will be your worst. #blender3d #medievalyo…Your first test layout of medieval…

Critical Code Studies Working Group — Colossal Cave Adventure Annotation

This week, I’ll be facilitating a week-long collaborative annotation project, as part of the Critical Code Studies Working Group online conference, on the source code to Crowther’s original Colossal Cave Adventure (a classic text-only computer game from the 1970s). According to Donald Knuth, designer of the “literate programming paradigm,” Colossal Cave Adventure is the “ur-game…

Happy V-Day: Valentines for Journalists

Valentines for Journalists. Similar:Report: Many U.S. Schools Can’t Afford Mannequins, Human Urine For Art Classes“It’s sad, but my students don’t even ha…AestheticsJust remember: what you’re seeing and what you're reading is not what’s happening.Words apparently spoken by the President…Current_EventsI may have mentioned that I have a daughter who does things. Her next is "To Battle:…