PROFESSORMATRONIC

I’ve been collecting and returning almost all my classwork electronically for the past four or five years. Last semester I started thinking about something that was missing from the classroom — the ritual of handing back papers, of looking the student in the eye, of hearing the student say “Thank you!” (I would always shoot…

It's Friday. This is a cat playing with a theremin. Have a nice weekend.

  Similar:Top: flat, monochrome rectangles. Middle: rectangles with a flat bitmapped texture of butt…AestheticsI am very happy for these folks, who spent 20 or so years tweaking an insanely complex, co… AwesomeRemembering James Doohan on his 100th Birthday (found on the Star Trek Wholesomeposting Fa…When I was a kid watching the reruns aft…HistoryAlas for You…

Writing Index

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Pre-Grade Your Paper

It’s not really a grading tool, but it might be worth introducing into the writing process.  I’m running a paper workshop tomorrow… I might give it a shot. PaperRater.com is a free resource, developed and maintained by linguistics professionals and graduate students. PaperRater.com is used by schools and universities in over 46 countries to help…

Building a Better Teacher

But what makes a good teacher? There have been many quests for the one essential trait, and they have all come up empty-handed. Among the factors that do not predict whether a teacher will succeed: a graduate-school degree, a high score on the SAT, an extroverted personality, politeness, confidence, warmth, enthusiasm and having passed the…

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:Viral Video Vilifies Foul-ball FanA recent video that shows a kid in the b…EthicsFirst They Got Sick, Then They Moved Into a Virtual UtopiaWhen my son was about five, I sat him on…CultureThomas Jefferson on "newspapers without…

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:They grew up in a mostly analog/paper world and squirmed with joy the first time they clic…Today’s students have many strengths. Th…AcademiaHow CNN Found the Reddit User Behind the Trump Wrestling GIFCNN is protecting the identity of the Re…Current_EventsLoved part 2 of The Importance of Being Earnest (live videoconference play from @ThePublic…Amusing"The Nightmare of…

Doyle Redland Says Goodbye

I’m still mourning the loss of Herman T. Zwiebel.  And now this? Similar:iTunes 11: It’s time for Apple’s horrible, bloated program to die.At the head of the team is a grizzled ol…AmusingIn October 2001, I was blogging about nothing, apostrophes, the anthrax scare, and Boilerp…In October 2001, I was blogging about …AmusingGoogle Favors Good Reporting,…

"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:Margaret Atwood: English lessons teach us to…

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…

American History: "Growth of a Nation"

This animated map of the expansion of American territory since the original 13 colonies is a bit cheesy in terms of production values, and not nearly as high-quality as the wonderful animated map of The Civil War in Four Minutes, but still a good resource. Similar:A Career-Aligned Major Isn’t EnoughI’ve taken over teaching the English…