For those participating in the #OneWord phenomenon, you may be aware that my word for the year was "write." With aspirations of publication and eventually doctoral work, it seemed like a good way to get myself in the habit of disciplined collection of my thoughts, citation of sources, and finding my voice on paper/the screen. … Continue reading 2013: The Year of the Write Stuff
Coming This Spring: Debriefing #SAMOOC
This January, I am taking my first intentional dip into the MOOC pool. After having to quit a statistics course last fall over a major software issue (namely, I could not take the course on a Mac- yuck!), I'm excited to see what the massive open online course world is like, to see the actual … Continue reading Coming This Spring: Debriefing #SAMOOC
Augusten, Anthony, and Allowing for Discomfort
The end of the semester can be a difficult time for many of us, as we scramble to help students accomplish their goals while trying to complete our own. Deadlines and the holiday season can add some urgency to our proceedings, and stress can be an unfortunate result. I was no exception, heading into December … Continue reading Augusten, Anthony, and Allowing for Discomfort
Find Your Inner Mandela: A Tribute and Call to Action
RIP Mandiba, and thank you.
What Mike Birbiglia Has to Teach You About Deeper Learning
Something happened after that last post about comedy and the lessons it could bring to our work. I listened to standup. A LOT of standup. One unintended, but much welcome, consequence of that is that I listened to two albums by Mike Birbiglia in two days. Mike Birbiglia's style has gradually evolved from a series … Continue reading What Mike Birbiglia Has to Teach You About Deeper Learning
Life Lessons from a Standup Superfan
Let me be clear from the start of this entry. I am not "stand-up funny." I'm only ever incidentally funny (if that!), and I try to not let the giggles I get from parents during our yearly orientation presentations ever give me the idea that I should quit my day job. But I am a … Continue reading Life Lessons from a Standup Superfan
A Day on the Front Lines
When was the last time you spent an hour at your office's "front desk"? Over the summer, I hopped behind the front desk of one of our residence halls for an hour while our friends in housing were having a full staff meeting with their housing assistants. I was enticed to the post with the … Continue reading A Day on the Front Lines
Quit Talking, Begin Doing
As many know, I'm an avid fan of Disney and Disney World. However, as I grow older I've moved away from my childlike wonder of the stories that comprise Walt's canon, and more toward the inner workings of the empire. My friend Paromita made me aware of this link this morning with a series of … Continue reading Quit Talking, Begin Doing
Lessons from James Lang
I could open-mouth kiss James Lang right now. I've just finished his book Cheating Lessons: Lessons on Academic Dishonesty, and am so excited by the ideas he presented and the ideas he shared. For the record, I would recommend this book to anyone excited about the prospect of teaching- not just in pursuit of honest classrooms, but … Continue reading Lessons from James Lang
Scared to “Ship”
Happy Halloween Night, all! On a night that is reserved for masquerading and mischief, I'm relaxing at home in the remnants of my "Orange is the New Black" costume, reading and trying to summon the wherewithall to write. Remember that book thing I was talking about earlier in the year? Yeah, that's still on the … Continue reading Scared to “Ship”
Amma Marfo 