This is a pretty nice little video1 explaining entropy while at the same time giving tips on how to create a good science video. It’s made by Small Mammal who makes short videos for people like NPR. And the whole thing is part of a science video contest for Ars Technica that you can submit […]
Simple, Possibly Effective
In honor of Halloween and returning from the blogging dead, I offer up this post (and so I have an excuse to use the picture above). I don’t blog much. Never have been consistent. The new job is making it easier to be worse. Lots of ready excuses. I recently found myself only looking through […]
Random Media
Stuff I’d like to use in class. 25 Word stories – slightly longer than some earlier examples of text restriction but good stuff none the less. “Houston, We Have a Problem,” by J. Matthew Zoss. I’m sorry, but there’s not enough air in here for everyone. I’ll tell them you were a hero. from Hint […]
Obligatory Waiting for Superman Post
The University of Richmond and a few other community groups organized a free viewing of the movie and then hosted a “courageous community conversation” following the movie1 Since I was haranguing people in person last night, I figured the least I could do was extend my efforts to the Internet. In case you haven’t seen […]
Mediocrity 2011 – Car Names for Vocabulary
This is one of those easy options for vocabulary. I thought of it when I saw the 2011 Mediocrity commercial embedded below. Essentially, they pick one of the vocabulary words and use it as a car name. The students would draw up a one page ad1 (with relevant copy) for the car that plays off […]
Perspective
I went and saw one of my former students in jail this past weekend. Hakeem has been sentenced to 23 years with no chance of parole. He was arrested when he was 17. He still looked like the 6th grader I knew. Same smile. A number of new tattoos. I wasn’t sure how this was […]
Neuromancer Afterward
I should be able to cut and paste this from the Neuromancer ebook1 I have on my freaking iPhone but I can’t. So here is the hand transcribed passage that reminded me of edupunk and surrounding nonsense. Not sure if the parallels qualify as irony but it’s at least interesting. …but others (including many who’d […]
“Small People” Limited Time Offer
As an English or foreign language teacher I’d be all over the “small people” quote by BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg. It’s not going to be useful much longer so act now. Questions: Should this comment make people mad? What did he mean? What should he have said? It’s a beautiful entry to arguing about word […]
Survival Guides
Survival guides have some interesting potential for a variety of historical and literary analysis needs. This idea was jump started by the Brighid Survival Manual which was found via Super Punch. Here’s a quick example for the Witch in The Wizard of Oz. I’ll see if time allows me to make one for a Jamestown […]
Animoto: An Academic Use
I despise Animoto‘s use as evidence of learning in the classroom. It produces a veneer that implies intent but requires none. It allows people to put on the facade that their students are doing intelligent work. They seem to trick even themselves. That being said, I finally came up with a use that would require […]