I’m currently sitting in an obscenely overpriced* Amtrak train barreling (ok, more like lumbering) to NYC. I was planning on sleeping through the ride, but it turns out I’m feeling productive. Will wonders never cease? Anyway, I’ve got my ipad plugged into my seat, wifi connecting me to the internets – albeit very slowly – … Read moreOn the creativity train
In May, I’ll be co-teaching a workshop on gamification at UMW with Mary Kayler. I was shocked – not to mention elated – when the 12 slots for the course filled in a few hours. I thought very few people would be interested. How wrong I was! Now, I’m hard at work figuring out what … Read moreGamification badge UNLOCKED.
My daughter has been sick the past couple of days. I will spare you the details. This is not a gross-out blog. I just want to note how incredible technology is at times like these. With just my phone, I was able to entertain my kid at the doctors office (duck duck moose apps are … Read moreTechnology to the rescue!
Last post, I gave app reviews and tips for taking attendance. Next up: grading. I won’t give you the full “why go paperless” spiel. You’re a believer or you’re not. Some people just grade better on paper. I can tell you, though, that I honestly think I do a better job of grading now. Most … Read moreHow I learned to hate grading less & how you can, too.
A couple conversations will colleagues recently have indicated that perhaps my relentless fangirl geekery could be used semi-productively. Over the last few years, I’ve tried every app I could lay my hands on to try to streamline my work tasks. I’ve already discussed a couple here, but maybe more detailed reviews of apps that have … Read moreTaking Attendance the Easy Way
This weekend, I repaired rotten wood in my shower window surround. I am, admittedly, quite proud of myself (I even made crêpes and did laundry. It was a very productive weekend) but I’m writing about this because I think it’s related to DoOO and learning/teaching in general. While I do have a graduate degree in … Read moreLearning, teaching, and epoxy
It’s been a few weeks, now, and I’m still holding strong at inbox zero. I’ve learned a little since the start, and thought maybe I could share my experience so far. First, the bad: I’m still underwhelmed by the software options. As far as I can tell, there is nothing out there to make maintenance … Read moreInbox Zero update: still on the wagon
DoOO will have its last session next week, and I must admit I’m pretty sad. This has been a wonderful experience, and one particularly needed in the February doldrums. So, with the experience drawing to a close, please humor me as I indulge in a heaping dose of navel gazing. Ok, so I could be … Read moreIn praise of navel gazing
There are plenty of days when I teach about how you would expect: powerpoint, lecturing, asking periodic questions, peppering in some (corny) humor to keep students’ attention, etc. I take pride in my powerpoints: they rarely have much text, they are very illustration-heavy, they have numbered pages for easy reference. Also, they’re not actually powerpoint … Read moreOld-school
I’ve spent much of this blog so far focusing on technical decisions. In this post, I want to delve more deeply in my more philosophical/theoretical decisions. These decisions in practical terms end up being entwined with technology, but it has been my goal to be conscious of the implications of decisions as I have made … Read more…and now Deep Thoughts, by Andi Smith