On Monday, HISPinParis 2025 will officially set off. Over their month in Paris students will be expected to blog at least twice a week. The blog aggregator can be found here: I thought about writing instructions and then thought I could teach by doing instead. So here’s a blog post that demonstrates what I’m looking … Read moreC’est Parti!
I’ve now spent over a decade railing against the use of LMS. I’ve put my money where my mouth is, too, developing my materials on this site, keeping them available without a paywall, and making interfaces as easy as possible. My ethical objections to the LMS hasn’t changed, and I still hate the way it … Read moreback to the drawing board
I posted semi-recently about the convergence of my nerdery and work interests with the Urban Design Alignment Chart. That was a fun little project, but last fall I joined those two interests more seamlessly. So seamlessly, in fact, that I didn’t even think twice about it until just now. Last semester, I taught HISP471VV: Urban … Read moreIt’s all fun and games (until you build a city)
In November I had a whirlwind visit to Chicago for the National Trust conference and the NCPE annual meeting. I spent a great deal of time in conference rooms and classrooms, but I did get to walk around the city a little bit. I had the pleasure of catching up with a few UMWHISP alum … Read moreBuildings & Feelings (Fall Trips Part II)
Leaving for France in two weeks exactly. You think after having taught this course three times already, it would all be routine by now. And mostly, it is. Still, lots and lots to get done. Teaching a course abroad is an interesting experience. Some of it is just like teaching a regular class: syllabus prep, … Read morePrepping for Paris
At the invitation of Steve Greenlaw (hi, Steve!) I’ve enrolled in the #OpenLearning17 cMOOC. On the one hand: I’ve done plenty of work with OER in the past. I’ve posted about it. I’ve even presented about it. That doesn’t mean I’m doing as much as I could, and it doesn’t mean I’ve learned all that can … Read moreLearning sans fear
I haven’t been shy over the years in criticizing the LMS. Students have consistently told me to stick with my website instead. Downside: they can’t see their grade up-to-the-minute. Upside: it’s organized to make it simple and easy to use. Plus all the stuff I’ve mentioned before (openness, availability outside semesters, etc.) Still, my critique … Read moreGiving the LMS a chance
Last year, in an effort to “walk the walk”, I reviewed the LEGO Robie House. I find myself teaching the LEGO FSEM again this fall, and figured: well, let’s walk again. This time, I picked a set I was super excited about, the CITY Fun in the Park set. It’s a pretty small set, considering … Read moreLEGO Critique Deux: CITY Fun in the Park Set (This time it’s PERSONAL!)
Recently my dad came to visit, and he asked me questions about my job that made it clear he doesn’t really know what profs do. This isn’t exactly a surprise: my dad is a Frenchman who never finished high school (or more exactly, he never passed the baccalauréat). Really, why would he be familiar with … Read moreExplaining professoring to foreign parents
Last year I developed and taught a new LEGO-themed freshman seminar. Turns out I’ll be teaching it again this coming fall, so I have added motivation to take a critical look at successes and failures of my new course. While I don’t want to dwell on failures, fact is I made a big gamble in … Read moreLEGO FSEM redux