Desert of My Real Life

Curriculum, First Year Seminar, General Education, Habits of Mind, High Impact Practices, Integrated Clusters, Project-based Learning, Wicked Problems

The New Education: First Year Seminar

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I've been busy for the last month or so IndieWebifying my web site. That's been really fun. But  I've also been started planning for my new position as Coordinator of General Education. Accepted students will start coming to campus this week for orientation which means that First Year Seminar is on my mind. Because of…

Design, IndieWeb, Microformats

Design of My Website

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I discovered the IndieWeb about six weeks ago and wrote then about why I think it's an important movement and community. Since that time, I've made a concerted effort to update my web site so that it looks like I want it to look. Although I'm not yet done, I've made good progress. I recently…

Movie/TV Review

Ocean’s 8

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An all-female sequel (sort of) to Ocean's 11, Ocean's 12, and Ocean's 13, this movie follows the heist formula pretty closely. There are lots of twists and turns in the plot, some of which feel a little intellectually lazy. But this is not an intellectual movie. It's a trifle, entertaining and light, but nothing that…

Barnz, Movie/TV Review

Solo: A Star Wars Story

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When this movie first started, I didn't think I was going to like it. In the early scenes, it felt like everyone was trying too hard and not succeeding. But as the movie went on, Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo grew on me. My friend Liz said that he might not be a great Han…

Movie/TV Review, Red River Theater

Disobedience

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I have been looking forward to this movie since I first saw the trailer months ago. The story focuses on Ronit, played by Rachel Weisz, who learns that her father has died. She returns home from New York to an insulated Jewish community. She encounters her old friend, Esti, played by Rachel McAdams. The first…

Killing Eve, Movie/TV Review

Killing Eve

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The best show I've seen this year is Killing Eve. The story focuses on a woman in intelligence in England and the assassin she begins to track. Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer are excellent as the two women. Much of the pleasure of the show comes from upending the spy genre where the intelligence agent…

Movie/TV Review

Picnic at Hanging Rock

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One of my favorite movies of all time is Picnic at Hanging Rock. I have only seen it once, back in college, but its mysteriousness has stuck with me. Because of this movie, I became quite the Peter Weir fan and Australia jumped onto my bucket list of places to visit. That original movie is…

Movie/TV Review, Red River Theater

RBG

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I loved this documentary. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is inspiring. This rendition of her life strikes a balance between her personal life and her professional career. Without the support of her progressive husband, she would likely not have been considered as a candidate to sit on the Supreme Court. But it was she herself, with her…

IndieWeb, Photography

My New Photography Blog

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As part of my IndieWeb project, I spent most of the day working on a new (self-hosted) site for my photography. It's not IndieWebified yet and I'm still working on uploading my favorite photos from over the years. I'm also trying a new workflow for photos to see whether I can more easily upload them…

Movie/TV Review, Red River Theater

Tully

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I loved the first half of this movie. Then it takes a strange turn. The big reveal near the end of the movie felt like a cop out. Charlize Theron is wonderful in the role of the mother, however. I also really like Mackenzie Davis who plays Tully. With Ann.   [yasr_overall_rating]

Movie/TV Review, Red River Theater

Lean On Pete

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Supposedly about a race horse but really about a boy born into tough circumstances and his journey toward safety. Charlie Plummer is great as Charlie. Very sad, but realistic movie with a subtle but kind of happy ending. With Ann, Pat, and Al.   [yasr_overall_rating]

IndieWeb, Intellectual Property, Technology

IndieWeb Overview

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I wrote last week that I learned a lot about the IndieWeb from @jgmac1106 (Greg McVerry). Because I was just getting started, Greg wanted to interview me about the IndieWeb onboarding process (which you can hear here). In the interview, I talked about the challenge of developing a mental map of the IndieWeb and all of its…

Academia, Education, Engagement, High Impact Practices, Innovative Curriculum, Integrated Clusters, Project-based Learning, Teaching, Technology

The New Education

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I recently read The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University and Prepare Students For a World in Flux by Cathy N. Davidson. Davidson has long been an academic hero of mine for, among her many accomplishments, co-founding of HASTAC (Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory), a community of folks interested in "changing…