Monday, August 24, 2009

How to be happy in academe

This article bears repeating given today's real circumstances at most colleges and universities across the country. We're lucky that our upper administration successfully planned ahead and we haven't had to deal with furloughs or non-renewals. So far, we're just not filling all the spaces people leave behind. And while we will do our best to meet students needs, they will have to deal with more financial realities - not taking classes they don't need and following advisement to take required classes when available instead of putting them off until it's too late.

Luckily, we have an upbeat mood on campus and that's always a good way to start the semester.

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Sunday, August 23, 2009

The Trouble with Twitter

Note that one comment on this article notes that tweets have merely integrated the 30-second attention span pushed by the media over the last decade. thanks to KJ for recommending this article. 

I worry that microblogging cheats my students out of their trump card: a mindful attention to the subject in front of them, so that they can capture its sights and sounds, its smells and tactile qualities, to share with readers. How can Twittering stories from laptops and phones possibly replace the attentive journalist who tucks a digital recorder artfully under a notepad, pencil behind one ear, and gives full attention to the subject at hand?

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