Monthly Archives: January 2008

The one with the awesomeness

I know that, per internet law, it’s bad form to link to something after it has shown up on boingboing, since virtually everyone online will have seen it.  But . . . It is a source of deep, abiding shame … Continue reading

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Advising athletes must be hard

First, a process thing: I’m using the combination of Twitter + Hahlo + my iPhone this semester to encourage me to reflect a little on each class.  It’s a good habit to think about your teaching regularly, and this combination … Continue reading

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Bulwer Lytton on assessment in education

In Paul Clifford, the eponymous hero’s tutor, Mr. Peter Mac Grawler, reflects: “Why fret myself? –if a pupil turn out well, it is clearly to the advantage of his master; if not, to the disadvantage of himself.”  Of course, a … Continue reading

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Wikified class notes

Ask, and ye shall receive–How PBwiki & I do class notes: I was motivated to try this assignment by two factors: Many students take almost no notes in English classes, especially upper-division English classes, and especially when class discussions turn … Continue reading

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Introducing online assignments

(This is the first in a series of reflections on last year, when I required only born-digital assignments.  This year, I’ve shifted back to a mix of these assignments and conventional papers.) In nearly all of my classes last year, … Continue reading

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The new translation of Sir Gawain

At chez Salt-Box, I am the one who reads “chapter books” to the Little Man, as opposed to books he can read by himself, or longer picture books or comic books, which anyone is allowed to read to him.  As … Continue reading

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From the department of ambiguous phrasing

Hartford Stage will be staging Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye in about a month. I’m sure it’ll be interesting; A in particular is excited because she’s teaching the book in an honors class this semester. What I liked was this … Continue reading

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The kindness of churchmice

Alex-the-Churchmouse was kind enough to whip up banners for my three main classes this semester: and and Spiffy!

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DVD Review: Oren Rudavsky’s The Treament

PopMatters recently ran my review of Oren Rudavsky’s brilliant 2006 movie (out on DVD in late 2007), The Treatment.  If you have any tolerance whatever for romantic comedies, then you will probably find something to like here.  If you find … Continue reading

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An interview with Laynie Browne

This week at Bookslut, I’ve posted a terrific interview with Laynie Browne, about her new book, The Scented Fox: Can you talk about the relationship between the work of form & time in Daily Sonnets (which you explicitly describe as … Continue reading

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