I just got a query from a student reporter, who asked, “did McGill provide professors with enough Zoom training this summer?” I can only imagine what students are seeing! The institution provided a lot of training. So much so that by mid summer I was “webinar-ed out.” Specifically, credit must go to Teaching & Learning …
Continue reading “Here’s why online teaching is sort of like chaos right now”
Last week I had my monthly meeting with my oncologist. I would have written sooner but HOLY SHIT ONLINE TEACHING IS A LOT OF WORK. Also I spent the weekend building a bed and wiring up a pedalboard (unfinished business from the summer). So here we are. Everything is going well. My tumour marker is …
This is the fourth in my series of posts on how to record your lectures. Tl;dr: a little focused practice up front will help a lot: spend some time experimenting with positioning the microphone, and how you address it. Record a bunch of short takes saying the same 1-2 sentences and then listen and see …
The #1 question I am getting from people is a variation of “what do I need to buy to record my lectures?” This is actually mostly the wrong question, but it is a question people have, so let’s answer it. The first thing you probably need is a moving blanket or thick quilt, as explained …
Continue reading “Recording Your Lectures 3: Gear! Gear! Gear!”
A colleague just wrote to ask where I’m at with my intro course. My friends are posting (or writing) about the technologies they are trying out, etc. Here is where I am at as of today. I have too many readings in most places and not enough in a few. Podcast lectures drop on Thursday. …
Continue reading “Where I’m at with the lecture course (oh, and the book is in!)”
So, um, the pony tail is gone. After 30 years of long hair, it is now the shortest it’s been since I was an infant. I love it. And it was time. In the first photo I totally look like my dad with some genes from my mom’s side of the family. From the side …
While searching for snarky sports commentary at bedtime two nights ago, I stumbled across an interesting Twitter thread on finishing a manuscript (because I was tagged in it). I am a big believer in the old Walter Benjamin line about how manuscripts aren’t finished, they are abandoned. But the key here is the verb abandon. …
