On advising Masters papers remotely

Part of my agreement with my Dean, that allows me to be remote for this academic year, is that I will document the effects of being remote on doing the job. So, now that the deadline has passed for our Masters students to submit their Masters papers (basically a thesis, only without a committee, just a single advisor), I wanted to write a bit about how it went to advise.. Read More

Thoughts on group projects

I’m teaching the Library Assessment course for SILS this semester. The major assignment for that course is one large semester-long project: the students work with a client library on an actual evaluation project, usually one that otherwise might not get done at all. Thus, hopefully this project is a win-win: the students get experience working on a real project, and the library gets some free labor. But the point is,.. Read More

On teaching an overload

I’m teaching my regular 2-course load this semester. Of course, because I’m in Seattle, I’m teaching both courses online. But that’s no big deal: I’ve taught online several times before, though never 2 courses at the same time. But I’m also teaching my MOOC –- in fact it launched just yesterday –- so I’m effectively teaching an overload this semester. (Though not getting paid for an overload, I would like.. Read More

Reflections on visiting Chapel Hill

Part of the arrangement with my Dean that enables me to work remotely for this academic year was that I would return to Chapel Hill for the beginning- and end-of-semester faculty planning meetings. I returned from visiting Chapel Hill a few days ago, for the beginning of Fall semester faculty meeting. Since these bi-semesterly trips East are part of the deal, I wanted to comment on them here. First of.. Read More

On finding a place to record videos

The first thing I want to report on, in my new series on working remotely, is the problem of finding a place to record videos for my MOOC. If I were in Chapel Hill, I could use the studio that ITS Teaching and Learning has set up for us MOOC instructors. Heck, I could even set up in my office. But I’m not in Chapel Hill, and I no longer.. Read More

Reporting on being remote

As you probably already know, if you know me well enough that you’re following my blog, we’ve moved to Seattle. And you probably also know that I’m still employed by UNC, but obviously doing everything remotely. Well, part of the arrangement that my dean and I worked out, for the duration of this academic year, is that I will report back about being remote. What is the impact on the.. Read More

I can haz tenure

And now, for your viewing pleasure, my tenure letter. This is, I would just like to point out, the culmination of thirteen, fourteen years of my life, since I started my Masters program in 1995… though it wasn’t until 1996 that I decided that I wanted the job of a faculty member and that I was going to go on to do the Ph.D. And I would just like to.. Read More

Thoughts on one very small part of Weinberger’s Henderson Lecture

I went to see David Weinberger‘s talk on campus earlier today, and this post is a reaction to that. Before I go down that road though, let me just say that I really enjoyed the talk. I just finished reading Small Pieces Loosely Joined maybe 2 days ago. So that’s fresh in my mind, and of course I haven’t yet read his next book, Everything is Miscellaneous, because it isn’t.. Read More

Everything cannot be Miscellaneous

I’m not back, I’m not blogging as a regular thing again. Don’t get your hopes up. I just need a place to think out loud. I could probably do this in my head, but I find that writing helps me clarify my thoughts better. Less wandering off into irrelevancies like ’80s song lyrics and that conversation I had 2 days ago. So… I wrote in my last post that: Any.. Read More