Category: Education


  • As an information technology professional, when a web site has performance problems, I sigh, gnash my teeth, and gripe just like everyone else. However, twenty minutes later I realize I have been there and feel bad for those having to deal with the mess. Also, should I feel hurt that I am not among the…

  • MOOCs are still the buzz in 2013. The best quote I have heard about them is that they replace an in-person class like Facebook replaces a social life. Of course, Facebook is my main social life…. I do sense a hope that MOOCs will replace a whole education or at least credits (think AP courses).…

  • We intensely monitor our servers. We want to know things before a work ticket reaches us. So a  month ago one morning I saw notifications where a couple servers failed login checks. (A process does a login and logout for each server multiple times an hour.) These go to the servers directly. Another check comes…

  • I think when he says “Steven J’s commencement address” he means Steve Jobs. If the below does not work, then try this link: Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career

  • According to Trends in Global Higher Education (PDF), we should pay attention to globalization, massification, Globalization is an interesting trend. As a college student, I enjoyed hanging out with international students and as an employer of student workers, half were international students. Exposure to different cultures, meaning values and perspectives and rituals and (the best) food was…

  • Last week I finished the Power Searching With Google MOOC. A month ago a coworker pointed out Google now offers the software used by this MOOC. As a Desire2Learn database and application administrator, I was curious. So I signed up. And actually finished! On my emotional high, I signed up for Current/Future State of Education shortly before…

  • Who You Do It With

    Study broadly and without fear. Learn a language if you can, because that will make your life more interesting. Read a little bit each day. But most importantly, try to surround yourself with people you like and make cool stuff with them. In the end, what you do isn’t going to be nearly as interesting…

  • Several years ago, while I worked at a medium-sized university, there was a very similar incident like what happened in Student Is Sanctioned for Creating Class-Registration Web Site. A student wanted into a full class. So he built an application to routinely check for whether a seat was available in the Student Information System. The database…

  • Supposedly this is the future. Students helping each other rather than looking to the teacher. Instead of long boring lectures, students get short videos. If the below does not work, then try Peter Norvig: The 100,000-student classroom.