I was the windsurfing instructor on a vacation charter yacht in the Caribbean. 🌴🐠⛵

@derekbruff.bsky.social I listen to podcasts on my way to work. If an episode inspires me, the next hour is when I have the spark to get things done. Today it's Intentional Teaching about grading. I can act bc you've already posted the transcript 🫡 If you wonder if it's worth it, yes it is!

I’ve got a Nigerian colleague at work. I asked him, how do you say hi to your friends? You say, “how far?” which means how far are you on the road to hell? If you’re doing fine, you say “not far 😁” But if you’re having a shitty day, you droop and shake your head and say “oooh, so far 😖…”

@karencosta.bsky.social Sorry, Karen, not a blurbable post 😂 but I need people to know about your book 📣📣📣 Already shared your @tihe.bsky.social podcast with 2 faculty, and I’ll be encouraging they read Educator’s Guide!

Fully committed to not buying anything from the US #FuckOff51stState but I’ll make an exception for something as unique as this: An Educator’s Guide to ADHD by @karencosta.bsky.social

@analog-ashley.bsky.social @grimalkina.bsky.social By this time next year 🤞 I'll be living in my new house. Sad to leave behind my Little Free Library, though. Well, until this morning when I listened to you talking having a party to open yours! I will build a new one! We will have ☕🍩!

Podcast guest: “I use GenAI to align my learning outcomes and assessments, and create syllabus to support the alignment” 😳 THAT is the part of your job you find tedious and outsourced?!? Why did they pick you to teach the course? What parts of teaching do you feel are worthy of your time?!?

I listen to half a dozen podcasts about teaching in #HigherEd and every one of them is about gen fucking ai 😫 Podcasters, you’re not earning my attention because your topic is fresh and shiny, you’re losing my trust because there are so many others things I want to learn about.

Tried something new at a Teams meeting. I wanted input on 4 topics. I needed to label the topics but 1,2,3,4 or A,B,C,D impose undeserved, artificial hierarchy or importance. So I asked people to post in the chat, starting with (polarbear) (moose) (bison) (bunny) and the chat erupted with 🐻‍❄️🫎🦬🐇!

I pass a place everyday on my way to work called Plato’s Closet. And everyday I wrack my brain wondering if it’s some kind of, what, metaphor? allegory? allusion? like Hercules’ Gym or Demeter’s Bakery.

I bought a 1960’s cabinet that I’m transforming into a bathroom vanity for my new Midcentury Modern house. I found this inside. Can you guess the cabinet’s original purpose?

Glad-II-ator: Mehximus Whatevus

This bed is tooooo hard. This bed is tooooo soft. This best is juuuuust right...

I was in a meeting with some electrical engineering technologists yesterday and one said he's not worried about AI or Terminator or Skynet. He said without humans to maintain and repair the data centres, Skynet would be down in a month 😂

slightly diminish a game Connect Three

Hmm, am I gutsy enough to try this at work? “Sorry I’m late to the meeting. I didn’t want to come.”

Sometimes I feel bad that I can't quote passages of poetry like many others can. What beauty and joy and mystery is missing from my education and life? Then remember I can quote this. It's poetry with layer after layer of meaning. lim 𝑥→𝑎 𝑓(𝑥)=𝑓(𝑎) if ∀ε>0 ∃δ>0 ∋ |𝑥-𝑎|<δ ⇒ |𝑓(𝑥)-𝑓(𝑎)|<ε

TIL (thx @apod.shinyakato.dev !) this horizontal halo of sunlight is called a parhelic circle, complete with rare 120° parhelia.

We're renewing our programs in Civi, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering Technology. We'll get to learning outcomes and instructional methods eventually but we're starting with assessment, and Grading for Growth by @dccmath.bsky.social and @roberttalbert.bsky.social is our guide. /2

@pbarmby.bsky.social I had a dream last night about an idea for a sci-fi book. The dream also included, “You should send it to Pauline” so here it is: /2

Swedish meatballs at IKEA on December 27 is >not< a tradition my family needs *blurg*

@anthonyfloyd.ca @roberttalbert.bsky.social @derekbruff.bsky.social @icpetrie.bsky.social @shawpsych.bsky.social Merry Christmas, dads! Joy’ll be a little diff for me. For the first time, my kids will spend Xmas morning at their partners’ places. They’re so happy and their joy is my joy. But still 🥲

Spent the morning in the basement workshop turning a big slab of lumber into many, many small and precise pieces. Building another one of these dining room lights for my new house! #HappyPlace

My institution is developing the next 5-year strat plan. They've identified 3 North Stars to guide one aspect. The astronomer in me cringes. The North Star (singular) is a great metaphor. It's unwavering and visible as we twist and turn. But 3 North Stars? Irreparably breaks the metaphor IMO.

I just finished reading William Gibson’s Neuromancer series for the first time. You’re reading along, yep, cool, uh-huh, hmm and then it hits you: he wrote this FORTY years ago! Gobsmacking to think he just imagined all these things. Highly recommend, and be prepared to be confused and astounded!

I will not use my new laser level on my Christmas tree. I will not use my new laser level on my Christmas tree. I will not use my new laser level on my Christmas tree. I will not use my new laser level on my Christmas tree. Oh, c’mon, of course I will 🤣

@bonni208.bsky.social Congratulations, Bonni, on 600 episodes of @tihe.bsky.social! As well as sharing 600 conversations, don’t forget you’ve lifted the spirits, confidence, and careers of 600 #HigherEd colleagues, mine included. Thank-you!

Incredible sundogs in chilly Winnipeg today, with a feature I’ve never seen before! *Horizontal* band of light - parallel to the horizon - nearly 360 deg around, with bright concentrations more than 90 deg from the Sun (I should’ve measured the angle!) Is this some kind of double sundog OMG!

I'm working with a new instructor. She asked me about my background. I said I have a PhD in math and she said, "ooo, you're so smart!" FUUUUUUck She's a Ph.D and P.Eng teaching Civil Engineering in English, not her first language! I hate how #HigherEd and our society made her say that.

@anthonyfloyd.ca I thought of you yesterday: I know E-bikes are great for climbing hills and for going higher speed on the flat. On my way home, I saw someone riding their E-bike across a snow-covered playing field. Just bookin' along, snow spraying out of the tracks!

We're running a student experiences survey where students rate their agreement on a 6-pt LIkert (no neutral). I'm so excited to #DataViz using Stephanie Evergreen's Diverging Stacked Bar Chart. Notice how the agree/disagree boundaries are aligned *chef's kiss* stephanieevergreen.com/diverging-st...

Our new Bachelor's Degree includes a required Indigenous-focused course. I was expecting Chair would 🙄 and treat it as one-and-done. I was so pleased when he effortlessly spoke of the necessity of engineers working collaboratively and respectfully with peoples and cultures where projects occur.

I co-lead an Active Learning community of practice for faculty and academic staff. In next week’s meeting, “A Place for Play,” we’ll rumble whether play ⬆️ or ⬇️ learning, engagement, inclusion,….I’m excited and nervous about people’s conceptions of play: Is it teaching or baby-sitting?

Worked w an instructor on activities for exam review. We designed a worksheet where students re-create (retrieval!) a complex diagram, carefully tuned to learning outcomes. Instructor balked at tricky PPT. Is it in my scope to create the worksheet? Nope. Is it worth me doing anyway? Absolutely

Winnipeg Goldeyes: Uh, what?!?

In today's @tihe.bsky.social, @bonni208.bsky.social discusses ways to reduce faculty workload, including stop asking colleagues to do things for you! I'm guilty of asking a lot from faculty participating in my SoTL project. Makes me extra grateful to have such enthusiastic and generous colleagues.

In CRED ible northern lights over Winnipeg right now! Here’s the view with a cellphone camera and all the city lights!

@grimalkina.bsky.social @analog-ashley.bsky.social Does this ring any bells for you? #AskingForAFriend

Not often when you see the batter plonk the pitcher! #BlueJays #LFG

Just your friendly neighbourhood scorekeeper for the trick ‘r treaters!

@wilnerness.bsky.social hey Mike, do you that guy behind home plate, doing some kind of semaphore? I can’t imagine who he’d be signaling.

I’ve got Vladdy, Springer, and Gaus in my play-off pool. LFG #BlueJays

If the #BlueJays win tonight, is this Buck’s last game? 😢😢😢

Well, I’m * pretty predictable * pretty pleased how this 🎃 ⚾️ turned out! Let’s go, #BlueJays 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏

Change one letter, ruin a candy. Big Turd

Suffering today from ohtaniosis (“baseball fever”): * fatigue * hoarse voice * sore high-five and fist-pump muscles * low-grade malaise / anxiety Treatment: 3 #BlueJays wins during next 6 days

This best-of-8 World Series is exciting! Game 1: #BlueJays win 11-4 Game 2: Dodgers win 5-1 Game 3: Tie 5-5 Game 4: Dodgers win 1-0 Game 5: Game 6: Game 7: if necessary Game 8: if necessary

Ohtani’s gonna pitch 18?!? #BlueJays

Sorry, what?!? I ❤️ 🍁 Oil + Gas ‘ck off

Damn, I wanted to see consecutive World Series pitches or at least at bats to be homeruns. Joe Carter walked-off the World Series for the #BlueJays in 1993. Was hoping for a lead-off Springer Dinger today. Oh well, we’ll save that for another AB.