Category: Miscellaneous

Snowed in on Christmas Eve with Robin and Debbie

As I grow older I become increasingly contemplative about life and mortality. I just heard from an alumna (always so good to hear from you) who was asking about a classmate who had passed away. I have fond memories about both former students—one of the rewards of dedicating one’s life to teaching so long at the same institution. Another reward is when former students send sons and daughters here and I have them, too, as students.

Curious David Finds a New Home

It’s been a semester now since I blogged for JSOnline as “Curious David.” Much has happened since then. Carroll College has been renamed Carroll University (I still fail to find compelling reasons why the change was made). I’ve taught Web 2.0 Tools in a Freshman Seminar, and I’m giving serious consideration to retiring from College teaching.
I’ve given a lot of thought to which blog authoring tool I want to use. I’ve heard good things about WordPress (endorsed by Jane Hart) and Blogger (which I taught my freshmen)—both of which are free. However, partly out of the high respect I hold Jane Hart in I’ve decided to freelance using the basic version of the software she uses, Typepad. I like the “look” of it and its ease of use.
It is very important that I be able to blog easily across operating systems. Tonight I am writing this on my Mac. When next I sit down I’ll try writing something from my PC. I also was attracted to the ease with which TypePad “ports” blogs to Face book since an increasing number of alumni are using that social network—sometimes to monitor their children!

Dog Years (Dog Days)

It’s odd to rediscover the earlier posts. Robin now is three (and a svelte 127 pounds). She has had two major ACL operations and has matured into a wonderful, if idiosyncratic companion. She might even think the same of me, though Debbie is without doubt her first love.

And oh how my blogging experiences have matured (and blogging has changed) since I first explored this tool. I had a year’s experience blogging as “Curious David” for the educational community JSOnline and explored Web 2.0 Learning Tools while teaching a course at Carroll university.

How does this blogging tool different from others?

The price is right. Format-wise, it seems much like that of the JSOnline (The Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel).

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Another blogging tool which I have experimented is Blogger which is owned by Google.

A third such tool which I have played with is Edublogs.

Is this the future of writing?

Which do you prefer? Why?

Does Robin have the “right stuff” to be accepted into puppy school?

Today Robin applied to the Western Waukesha County Dog Training Club Puppy School. Will she be accepted? How will she handle rejection? How will we???

Other adventures today included meeting Sunny the Culligan salt delivery man, meeting Art and Max on Art’s porch (nose to nose and nose to butt), and a trip to the Johnson Creek outlet mall. Alas, upon our return trip as we were scouting out the puppy school, the “Engine Needs Service Soon” light came on in the Voyager.