KIERAN EGAN UPDATE: If you read the last Teacher Roundup (or listened the podcast linked), you may have found Kieran Egan's philosophy on education intriguing. Well, if so, the Garzon Library is now the proud owner of seven of Egan's most influential works, in a special section right inside the front door. Come check one out!
SECRET VOLCANO MANUSCRIPTS AND LASERS: Perhaps you are not the sort of nerd like me, who has been watching breathlessly as scientists attempted a novel approach to reading the manuscripts the eruption of Mount Vesuvius turned into burnt marshmallow. And that's okay! It takes all types, etc.
But even if you're not that big a nerd, anyone with a pulse should be fascinated by the fact that THEY DID IT. The Herculaneum scrolls, incapable of being unrolled in their charred and crispy form, have been "read" by (basically) an X-ray vision laser, which I think means we're all part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe now.
STUDENT LANGUAGE: I love this teacher's approach to a piece of student slang, which was to engage in discussion about the purpose of language and the process by which it changes over time. In contrast, I think the approach of the teacher referenced in the tweet below is often counterproductive and causes students to hate school rather than be fascinated by the meaningful things we can discuss in the classroom.
HANGING OUT IS DISAPPEARING: If I wasn't in a sports season between 1992 and 1996, my afternoons after school consisted of doing anything I could to avoid going home. Usually that meant playing Madden NFL on one friend's Sega Genesis or riding to the mall in another friend's Geo Metro. (Pause briefly to consider how very old-fashioned the previous sentence is.)
Now? Nobody hangs out. The Atlantic has a deep dive into the phenomenon, which may be useful as a discussion topic in history or psychology or statistics.
LANGSTON HUGHES: Free printables of 20 of his most popular poems downloadable here, suitable for all ages and classrooms.
NYC: I've basically had this 3D animation of New York City from 1524 - present on loop at my desk in the library all day. Fascinating.
AI IN CLASS: Nice short piece here (with internal links to more full discussions) on the way teachers are thinking about the ethics of AI in the classroom. It's going to change the way we educate; it's just a question of how fast and how far.
VIDEO DOWNLOADER: If, like me, you link to videos in lectures constantly, you may (like me) occasionally find one that you want to make sure you never lose. If that's you, and you're stymied by the adware and viruses that infect so many downloaders online, you'll be glad (as I was) to find cobalt tools, a simple, minimalist labor of love by one dude who just got sick of garbage downloaders.
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