Tag Archives: teaching
The trial of “an Indyan called Nangenutch or Will”
Although I haven’t posted about it here, I have been working on an essay that I think is about ready for some additional readers (one is already checking it out, another two are lined up and will see it probably … Continue reading
Fredericksburg ghost stories
It’s spring break and almost daylight savings, and so maybe I should be thinking about spring cleaning. But since we’re still dipping down into the single digits, and looking at 3-5 inches of snow and ice and frozenish crud tomorrow, … Continue reading
Teaching research methods
This semester I’m teaching a section of History 298: History Practicum, the second half of a two-course methods sequence for our majors. In the first half of the sequence, we focused more on historiography, and students finished the semester by … Continue reading
Take Note
I’m hardly the only one to have expended breath in unheeded arguments in favor of taking notes by hand, but it’s still nice to occasionally see something that better articulates and explains the rationale I try to share with students. I … Continue reading
Empire of Liberty
A couple of months ago I heard an interview on NPR with Greg Grandin, an NYU history professor who wrote Fordlandia (which I’ve wanted to read, but haven’t gotten to yet). He was talking about his new book, Empire of Necessity: … Continue reading
The Power of Wilderness
With the semester done, we’ve obviously wrapped up my American Wilderness class. We actually finished our book-based discussions a few weeks ago, on the penultimate Wednesday of instruction. Our final class session was comprised entirely of student presentations–10 minutes drawn … Continue reading
Sitting in the student seats
I’m one of those professors who likes to chat with students before class, about whatever. I feel like easy conversations about weekends, holiday plans, sports, trips, TV shows, whatever, can set a more conversational tone for free-flowing in-class discussions that … Continue reading
School’s out for summer
I can’t be the only one who thinks of Alice Cooper every year around this time, right? No more red pens, no more books, no more students’ dirty looks? Commence three months of sleeping in (ha!), growing a beard (that may … Continue reading
Digital equity
Darcie is out of town this week, so I’m doing a bit more than usual to take care of the girls (with the invaluable help of Darcie’s parents). This means that rather than staying at my place after my 10am-8:45pm … Continue reading
“Digital History means no more snow days”
That’s what UMW History’s department chair, Jeff McClurken, told one of his classes the other day, and I’m reminded of it after last night’s mad scramble to figure out what to do about the snow. I have a senior seminar … Continue reading
