Waking this morning to a few inches of snow. Nothing compared to what folks up north and out in northern CA are getting, but nice to see. Of course, given the rarity of such an event here in eastern NC (maybe once/year), things will certainly slow down. Those schools that are teaching in person have all posted two hour delays, given the state of the roads, and drivers’ unfamiliarity with these conditions.

In our backyard, Frankie moved from her perch on my side of the bed, out into the snow for the first time…

On other fronts, beyond weather…learning a few new technical tricks to implement in teaching. Tried “breakout rooms” yesterday, and found it effective in both getting more students involved, and in participation after the breakout sessions. Will definitely do that more often.

Also, yesterday rec’d in the mail an Apple pencil, usable with an iPad–which i really just started using a few months ago, but mostly just for reading and doing crossword puzzles. Now I see that I can really connect the iPad to my computer for use during teaching, bring up a piece of blank (.pdf) manuscript, and treat it like a blackboard in a traditional classroom. That’s the element I’ve been missing through this online experience, and I feel like now I have access to the final part of the formula. I’m happy about that.

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I truly do not want to even talk about the news, whether the continuing idiocy, or the other continuing definition of absolutely spineless politicians, or sycophant politicians. Biden working on things, for sure, but up against quite a wall of obstruction. We are absolutely experiencing something whose direction isn’t at all clear to me.