From bird to elephant

Posted on by Ana Maria Barral

I am writing this on December 20th 2022. While I have been on Twitter since 2009 and was a fan of the community (especially science and science education tweeps), things have gotten nastier lately. I think what got to me was the recent policy (which may have been scrapped, but who knows) of not including […]

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Nepal and Twitter Thoughts

Posted on by Ana Maria Barral

Of my recent Nepal trip with my friend Gizeh, two moments stand out (among many many others). One took place some time April 10, during our crossing of Renjo Pass (5360 m, approx. 17,500 feet). I was completely out of breath, feeling dizzy and lightheaded due to altitude, and every time I looked up and […]

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Making lemonade, online edition

Posted on by Ana Maria Barral

It has been almost a year that the Covid-19 pandemic upended the world. My latest blog post is from that time (gulp), and I recall the frenzy of the months as courses never taught online before had to be adapted in a rush. As an early user of online tools in my teaching, I noticed […]

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Quick & dirty online teaching: a list of tools

Posted on by Ana Maria Barral

Over the past few days, after a large number of colleges and universities moved their courses online, the avalanche of information has been overwhelming. Organizations, professional societies, and different groups have started sharing documents or published lists of resources related to online teaching. Moreover, many providers of online resources (publishers, companies making lab simulations etc) […]

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Online teaching quick & dirty: COVID-19 edition

Posted on by Ana Maria Barral

Academic Twitter and email lists are full of both angst and advice regarding moving to online teaching in a very short time due to the coronavirus epidemic. I sympathize. As somebody who teaches both onsite and online, I can attest that the first online courses are hard, even with enough time and support. It takes […]

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On constructive feedback

Posted on by Ana Maria Barral

ONL192 started for our group (#2) at full speed. Not to brag, but we already had two synchronous meetings spanning several time zones, with participants taking commitments and procedures seriously. That does not mean we are a “serious” bunch- there have been plenty of laughs and smiles during the meetings. So far, so good! A […]

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Airmanship & Learning: Musings Before ONL192

Posted on by Ana Maria Barral

When I started the ONL191 journey in February, I posted a picture of me jumping in the Anza-Borrego desert (California) as the image for my blog posting. Jumping pictures have become a requirement of my travel pictures since a few years back, and I thought about posting another, but instead this one is “after jump.” […]

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We shall not cease from exploration…

Posted on by Ana Maria Barral

…and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” I do not recall when I discovered this quote by T. S. Eliot, but it was long time ago. And it still speaks to me, both in scientific or life explorations. Particularly, it […]

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Why be normal?

Posted on by Ana Maria Barral

This is not a deep posting on science education. It is just a Friday commentary about some of my weird things. I drive a manual transmission car. Here in the States. Not only that, but when I finally decided to look for a new car last year, as my trusty (manual) Toyota Matrix passed the […]