Teaching » Brad King:

In Which I Speak at TedxCincy, or the Brad@40 Plan, Part 1

Life, Science + Tech, Teaching View Comments

Aug 162010

The TED conference, for those involved in technology, is one of those signature events. Say what you will about it (and the criticisms are many, including those I have made myself), but the event routinely draws some of the most accomplished people in the world.

I know because I use the videos from the main event – videos made publicly and freely available – in my classes. I use them to give my kids a world-class education at a bargain basement price. So for all its flaws, it adheres to the first hacker ethic: Information Wants To Be Free.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve taken the hacker ethic to heart. I try to only use technologies that are open, that support individual freedoms and allow for the greatest movement in innovation and education. I’ve turned down projects that stray too far (according to me, of course) from that ethic.

I tell you these two vignettes, this preface, for this reason:

A few weeks ago, I was asked by the folks putting on TedxCincy, one of the satellite versions of the main TED conference, if I’d be interested in submitting a talk. Apparently I came recommended by three folks – Kevin Dugan, Dacia Snider and Elizabeth Edwards.

I told the group putting on the conference that I’d love to submit a talk. And, as soon as I committed to that, everything else about Brad@40 feel into place.

Brad@40

I’ve alluded to my plan in the last few weeks, but I’ve been vague. Something that’s uncharacteristic of me. But I’ve been moving some chess pieces around on the board and I wasn’t ready to talk about them just yet.

What I can say is this: I’m tired.

Bunker Hill Extreme: The Book

Media, Teaching View Comments

May 312010

In October 2009, Indian home builder Hallmark Homes was picked by ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for one of its television programs. Hallmark Homes, in turn, asked Ball State University to run a social media team during the build.

For seven days, more than 40 students worked (basically) around-the-clock documenting the entire project. In the end, our stories and blogs reached more than 100,000 people, we created a series of interactive image galleries and we created this:

A 135-page coffee table book chronicling the entire event.If you love the show – and millions of you do – I recommend this behind-the-scenes companion to the Bunker Hill, Indiana show.

If I Could Cuss + Flip Desks In My Class

Teaching View Comments

May 212010

By Brittany Klopfstein, a MINja and former student

An Introduction to Ethics

Media, Teaching View Comments

Apr 282010

The new curriculum means I won’t be teaching Media Ethics anymore, which saddens me. It was my favorite class. Alivia Bryak, one of my current students, created this introduction to my course by pulling from my syllabus, my open week’s lectures and other pearls of wisdom.

This is a fairly good overview of what students could expect:

Tiffany + Brad on Good Hair

Life, Teaching View Comments

Apr 232010

One of my favorite students, Tiffany, animated (and truncated) our conversations about Good Hair.

The 3d Battle Expands to Ball State

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Apr 232010

Yesterday, an epic battle waged in the blogosphere between the MINjas of Northern Kentucky University and me. Today, that battle has spilled over to Ball State University.

My graduate assistant Rhett Umphress joins the fray with this video: The Bradpocalypse.

“Bots for the Win, Bitches” (84 of 90)

Life, Teaching View Comments

Apr 222010

There is a war going on right now.

Okay, it’s not a war. Really, it’s April in academia and everyone is stressed beyond belief. This generally results in two things: very long nights and extremely strange behavior.

For the nerds, this behavior manifests itself in this way.

Some former students found a 3d movie-making website, XtraNormal, that allows you to pick 3d characters and locations, write text (which is turned into language read by the computer) and shift camera angels. In short order, you have a little movie.

While these are not necessarily the tools the JCR Licklider envisioned back in the 1960s, this is the logical outcome of democratizing software.

And we are the logical creators in that world.

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Your first day on campus at Miami, you receive a car package. Shaving cream. Toothpaste. Deodorant. All the essentialls that idiot guys forget to buy when they are on their own. I tell you this now but you will not need this information for a bit.

Done Did (75 of 90)

Life, On Writing, Teaching View Comments

Apr 132010

I forget how much I enjoy writing.

My life prevents me from doing this as often as I should. Or more accurately, teaching prevents me from writing as often as I should. Although, if I’m truthful, teaching is a choice that I make.

Still, those rare moments when deadlines are so upon me that procrastination is no longer an option and I must write. I treasure them.

Tonight was one of those nights, even if the writing I did is not the kind of writing I would normally do.

Still, I finished a draft of my first textbook chapter, a treatise on how emerging social technologies can transform the university classroom.

The chapter, which grew out of a talk I gave to the college faculty last fall, is a weird mix of academic research (thanks to Rhett, my super fabulous Graduate Assistant), technical papers from the 1940s, 1960s and 1970s, book writing and Internet research. Honestly, I’m interested to see how it flies in the wonderful world of the academy.

Either way, I’m happy with it and it will find a home somewhere.

***

The thing I enjoy most about writing is piecing the puzzles together. The words come much easier today than they ever have, a confluence of experience, practice and voice. I know what I want to say (mostly) and I know how to say it.

Hey Ya: A MINjas Joint

Media, Teaching View Comments

Apr 082010

The Ass, It Falls Off (69 of 90)

Teaching View Comments

Apr 072010

In The Program, we have a phrase we use at breaking point: my ass is falling off.

I quite like the phrase although I couldn’t really tell you why. It’s disgusting on about every conceivable level, but when you’re in the shit it’s about the best descriptor there is.

I bring this up because everywhere I look, the world’s collective ass seems to be falling off. Of course, I understand that my worldview may be skewed because I’m in the Academy now. And in the Ivory Towers, April is Hell Month.

School is coming to an end, which means administrative tasks galore. Summer and Fall schedules. Three graduations (Spring, Summer I, Summer II). Conferences and papers. Last minute additions.

And the kids have internships to secure, graduation plans (for some) and job hunting, project and theses due.

Add that all up and there’s nary a smiling face within five miles of the campus. This is the time of year when students – and I suspect faculty – break. Wholly and completely.

The asses, in other words, are falling off.

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