Individual versus Social Responsibility Republican Presidential candidate Nikki Haley suffered an embarrassment this election year when asked about the cause of the American Civil War.   It was, she replied, the result of the conflict between two views of how one should live in society.  On one hand, the South celebrated the freedom of the individual, while the North celebrated a society in which government ensured the same rights—equal rights—for all citizens.  Almost immediately, there was a backlash, since most people felt that the Civil War was about slavery and ..read more

 I just finished reading “Mayflower: Voyage, Community, War,” Nathaniel Philbrick’s account of how the Pilgrims and other English   peoples left Europe and came to what is now known as “New England” and how they interacted with the native Americans who already called that area home.   The book devotes much attention to the relationship between the Europeans and the Native Americans, showing how they competed for resources, how they learned about each other’s culture and ways, and, ultimately, how they came into conflict through King Philip’s War--a war that divided the ..read more

  Streaming Media and the Schools For much of the past 70 years, broadcast television has been an important part of our daily lives.  After a hard day’s work, people would go home for the evening and sit down with their favorite television show.  The next morning at work, a show might be the topic of conversation with colleagues around the water cooler or coffee machine.   It helped to reinforce a sense of community.             Public television first blossomed in this environment.  Most stations devoted thei ..read more

  It has been only a year since ChatCPT brought artificial intelligence to the attention of the education community, opening a new phase of the Information Revolution for both K-12 and higher education.  This fall, the question administrators brought to classroom teachers at both levels wasy, “How are we going to handle it when students turn in essays written by AI?”  What is driving the increasingly intense interest in ChatCPT and Artificial Intelligence in general is how ChatCPT, as Wikipedia puts it, “enables users to refine and steer a conversation towards a desired length ..read more

  I have begun reading Henry Adams’ History of the United States of America During the Administrations of Thomas Jefferson.  It covers the cultural and political history of the U.S. from 1800 to 1809.  Originally, the book was published in nine volumes.  I am reading the Library of America edition, which includes 1252 pages. (The Library of America also publishes Adams’ History of the United States of America During the Administrations of James Madison, which is equally long). Adams, the descendant of two Presidents, had a personal interest in American history.  His gr ..read more

I am reading Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography, which he wrote in two sections, one focused on his early life and settlement in Philadelphia, the other focused on his later years.             In the first part, he describes how he established himself as a printer and member of society in Philadelphia in the 1720s.  He notes, I should have mentioned before, that, in the autumn of the preceding year, I had formed most of my ingenious acquaintance into a club of mutual improvement, which we called the JUNTO; we met on Friday evenings.&nb ..read more

  One of my favorite finds at the annual AAUW used book sale in May was The Origins of Creativity by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward O. Wilson.  It was a surprise in several ways.  Wilson, who died in 2021, was not known best as a creative artist.  Instead, he was an internationally known biologist and naturalist.  In The Origins of Creativity, he explores how creativity became an inherited trait—one of the things that separates Homo Sapiens from our biological ancestors—and why it is important to the long-term success of our species.  Wilson looks at how hom ..read more

Thomas Friedman has written that, while technological change can happen quickly, the social change brought about by technological innovation often takes much longer to be realized.  Tonight, I’d like to talk about that idea as it relates to online or eLearning in higher education.  How might eLearning help shape higher education in the long term?  With that in mind, let me start with a bit of history. The first web browser was launched in 1993—three decades ago.  It made it much easier to create content and share online.  Penn State had a long tradition of innovation i ..read more

  Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be ta ..read more

 A little Haiku to mark this unusual start to winter:                     Snowfall turns to ice                     And the cold keeps us at home                     Awaiting Christmas ..read more