Convincing a friend not to break-up with clickers…forever.
How do you deal with the creeping suspicion that clickers and your classroom just don’t have any chemistry? I am a little troubled by a recent article entitled Why I’m Giving Up On Clickers, posted on the blog of Prof-Like … Continued
A new adventure in teaching at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre
If you’ve ever been to Bamfield, B.C., a small community on the remote West coast of Vancouver Island, you know it’s a wild, weird and wonderful place. I absolutely adore it. Thanks to the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (BMSC), a … Continued
Adventure in Arizona
I’ve never been one for deserts—they tend to be, uh, not oceans. Sure, they have sand, but where are the octopuses? However, I’ve changed my mind since coming to Tucson with Stephan for the wedding of a good friend. Here’s … Continued
Reflecting on 2013
Well, 2013 is drawing swiftly to a close. And what do you do when you’re home alone, stuffed-up with a cold, and yet strangely energized by a sense of melancholic urgency because this song from Beasts of the Southern Wild … Continued
Teaching (and learning) about Sustainability in Boundary Bay with Geography 12
I’m embarrassed to say this because I’m a biologist and should know better: until this week I kinda sorta thought the words “geology” and “geography” were interchangeable. They’re not. Geology is the study of the physical features of the earth … Continued
Fun with photoshop and public domain images
Did you know there are thousands of images out there in the public domain (i.e., free of copyright) just waiting for you to play with them? I’ve been using Photoshop poorly for years to edit my photos and other images, … Continued
The bicycle as a vehicle for women’s rights
The first time a woman rode a bicycle while wearing pants in Victoria, B.C., she was threatened with arrest for disturbing the public. For wearing something that looked like this: In March 1895, Ethel Delmont wore bloomers—loose-fitting trousers, gathered at … Continued
Wonderful weirdos: mushrooms of British Columbia
Nature is filled with wonderful weirdos, mushrooms (fungi in general) being a great example. British Columbia has lots of mushrooms. They are all weird. Here are a few of my favourites seen this year. I’ve saved the absolute weirdest weirdo … Continued
Print your own children’s book
Can’t find a children’s book that suits the needs of your kids or students? Print your own! My friend Louesa (“Mrs. Byrne” to her students) wanted to read her kindergarten-grade 1 class a book about the forest. The local forest. … Continued
Bake your own no-knead bread for under $1.50
Fresh bread for less dough: Not only is it possible, it’s easy. I have been baking my own no-knead bread since 2010; that’s about 250 loaves and counting. The baking has become a comfortable, twice-weekly routine for me and Stephan … Continued