Author Archives: Timothy Burke

First Thought: On Generosity and Teaching

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Timothy Burke

In the last week, I’ve heard a lot of staff and faculty talk about how hard it is going to be to teach and advise students in the near-term future, how much they now feel that they have to second-guess … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Swarthmore | Comments Off on First Thought: On Generosity and Teaching

The Humane Digital

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Timothy Burke

As a way of tackling both the question “whither the humanities” and the thorny issue of defining “digital humanities” in relationship to that question, I’ll offer this: maybe one strategy is to talk about what can make intellectual work humane. … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Defining "Liberal Arts", Digital Humanities, Oh Not Again He's Going to Tell Us It's a Complex System | 3 Comments

On the Clery Act Complaint

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Timothy Burke

I didn’t support the campaign to have fraternities restricted or banned at Swarthmore, largely for reasons I articulated earlier this academic year. I do support the students who’ve filed a Clery Act and Title IX complaint against Swarthmore, and similar … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Swarthmore | 36 Comments

Scan Here For More Information

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Timothy Burke

We still have a Saturn that we bought brand-new not too long after the company began manufacturing. At 130,000 miles, it’s not exactly going strong, but it’s been a good car. I have to admit that we bought it as … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 7 Comments

Outside the Classroom

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Timothy Burke

One of the questions about “ethical pedagogy” that I keep circling around, as long-time readers of this blog know, is what kinds of teaching or engagement faculty should pursue with students beyond formal courses. It is a cliche to say … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Swarthmore | 17 Comments

Stagnation

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Timothy Burke

By now, I think everyone knows that the new Sim City is a flaming car wreck, the gaming equivalent of Ishtar or Hudson Hawk, the kind of misfire that raises serious questions about its corporate creator and the entire industry. … Continue reading →

Posted in Games and Gaming | 3 Comments

If It Gets you Tang, Space Foodsticks and Miniaturization, Then Go Ahead and Fly to the MOOc

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Timothy Burke

So I remain firmly in the camp of people grumpy about the hype over MOOCs. Not so much about the reality of MOOCs, which is something that most of the hypesters remain defiantly unacquainted with. Digitization in higher education has … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Information Technology and Information Literacy | 5 Comments

“Our Rate Even for Original, Reported Stories is $100″

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Timothy Burke

About two years after I’d started blogging, a journalist friend of mine gently needled me about what I was doing. “You’re going to put us all out of business if you keep giving away all that stuff for free,” he … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Information Technology and Information Literacy, Intellectual Property | 8 Comments

Digital Learning Is Like a Snow Leopard (Real, Beautiful, Rare and Maybe To Be Outdated by a New Operating System)

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Timothy Burke

Maybe it’s just because it’s my obsession of the moment, but the digital camera strikes me as the single greatest example of a new “disruptive” technology that permits a fundamentally new kind of learning experience. However, precisely because digital photography … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Digital Humanities, Information Technology and Information Literacy | 1 Comment

A Different Diversity

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Timothy Burke

Following on Carl Edgar Blake II’s description of his abilities, let’s go back to the question of whether faculty in higher education ought to have doctorates, whether doctoral study in some form roughly resembling its present structure is the best … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Defining "Liberal Arts", Generalist's Work, Swarthmore | 2 Comments