When I taught in the classroom I taped a sign to the board: “If you think of it before you act, it’s a reason. If you think of it afterward, it’s an excuse.” This last weekend I completed my fourth Ironman triathlon in the last two years. I had reasons. No excuses. On one hand, these events seem goofy and selfish. I bought a bunch of gear and spent months training just to spend an entire day swimming, bicycling, and running. On the other hand, training has made my life better in all sorts of ...

Last week I met a futurist for coffee. She didn’t tell me I’d be writing this article, but her observations about distraction and the social engineering challenges that compromise cybersecurity definitely influenced my thinking. What I noticed at first was how fast she talked. I’m a fast talker too, but she was REALLY fast. I tried to keep up but I kept falling behind, like Lucy at the chocolate factory. After about 20 minutes I took a step back from the easel to observe the whole scene. Sudd...

Last week the executive branch of the federal government moved to dismantle the Department of Education, while simultaneously using the Department of Education to launch DEI investigations of some college campuses and withhold funding from others. It got me thinking. Letter for letter, NO may be one of the most powerful words in the English language. (There are other great candidates. You can’t beat “I” for efficiency, ego, or Cartesian duality, but today I’m thinking about communication betw...

We have to figure out ways to get along. We have to demand accurate information. We have to take our lives and decisions back and remember that we are the heroes of our own stories. Health first. We have to get better.

Fourteen years ago today, Ryo Kanouya’s boss told him to go home: “By the time I got to my house, which was about one km [.5 miles] away from the coast, the time that the tsunami was supposed to hit had already passed. I looked outside toward the ocean through a window and I saw something like smoke rolling over the trees planted along the coast to stop sand coming from the beach. I wondered if it was fire. But it was spray of the tsunami wave.” Kanouya’s lived in Namie, just a few minutes no...

We need a place to exchange those ideas and questions, to help each other through a difficult time that promises to get worse before it gets better. 

Happy Tuesday, on Wednesday! I’ve spent the last few days in St. Louis at the EdPlus Innovate Conference, where I gave a keynote, hosted four workshops, gave a morning “drive time” pep talk, did two book signing sessions, and sat for four podcast interviews. (Special shout out to Hunter, Cohen, and Oliver, who I believe are the youngest podcast hosts in the country, and to podcast interviewer Chloe from Lindenwood University, who was one of the most present, attentive listeners and conversati...

This week’s title has nothing to do with Judy Garland, Christmas musicals, or the World’s Fair. Next week (Feb 22-26) I’ll be in St. Louis to give a keynote speech and host Open-Source Learning workshops at the EdPlus Innovate Conference. I’ve never been to St. Louis and I love exploring, especially with friends I never see because they’re somewhere in the midwest – so if you’re in the area or if you have any recommendations please let me know! Here is my itinerary so far: I get in Saturday n...

As Salman Rushdie once observed, “A poet's work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep.” I can’t think of too many authors who did all that better than Tom Robbins. Tom, I’m glad you lived, and I’m sorry to hear you died. I know – 92 is a fair age and it’s not really my business. Memento mori and stuff. I just liked knowing there was someone on the planet who saw right through it all, who somehow combined exte...

It turns out that caring is our nature, and — even though it may not always feel good in the moment — it’s actually good for us.