Mapping New Directions for the Writings of Curious David: Winding Up or Winding Down?

Now that I’ve returned to writing this blog with some regularity, I’ve begun to have a sense of the directions I hope to take it—or it to take me. My present thoughts are to write more regularly, to do more collaborative writing with students (my students write so well—here are Arianna’s thoughts on “engagement”), and occasionally to write a lengthy Chronicle of Higher Education or New York Times quality thought piece (such as a response to this interesting survey about “faculty engagement“).

I have just finished rereading Janet Majure’s wonderful Teach Yourself Visually WordPress, and have benefited much from studying online WordPress instructional resources.   Consequently, I feel I now have an ability to master and manage this WordPress.com blogging software.

Some of my most creative bursts of ideas are engendered after extensive manual labor cutting grass, chain-sawing, picking apples, walking the dog and being engaged in other outdoor physical or recreational activity at North Lake.I’m thinking that one distinct thread of writing I want to explore will deal with technology applications to higher education. Another will have the theme of “David in Carroll Land” (perhaps co-authored with invited students, alumni, or other members of the Carroll family). A third will deal with whatever comes to mind (as has been in the past). A fourth focus will deal with contemporary or local issues, and a fifth will just be intended to provoke thinking—perhaps though parody.

I welcome any reader feedback about these new directions. Am I being too ambitious? Will I have any readers? Is this a positive direction to go—or is it, in fact, directionless?

Blogs post topics  that I’ve been considering writing about in the near future include:

• How can students best be served by academic advising?
• My last lecture (things I would finally say)
• Thank you, Diederik Stapel, for the lessons you taught me by your dishonesty.
• Global Education
• My most (in)formative learning experiences
• Lessons learned from my dogs
• (Oh) Dear Carroll Alumni
• On Immortality
• Time
• How technology distances/enables/empowers/enslaves us
• Reaching out, reaching within
• How to kill a college
• Loss of innocence
• Kindness
• The psychology of … (curiosity, religion)
• Why I don’t give a Twit
• Where do writing ideas come from?
• What I wanna be when I grow up?
• Distinguishing Science from Pseudo Science
• Language—Leaving no Rosetta stone unturned
• What is meant by “engaged: faculty and students?

Which of these, dear reader would you like to see and, hopefully, discuss? I welcome your input, encouragement, and assistance.