It was three years ago today that UW President Ana Mari Cauce sent this email: The Friday morning message called for emergency remote teaching by the very next workday. The speed of the transition was dizzying. I was on a writing retreat at Pack Forest with a handful of my Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences colleagues.Continue reading “March 6 Day 1093: Where Were You?”
Category Archives: Pandemic
December 31 Day 1028: Here’s to 2022
The last day of the year brings reflections on the past and hopes for the future. It was a good year with a rough start and a whirlwind finish. The delta and omicron strains of COVID required pivoting from our plans for a return to normal. But by summer, travel was back in full forceContinue reading “December 31 Day 1028: Here’s to 2022”
June 30 Day 844: This Is The Way to Travel
I have absolutely no complaints about our adventures in the Netherlands. We are in Leiden because of connections that Mark has in science and Ariane Briegel and Dennis Claessen are taking fantastic care of us. We got to observe a PhD defense today (mostly in Dutch) in an old university building. The examination committee woreContinue reading “June 30 Day 844: This Is The Way to Travel”
April 19 Day 772: Behind Blue Eyes
I have been able to function all day after having received my fourth COVID vaccination yesterday. I’ve been nursing a headache behind my left eye and have a mild fever. That seems par for the course. Inconvenience now for enhanced protection later. I have worked from the office all day. There is one more 45Continue reading “April 19 Day 772: Behind Blue Eyes”
April 18 Day 771: Boosted Again
Hoping this booster goes easier than the last. It’s been 8 hours and so far so good. My arm is sore and I feel sluggish. So I’m going to hit the hay early and get lots of rest. Wouldn’t it be lovely if this were the last?
March 9 Day 731: Where Were You?
Are you aware that for me, this is the first day of the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Where were you two years ago today? I was teaching my first class of the pandemic. (March 9 Day 1: Where Were the Students?) It was a Monday and UW Chancellor Ana Mari Cauce called forContinue reading “March 9 Day 731: Where Were You?”
February 11 Day 705: Pandemic Learning
I noticed something the other day. In class, when students didn’t know how to solve a problem, the first thing they did was Google it. I had set up working groups with a mixture of in-person and remote participants. Computers were open for communication. I purposefully gave only one copy of the activity to eachContinue reading “February 11 Day 705: Pandemic Learning”
February 8 Day 702: Oral Midterms Again
It’s midterm time and that means a day administering oral interviews. It’s a small class (only 16 students) and I scheduled them all for one day. Today. They started at 9 am and ended at 7 pm. The process hasn’t changed. The questions are variations on previous themes. It really shouldn’t have seemed much differentContinue reading “February 8 Day 702: Oral Midterms Again”
February 5 Day 699: Catching My Breath
I pushed myself pretty hard last week—working into the wee hours of the morning, sleeping a handful of hours, and starting the cycle all over again. It definitely took a toll on my blog productivity. To the point that my friend Allison and I had this exchange: The urgent commitments have been met and IContinue reading “February 5 Day 699: Catching My Breath”
January 25 Day 688: In-person Attendance Woes
One week ago today: I had seven students in the classroom and eight students online. This was the first day I offered in-person classes (and third week of the quarter.) I figured it would get better. Today: I had two students in the classroom and twelve online. That’s not better. One week from today: TheContinue reading “January 25 Day 688: In-person Attendance Woes”
Math in the Time of Corona 