Friends and family have asked me about ChatGPT, and it has been a topic of conversation amongst colleagues. I thought I would asked ChatGPT some questions that a student may ask for a history assignment, and grade the program's responses. Questions in Bold. Answers in Italics. I would like a short essay comparing how King … Continue reading Doing History Questions with ChatGPT
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“I [Have], with God’s Help”: Making Sense of My Time with a Cult, Part II
Friedrich, Caspar David. Wanderer above the Sea of Fog. c 1817. Dear Friends, For deeply personal reasons which I have alluded, it has been a struggle to maintain this blog with the regularity I desire and the enthusiasm with which I started. Still, I have news to share. I have completed my degree program in social … Continue reading “I [Have], with God’s Help”: Making Sense of My Time with a Cult, Part II
Not everyone goes to Harvard: Education is an investment, not a product.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/us/nyu-organic-chemistry-petition.html Stephanie Saul reports in this New York Times article: "In the field of organic chemistry, Maitland Jones Jr. has a storied reputation. He taught the subject for decades, first at Princeton and then at New York University, and wrote an influential textbook. He received awards for his teaching, as well as recognition as one … Continue reading Not everyone goes to Harvard: Education is an investment, not a product.
What Selling My Beloved Camera Taught Me
This is me at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Kennebunkport, Maine in the Summer of 2020. My annual summer visits to Maine have been a family tradition since I was baby, and for generations before, but this summer was much anticipated with just my daughter and I. With me is my camera which … Continue reading What Selling My Beloved Camera Taught Me
My Egypt Mills Project
My interest in the abandoned village of Egypt Mills began when family history research led me to look for the Valley View, or Swartwood, Cemetery not far down the road on Route 209 in Bushkill, Lehman Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania. According to information provided by the National Park Service, the land was settled in the … Continue reading My Egypt Mills Project
Swartwood Cemetery
https://youtu.be/efin7VCNaqA It's a pretty easy process to add something to Google Maps but it can be rather difficult to demonstrate some random spot in the woods is a place of some significance. It is with some sense of pride and accomplishment that I have added Swartwood Cemetery back on the map. This cemetery had long … Continue reading Swartwood Cemetery
Easter in the Era of BLM
While attending church services the Sunday after Easter, also known as the Second Easter Sunday, I heard what was common for such on occasion and that was a sermon rooted in the New Testament story of doubting Thomas. My pastor stated in his sermon that Thomas was the only one to whom Jesus revealed himself … Continue reading Easter in the Era of BLM
Multicultural and Anti-Racist Resources
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB62LK9DwZr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Hello! As a history and social studies teacher at a private high school, I help young people understand the evolution of the human consciousness and how to make sense of difficult questions of living in the social world. I help students with the "hard yoga" -- the flex-work, strengthening and breathing -- of living … Continue reading Multicultural and Anti-Racist Resources
How My Family Helped Me Break Into the Ivy League (The Short Version)
This piece is as much reflections on my education as a continuing graduate student as well as my role as a history and social studies teacher at an independent high school. Scandals like last year's Operation Varsity Blues bring to the fore the role of socioeconomic status and inequality at elite institutions of higher learning. … Continue reading How My Family Helped Me Break Into the Ivy League (The Short Version)
Bear McDonald 