Ruby on Rails for Girls

I attended an Atlantic Live event in Washington, DC that showcased fresh ideas in education and technology.  Ruby on Rails, the web application + programming language, kept being discussed and touted as what to know for the 21st century.

It didn't seem like Ruby was the what to know, but the basic idea that we all - man, woman and child - should understand coding and web application creation.  It is the 21st century, right?

I'm thinking if I'm going to learn Ruby on Rails then I want to bring the Rails Girls to my college. Why not make this an empowering event, slightly social, and be life changing?

Yes?

Jen

Teaching Adult Learners

I teach an online and hybrid class for professors, adjuncts, corporate trainers and other kindred spirits called, Teaching Adult Learners.  Just as it sounds, it is all about how adults learn, how to engage adults in learning, and tips & tricks to woo them over.

Either come join me for the class at my college or please help me curate more adult learning pins for my Pinterest boards.

....Although I selfishly hope you enroll in the class.  I want to squeeze see you in person.

Join me,
Jen

Serious String Art

I have a thing for string art as you know from this post and DIY project.  This Australian artist, Dominique Falla, takes this genre to an all new level.

Check out her installation for an apartment (!) "The Loom" photographed above.   Or watch this video of her making a corporate piece.

I'm in love with her work.  Where would you put string art?  What would it say or look like?

Jen

Hiking the Rim to Rim Trail

A great friend of Upcycled Education, Dr. Irwin, is soon-to-be hiking the Rim to Rim Trail of the Grand Canyon.  Have you ever hiked that trail?  You basically start on one rim of the Grand Canyon and hike to the other rim.  Cool, isn't it?

Over a decade ago, when teaching on the Navajo Nation at the coolest high school ever, a group of friends and I hiked the Rim to Rim Trail.  It took us 13 hours to complete.  We hiked from 6pm to 7am.  My group started on the South Rim.  The other group started on the North Rim.  And when we crossed paths, we traded car keys (that way we all had a ride home and didn't have to shuttle cars or pay for a shuttle).

Since we hiked all through the night in October during a full moon, we didn't need to bring anything else with us except for snacks, water, a first aid kit and some light clothing (although we watched the weather report and there wasn't a chance of rain or snow; it is high elevation, you know).

I've done a ton of hiking, in my time, all over the world.  The Rim to Rim Trail is probably one of my favorites.  Plus, how often do you get to say, yes, I hiked the entire Grand Canyon from rim to rim in one night?

Enjoy the hike, Dr. I.  I know you are going to love the solitude and experience.

xo,

Jen

PS - As I was researching this topic, I came across the photo above from Backpacker Magazine and this video of their Rim to Rim to Rim hike.  Wild!

Whose vs. Who's

After writing a post over a week ago, I Googled whose vs. who's.  I think I learned something new or relearned something I forgot.

This post does a lovely job of clearing the confusion in my mind of when to use "whose" and when to use "who's."  I'm simplifying the difference to this:  whose always shows an element of possession.

Hope it helps you, too, although you probably already knew the difference between the two, didn't you?

Smart, grammarian, blog reader - ha!

Jen