All posts by Bill Genereux
Guess the Decade
I’m still ruminating about the question “Why do you like this old-ass music?” that was asked of me by an anonymous, faceless person on Zoom this week in our Mastering Academics Conversations class. Obviously, they still have a lot to learn about academic conversations and I still have a lot to learn about conducting online classes that permit anonymity.
We were playing a Kahoot game together online “Guess the Decade of this Song.” I prepared a list of 80+ songs to share with students, but with only an hour to play, I whittled it down to 40 hit songs of the 1940s thru the 1990s. Play a song excerpt, guess the decade and Kahoot keeps score. A fun concept but perhaps a bit long taking up the better part of an hour.
I woke up thinking about the question this morning. I have thought of so many better answers for that guy than what I came up with at the time. That’s how it usually goes.
The fact that it is the music of my mom and my grandparents, who are no longer with us is a big factor in the music I shared. Also, it is the music I learned about and shared with good friends I no longer get to see. This is something a young person likely has to learn much about.
We used to share our culture. We used to experience things like music and shows together. We no longer do that. We are now electronic narcissists, calling up the music of our heart’s desire whenever and wherever we want. And we don’t have to ask if anyone else likes it too or if they want to share it with us. It’s for me, me, me!
I learned about a lot of good music from my older “brothers” in the service. Generations overlapped there. So much of the music I shared came from an appreciation developed by me from people older than me who knew more than me. I was just passing it on to students for their consideration.
So if somebody wants to play “Guess the Decade of the Song” with me sometime, hit me up. I still have it ready to go.
Fall 2020 Diversity Film Series – With Dr. Onalee McGraw
The K-State Polytechnic Campus SGA (Student Government Assn.) and the COT 105 Mastering Academic Conversations class proudly present the Fall 2020 Diversity Film Series. Three excellent classic films have been chosen that are still relevant to our turbulent times.
For three consecutive weeks in late October and early November, we will be viewing and discussing a different film with classic film expert and author Dr. Onalee McGraw. Dr. McGraw has been leading discussions related to diversity with young people for many years. She was personally involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
We have several viewing options available to participants, including an online watch party on Monday evenings at 7 pm, a digital download (for students), or watching the films online through a paid streaming service.
For more information about these films and to register for the discussion sessions, please follow the links below.
- Register for the No Way Out film discussion October 28th
- Register for the A Raisin in the Sun film discussion November 4th
- Register for the Remember the Titans film discussion November 11th
Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans: Liberty and Justice for All –
A Classic Film Series with Dr. Onalee McGraw
Come join us in a night of online learning with Dr. Onalee McGraw.
What: An interactive discussion with Dr. McGraw about the film Remember the Titans (links to Amazon Rental for $2.99).
When: Wednesday, November 11, 2020 – 7 pm Central (for 1 hr)
Where: Via Zoom Meeting Room (Register below to receive instructions and access)
Why: “To explore together the mysteries of our human condition and the longings of the human heart with one of the greatest of the films of Classic Hollywood.” – Dr. Onalee McGraw
Dr. Onalee McGraw is Director of the Educational Guidance Institute, which helps instructors use classic films to present universal truths about Character, Virtue, Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. In the 1980s, Dr. McGraw was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the National Council on Educational Research. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from Georgetown University.
Dr. McGraw appeared on Turner Classic Movies as a guest programmer for the film, 12 Angry Men. We are so very honored to have access to her wisdom in these uncertain times.
Join us on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at 7 pm central time. To be sent details about accessing this unique opportunity for learning, please register below. Don’t delay, space is limited! For the best experience, be sure to view the film Remember the Titans (2000)prior to attending.
No Way Out: An Evening With Dr. Onalee McGraw
No Way Out: Liberty and Justice for All –
A Classic Film Series with Dr. Onalee McGraw
Come join us in a night of online learning with Dr. Onalee McGraw.
What: An interactive discussion with Dr. McGraw about the film No Way Out (links to full film on YouTube).
When: Wednesday, October 28, 2020 – 7 pm Central (for 1 hr)
Where: Via Zoom Meeting Room (Register below to receive instructions and access)
Why: “To explore together the mysteries of our human condition and the longings of the human heart with one of the greatest of the films of Classic Hollywood.” – Dr. Onalee McGraw
Dr. Onalee McGraw is Director of the Educational Guidance Institute, which helps instructors use classic films to present universal truths about Character, Virtue, Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. In the 1980s, Dr. McGraw was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the National Council on Educational Research. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from Georgetown University.
Dr. McGraw appeared on Turner Classic Movies as a guest programmer for the film, 12 Angry Men. We are so very honored to have access to her wisdom in these uncertain times.
Join us on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 7 pm central time. To be sent details about accessing this unique opportunity for learning, please register below. Don’t delay, space is limited! For the best experience, be sure to view the film No Way Out (1950)prior to attending.
A Raisin in the Sun: An Evening with Dr. Onalee McGraw
A Raisin in the Sun
A Raisin in the Sun: Liberty and Justice for All –
A Classic Film Series with Dr. Onalee McGraw
Come join us in a night of online learning with Dr. Onalee McGraw.
What: An interactive discussion with Dr. McGraw about the film A Raisin in the Sun (links to Amazon Rental for $2.99).
When: Wednesday, November 4, 2020 – 7 pm Central (for 1 hr)
Where: Via Zoom Meeting Room (Register below to receive instructions and access)
Why: “To explore together the mysteries of our human condition and the longings of the human heart with one of the greatest of the films of Classic Hollywood.” – Dr. Onalee McGraw
Dr. Onalee McGraw is Director of the Educational Guidance Institute, which helps instructors use classic films to present universal truths about Character, Virtue, Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. In the 1980s, Dr. McGraw was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the National Council on Educational Research. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from Georgetown University.
Dr. McGraw appeared on Turner Classic Movies as a guest programmer for the film, 12 Angry Men. We are so very honored to have access to her wisdom in these uncertain times.
Join us on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at 7 pm central time. To be sent details about accessing this unique opportunity for learning, please register below. Don’t delay, space is limited! For the best experience, be sure to view the film A Raisin in the Sun (1961)prior to attending.
Teaching in the Pandemic- Part 1
Yesterday was fun. I brought a nice lunch from home but because it takes me 15-20 minutes to set up for my “hybrid” class in which people can come face to face or attend by Zoom videochat, I didn’t have a lot of time to eat.
Then, I hurried off to my classroom and was nearly there when I realized my mask was still on my desk in my office next to my half eaten cup of soup. There went my planned head start I needed to get my tech set up! When I finally made it to the classroom with appropriate PPE in place, I was winded, a little dizzy, and couldn’t see anything because my glasses had fogged over.
Neighbor Lady
Made some more pictures this weekend.
Google Doodle Rabbit Hole
You never know where you will end up in your explorations of the World Wide Web. This morning I happened upon this Google Doodle about Jackie Ormes.
I don’t usually see the Google Doodles since the Chrome browser itself acts as an interface to Google, but this morning I happened to catch a glimpse of this doodle and it caught my attention because of its comics theme. After scrolling through the illustrations, I clicked through to read more since I didn’t recognize the artist who was featured, Jackie Ormes.
After reading Google’s write-up, I decided to do some quick exploration on the web to see some more of Ormes’ work. It wasn’t long before I found The Ohio State University’s blog about cartooning. This Jackie Ormes was truly a groundbreaker.
But as it turns out, so is Liz Montague who drew the Google Doodle that captured my interest. She’s a young cartoonist from Philly who also happens to be the first African-American woman to have a cartoon published in The New Yorker. That’s really cool!
What I enjoyed most about watching Ms. Montague’s bio video above is how she uses various forms of digital media to do her creative work and how she was able to become a groundbreaker herself through persistence and practice.
New Graphic Syllabus
I made a new graphic syllabus for the COT 105 Mastering Academic Conversations class. I’ve added the download link on my Graphic Syllabi Page.