Coral Sheldon-Hess – Tech teacher, data geek, maker, bird nerd

Slack-like tools in the online classroom

a stack of books next to a laptop with a stylized version of Slack visible on it

Slack-like tools in the online classroom

Published by Coral Sheldon-Hess on March 30, 2021

A Slack-type tool fills in a really important gap in student-student and student-professor communication. Without something Slack-like, your choices for communication are the learning management system (LMS) discussion boards or email. I think it’s uncontroversial to say we all hate LMS discussion boards. … As for email, I’ll go out on a limb and say that I suspect most professors do not enjoy answering multiple versions of the same question over and over, one by one, especially when they have to choose between knowing in their hearts that some students aren’t asking and won’t know, versus making yet another LMS announcement to address any given issue.

The Online Unconference of Niche Interests

a wood pile, stacked in such a way that it looks like an owl in flight

The Online Unconference of Niche Interests

Published by Coral Sheldon-Hess on November 27, 2020

If you’re looking for a fun and educational thing to do this weekend, you might consider attending the second quarterly(??) Online Unconference of Niche Interests (“OUNI” for short), scheduled to run from 2pm until a bit after 5pm Eastern Standard Time, this Sunday, November 29. We have a set of volunteer presenters who will each talk for up to 15 minutes about a niche topic they’re into.

What I’m telling family about COVID-19

What I’m telling family about COVID-19

Published by Coral Sheldon-Hess on June 16, 2020

A family member asked me to tell them about COVID-19. It was a general question, which I chose to interpret as “how does transmission work, and what is the real risk?” This is what I said. As I told them, I’m not a biologist of any sort, and I will accept corrections (both from people who are biologists and from those who can cite sources), of course. Both this person and I have autoimmune issues, so I take that as a given in this post.

What I’ve been up to during all this

a screen capture from the game animal crossing

What I’ve been up to during all this

Published by Coral Sheldon-Hess on April 24, 2020

How my household is doing Perhaps the best place to start writing about what I’ve been up to is to be really clear: I’m OK, and, at least for now, so are my loved ones. My spouse and I are both incredibly lucky to have jobs that can be done…

Get that bread

some bread on a cutting board, cut open and looking tasty

Get that bread

Published by Coral Sheldon-Hess on February 24, 2020

I want to tell you about my take on the New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day recipe. The things I have to add to the discussion: 1) a couple of hacks for people who, like me, do not have a kitchen fan that vents outdoors (I promise I’ll explain why this matters) and who like at least a little bit of whole grain in their bread, plus 2) photos of some of the steps they don’t show as clearly in the book. I’m still experimenting (always!), but I have a base recipe/approach that I like and that I think is good enough to share.

2019 year-end post

A table in front of a window at night. On the table there is a laptop, three bird cages with four birds in them, a small live spruce tree with lights, a coffee cup, and various detritus that comes with moving.

2019 year-end post

Published by Coral Sheldon-Hess on December 26, 2019

We’re rapidly approaching the time for the traditional year-end post, which I’ve been known to skip in recent years—I had a run of several really rough years, there. While 2019 wasn’t without personal challenges and setbacks (and a whole lot of frightening developments in the US and abroad), it brought…

Belated update

Belated update

Published by Coral Sheldon-Hess on October 9, 2019

Right now I should be grading or preparing for classes, but honestly I’m three blog posts behind where I wanted to be by now (I haven’t forgotten my WisCon promise to make a post about tabletop roleplaying games) and fighting a pretty nasty headache. So what if I take a…

Doing Data Things

Doing Data Things

Published by Coral Sheldon-Hess on December 12, 2018

TLDR: I took two classes this semester, and I’m going to teach at least one, probably 1.5, classes next semester. I’m super psyched about it. I’ll still work for the library where I’m an adjunct, too, but fewer hours per week. I’m still available for full-time hire, if you have data for me to work with.

2018

2018

Published by Coral Sheldon-Hess on December 31, 2017

I usually do a year-end post. That’s not happening in 2017. This year took so much from me, and from people I care about, that I refuse to write about it. But I’d like to write about 2018. Not “resolutions” so much as “plans and goals”—and maybe not even those…

A librarian again

Sign Post Forest - another attempt to show how huge it is

A librarian again

Published by Coral Sheldon-Hess on October 9, 2017

Over the past few years, I’ve come to dread the “what do you do?” question, because what people generally mean is “where do you work?” And it’s awkward when you can’t have that conversation the way they expect.

Coral Sheldon-Hess Posts