The video above is from a 2014 panel group discussion I participated in on the subject of evaluating online instruction. I went back to look at the video after all of this time because college administrators recently featured in the news have mentioned the difficultly schools are having in shifting to a distance learning modality. We are three weeks into this semester and the one thing that I have realized about how High Education has responded to the COVID-19 impact on face to face instruction, is that we should have been better prepared.
Continue reading “Online teaching? We should have been better prepared.”The Digital Divide and Open Source Software
At the beginning of every semester I help students prepare for their ongoing coursework by pointing them towards open source software and low cost equipment which they can use to build and create digital content.
Continue reading “The Digital Divide and Open Source Software”Unpacking the Black Panther
I suspect that like many people, I found myself rewatching the Black Panther over the weekend in the wake of the death of Chadwick Boseman. I find myself still impressed by the thought which went into developing this film. The combination of the superhero and afro-futurism genres was, and still is, a unique bit of filmmaking.
Continue reading “Unpacking the Black Panther”Finally celebrating Juneteenth!
It’s no accident that:
You learned about Helen Keller instead of W.E.B. DuBois.
You learned about the Watts and L.A. Riots, but not the Tulsa or Wilmington massacres.
You learned that George Washington’s dentures were made from wood, rather than the teeth from slaves.
You learned about black ghettos, but not about Black Wall Street.
You learned about the New Deal, but not “red lining.”
You learned about Tommie Smith’s fist in the air at the 1968 Olympics, but not that he was sent home the next day and stripped of his medals.
You learned about “black crime,” but white criminals were never lumped together and discussed in terms of their race.
You learned about “states rights” as the cause of the Civil War, but not that slavery was mentioned 80 times in the articles of secession.
Privilege is having history rewritten so that you don’t have to acknowledge uncomfortable facts.
Racism is perpetuated by people who refuse to learn or acknowledge this reality.
You have a choice.
Project Empathy: A Mile in their Shoes
My name is James Richardson and I am currently putting together a video series detailing the lived experiences of African-Americans and other marginalized groups at this point in American history. The larger context of the project will be to directly address the racial empathy gap that helps support structures of institutional discrimination and that overwhelming impacts African-Americans and other marginalized groups in harmful and devastating ways. It is this racial empathy gap that helps to explain inequalities in everything from healthcare outcomes to disparate sentencing in the criminal justice system.
The video interviews will be conducted over Zoom or Skype and will be recorded for release over YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. If you are interested in being interviewed for the Project Empathy video series, please fill out and submit the following contact form.
https://forms.gle/cBLkLVerE9zyFos16
Questioned by NYPD, suspected of trying to steal my own car
Guess who almost got their catalytic converter stolen at 1:30am this morning while damn near in their draws, thus prompting a visit from the NYPD? Go ahead, bet ya can’t guess. Also, I bet ya can’t guess whose car is going in the garage tomorrow! Go ahead, bet ya can’t guess.
Continue reading “Questioned by NYPD, suspected of trying to steal my own car”I don’t understand all the Zoom hate.
During this Corona inspired lockdown Saturday is turning into my dedicated Zoom day. In the afternoon I virtually connect with some of my Krav Maga friends for a weekly brunch get together. This has been going on for a couple of weeks now. However today my cousins decided to do something similar for the family. We had a virtual Birthday party for our Cousin Brooke!
Since we are spread out all across different states it was fantastic to connect up even if it is only through Zoom. And while it is not the same as physically meeting up, the technology is truly the next best thing to being there. However next time we will make sure that we connect with the Zoom premium version so that we can talk longer than 40 minutes. And yeah, we can be a little cheap.
Saturday Zoom Brunch
Even people who know me would be surprised to find out that I have a serious love hate relationship with technology. The constant need to stay up to date created by new equipment apps and languages can be overwhelming and tiring. How it is the same constant process of development, and the ways in which these new tools impact our lives, that I also love.
It blows my mind how easy it is for 10 friends in different parts of the city, country, and globe to get together on a Saturday afternoon.
Podcast Studio Setup
You can get decent picture and video quality from a standard webcam. You just have to spend some time lighting it correctly and playing with the settings. Here I am using the Logitech C930e and running it through OBS. At 1080p it is comparable to my DSLR in my small space. If it wasn’t so difficult right now to find decent webcams, I would pick up one or two more for a multi-camera setup. However because of the Corona infused lockdown webcams are almost as valuable as toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Cameras that cost 50 bucks a few months back can now running as high as 300 dollars.
Continue reading “Podcast Studio Setup”Podcast Relaunch Planning
With the increasing need for distance education and video conferencing, I decided to work on improving my home setup. I recorded a video test for a new podcast I am going to launch later this month. Lord knows I have the time now.
Continue reading “Podcast Relaunch Planning”