James P. Burke

:monkey: Escort Mission Game :guardsman: I teach a game creation class at the high school, and one of the platforms we use is Microsoft MakeCode Arcade. I’ve written about it before. Students have really enjoyed this platform, especially thi...

"This game started as a test to answer my student’s question about what to do in multiplayer games when all players share the same screen. [...] MakeCode allows four players to be on different devices, but they still see the same screen."

jamespburke.com/blog/post-mo...

This thread analyzes NSF’s budget request. Heartbreaking and appalling.

One Thing About Me and Indigestible Fat A couple of years back there was a trend in short videos. People were rapping over an instrumental version of a Nicki Minaj song1. The first lyric of these raps would be “one thing about me” and folks...

A funny story from my past and some observations about generative AI.

jamespburke.com/blog/post-on...

Pancakes of the Past and Future Click for larger, complete images. Way back when my girls were little I wrote this recipe down for simple pancakes. I think I got the original recipe out of an Andy Griffith Show-themed cookbook...

Pancakes of the Past and Future jamespburke.com/blog/post-pa...

Goslings in the grass

Goslings in the grass

Goslings in the grass with either Mom or Dad.

I reject his statement outright for sneakily introducing the invalid concept of degrees of being an American. Every American is just as American as every other American. The situation is meaningless. Miller wants a hierarchy of Americanism according to a corrupt authority.

Why Computer Science Matters Now Teaching the Future: Why Computer Science Matters Now In my classrooms, in my school, in my town, and beyond, challenges have been pressing in from every direction. Yet amid the difficulties, there h...

Why Computer Science Matters Now jamespburke.com/blog/post-wh...

As the school year winds down, I reflect on why I believe this work matters more than ever. It’s vital for our students to become problem-solvers, creators, and innovators — not in the future but right in our classrooms every day.

I THOUGHT WE HAD A DEAL

Movie you’ve watched more than six times using gifs.

(“Hard mode” no Star Wars, Star Trek, or LOTR)

The Dallas ICE office is involved in a mass removal effort targeting nearly 200 people — many without removal orders — scheduled to be deported to El Salvador today.

This is not just cruel – it is lawless. I refuse to stay quiet while families are being torn apart, and lives are being put at risk.

Reposting this because I know there are Micro:bit wizards out there who have had to deal with this. The hot glue thing is messy. What do you do with your microbits and students? #microbit #edusky

I won’t share RFK Jr.’s lies about autism.

It’s disgusting and dangerous.

If he had a shred of decency, he would apologize and resign.

Autistic people contribute every day to our nation’s greatness.

To every kid with autism, I’m in this fight all the way for you.

One weakness of Micro:bits I keep encountering is in the power packs. Just the weight of the batteries in normal use can pull the wires out of either end, interrupting my students' work. I am using hot glue to try to solve the problem. Do you have a good solution?

Who’s in charge here? The erosion of authority in schools - The Educators Room The erosion of = authority in society has profoundly impacted classroom dynamics, leaving teachers struggling to manage student behavior.

This article is long on listing "how we got here" but it did eventually get to a point considering practices that build a sense of community and shared purpose. What are your good links for classroom culture-building?

theeducatorsroom.com/whos-in-char...

I found this piece very insightful about teacher preparation for computer science education. Especially the part about a focus on understanding *why* the fundamental concepts are important. I believe it's important pedagogical content knowledge.

YouTube video by Alison Krauss Alison Krauss & Union Station - Granite Mills (Official Lyric Video)

I found out today that Alison Krauss & Union Station have a new album, and it features a song about the city where I was born: Fall River, MA. Who could imagine a song like this could be relevant again as Florida considers a return to child labor?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nUx...

What's the sweet part, I wonder.

Ahh, to return to a time when pictures weren't artificial!

Kaput Center for Research & Innovation in STEM Education - UMassD Gives The Kaput Center is an interdisciplinary research space dedicated to addressing fundamental problems in STEM education through various activities and initiatives. These include conferences, interdisci...

Please consider supporting STEAM education by donating to the Kaput Center during UMassD Gives tomorrow. Our STEM4Girls day serves hundreds of middle school girls every year, sparking their innate curiosity and creativity.

corsairchallenge.umassd.edu/campaigns/ka...

I have a good deal of curriculum to draw from, but I bet you know some activities and projects that are better than some of the ones I've seen

Not an Egg Drop Challenge Not an Egg Drop Challenge is an interdisciplinary project between Physics and Environmental Sustainability (ES). This activity allowed students to combine their knowledge of water footprint, carbon em...

Call for curriculum. I'm planning an engineering class for next year and I LOVE this activity. If you know of any with similar values and value for students, please let me know about them. tryengineering.org/tryengineeri...

What an... uh... unique opportunity.

I baked this weekend without a recipe, instead using the recipe in my head and aiming for a specific hydration target, and it worked out nicely. So I wrote out what I did. jamespburke.com/blog/sourdou...
#breadsky

There's some sound that does that for me as well. I can't recall what it is, though. But it weirds me out every time.

Aw. You shared my meme. ❤️

Micro:bit peeps, is there a vendor you use for equipment for building with Micro:bits (like servos and such)? One that is used to taking P.O.s from a school district? #microbits #csforall

Sounds like a winner.

Fact Check: Satirical Post About 'Gender Critical Feminists' In 'Serious Altercation' In Public Bathroom Goes Viral Again -- Transgender Fight NOT Real | Lead Stories Did a story about two "gender critical feminists" being treated in hospital after a "serious altercation" in a public bathroom...

So, a TERF war, then?

Also, just in case someone believes it:

leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2...

Drow Facts is Back That’s right, the Drow Facts webapp is back. There’s a story behind this. Here’s the short version. The DrowFacts Project is something I threw together in basically a weekend’s time after doing some t...

A blog post with a bit of an explanation.

jamespburke.com/blog/post-dr...

I miss political news being really only a kind of background thing.