Another Semester Comes to a Rolling Stop

One of the great things about being an academic is that - no matter how many things you screw up and no matter how many things didn't get done - at least twice a year you get an opportunity to start over and try to get it right the next time. With the end of each semester comes an end to the problems, mistakes, and unfulfilled expectations of that semester. And with the start of each new semester comes new opportunities, second chances, and new expectations. It may well be the thing I like best about being an academic.

This semester I have been teaching a class in how to write stories to explore the ethics of technology. It is a bold idea and, as with most bold ideas, a bigger pain in the ass than anyone could possibly imagine. But, the semester is rolling to a stop and next semester I will have another opportunity to get it right. If you have been following the entries in this blog and wondering where it all came from, it was from that class. You would probably agree that it still needs some work.

Over the summer I am going to start writing a book for that class. My plan is to get it partially written over the summer and use it when I teach the class again in the fall. Hopefully, I will have enough to begin submitting it to publishers.

I say that is my plan, but who knows what will happen. This summer I am teaching a class in business applications of virtual worlds. It is also a bold idea and, well, much like the stories class in being a pain. Since the summer is also a semester I will look back at the end of the summer, lament what I did not get accomplished, and, get another fresh start in the fall.

Since I will be devoting my writing time to my book, I will probably not keep this blog quite as diligently. I have fallen into the pattern of writing an entry every Monday morning. That has worked well and I have enjoyed that rhythm. But now, that energy will be going into the book.

Enjoy the summer!!