Bonni Stachowiak
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bonni208.bsky.social
Bonni Stachowiak
@bonni208.bsky.social
1.8K followers 850 following 410 posts
Teaching in Higher Ed (@tihe) #podcast; teaching + learning dean; professor; married to Dave Stachowiak; mom of two curious kids
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bonni208.bsky.social
Honored to speak at the University System of Georgia eCampus conference today. We talked about teaching presence in a time of isolation: turning the wheel toward connection.

Also: the cheese puns were legendary. 🧀💛

teachinginhighered.com/uga25
Teaching Presence in a Time of Isolation: Turning the Wheel Toward Connection Cheese wheels of various shapes and sizes.
November 14, 2025 at 11:52 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
On Ep 592: Metaphors, Free Speech, and How We Learn with Barbara Oakley.

We talk why free speech matters in every discipline. Barbara also shares practical tools for teaching with metaphors + create classrooms that invite disagreement and are intellectually challenging.

teachinginhighered.com/592
November 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
An important distinction and why having a #PKMastery system is so vital. Also, goals only help if you know where you want to go, but #pkm can spark new ideas and pathways to deeper learning.
“Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.” James Clear
November 3, 2025 at 12:46 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
If you missed Teaching in Higher Ed 591, Rethinking Student Attendance Policies w/ Simon Cullen + Danny Oppenheimer, I encourage you to check it out. Their research shows when students choose attendance and assessment paths, they engage more deeply.

Listen: teachinginhighered.com/591

#HigherEd
November 1, 2025 at 5:20 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
I’m leading a pre-conference workshop at #POD25 in San Diego:

Go Somewhere: AI, Ethics, and Emergent Thinking Through Play
🗓️ Nov 19, 2–5 PM PT

We’ll use the Go Somewhere card game to explore AI in #HigherEd through curiosity + play. Join us?
Banner for the 50th Annual POD Network Conference in San Diego. Text reads: “Go Somewhere: AI, Ethics, and Emergent Thinking Through Play – Wednesday Nov 19, 2025 / 02:00PM – 05:00PM.” Includes POD Network logo, Bonni Stachowiak headshot, and abstract geometric background. #GoSomewhere #AIethics #POD25
November 1, 2025 at 4:17 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
This quote has stayed with me ever since reading The Art of Gathering.
“Make purpose your bouncer. Let it decide what goes into your gathering and what stays out.” The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
September 28, 2025 at 1:16 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
I’ve been thinking a lot about feedback, lately. Nice to have Readwise resurface this quote for me this morning.
“Contrary to what we may think, simply giving feedback doesn't initiate change. It has to be accepted as valid and actionable by the learner. He then has to commit to using that information to do something different.” Zaretta Hammond
September 28, 2025 at 1:12 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
Reading Donna Hicks’ work on dignity these past couple of years has been transformative.
“Learning to control our destructive reactions to having our dignity compromised is one of the hardest things we face. At the same time, the joy and well-being that come with the experience of honoring another person's dignity and having our own dignity recognized is one of the greatest emotional highs we are capable of.” Donna Hicks
September 7, 2025 at 2:52 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
I thought this looked like an egret but wasn’t used to seeing the salmon color on the bird’s head. Turns out it is a Western Cattle Egret (thanks to Merlin app for helping me identify it). I’ve never been as close to egrets as I was today, as they usually stay clear of humans in Southern California.
White bird with an elongated orange beak (egret) stands in the grass
July 12, 2025 at 8:02 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
Trying out my first 'hat tip' remix, thanks to @cogdog.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy for sharing.

My h/t goes to @jdarlack.bsky.social, who is a wonderful colleague from whom I learn something each time we're together.

Want to create your own?

Start here: remixer.visualthinkery.com/r/ViCzFPIl1H...
"Cap Doff" (shows someone tipping a hat in gratitude): "to Jim for his creativity and competence... and his ability to know a bit about almost everything."
July 6, 2025 at 10:52 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
Wonderful watching H (11) shine in Madagascar this week! ❤️ “I Like to Move It” will be playing on the soundtrack of my mind for some time to come, it seems.
Family of four stands in front of a theatre. The daughter holds two bouquets while her brother gives her “bunny ears”
May 31, 2025 at 3:15 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
“…leadership is rooted not in power and authority, but in service and wisdom.” 🔥❤️
“It reminds the whole community that leadership is rooted not in power and authority, but in service and wisdom.” Robin Wall Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
May 26, 2025 at 3:55 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
“Contrary to what we may think, simply giving feedback doesn't initiate change. It has to be accepted as valid and actionable by the learner. He then has to commit to using that information to do something different.” Zaretta Hammond
“Contrary to what we may think, simply giving feedback doesn't initiate change. It has to be accepted as valid and actionable by the learner. He then has to commit to using that information to do something different.”
May 4, 2025 at 2:11 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
“I want us to do better. I want to feel like we are responsible for each other's transformation. Not the transformation from vibrant flawed humans to bits of ash, but rather the transformation from broken people and communities to whole ones.” adrienne maree brown
“I want us to do better. I want to feel like we are responsible for each other's transformation. Not the transformation from vibrant flawed humans to bits of ash, but rather the transformation from broken people and communities to whole ones.”
May 4, 2025 at 2:06 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
I’m being kept company in the backyard this morning by many birds. So far, I’ve spotted a male and female house finch, as well as a few others I haven’t been able to identify yet. It’s a drizzly morning, full of life. I keep thinking about my conversation with @karencosta.bsky.social this week! ❤️
Backyard grass, red rose bushes and other plants, and two birds hopping around
May 3, 2025 at 3:42 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
Such a wonderful book about dignity, by Donna Hicks. She’s speaking at a free, online Creating Healthy Organizations Conference this coming Saturday. Let me know if you’re interested in attending and I can send info. Conference is Friday/Saturday. Dave + I are doing the concluding session at 11a PT.
“Learning to control our destructive reactions to having our dignity compromised is one of the hardest things we face. At the same time, the joy and well-being that come with the experience of honoring another person's dignity and having our own dignity recognized is one of the greatest emotional highs we are capable of.” Donna Hicks in Dignity
April 20, 2025 at 2:47 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
A few things I learned or was otherwise reminded of while watching this great Reclaim TV video with Jim Groom interviewing @mikecaulfield.bsky.social (h/t Laura Gibbs, who I got to interview for @tihe.bsky.social last week about interactive storytelling).

www.youtube.com/live/KbvuIzj...
Two cartoon people sit atop a tv set that says “Reclaim TV” on the screen
April 13, 2025 at 7:23 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
Our 13 year old is just learning to skateboard. I marveled at the fact that for one, brief moment, I got to teach him something about riding, from back a gazillion years ago when I used to skateboard. We are past that, now, but it was fun while it lasted.
13 year old rides a skateboard down the middle of a street
April 11, 2025 at 1:00 AM
bonni208.bsky.social
“We can’t go back. We can only look, behind from where we came. And go round and round and round in the circle game.” The Circle Game 🎶

Goodbye treasured toy. May you bring half as much joy to another family, as you did for us.

😭
Kids toy grocery cart
March 22, 2025 at 9:38 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
Enjoying Michael Sandel’s The Tyranny of Merit.
“What if the real problem with meritocracy is not that we have failed to achieve it but that the ideal is flawed?” Michael Sandel
March 15, 2025 at 8:52 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
We had our first book discussion group last week on @biblioracle.bsky.social‘s More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in An AI Age. I had lots of fun pre-printing sticky notes with quotes and themes so people could #notice and #wonder together, thanks to @polarisdotca.bsky.social.
Woman wearing glasses looks at a sticky note which reads: More Than Words, Chapter 6. John Warner reflects on the grief after the death of his father.
March 6, 2025 at 3:48 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
Feeling grateful for the modeling that @mikecaulfield.bsky.social has done for me in presenting a rationale for why we ask students to learn SIFT.

"Because I want you to be taken seriously."

Mike said those simple words on @tihe.bsky.social #492. They have been transformative for me... 1/
The next two weeks of business ethics will be exploring a framework called SIFT, created by Mike Caulfield. While there continue to be checks for understanding in the textbook, we shift over more to this being about you demonstrating a series of information literacy skillsets. Two key values in my teaching are: Relevance. That what you work hard to master in my classes are things that I, also do/practice, as do many people in the business world. The things I assign in this class (particularly SIFT) are activities that are a part of my every day life of learning and continuing to grow my knowledge and skills. Credibility. I want you to be taken seriously in the business world. Specific to this class, my desire is that you grow in your capability to articulate and develop your own ethical frameworks, such that you can better integrate your faith into the workplace and be more desirable as someone to potentially hire, or partner with in a business context. SIFT is a key way to grow your capacity to be taken seriously, while also equipping you to be able to discover, for yourself, how seriously to take something that you come across on social media or in the business news you consume.
January 31, 2025 at 7:55 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
It’s been a week for learning new things, being challenged, and having my imagination sparked. One of many reasons: Zines arrived from across the pond. Watch for a forthcoming (and not very good, because I’m still learning) unboxing video of zines from Bryan. @visualthinkery.bsky.social
Red cover of a square shaped zine (small magazine). A skeleton pirate holds onto a black circle meant to look like a life preserver, maybe. Text reads: Nothing to see here
January 25, 2025 at 8:03 PM
bonni208.bsky.social
We are exploring the trolley problem in my business ethics class. They're sharing memes and a few used this one as their contribution. I have a feeling that there's some humor I'm just not getting here. Maybe game show related? Does anyone know what "double it" means in this context?
"Would you kill 1 person or double it and give it to the next person?" Trolley going down a track with a forthcoming fork in the road/track. On one, someone stands with a lever and one person is tied up on the track. On the second one, someone else stands with a lever with two people tied up on the tracks.
January 25, 2025 at 2:23 AM
bonni208.bsky.social
The Audible book cover is priceless, Jenni. This is a whole world I know nothing about! So fun.
Audio book cover: Starter Villiain, by John Scalzi "Meet the new boss." Words above the picture of a cat wearing a business suit. Only from Audible.
January 20, 2025 at 7:52 PM