Joe Courchesne
@courchesne.bsky.social
Campus Coordinator for Veritas Prep Early College Pathway in Springfield, MA.
Composition instructor at Westfield State University, Holyoke Community College, and STCC.
Co-director of the Western Mass Writing Project Leadership Institute.
Composition instructor at Westfield State University, Holyoke Community College, and STCC.
Co-director of the Western Mass Writing Project Leadership Institute.
"Walking is an outdated skill. Hover-chairs are here; we need to embrace them or be left behind. Every employer is looking to hire people who know how to use hover-chairs - if we don't teach students how to use them we aren't preparing kids for the future."
- Educators on the space ship from WALL-E
- Educators on the space ship from WALL-E
December 6, 2025 at 7:34 PM
"Walking is an outdated skill. Hover-chairs are here; we need to embrace them or be left behind. Every employer is looking to hire people who know how to use hover-chairs - if we don't teach students how to use them we aren't preparing kids for the future."
- Educators on the space ship from WALL-E
- Educators on the space ship from WALL-E
“Shut up English teachers, why would we ever need to learn about symbolism?”
Meanwhile:
Meanwhile:
October 20, 2025 at 11:33 PM
“Shut up English teachers, why would we ever need to learn about symbolism?”
Meanwhile:
Meanwhile:
So much of the “don’t tread on me” crowd celebrating getting tread on today.
July 1, 2025 at 4:35 PM
So much of the “don’t tread on me” crowd celebrating getting tread on today.
Reposted by Joe Courchesne
You’ll be too young to remember, but there was a time when you could wake up as many as three mornings in a row and not find the world had lost its fucking mind.
June 13, 2025 at 6:48 AM
You’ll be too young to remember, but there was a time when you could wake up as many as three mornings in a row and not find the world had lost its fucking mind.
How can a human person say this with a straight face?
Bessent: "We want the US to be more like Florida and less like New York"
May 29, 2025 at 10:36 PM
How can a human person say this with a straight face?
Reposted by Joe Courchesne
Hey, Western Mass people: there's a Zine Fest in Holyoke May 3. flywheelarts.org I need more subversion in my life.
Event Calendar -
flywheelarts.org
April 13, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Hey, Western Mass people: there's a Zine Fest in Holyoke May 3. flywheelarts.org I need more subversion in my life.
Massachusetts English folks: this Saturday, the Western Mass Writing Project presents the Best Practices in Teaching Writing conference.
Teacher-led sessions on writing for social change, grading for equity, using mentor texts, and more!
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Teacher-led sessions on writing for social change, grading for equity, using mentor texts, and more!
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
April 27, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Massachusetts English folks: this Saturday, the Western Mass Writing Project presents the Best Practices in Teaching Writing conference.
Teacher-led sessions on writing for social change, grading for equity, using mentor texts, and more!
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Teacher-led sessions on writing for social change, grading for equity, using mentor texts, and more!
Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
I very much owe George Lucas an apology for mocking just how big of a role “the taxation of trade routes” can play in the downfall of a society. My bad, dude.
April 2, 2025 at 9:20 PM
I very much owe George Lucas an apology for mocking just how big of a role “the taxation of trade routes” can play in the downfall of a society. My bad, dude.
There was a time in history when the President of the United Statest threatening to deport US citizens to secret prisons in South America for vandalizing his buddy’s car company would be a huge, headline-grabbing scandal.
Now, it’s just a Friday.
Now, it’s just a Friday.
March 21, 2025 at 9:14 PM
There was a time in history when the President of the United Statest threatening to deport US citizens to secret prisons in South America for vandalizing his buddy’s car company would be a huge, headline-grabbing scandal.
Now, it’s just a Friday.
Now, it’s just a Friday.
I hear they’re setting up a hotline that you can use to report seeing Goody Proctor with the devil.
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Trump to create religious office in White House, target 'anti-Christian bias'
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would create a White House faith office and direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead a task force on eradicating what he called anti-Christian bias within the federal government.
www.reuters.com
February 7, 2025 at 11:23 AM
I hear they’re setting up a hotline that you can use to report seeing Goody Proctor with the devil.
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
“US still has strong institutions and vocal opposition, but watching these watchdogs be dismissed makes me wonder: is this how it starts?””
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...
Europeans on democracy’s frontlines offer advice to Americans: never give up
With the new Trump era likely to pose unprecedented challenges the message from Europe’s fragile democracies is: stay united and safeguard your institutions
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2025 at 12:16 AM
“US still has strong institutions and vocal opposition, but watching these watchdogs be dismissed makes me wonder: is this how it starts?””
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...
Lots of people in favor of getting rid of “the illegals” until who is considered “illegal” changes to include them.
January 25, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Lots of people in favor of getting rid of “the illegals” until who is considered “illegal” changes to include them.
Please stop telling me to focus on the the useful and practical applications of AI in the classroom.
I know about them. Great! Wonderful.
I also know students are using AI to do less reading, writing, and thinking. Stop trying to get me to stop thinking about how to combat that. Please. Please?
I know about them. Great! Wonderful.
I also know students are using AI to do less reading, writing, and thinking. Stop trying to get me to stop thinking about how to combat that. Please. Please?
January 24, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Please stop telling me to focus on the the useful and practical applications of AI in the classroom.
I know about them. Great! Wonderful.
I also know students are using AI to do less reading, writing, and thinking. Stop trying to get me to stop thinking about how to combat that. Please. Please?
I know about them. Great! Wonderful.
I also know students are using AI to do less reading, writing, and thinking. Stop trying to get me to stop thinking about how to combat that. Please. Please?
Bringing out the trash on this extremely cold morning I thought to myself, “huh… I’m pretty sure *I* had to walk to school in temperatures like these.”
I realized in that moment, to my horror, that my transformation to middle aged guy had begun. Does this mean I have to start watching Fox News?
I realized in that moment, to my horror, that my transformation to middle aged guy had begun. Does this mean I have to start watching Fox News?
January 22, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Bringing out the trash on this extremely cold morning I thought to myself, “huh… I’m pretty sure *I* had to walk to school in temperatures like these.”
I realized in that moment, to my horror, that my transformation to middle aged guy had begun. Does this mean I have to start watching Fox News?
I realized in that moment, to my horror, that my transformation to middle aged guy had begun. Does this mean I have to start watching Fox News?
Reposted by Joe Courchesne
I have a lot of new followers, and I hear bluesky has a lot of new users!
Welcome, friends!
I belong to the Bluesky School of Thought that when we see someone being trash, we do the thing that will upset them most: we immediately block them and forget they ever existed.
Trust me: they HATE IT.
Welcome, friends!
I belong to the Bluesky School of Thought that when we see someone being trash, we do the thing that will upset them most: we immediately block them and forget they ever existed.
Trust me: they HATE IT.
January 19, 2025 at 8:17 PM
I have a lot of new followers, and I hear bluesky has a lot of new users!
Welcome, friends!
I belong to the Bluesky School of Thought that when we see someone being trash, we do the thing that will upset them most: we immediately block them and forget they ever existed.
Trust me: they HATE IT.
Welcome, friends!
I belong to the Bluesky School of Thought that when we see someone being trash, we do the thing that will upset them most: we immediately block them and forget they ever existed.
Trust me: they HATE IT.
Reposted by Joe Courchesne
Something about this has really got to me. It is just such a slap in the face - this is what we're worth, is it? Arguably the largest connector of human beings in the world, flooded with literal friction between each and every one by a billionaire addicted to growth. Death cult shit. Disgraceful.
Meta confirms they plan to add tons of AI-generated users to Facebook and Instagram
They will have bios, profile pics and can share content
(via Financial Times)
They will have bios, profile pics and can share content
(via Financial Times)
December 31, 2024 at 4:25 AM
Something about this has really got to me. It is just such a slap in the face - this is what we're worth, is it? Arguably the largest connector of human beings in the world, flooded with literal friction between each and every one by a billionaire addicted to growth. Death cult shit. Disgraceful.
What’s the psychological term for cleaning your living room for Santa as if you’re actually having a guest over?
December 25, 2024 at 1:06 AM
What’s the psychological term for cleaning your living room for Santa as if you’re actually having a guest over?
Reposted by Joe Courchesne
More than 75 Nobel Prize winners have signed a letter urging senators not to confirm RFK Jr.
The letter marks the first time in recent memory that Nobel laureates have banded together against a Cabinet choice. But Kennedy is a threat they could not ignore, one said. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/h...
The letter marks the first time in recent memory that Nobel laureates have banded together against a Cabinet choice. But Kennedy is a threat they could not ignore, one said. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/h...
Nobel Laureates Urge Senate to Turn Down Kennedy’s Nomination
Elevating Mr. Kennedy to secretary of H.H.S. “would put the public’s health in jeopardy,” more than 75 laureates wrote.
www.nytimes.com
December 9, 2024 at 9:40 PM
More than 75 Nobel Prize winners have signed a letter urging senators not to confirm RFK Jr.
The letter marks the first time in recent memory that Nobel laureates have banded together against a Cabinet choice. But Kennedy is a threat they could not ignore, one said. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/h...
The letter marks the first time in recent memory that Nobel laureates have banded together against a Cabinet choice. But Kennedy is a threat they could not ignore, one said. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/h...
Reposted by Joe Courchesne
BREAKING: NYPD has located the tunnel the assassin used to escape the city but found it to be merely a painting on a brick wall and smashed up several squad cars upon trying to enter it
December 9, 2024 at 1:09 AM
BREAKING: NYPD has located the tunnel the assassin used to escape the city but found it to be merely a painting on a brick wall and smashed up several squad cars upon trying to enter it
“Our propensity to lose track of the diverse set of interpretive judgments packed into every instance of data collection, and accordingly to diminish the socially situated conditions in which data is created, extends even where data collection appears tightly controlled.”
The Myth of Objective Data, by Melanie Feinberg
thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-myth-of-... via @mitpress.bsky.social
thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-myth-of-... via @mitpress.bsky.social
The Myth of Objective Data
When we view objectivity and subjectivity as opposites rather than complements, we distort the empirical realities of data collection.
thereader.mitpress.mit.edu
December 1, 2024 at 1:54 PM
“Our propensity to lose track of the diverse set of interpretive judgments packed into every instance of data collection, and accordingly to diminish the socially situated conditions in which data is created, extends even where data collection appears tightly controlled.”
How does Musk not see this is going to end with Donald Trump flying away in a rocket ship, leaving Musk alone in their burning fortress as the good guys close in while Elon yells “but maaaaster, what about me???”
November 29, 2024 at 6:58 PM
How does Musk not see this is going to end with Donald Trump flying away in a rocket ship, leaving Musk alone in their burning fortress as the good guys close in while Elon yells “but maaaaster, what about me???”
For the first time in my life, I held on to a debit card long enough for it to expire. Small wins.
November 29, 2024 at 6:04 PM
For the first time in my life, I held on to a debit card long enough for it to expire. Small wins.