Sam Parker
banner
spark202.bsky.social
Sam Parker
@spark202.bsky.social
Writer, humanities teacher, pottery enthusiast, knitter/crocheter. Working on my EdD. You can find me wandering Lake Michigan beaches on gloomy days.
💯
We give assignments because they help students register and reflect on their own learning. If the classic assignment structure no longer performs that function than we need to shift what suite of tools help provide students with those insights.
October 11, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
The true size of Africa?

When scaled proportionately to true land area, Africa can fit the United States, China, India and most of Europe within the continent — comparisons that conventional maps like Mercator’s obscure

www.reuters.com/graphics/AFR...
September 5, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Reposted by Sam Parker
New books from ASU English faculty! Just out or forthcoming soon are works on Irish literature (G. Castle), Jane Austen (@devoney.bsky.social), space cats ‪(@nnedi.bsky.social) and Shakespeare (L. Turchi).

Learn more: ow.ly/IV6X50WByRC #ASUHumanities CC: @acmrs.bsky.social
August 11, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
A shout out to my colleague @tomzellerjr.com on the launch of his smart, funny, surprising, entirely readable book about headaches. As @maryroach.bsky.social says, "required reading for anyone with a head."
The Headache
\"Required reading for anyone with a head.\"—Mary Roach, New York Times bestselling author of Stiff and Fuzz For the many millions of headache suf...
www.harpercollins.com
July 21, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Reposted by Sam Parker
I'm going to try and communicate with my Republican colleagues in a new way.
June 26, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
I love @marcusluther.bsky.social as a teacher, but I also enjoying reading his writing. This blog gets at the heart of why interrogating the root of our jobs with intentionality is a part of THE JOB.
Grateful to be able to learn from the leadership of @thevogelman.bsky.social and @heymrsbond.com, too, and to see the voices of teachers shaping this AI discussion in a way that happens too rarely.

Writing can help clarify thinking, so I wrote something: thebrokencopier.substack.com/p/the-diffic...
The Difficult Margins of AI as a Teacher
(But also the important margins of AI as a teacher.)
thebrokencopier.substack.com
June 25, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
A little surpriserd to have not seen a single post saying HEY... we're not actually at war with Iran, and only congress can declare war so... how is it we are considering air strikes?
June 18, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
Juneteenth calls us to understand the realities of our past, celebrate the resilience and achievements of Black Americans, and align the course of our country toward its founding creed of liberty and justice for all. Wishing everyone a meaningful Juneteenth!
June 19, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
Today is a good day to support the Trevor Project. Trained counselors who understand the challenges LGBTQ+ young people face are available for support 24/7.

www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
Get Help
Get immediate help 24/7/365. The Trevor Project's crisis counselors are just a text, chat, or phone call away. Completely confidential and free LGBTQ hotline.
www.thetrevorproject.org
June 18, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
“Building off the work of: Katy Wishow, Shana Frazin, Donna Santman, & Gaby Layden.”

Read Gwen’s article for Edutopia here: edut.to/4jz9uy4
Teaching Students How to Have an Academic Discussion
This teacher-created scaffolding tool can elevate classroom dialogue, empowering students to express themselves while learning from the ideas of others.
edut.to
June 15, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
Joe Biden at Union Station in 1972 and Joe Biden at Union Station yesterday.
He took the train as a 29-year-old senator-elect.
He still takes the train as a former president.
No motorcade. No spectacle. Just Joe.
Steady. Humble. Still showing up.
=======================
June 14, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
“Trump is using military forces to stop a protest — I want y'all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us.”

Doechii at the #BETAwards
June 10, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Reposted by Sam Parker
June 5, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
A researcher calculates that, without increased production, AI will consume up to 82 terrawatt-hours of electricity this year—around the same as the annual electricity consumption of Switzerland.
AI Is Eating Data Center Power Demand—and It’s Only Getting Worse
A new analysis of AI hardware being produced and how it is being used attempts to estimate the vast amount of electricity being consumed by AI.
wrd.cm
May 26, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
“Many educators assume that at some point, students have been taught how to study effectively,” writes #ScienceTeacher Alison Stone.

But her 20 years of experience teaching high schoolers has taught her that “this is typically not the case.”

🧵 1/9 #EduSky #HighSchoolTeacher
May 25, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
5 years ago: “An incalculable loss”

Today: Banning masks and restricting vaccine access
May 25, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
undefeated
May 21, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
And if you care about managing cognitive load, you should also know that recruiting student engagement and interest actually decreases cognitive load and makes learning easier. 😅
March 30, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Enjoying immensely as well.
Hey @sarahkendzior.bsky.social I've been on purpose not finishing "The Last American Road Trip" I'm kind of savoring it. I wanted to compliment you on knowing something about being a mom. My baby turned 40yrs old yesterday & you know to be thankful for every moment - it's sappy but true. amz.cx/3S4Z
The Last American Road Trip: A Memoir
The Last American Road Trip: A Memoir - Kindle edition by Kendzior, Sarah. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Last American Road Trip: A Memoir.
amz.cx
May 16, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
Moderna’s combined Covid and flu shot outperformed the existing standalone vaccines for both viruses, according to the results of a phase 3 clinical trial published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Immunogenicity and Safety of Influenza and COVID-19 Multicomponent Vaccine
This study examines the immunogenicity and safety of an investigational mRNA-based vaccine against seasonal influenza and SARS-CoV-2 in adults 50 years and older.
jamanetwork.com
May 10, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
Amazing how "personal freedom" evidently now means everyone has to do whatever the most conservative bigoted douche wants so he doesn't feel icky
Florida will become the second state in the nation to prohibit fluoridation of public water supplies, reversing decades of public health policy in favor of a new mindset that discounts experts and embraces individual autonomy.
Florida will ban water fluoridation amid battle between public health, personal freedom
Florida will become the second state in the nation to prohibit fluoridation of public water supplies, reversing decades of public health policy in favor of a new mindset that discounts experts and …
www.sun-sentinel.com
May 7, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
Traditional grading systems do a terrible job of measuring learning and discourage students from reaching their full potential. This week, we're exploring a different model that is gaining traction in hundreds of schools: competency-based learning.

www.cultofpedagogy.com/competency-b...
A Close Look at Competency-Based Learning | Cult of Pedagogy
Learn about this teaching model that prioritizes growth and mastery over grades.
www.cultofpedagogy.com
April 13, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
Trying out recording directly to Camtasia to see if it's better and easier. So far so good. The background removal was like instant!
April 5, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Sam Parker
Crawford: I never could have imagined that I'd be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin. And we won.
April 2, 2025 at 2:40 AM