I’ve been in very much a learning space at work, even moreso than usual (writing my first test-driven and object-oriented Ruby code these days), and I am thankful to be in a place where I can learn and grow. As I approach my learning with a redoubled effort, it feels like some sort of balance in the universe that as I conquer the hardest work of my life, I’m able to teach and pay it forward.
So, I have started teaching a class in “Digital Frameworks For Reporting” at Medill’s DC program, in addition to my day job. We look at how to use data and technology to aid finding sources and stories, analyzing numbers and enhancing the presentation of stories through data visualization. It’s especially emotionally meaningful to me since this is the very class I took with Derek Willis, not quite five years ago in the exact same room, and my life would never be the same again from that day. I am beyond thankful for that opportunity, and ecstatic to be trying to have some small fraction of that effect on those coming up.
Also super neat is that a lot of the current Medill DC professors were professors of mine in both Medill DC and Chicago/Evanston, so it feels like coming home to family, only now we’re colleagues and not teacher/student.
Anyway, I’m trying to keep things relatively transparent and open to the community, as always, so our class website is public and found here: https://medilldigitalframeworks.wordpress.com/. The syllabus, first assignments and some resources are there now, and I’m hoping to grow it with tutorials and other things as we progress.
If anyone has thoughts, comments and suggestions, as always, I am ready and eager to hear them!