Working Up

Working Up in Project Management, Systems Engineering, Technology, and Writing

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Entries Tagged as 'Teaching'

Any Excuse, Any Reason

October 26th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips When something does not hold up to rational analysis, any excuse or any reason is as good as another. And when no excuse or reason comes to mind now, we will think of something later. A recent xkcd cartoon had a wonderful punchline, “No, for another reason I’ll think of later.” The […]

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Tags: Excuses · Myth · Questions · Stories · Teaching

Explain Yourself!

September 7th, 2020 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips One of the bigger compliments in the knowledge world in which we live is when someone wants to know what I know. “I don’t have to explain myself to you! I am a grand exalted expert in expertise and all grand exalted things!” said a frustrated expert when told, “Explain yourself.” I […]

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Tags: Expertise · Knowledge · Respect · Teaching

What did You Hear Me Say?

September 5th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Ask for information. Use it to change me—not the other person. I teach classes on a few topics at work. The best thing I can do afterwards (a few days later) is ask one of the students questions: “What is this? What is that? How would you do this? What is the […]

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Tags: Communication · Humility · Teaching

If Learning is the Goal…

May 20th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Schools are for learning. Or are schools for teaching? The two are different. If learning is the goal, this school district succeeded. “High school students crash the WiFi system so the teachers cannot access homework assignments.” The kids at that high school learned a lot. They learned computing; they learned computer security; […]

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Tags: Adults · Childhood · Education · Learning · Teaching

Rejoice when the Minions Revolt!

April 4th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Those who are supposed to do what I say are revolting. Rejoice. I have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. When I was 21, I was clueless at work. I had no idea what I was doing or was supposed to do when I walked in the building in the morning. These older […]

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Tags: Improvement · Influence · Learning · Management · Teaching

Let’s Discuss Rubbing Spaghetti Play-Doh on Surfboards

March 18th, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips If you want people to focus on the focal point, discuss nonsense first. Rubbing spaghetti Play-Doh on a surfboard means nothing to no one. (At least I think it means nothing to no one. If someone out there has a strong feeling about it, please let me know.) It is the perfect […]

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Tags: Adults · Education · Learning · Teaching

Ethics in Computer Science and Engineering

October 29th, 2018 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Have we sunk so low that we give prizes to those who teach that lying and theft are wrong? Back in medieval times when I was in college and used punch cards for computer input…professors used to joke about (or so it went), “So and so was a programmer for such and […]

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Tags: Accountability · Communication · Ethics · Teaching · Trust

Assuming and Teaching

September 13th, 2018 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We work in the real world; not in one where what we wish is true. Sometimes we simply need to teach a little. A: I told these people what to do…and AARGH (pained expression interrupts speech). B: How did you teach them how to do that? A: What? What do you mean? […]

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Tags: Learning · Teaching · Work

Jerry Pournelle

September 18th, 2017 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Someone who had a big influence on my life has passed away. “The Mote in God’s Eye.” Star Wars was in theaters, and everyone was enthralled. The science fiction community tried to fit in with Luke, Han, and the rest, often in vain. Every science fiction commentator had their own list of, […]

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Tags: Communication · Computing · Systems · Teaching · Writing

The History-Story Gap

July 14th, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips There is often a gap between our history and our story about our history. I suppose, since most of us are not famous, that is okay. We have experiences—those comprise our history. Then we tell people a story about those experiences. Sometimes the stories enhance the histories. Barack Obama has some doozies. […]

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Tags: Communication · Excuses · Fable · Family · Security · Teaching