Author Archives: Katherine Wikoff

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About Katherine Wikoff

I am a college professor (PhD in English, concentration rhetoric) at Milwaukee School of Engineering, where I teach film and media studies, political science, digital society, digital storytelling, writing for digital media, and communication. While fragments of my teaching and scholarship interests may quite naturally meander over to my blog, this space is intended to function as a creative outlet, not as part of my professional practice. Opinions are my own, etc.

The MOOCS that laid the Golden Egg

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

True fact: America once had thousands of auto manufacturers. When the horseless carriage craze swept the nation, carriage makers in cities across the country shifted gears, as it were, to become automobile makers instead.  An ad for “The American Carriage … Continue reading →

Posted in Higher education, History, Teaching, Technology, WPLongform (posts of 1000 words or longer) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Hawks Do Not Share”: Re-reconsidering Zelda Fitzgerald

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

I’m not sure why, but a slew of books is being published right now about Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of F. Scott.  Here is an article/ book review from the March 22, 2013, Wall Street Journal that discusses several of the new (fictional) … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and reading, History, Movies and film, Writing, blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Invisibility Cloak Research Moves Forward at Michigan Tech « CBS Detroit

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Invisibility Cloak Research Moves Forward at Michigan Tech « CBS Detroit. Not just for Harry Potter or Sam and Frodo anymore!  Actually, the research hasn’t gone quite that far yet, but still . . . this is a really cool, … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Leave a comment

Learning to focus is our next digital challenge

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Will the Internet, with all its abundance, prove to be a distracting road to perdition or the “straight and narrow” pathway that leads humanity to its highest potential? Here’s a link to an excellent article, “You’re distracted.  This professor can help,” from The … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Teaching, Technology | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Living the dream, one doughnut at a time

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

I met my writing buddy, Lisa, for coffee this morning at our favorite spot, Cranky Al’s in Wauwatosa (an older Milwaukee suburb).  Both of us are busy working moms, struggling to balance all of the other demands on our time with … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Writing, blogging | 3 Comments

I’m back (hopefully . . .)

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Here’s what happens sometimes when I’m not even trying. I have been away from blogging for over a month because my offline responsibilities have claimed the lion’s share of my attention.  Family, job, that sort of thing. Part of the problem, … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Writing, blogging | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

January raindrops

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

  Today we are supposed to hit a record-high temperature of around sixty degrees.  Heavy fog during the night and early morning gave way to rush-hour rain.  By the time I took this photo, right before teaching my first class of … Continue reading →

Posted in Milwaukee | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Affect versus effect: which is which?

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

In commenting on the dash–hyphen post a couple days ago (and that’s an en dash between the words “dash” and “hyphen” 🙂 ), Kathleen suggested that I write a post about “affect” and “effect.”  Great idea!  Using “affect” and “effect” correctly … Continue reading →

Posted in Grammar, punctuation, usage, mechanics | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Hyphen or dash: What’s the difference, and when to use which?

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Here’s a punctuation “issue” that people have asked me about lately: what’s the difference between a hyphen and a dash, and when do you use which? Difference #1 — a hyphen is short, and a dash is long.  In Morse … Continue reading →

Posted in Grammar, punctuation, usage, mechanics | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

As inauguration nears, check out the Smithsonian’s “First Ladies” exhibit

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

As preparations accelerate in advance of of President Obama’s second inauguration on Monday (which is also Martin Luther King, Jr., Day), one of the biggest stories coming out of Washington is Michelle Obama’s new “bangs” hairstyle.  I bring this up not … Continue reading →

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