WordPress for Education

I’m proud to announce that WordPress for Education is now available in book and e-book format. The book is a brief guide designed to walk educators through using WordPress to create course websites, school social network hubs, and as a replacement to antiquated learning management systems.

The process of researching and writing the book was challenging, but I am very proud of how it turned out. I hope that it will be a useful resource for educators seeking ways to effectively share course content with students.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy, you can do so directly through the publisher, Packt Publishing or Amazon.

If you read the book, I’d love to hear your feedback via email or Twitter.

Caine’s Arcade

If you haven’t yet seen it, watch this short film about Caine, a 9 year-old boy who builds a cardboard arcade inside his father’s auto parts store. It’s an uplifting story and well worth your 10 minutes.

But there’s something deeper happening here. The thought and effort behind Caine’s arcade speaks to how eduction should work. Give kids an opportunity to explore something that they are passionate about and you will be surprised by the results every time.

5 Minutes on The Verge: Shaun Inman

How do you stay focused?

I’m not sure that I do. I’m kind of all over the place, with my attention split between web apps, iOS games and apps, and Safari extensions. I’m not especially disciplined. I use plain old text files for todo lists. I try to limit my time on Twitter and in my inbox. If I feel my focus waning, I let it wane. Curiosity or that unpleasant feeling of leaving something unfinished usually draws me back to a problem or task before too long.

5 Minutes on The Verge: Shaun Inman | The Verge.

Yes.

HTML5 Cram Session

Tonight I’ll be running a HTML5 cram session at the monthly Launch Haven event. Here are the tools and resources that I’ll be mentioning in the talk. If you’re in New Haven, I’d love to see you there!

Presentation Resources

Browser Support

Tools

Templates/Frameworks

Resources

Demos

I’m Writing A Book

In gradeschool I was the kid in the back of the class, sketching comic book characters and plotting out the sequel to Super Mario Brothers in my notebook. By age 16, I had discovered Kerouac and Ginsberg and started drafting the terrible free-style poetry that only makes sense deep within the throngs of teen angst. In my early 20’s I moved on to plotless Carver-esque short stories while I sat in sidewalk coffee shops, doing way more smoking than actual writing.

Through all of this, my poorly nurtured love of writing felt at distinct odds with my techie side. I was always outwardly the “computer guy,” though I may have often wished I was something else. Today, I’m excited to announce that I am working on a book for Packt Publishing and those two conflicting sides can finally shake hands and be friends.

More details are coming soon. In the meantime, back to writing.