iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

ICYMI, on Friday I shared some thoughts on how to scale AI-aware teaching from individual courses to whole campuses, leveraging what I've figured out about faculty development after 20 years on the job. Consider this my addendum to that MIT AI report. derekbruff.org/2026/10/02/s...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

What does it take to help an entire faculty learn and adopt new teaching practices? Inspired by that MIT AI report, on the blog I share three principles for faculty development needed to scale AI-aware teaching from individual courses to an entire campus. derekbruff.org/2026/10/02/s...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

On my board game podcast today, I take a deep dive into the design of games that work across diverse ages and cognitive abilities with Dylan Kistler, a colleague from my Vanderbilt days. Dylan's new company, Kistler Games, specializes in such games! firstplayertoken.buzzsprout.com/2292265/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Here’s some swag I haven’t received before—a robot-shaped stress ball from the Vandy School of Nursing’s AI initiative!

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Y’all, Vanderbilt School of Nursing is having me in for a talk, and they ordered piles of the new book! @anetv.bsky.social @marcwatkins.bsky.social

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Phillis Sheppard representing the Div School’s teaching mission well:

Sheppard mentioned that she's teaching spirituality and social activism, and wondered aloud what that could mean in the context of "A Declaration of First PrinciplesiẠạị
"What does that mean pedagogically?" She asked. "Are we just teaching students to think about spirituality and social activism? Do we intend that students graduate able to think critically but not respond to the ethical demands to be engaged actively? Do we think that upon graduation that will suddenly happen?
What is the relationship of this to our pedagogical aims?

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

So the Divinity faculty aren’t sure why the school is in receivership. That’s a good sign. Sigh.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Some of yesterday’s birds from Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. Three of these belong to families that don’t even appear in Tennessee! #birding

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Time for more birds from Costa Rica! I think I’ve picked up 75 lifers this trip. #birding

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

First installment of photos from my Costa Rica #birding trip!

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

We've been developing promising practices for responding to AI at the course level, but what about at the curricular level? Today on the podcast, we hear how UC Berkeley Public Health has been defining program-level AI competencies. intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

That time we had a four-day weekend and I had never been to Maine so we drove to Maine and back

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Episode 100 of my Intentional Teaching podcast is right around the corner! I would love your help making it a special one. What’s one idea or example or question or quote from an Intentional Teaching episode that you keep thinking about? Send me a message, email, or voice mail!

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

How can humanities courseshelp students develop the durable skills--communication, collaboration, adaptability--that employers want? Today on the podcast, I talk with three U. Kentucky faculty who have an answer to that question! Listen here: intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The ad I got served on this story seems to show us the new seal.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

The Norton Guide to AI-Aware Teaching by is now available as an ebook and later in September as a paperback! @anetv.bsky.social and @marcwatkins.bsky.social and I have pulled together teaching principles and practical examples to help you adapt to a world with AI. More info: derekbruff.org/books/

Cover of The Norton Guide to AI-Aware Teaching showing the title and authors and a swirl of colors

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The partial lunar eclipse here in Nashville last night was pretty great. It seemed like a good time to break out my tripod.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Hummingbird update: We still have lots of hummingbirds. They're so feisty.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

What does an effective online math course look like in the age of AI? This week on the podcast, I talk with Jessica Bernards, who teaches math online at Portland CC and U. Oregon. Her high-structure, async online course has a lot of moving pieces! Listen here: www.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Saw and heard some birds at Fort Ontario Park in Oswego, this morning. But the Lake Ontario views were the highlight of my short walk.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Today on the podcast, I talk with @jasongulya.bsky.social about the ways he has adapted his teaching to respond to AI—and to push back against the transactional nature of higher ed. It’s all about student agency. www.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Baltimore Oriole! At long last. This is a way overdue lifer for me. Thanks to Chris Greene Lake here in Charlottesville. #birding

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Finally saw my first Cerulean Warbler today! I had maybe heard them back home in Timberland Park, but I saw two today at Ivy Creek Natural Area in Charlottesville. #birding

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

I have finally found a use for this photo in a slide deck. (It will introduce the section of my talk titled "How can we help students avoid unhelpful uses of AI?")

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

It’s a hummingbird festival in our back yard right now! I’m still trying to get a shot of one hovering.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Today on the podcast, I talk with political science prof Eric Loepp about the ways that AI has made teaching more challenging for him--and how it's opened up new options for engaging students in learning about our complex political systems. intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Thanks to an afternoon playing in the creek and the 12yo’s keen eye, we can add Green Heron to our yard list! That puts us at 49 species of bird spotted (or heard) in our yard—or the creek behind it.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

One million bills? That would be an average of 20,000 bills per state. That must be a typo. The numbers on the website are significant, but much smaller.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

To celebrate the book launch, I interviewed a few of the faculty whose teaching practices we highlight in the book. Today on the podcast, I talk with Susan Ray about the ways she weaves AI literacy into her community college composition courses. intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

My wife’s grandparents were owners of several businesses in rural Kentucky. They’ve passed, and my wife now has some of their ledgers from the 50s. I know there are humanities scholars who study older ledgers like this, but would these from the 50s be of any scholarly interest?

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Red, white, and birds. Happy birthday, America!

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

It’s launch week! The Norton Guide to AI-Aware Teaching ebook publishes tomorrow! To celebrate, today’s podcast features an interview with my co-authors @anetv.bsky.social, @marcwatkins.bsky.social, and me, with special guest interviewer Stacey Johnson. www.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

After 20 minutes of configuration, I had Claude Code up and running on my laptop. After 25 minutes of coding work, I had this new landing page for my podcast, with just the visual display I was hoping for: derekbruff.org/podcast/.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

There were Dark-eyed Juncos everywhere! We only see them in winter back home. But here at the higher elevations, they’re summer birds.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

We hiked part of the Alum Cave Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains NP yesterday. It’s a beautiful trail, following a stream up to Arch Rock. Here’s some of the wildlife we saw, including about a dozen Black-throated Blue Warblers! #lifer

It’s a fish. I don’t know fish. But the stream water was so clear!

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

The podcast has been doing great numbers lately. Over 2000 downloads in the last 30 days, and that’s without the episode with Bryan Alexander the other month that went viral.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Study Hall is back! This week on the podcast we discuss three recent studies on AI and learning. And by we, I mean @flowerdarby.bsky.social and @josheyler.bsky.social and @reganargurung.bsky.social! www.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Today on the podcast, I talk with @leonfurze.com about his framework for helping students build the kind of expertise they need to use AI effectively. I had multiple lightbulb moments in this conversation, and I hope you do, too! intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

I'm very exited to share that you can now pre-order The Norton Guide to AI-Aware Teaching, written by @anetv.bsky.social, @marcwatkins.bsky.social, and me! Follow this link for your current pre-ordering and bulk ordering options: derekbruff.org/books/

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Today on the podcast: Philosophy prof Jessa Roisen on the challenge teaching students to read hard things, like Plato and Kant! Plus, Donna Battista from Top Hat on tools and approaches for scaffolding and supporting students in their reading. intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Sometimes you just need to get 1700 words off your chest. New on the blog: "It's time to move past the notion of AI as answer machine," in which I connect some dots and argue that educators need better mental models of learning with AI. derekbruff.org/2026/05/15/i...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

The set-your-browser-homepage-to-a-random-bird trick turned up a winner just now. The Itombwe Nightjar, a "mysterious nightjar that is known from a single specimen of a female bird" from the Itombwe Mountains in Congo.

eBird listing for the Itombwe Nightjar, with a prominent "no photos available" message where a photo of the bird would typically be displayed

Mysterious nightjar that is known from a single specimen of a female bird, from mid-elevation humid forest in the Itombwe Mountains of eastern Congo. Small buffy-brown nightjar with pale buff marks in the outer wing and at the corners of the tail. The voice is unknown, though mystery nightjar vocalizations heard in Congo-Brazzaville, Cameroon, and Gabon may possibly have been given by this species, indicating that it is fairly widespread. Similar to other nightjars, but small size, habitat, and location of sighting will help to identify this enigmatic species. Statistics: 0 observations from anyone.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Having a creek in the back of the property means I get to do things like adding Solitary Sandpiper to my yard list! (And my life list!)

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

You’re setting the bar high there, Merlin.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

The grosbeak came back! It took a few visits, but I managed to snap a few shots.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the feeder today! Only the second time I’ve seen one of these! Sadly I wasn’t home to snap a real photo.

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Today on the podcast, it's all math faculty! It's a roundtable with some of my favorite math educators exploring the impacts that AI is having on the teaching of math in higher ed here in 2026. Listen here: intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

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Derek Bruff @derekbruff.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

A city park named after an ornithologist? I couldn’t resist. I birded this morning at the George Sutton Wilderness Trail Park. Got a lifer—Lincoln’s Sparrow—who posed for me. Great way to start my morning. #birding

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