Phil Simon
Phil Simon
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I write about AI, the future of work, low-code/no-code, collaboration, communication, technology, and other topics. I pepper my posts with humor and pop-culture references. Oh, and I freakin’ despise jargon and weak writing. Since 2008, I’ve penned thousands of posts, more than 1,400 of which live on this site.

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What College Professors Can Learn From Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act
Dataviz
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What College Professors Can Learn From Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act

His Netflix show takes a unique and informative approach that should make instructors reconsider their methods.
Teaching Highlights From 2018
Analytics
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Teaching Highlights From 2018

A look back on two things that made me smile this past year.
Thoughts on Reaching 500 Google Scholar Citations
Announcements
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Thoughts on Reaching 500 Google Scholar Citations

Reflections on achieving a professional milestone.
Reflections on Carnegie Mellon 25 Years Later
Dataviz
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Reflections on Carnegie Mellon 25 Years Later

Thoughts on the most important skills and abilities that I picked up at CMU.
Reflections on Supervising More Than 100 Capstone Projects
Analytics
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Reflections on Supervising More Than 100 Capstone Projects

Thoughts on some of my students' best work.
The Five Best Books I Read in 2018
Book Reviews
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The Five Best Books I Read in 2018

The texts that rocked my world this past year.
Chemonics Receives Innovation Award
Announcements
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Chemonics Receives Innovation Award

Recognition for good work never gets old.
Making Class Memorable With a Basketball-Inspired Python Example
Higher Education
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Making Class Memorable With a Basketball-Inspired Python Example

A little program to calculate game logs and stimulate student interest.
Having Fun With Python in the Classroom
Faves
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Having Fun With Python in the Classroom

Using pop-culture references to make potentially boring coding exercises more interesting.
In Defense of Using PowerPoint in the Classroom
Communication
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In Defense of Using PowerPoint in the Classroom

When you see horrible slides, blame the Indian, not the arrow.
Four Myths About Slack
Collaboration
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Four Myths About Slack

Shedding some much-needed light on what the collaboration tool can and can't do.
The Pros and Cons of Teaching Back-to-Back Sections
Communication
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The Pros and Cons of Teaching Back-to-Back Sections

Honest reflections on teaching a compressed schedule.
What I've Learned From My Student Evaluations
Analytics
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What I've Learned From My Student Evaluations

Thoughts on what the data tells me—and what else I'd like to know.
Audiobook of Analytics: The Agile Way Is Now Available
Announcements
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Audiobook of Analytics: The Agile Way Is Now Available

Good news for those of you who like to listen to books.
Thoughts on Teaching Older Students
Higher Education
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Thoughts on Teaching Older Students

What do when someone possesses a great deal of professional experience.
Lessons From Slack's Origins
Collaboration
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Lessons From Slack's Origins

A pox on you if you think that the idea behind the popular collaboration tool was someone's master plan.
Thoughts on Facebook's Stock Drop
Management
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Thoughts on Facebook's Stock Drop

Where does the world's largest social network go from here?
How to Successfully Introduce Slack in the Classroom
Collaboration
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How to Successfully Introduce Slack in the Classroom

Tips for professors new to the collaboration tool.