I have an interest in observing people’s phone home screens and desk setups, which may seem geeky and consumer-focused. Recently, I revisited Doug Belshaw’s work after losing track of it for a few years, and I enjoyed his post about being intentional with tech stacks. He highlights that choosing your tech stack is challenging since work and social environments often dictate tech decisions. I relate to this as I have some control over my tools due to my somewhat antisocial nature, allowing me to experiment without much concern from others.
My tech stack reflects both workplace requirements and my own technical abilities. I own a 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 chip, paired with an LG Ultrafine monitor, and I use a Magic Trackpad to maintain consistency across my work and home setups. Despite being right-handed, I use the trackpad with my left hand to mitigate wrist issues. My devices include an iPhone 17 Pro Max, AirPods Pro, an iPad Pro for digital art, and an Apple Watch focused on health and minimizing phone use.
Workplace policies influence my use of Office 365 for documents and email, primarily using Microsoft Word and Excel. Although my family uses Apple’s ecosystem, I often collaborate with Google Docs and Google Slides for student assignments. Browser choice is dictated by work, with Chrome performing better than Safari due to Cloudflare configuration issues. I appreciate the Obsidian web clipper extension for saving content to my note-taking tool, though I hope future internet upgrades might reduce my reliance on Chrome.
My website, Teaching in Higher Ed, and blog are powered by WordPress, with plans for a redesign. I use Fathom Analytics instead of Google Analytics to protect visitor privacy. My AI use began with ChatGPT and evolved to Claude, where I manage ethical concerns and explore productivity enhancements. I utilize Whisper Memos and MacWhisper for transcription, inspired by techniques discussed in episodes of Teaching in Higher Ed.
Though I have a GitHub account, my skills are limited. I’ve created an interactive open textbook for my business ethics class using Markdown and LiaScript, benefiting from GitHub’s version control. As I continue to refine my tech stack, I embrace opportunities to expand my technical fluencies.
Original Source: teachinginhighered.com
