Perry Binder's Blog

EmbracingAI in Your College Classroom (1 Hour)

The presenter shareslessons from his book, Innovative College Teaching (2024) on how touse generative artificial intelligence to engage students and inspire theirlearning. Flipping classes with AI may hold the key to student engagement andretention, by creating dynamic impromptu group activities based on assignedpodcasts. You can design real-world hypotheticalsquickly with AI, sensitize students to the positive uses and limitations of thetechnology, and develop students’ critical thinking skills by devisingsolutions through teamwork and then testing how those solutions measure up toAI’s answers. These activities demonstrate the accuracy and possible flaws ofrelying on AI. This session will be interactive, with participants sharingtheir experiences so we learn from each other. The group will also discoverfuture trends to embrace student-generated AI projects, with a demonstrationand discussion of this technology’s benefits and challenges as a teaching tool.

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Teaching activities summed up in my Times Higher Ed (THE) article: Flip-Zoom-Open: How Covid and AI Transformed My Classroom (May 2025)

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InnovativeCollege Teaching (1 Hour)

Based on lessons from thebook, Innovative College Teaching (2024), participants will learnhow to make the first day and every day of class inspiring andimpactful; explore methods to flip the in-person college classroom; determinewhether the structure of an online class should mirror your in-person class;discover a world without PowerPoint; use AI to develop active learning exercises;embrace why effective teaching is more improvisation than the “sage on thestage;” and ignite, re-ignite, or maintain your passion for teaching. Thissession will be interactive, with group members sharing their experiences so welearn from each other.

Email Perry for details on the half-day workshop: PerryBinder@gmail.com 

Please consider reading my historical fiction short story (7,500 words / $1.99 Kindle), June 4, 1968 - The Last Fall

#2 AMAZON NEW RELEASE: Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads
#3 AMAZON NEW RELEASE: Literature & Fiction Short Reads

President Bobby Kennedy was elected in 1968 because history refused to let him die.

This apolitical adventure follows college professor Woody Endicott and his star student, Axelle Flick, who time-travel to prevent RFK's assassination. Upon return to present day, the America they knew no longer exists. What began as a triumphant act of historical correction becomes a haunting moral dilemma: whether to facilitate Kennedy’s death? Again.

Structured in three acts, The Last Fall blends Stephen King's 11/22/1963 drama with TV's Quantum Leap humor. Woody on his legal woes: “Whoa, it’s like an episode of Suits, and Maule Bricker is Harvey.”

The story’s conflict is universal; its resolution maddening yet uplifting. Our hero is deeply human, as one reader notes: “I was particularly moved by the emotional depth of Woody's struggle and the subtle tragedy that accompanies his decisions.”

Purchase on Amazon (Kindle) for only $1.99

All - Please consider adding ICT to your summer reading list -- it includes a chapter and robust Appendix on using AI in the classroom.

Perry

 

An exciting, quick read - from the UK

This story was gripping from start to finish. It follows Woody, a University lecturer, and his (mis)adventures time-travelling when one of his graduate students requests he use her time-machine project so that she may have the approval required to monetise her invention. 

The pace never drops. We see Woody flick back in time about half a century to his eighteen-year-old self, strong, fit and handsome, with his future wife just as youthful and captivating, waiting in the next room. And though the objective of his visit is reached, Woody returns to a present where catastrophic events resulted from this one change. 

The story that follows is a page-turner whirlwind, with Woody trying to correct his mistake, but mostly, trying to do right by his wife, no matter what. This was something that I found particularly endearing, how even when his wife, at a certain point in his time-travelling past, caused devastating harm to him, resulting in decades of his suffering, even then he never held a harsh thought of her, and only loved her greatly. 

Such a nice quick read. 

 

5-STAR AMAZON REVIEW ...The message that resonated with me is that history, no matter how disturbing, unfolded the way it did for a reason. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this tale. (April 2, 2026)

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/June-1968-travel-short-story-ebook/dp/B0GPRBDP32

"June 4, 1968: The Last Fall was a really enjoyable and easy read, especially if you like stories that play with big “what if” ideas. I was drawn to it partly because Back to the Future is one of my favorite movies, and while this book tackles similar themes, it does so in its own way. There’s no flashy sci‑fi gadgets, which I actually liked—it keeps the focus on the characters and the choices they make.This was my first time reading historical fiction, and I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging it was. The story feels creative without being confusing, and the historical setting adds depth without slowing things down. I also appreciated the ending; it felt hopeful and satisfying without being overly perfect. Overall, this book was entertaining, thoughtful, and different from what I usually read. I’d definitely recommend June 4, 1968: The Last Fall to anyone looking to try historical fiction or who enjoys imaginative, character‑driven stories with a twist."

Fun time today with exercise generated by GPT:

March 2026: Survival Scenario Ranking (ConsensusNegotiation Exercise)

Objective: Students negotiate to reach fullconsensus on a ranked list of survival items under constraints—simulatinginformal “contracting” without writing.

Scenario: You are part of a group whose plane has crash-landed in a remote desert.It is 95°F, and help may take several days to arrive. You salvaged thefollowing 12 items. Your survival depends on prioritizing them effectively.

Item List

Mirror

2 liters of water per person

Map of the area

Compass

First aid kit

Pistol (loaded)

Parachute (fabric)

Knife

Sunglasses

Flashlight

Jacket

Food rations

Class Timeline

1.Individual Ranking (3 minutes)

Each studentranks top 3 items 1-3 (most important)

2. GroupNegotiation (10 minutes)

Students formgroups of 3–5.

Task:

Produce ONEshared ranking of all twelve

Rules (criticalfor rigor):

Unanimous agreement required (no majority voting)

Every member must agree to the final list 

3. Report Out - Each group shares:

Their top 3 items

One major disagreement they had

4. Debrief

Instructor Key

A commonly accepted “expert ranking” (used in many versionsof this exercise):

Mirror (signaling)

Water

Parachute (shade/shelter)

First aid kit

Knife

Jacket

Pistol

Sunglasses

Flashlight

Map

Food

Compass

Why ThisWorks (Mechanics of Negotiation)

This activitycreates natural conflict because:

Some items seem intuitively important but aren’t (e.g., compass)

Others are undervalued (mirror)

Students must:

Advocate for their reasoning

Reconcile competing mental models

Make concessions

What toWatch For

1. Anchoring

First person tospeak often influences the group disproportionately.

2. Dominancevs Participation

One student may control decisions / Others may disengage

3. FalseConsensus

Groups may rushagreement to finish on time.

4. PoorNegotiation Tactics - Arguing positions (“This is #1”) / Instead ofreasoning (“This helps us signal rescuers”)

 

“What was the hardest item to agree on—and why?”

“Did anyone change their mind? What caused that shift?”

“Did you actually reach consensus—or just give in?”

Negotiationis About Reasoning, Not Winning

Best groups: Sharelogic - Build on others’ ideas  - Adjustpositions

Another humbling/kind review:

... As a writer of "what if" science fiction, combined with non-fiction historical and current events, I was deeply impressed and captivated by Perry Binder's smooth mix of documented historical events with scientific "what if" fiction. He created a plausible story while simultaneously acknowledging the drawbacks and potential disaster of changing the course of history. The entire story reveals Binder's strong sense of story flow, with short but targeted narrative, dialogue that rings true, and is specific to the characters speaking. Woody's struggles to control the emotions affected by his decisions, and the repercussions of those decisions, are particularly poignant. At the conclusion, the author's notes include a 1966 quote by Robert F. Kennedy that captures the motivation and message of The Last Fall: "Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events."(L. Allen, March 20, 2026)

Click here for Kindle Purchase ($2.99)

 

One of the best things I've done this academic year is co-lead a book club for Innovative College Teaching. GREAT opportunity to meet professors and staff -- people I never would've met without these sessions.

Does Woody Endicott change the past for the good? I removed a "spoiler alert" from a January 1969 headline below:

June 4, 1968 – Saigonshelled in heavy attack; vessels struck

June 5 Kennedy assassination attempt thwarted by kitchenworker

July 4 – HeroCelia Newing recounts harrowing events

July 17 – Beatles'Yellow Submarine movie premieres in London

August 8 – Nixonaccepts nomination at Republican National Convention in Miami Beach

August 29 – Kennedyaccepts nomination at Democratic National Convention in Chicago

September 24 – 60Minutes premieres

September 26 – Pravdapublishes Brezhnev Doctrine, justifying Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia

October10-11 – Castro delivers speeches on the 100th anniversary of Cuba's proclamationof independence from Spain

October 18 – U.S.Olympic medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos suspended

November 5 – RFKelected 37th president; Nixon concedes to another Kennedy

November 20 – TammyWynette, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash win big at second CMA Awards

December 24 – Apollo8 orbits moon as astronaut Anders snaps Earthrise photo

December 25 – Kennedysignals plan for phased troop withdrawal from Vietnam

January 12, 1969 –Underdog Jets defeat Colts in Super Bowl III

January 20 – RFKsworn into office; ten minutes later, -----------------------------------------------------------