ECI 525 has been useful in introducing a number of important concepts that will apply to classroom instruction. The integration of technology is important, but the idea of making learning current is the idea that is really important. Technology is the skin that can be used right now to wrap materials and concepts. In ten years, that skin will almost certainly be a different manifestation than the ones we explored here, if not an entirely different function altogether. The skills learned in this class will help to change the way I approach the task of integrating and fusing classroom learning and life outside of traditional academics. This class also followed the “paperless” philosophy, and while that is not a reality in secondary education right now, it is a goal worthy of striving for in the coming years.
The following is a list and description of the assignments with links to them:
21st Century Video – http://newlitcollaborative.ning.com/video/federalist-10
This activity focused on both content and format. The format was novel because it was a compiled recording of statements in video format. The important component to this work was the fact that content was not sacrificed in order to tailor to the video format. Each student was asked to comment on the document, “Federalist Paper # 10.” While the video would have included more detailed information if it had been longer, it did give a short example of how content can be made relevant.
Historical Soundscape – http://teachingdigitalhistory.ning.com/profiles/blogs/reading-sounds
The goal of this activity was to use the audio program Audacity to compile various clips into a meaningful audio-historical “soundscape”. While the idea of creating such a project had never occurred to me, the concept is intriguing. With a local location that truly contains a story about the past, this could be used to combine the past with the future. It also gave everyone the opportunity to explore a topic that had meaning to them individually.
Illustrated Lincoln – http://thoughtsfromdmo.blogspot.com/2009/09/cartoon-lincoln.html
This activity was helpful in learning to analyze the characteristics of a political cartoon or other current-events art. The components of examination from Werner help to guide the analyst to a more complete understanding of the message behind the picture. It is also an assignment that could be useful for directing students who have never done analysis of this sort.
Historical Painting – http://thoughtsfromdmo.blogspot.com/2009/09/following-is-conversation-with-yankee.html
This assignment was designed to have students create a narrative that is able to tell an educational story. The foundation for the narrative was a painting or other work of art. I chose a picture of an antebellum peddler to describe the life of a southern family and their culture.
Wikipedia and epistemology – http://thoughtsfromdmo.blogspot.com/2009/10/wikipedia-article-analysis.html
The object of this assignment was to become familiar with the process and nature of a wiki format. On Wikipedia.com, there are a number of articles that exceed the assumptions of many in the area of accuracy and reliability. The examination of the features of these articles leads to the understanding of why they are the way they are.
New Literacies and Digital History Design – http://thoughtsfromdmo.blogspot.com/2009/10/historic-document-website-review.html
It is interesting to examine different sources of digital information to determine their most useful applications and their intended audiences. There are distinct differences in design for websites that are intended for commercial purposes and others that are meant to service purely academic and knowledge transfer issues. There is a message sent with the format, ease of navigation and the information contained in the resource. These messages can serve to enhance the usefulness of the website, but they can also make accessing it more difficult. All of these factors can and should be considered when viewing any applicable website.
Stagville Interpretation – http://thoughtsfromdmo.blogspot.com/2009/11/joe-and-henderson.html
This assignment was focused on deriving an interpretation about slave life from the excerpts about slavery from the Cameron Family Letters. The approach that I chose to take was to determine any trends present throughout many or all of the letters. The trend that I focused on was the inclusion of two sick men in many of the correspondences between Charles Lewellyn and Paul Cameron. Joe and Henderson were sick for a long time and that clearly affected the work that was going on at the plantation in Alabama.
Hollywood Film – http://thoughtsfromdmo.blogspot.com/2009/11/history-and-hollywood.html
Many teachers use Hollywood film in the classroom without much consideration toward the repercussions in student understanding. The goal of this assignment was to examine the use of films of our choosing in the classroom. There are effective uses for Hollywood film but like many things, they are not to be undertaken thoughtlessly.
Stagville post on History Engine – http://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/4832
This activity involves a re-characterization of the compilation activity of the Cameron Family Letters. The narrative was made more accessible and secondary sources added as corroboration.
Google Street View – http://thoughtsfromdmo.blogspot.com/2009/11/london-according-to-google.html
The technology represented in Google Maps Street View is an amazing combination of pictures that can be used to walk the streets of a place half way across the world. That makes it an invaluable resource for the classroom. I chose to verbally map out the visual provided by Google of a popular London street block. The process of analyzing the street images is one that would help students gain an understanding of the world without having to travel the world.
Adventures in Early America – http://wikis.lib.ncsu.edu/index.php/Plymouth:_A_Tale_of_Two_Rocks
In this assignment there was the combined effort of historical perspectives and wiki use. The goal was to read images from the perspective of historical authors and post that analysis in a wiki format. In addition to learning the important lesson that context shapes historical thought, the use of the wiki provided a collaborative background for the editing of information.
Tangent Assignment – http://thoughtsfromdmo.blogspot.com/2009/11/economic-interest.html
The goal of this assignment was to have each student choose an intellectual topic that was meaningful to them and have them show how that can be worked into the classroom. The topic that I chose is the pervasive nature of economic interests that is at the core of historical events. It is something that I believe to be a helpful means by which to explain difficult historical concepts.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Economic Interest
One topic that has become increasingly interesting to me is the importance of economic factors in the course of history. In many cases over modern history money has been a cause or catalyst for the fall and formation of nations, not to mention the desires and actions of the individuals inhabiting those nations. It is helpful to use this aspect of humanity to explain the course of events.
One of the ways that the “monetary factor” plays out is in the lives of individuals. This most often works on the small scale, but what is important to consider is the degree to which individual decisions affect the whole of economic systems. That is why the capitalist system has worked over the short time in history it has been tried, because it encourages individuals to pursue their own economic interests. That is also a contributing factor for the fall of many of the communist nations in modern history.
Another way that economic factors have influenced the world is through the decisions of nations. It is important to see that the individual and governmental economic concerns are related, but they are also distinct. While the individual is concerned with their own interests and that happens to affect the economy as a whole, the governments of the world are generally more concerned first with acquiring wealth for the nation as a whole and later with the individual.
This aspect of the historical landscape is important to any teacher of history. It is vital because it explains some things that otherwise have little or no explanation. It is also a way to weave a thread of commonality through the whole of history. It seems that there is always an aspect of a historically important event that involves either individual or nationwide economic interest. It is also useful for students to use this as a source of examination in their own lives.
One of the ways that the “monetary factor” plays out is in the lives of individuals. This most often works on the small scale, but what is important to consider is the degree to which individual decisions affect the whole of economic systems. That is why the capitalist system has worked over the short time in history it has been tried, because it encourages individuals to pursue their own economic interests. That is also a contributing factor for the fall of many of the communist nations in modern history.
Another way that economic factors have influenced the world is through the decisions of nations. It is important to see that the individual and governmental economic concerns are related, but they are also distinct. While the individual is concerned with their own interests and that happens to affect the economy as a whole, the governments of the world are generally more concerned first with acquiring wealth for the nation as a whole and later with the individual.
This aspect of the historical landscape is important to any teacher of history. It is vital because it explains some things that otherwise have little or no explanation. It is also a way to weave a thread of commonality through the whole of history. It seems that there is always an aspect of a historically important event that involves either individual or nationwide economic interest. It is also useful for students to use this as a source of examination in their own lives.
Picasso vs Poems
The Picasso exhibit was a fascinating look into the mind of one of the most famous artists in modern history. While his work is not the style that I prefer, it does provoke thought. Specifically the work we were asked to look at where the artist combined with French poet Pierre Reverdy to create an illustrated book of poems. This work does not appear to explore the depth of Picasso’s talent but it does examine the concept of art as words. The broad strokes of paint seem to represent the emotions that the poems evoke for Picasso. While they are likely thematic with respect to the words on the page, they do not supersede them. The paint does not take the place of the words, and I would argue that images can never take the place of words. There is indeed value to the use of images in expression, but there are limits on pictures that are not present in words. In images, meaning is never clear. That is not to say that it is always clear in words, but there is a level of clarity that can never be entrusted to images. There is a reason that authors write books and artists draw pictures. Certainly there is a place for the ambiguity present in images, but that place is generally not in fields based in knowledge.
Monday, November 16, 2009
London according to Google
I have chosen to take a digital stroll through several key streets in the UK capital, London. The specific area that I will analyze is bounded by St. Margaret St./Abingdon St on the west, Bridge St. on the north, The Victoria Tower Gardens on the south and on the East by the Thames River. This area contains the Houses of Parliament and the London landmark, Big Ben.
This section of London is a kind of pie shaped plot narrowing as it moves south. There is little hint as to the imposing nature of the buildings from the sky. The width of the streets is the only clue that this is an important area.
Tracing from the northeast, the viewer glimpses Big Ben just before crossing over the Westminster Bridge. On the bridge, the full view of The Members of Parliament’s gothic architecture comes into the picture.
On the corner of Bridge St. and St. Margaret St., there are hordes of pedestrian traffic that flow into the grounds of the historic structure. From there, the virtual walk moves from St. Margaret St. to Abingdon St. as the street slants to the east. The road becomes less populated with pedestrians as it moves down to the Gardens.
If you cross the Thames, there is no view of the block in question from Google Maps street view. There are pictures submitted by users that include a riverside view, but no street gives an unobstructed view.
There is a break in the flow of street view photos in between St. Margaret St. and Abingdon St. This could be due to the unorthodox flow of traffic or the fact that access is limited to non-pedestrians. Whatever the case, it is far more difficult to navigate across the building from the west.
This section of London is a kind of pie shaped plot narrowing as it moves south. There is little hint as to the imposing nature of the buildings from the sky. The width of the streets is the only clue that this is an important area.
Tracing from the northeast, the viewer glimpses Big Ben just before crossing over the Westminster Bridge. On the bridge, the full view of The Members of Parliament’s gothic architecture comes into the picture.
On the corner of Bridge St. and St. Margaret St., there are hordes of pedestrian traffic that flow into the grounds of the historic structure. From there, the virtual walk moves from St. Margaret St. to Abingdon St. as the street slants to the east. The road becomes less populated with pedestrians as it moves down to the Gardens.
If you cross the Thames, there is no view of the block in question from Google Maps street view. There are pictures submitted by users that include a riverside view, but no street gives an unobstructed view.
There is a break in the flow of street view photos in between St. Margaret St. and Abingdon St. This could be due to the unorthodox flow of traffic or the fact that access is limited to non-pedestrians. Whatever the case, it is far more difficult to navigate across the building from the west.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Engine for learning
The “History Engine” at historyengine.richmond.edu appears to be a good combination of technology, content and higher-order thought. The inclusion of primary sources as a foundation for the compilation gets students involved in the real work of a historian. Surprisingly, that involvement also tends to spike the interest of the students to a level not seen in traditional essay-type assignments.
The idea that this type of educational assignment can create connections between learners and educators that were not previously possible is a real advance. Not only does a student now have the resource that is a textbook or lecture, but is placed in collaboration with scholars who are experienced with the craft of history. There is a kind of combination between physical interaction and online association that is seen in few if any other places. Wikipedia uses online interaction, traditional research uses physical resources (like a librarian), but this work puts those together.
I am a bit unsure how this work can be translated easily into a secondary education context. The work is intriguing, but possibly a bit overwhelming for all but the most advanced high school students. Understandably, this is designed for undergraduates and above. The ideas should translate, however if on a smaller scale and scope to a younger context.
The idea that this type of educational assignment can create connections between learners and educators that were not previously possible is a real advance. Not only does a student now have the resource that is a textbook or lecture, but is placed in collaboration with scholars who are experienced with the craft of history. There is a kind of combination between physical interaction and online association that is seen in few if any other places. Wikipedia uses online interaction, traditional research uses physical resources (like a librarian), but this work puts those together.
I am a bit unsure how this work can be translated easily into a secondary education context. The work is intriguing, but possibly a bit overwhelming for all but the most advanced high school students. Understandably, this is designed for undergraduates and above. The ideas should translate, however if on a smaller scale and scope to a younger context.
History and Hollywood
There are a number of instances in which a Hollywood film can be helpful in portraying the emotion and passion of a historical scenario in a more realistic fashion than print. One of the most poignant situations for this is the review of the horror of the holocaust during WWII. It is possible to gain an understanding of the central events and the statistics that document the human suffering of the war, but to understand the true human cost is nearly impossible by reading about it. The emotional impact of films about this topic can be very valuable in connecting students to history.
One of the films that examines the events of the war and the holocaust from an individual perspective is The Diary of Anne Frank. This film takes a true story, made into a popular play, and shows the struggle of a young Jewish girl who seeks to live with her family and others in hiding from the Nazis. This film, while old, provides students with the story in a moving and insightful format. The individual perspective of this film displays a very important value of film viewing, that of the personal nature of the human experience. In some ways, this type of film is especially suited to tell a story in an accurate and meaningful fashion. Each viewer has to come to the film individually and interact with the material presented internally first. In this way, the focus on one person and her experiences is appropriately focused.
Another film that takes a different approach on the same time period is Shindler’s List. This film has achieved more acclaim and it is well deserved. The film does a good job examining the progression of Schindler, but also the holocaust as a whole. In several scenes the viewer is thrust into the horror in a very authentic way. It is a movie based on a true story, and feels like a documentary, but contains elements of fictional embellishment just like most Hollywood films. Overall, the picture of the holocaust that gained from this film is priceless for young historical learners (if you can show it in a classroom).
One of the films that examines the events of the war and the holocaust from an individual perspective is The Diary of Anne Frank. This film takes a true story, made into a popular play, and shows the struggle of a young Jewish girl who seeks to live with her family and others in hiding from the Nazis. This film, while old, provides students with the story in a moving and insightful format. The individual perspective of this film displays a very important value of film viewing, that of the personal nature of the human experience. In some ways, this type of film is especially suited to tell a story in an accurate and meaningful fashion. Each viewer has to come to the film individually and interact with the material presented internally first. In this way, the focus on one person and her experiences is appropriately focused.
Another film that takes a different approach on the same time period is Shindler’s List. This film has achieved more acclaim and it is well deserved. The film does a good job examining the progression of Schindler, but also the holocaust as a whole. In several scenes the viewer is thrust into the horror in a very authentic way. It is a movie based on a true story, and feels like a documentary, but contains elements of fictional embellishment just like most Hollywood films. Overall, the picture of the holocaust that gained from this film is priceless for young historical learners (if you can show it in a classroom).
Joe and Henderson
From the original letters between the Cameron family and their employees, slaves are often mentioned since they are an integral part of the plantation operation. Since the letters were not written or received by the slaves themselves, the language is often derogatory or just in reference to the slaves as property of value. This shows the nature of the culture and the lack of respect and responsibility that slaves are given for their part in the southern economic system.
Sickness appears to be a way of life for the slaves on southern plantations. Throughout the letters, the names of various slaves are mentioned as being sick and unable to work. Some slaves are mentioned in multiple letters and eventually as having succumbed to sickness and overwork. A couple of these slaves that are mentioned repeatedly in the letters are Joe and Henderson. They come up because they are sick for a very long time. Henderson is sick from at least November 1844 till July 1846 and Joe from at least May 1845 till June 1846.
These men are mentioned 10 times in the letters transcribed from Charles Lewellyn to Paul Cameron and once in a letter from Paul Cameron to Duncan Cameron. The letters from Lewellyn tell a very functional story about the number of hands that he is able to have at work with reference to the trips that Paul has made to inspect the situation himself. He does make a comment about the limits of their workload in September 1845. He says that they “won’t haul water for the hands”. An interesting note here is that he does not say that they “can’t” haul water, but that they won’t. This may just be a verbal slip but it could also be an insight into the degree to which the slaves are allowed to decide how much work they are able to perform.
The letter from Paul to his father tells a slightly different story and is a little more elaborative. Paul has a very limited outlook for the two slaves. He recognizes that there has been no improvement in Henderson since he saw him a year ago, a very long time for sickness. His judgment on Joe is not much better. The comparison of this account with that of Lewellyn seems to indicate that Paul has a less realistic view of the health of these two men. It could be that he is writing to prepare his father for the likely case that these men will have to be replaced knowing that a more dire report is safer than a rosier one.
Here are the references to Joe and Henderson in chronological order:
May 11, 1845: “Joe and Henderson are as they was when you left here”
August 1, 1845: “There is none of the hands now in the house dangerous at this time. Joe’s health improved. Henderson no better.”
September 17, 1845: “Joe and Henderson the same. Both together won’t haul water for the hands. Joe is not in as good health as he was some time ago.”
November 18, 1845: Paul Cameron to Duncan Cameron
“Little Joe is yet in delicate health. Sandy is looking badly, having a chill every 3rd day. Henderson is about as he was 12 months ago, looking if possible a little more bleached and enfeebled.”
February 13, 1846: “Little Joe not much improved if any. Henderson the same he was when you left here.”
March 1, 1846: “Joe and Henderson are no better nor no worse than when you left here.”
March 12, 1846: “Joe and Henderson the same.”
March 21, 1846: “Joe better and Willie’s foot a little better. Henderson the same.”
April 30, 1846: “Old York is dead. Joe and Henderson no worse.”
July 3, 1845: “Joe’s health I think is improving.”
July 7, 1846: “Joe better, Henderson the same.”
Not only is sickness important to the Charles Lewelln, it is one of the only things that he considers to be worthy of writing about. As foreman of the plantation, he has a responsibility to let his employer know about the conditions which define the work he is able to accomplish. One reason for the importance of sickness is because of the primacy of economics in the slave system. A slave who is sick or dead is one that is not earning money for the plantation owner. It is easy to see how that is a detriment to the wealth of the south as a whole, but the problem goes much deeper than that. When a slave is sick, he does not fit the mold for the entire cultural system created by slavery. In other words, a slave who is not fulfilling an economic or social purpose begins to expose the inhumanity of the system as a whole.
Sickness appears to be a way of life for the slaves on southern plantations. Throughout the letters, the names of various slaves are mentioned as being sick and unable to work. Some slaves are mentioned in multiple letters and eventually as having succumbed to sickness and overwork. A couple of these slaves that are mentioned repeatedly in the letters are Joe and Henderson. They come up because they are sick for a very long time. Henderson is sick from at least November 1844 till July 1846 and Joe from at least May 1845 till June 1846.
These men are mentioned 10 times in the letters transcribed from Charles Lewellyn to Paul Cameron and once in a letter from Paul Cameron to Duncan Cameron. The letters from Lewellyn tell a very functional story about the number of hands that he is able to have at work with reference to the trips that Paul has made to inspect the situation himself. He does make a comment about the limits of their workload in September 1845. He says that they “won’t haul water for the hands”. An interesting note here is that he does not say that they “can’t” haul water, but that they won’t. This may just be a verbal slip but it could also be an insight into the degree to which the slaves are allowed to decide how much work they are able to perform.
The letter from Paul to his father tells a slightly different story and is a little more elaborative. Paul has a very limited outlook for the two slaves. He recognizes that there has been no improvement in Henderson since he saw him a year ago, a very long time for sickness. His judgment on Joe is not much better. The comparison of this account with that of Lewellyn seems to indicate that Paul has a less realistic view of the health of these two men. It could be that he is writing to prepare his father for the likely case that these men will have to be replaced knowing that a more dire report is safer than a rosier one.
Here are the references to Joe and Henderson in chronological order:
May 11, 1845: “Joe and Henderson are as they was when you left here”
August 1, 1845: “There is none of the hands now in the house dangerous at this time. Joe’s health improved. Henderson no better.”
September 17, 1845: “Joe and Henderson the same. Both together won’t haul water for the hands. Joe is not in as good health as he was some time ago.”
November 18, 1845: Paul Cameron to Duncan Cameron
“Little Joe is yet in delicate health. Sandy is looking badly, having a chill every 3rd day. Henderson is about as he was 12 months ago, looking if possible a little more bleached and enfeebled.”
February 13, 1846: “Little Joe not much improved if any. Henderson the same he was when you left here.”
March 1, 1846: “Joe and Henderson are no better nor no worse than when you left here.”
March 12, 1846: “Joe and Henderson the same.”
March 21, 1846: “Joe better and Willie’s foot a little better. Henderson the same.”
April 30, 1846: “Old York is dead. Joe and Henderson no worse.”
July 3, 1845: “Joe’s health I think is improving.”
July 7, 1846: “Joe better, Henderson the same.”
Not only is sickness important to the Charles Lewelln, it is one of the only things that he considers to be worthy of writing about. As foreman of the plantation, he has a responsibility to let his employer know about the conditions which define the work he is able to accomplish. One reason for the importance of sickness is because of the primacy of economics in the slave system. A slave who is sick or dead is one that is not earning money for the plantation owner. It is easy to see how that is a detriment to the wealth of the south as a whole, but the problem goes much deeper than that. When a slave is sick, he does not fit the mold for the entire cultural system created by slavery. In other words, a slave who is not fulfilling an economic or social purpose begins to expose the inhumanity of the system as a whole.
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