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.
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