In Ancient China and Japan, there were many rituals surrounding tea, and it was used also used for medicinal purposes. These tea ceremonies contain a great deal of symbolism, and are treated as ways to promote harmony and discipline. China, Japan, Korea, and even Britain have tea ceremonies. The geishas in Japan became famous for their performances during the tea ceremony. These tea rituals were very carefully constructed, and require a great deal of discipline to participate. Tea still plays an important role in their culture and other similar rituals can be seen in other parts of the world, such as the Victorian-era "high tea." Horned Holly, along with many other plants has been used to may tea in these ancient cultures. What can we learn a great deal about ancient Asian cultures by looking at the importance of tea.
Your task is to assume the role of an ancient Chinese doctor. You are in search of plants that are said to have some healing power in the form of tea. You can choose any plant you wish, but you must know what illness it is said to cure. You must look up a plant that is native to China, because you need to be able to access it when needed. Your final product will include a one page report on the plant you have chosen, where it can be found, what illness it is said to cure, as well as a picture of the plant, as well as other medicinal uses of the plant. What plants are used for medicinal purposes, and have they become widely used in other parts of the world?
Your process will include conducting library or internet research to locate your plant. I have provided several starting points to locate the names of plants for you to research further.
Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbal_tea
http://www.liveandfeel.com/medicinalplants.html
Your report must contain the following:
1. Your name and the title of your report
2. A picture of the plant you selected to research.
3. All the sources you used to locate information on your plant.
4. Information on where the plant can be found, what illness it is said to cure, as well as other medicinal uses of the plant, and information on how the plant is used today, if at all.
You will be evaluated based on your report, the organization and content. There will be an evaluation rubric that categorizes your work form unsatisfactory to satisfactory and excellent work. Each of these categories will highlight what a paper of this standard will look like.
In Conclusion, you can see that many of these teas are no longer used, but many of them have become more widely used even in America. Medicinal tea has been a very important part of ancient Asian cultures, and the medicinal uses of these teas can teach us a great deal about their culture as well as our own.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Mapping History
The holocaust is something that has always been interesting to me. I have always been interested in the subject, so when the opportunity arose in college for me to take a course on the subject, I did so with no hesitation. We viewed many maps throughout the course, many of which our teacher incorporated into PowerPoint lectures. One map that I encountered during the course was an interactive map on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s website. The map starts at the beginning of World War II, and gives the population of Jews in Europe, which was around 9.5 million. The map then takes the viewer on a journey from Germany’s annexation of Austria and then the invasion of Poland in 1939. The map labels the mobile killing squads, the ghettos, and then the concentration camps, and shows how Jews were being deported from all over Europe. I came across this map in my own exploration of the USHMM website. I think this map provides a great overview of the Holocaust and how it progressed throughout the WWII. I did not use the map a great deal after discovering it, but I have grown to appreciate the map much more now that I have to develop lesson plans. I have incorporated this map into a lesson plan, and I think this map would be a great way to introduce the Holocaust, or to supplement other material in a unit focusing on WWII and the Holocaust. This map represents a great deal about my historical interests. I am always interested in the things in history that we may not understand, or the most shocking events in history. The Holocaust is one of those events, and this map provides a brief history of the event, and highlights all of the things about the Holocaust that I have learned about over the years. The fact that this map is interactive also speaks to my personal interests. I like things that I can engage myself in, and I like things that help me organize the information I am taking in. This map does that, and it allows me to see the sequence of events in a clear, precise way. I can remember learning about the invasion of Poland, then the ghettos and mobile killing squads, which were mentioned in the book, Ordinary Men. This map represents the journey I took in learning about the Holocaust. At the beginning, the Jewish population was thriving in Europe, and by the end of the war, six million Jews had been annihilated. Copy and paste this url to see the map: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/media_nm.php?ModuleId=10005143&MediaId=3372
Lester’s work on the Waldseemuller map tells us a great deal about how people viewed the world at the time it was published. The map represented people’s world view at the time, and how their world view maybe changed because of this map. I think this map, and others like it, would be a great tool to use in a social studies class to demonstrate how people's world view changed over time. It is also a good way to talk about how exploration, the Crusades, and merchants played a role in the formation of this map, and many others. The different stories and components of this map can also encourage students to look at other maps in the same way, and help them realize that they can learn a great deal about the world when they think critically.
The map above illustrates the various battles that took place in the Pacific during World War II. This map is unique because a great deal of text is involved, which helps us understand the main purpose of the map. I think this map would be a wonderful tool to use in a 11th grade US History class. The learning objective would be that students understand the sequence of events in the Pacific, and to learn about specific battles, and their outcomes. I think the lesson itself would take 2 class periods because I am incorporating a group project into the lesson. I would use this map to introduce to war in the Pacific and I would use a PowerPoint presentation, and video clips to give them a brief overview of Pacific front during World War II. The presentation would cover any concepts are terms that would be necessary to understand before completing the project. At the end of the lesson I would assign the students to groups, and each group would be responsible for one of the battles on the map. Each group would then research the battle, and create a poster to present to the class. Each group would be responsible for assigning roles for the project, and I would have them provide me with the names of who was responsible for each part of the project. I would present the lesson on a Monday, and have the students work at home on their project and present on Friday. I would have the students present their poster, and then we would create a timeline of the events around the classroom, with each poster displayed. The project itself would assess the students learning. I would also have students fill out a questionnaire during the other groups presentations, offering feedback to the groups, as well as listing the things that they learned during the presentation. I would read over the questionnaires and then return them to each group.
Lester’s work on the Waldseemuller map tells us a great deal about how people viewed the world at the time it was published. The map represented people’s world view at the time, and how their world view maybe changed because of this map. I think this map, and others like it, would be a great tool to use in a social studies class to demonstrate how people's world view changed over time. It is also a good way to talk about how exploration, the Crusades, and merchants played a role in the formation of this map, and many others. The different stories and components of this map can also encourage students to look at other maps in the same way, and help them realize that they can learn a great deal about the world when they think critically.
The map above illustrates the various battles that took place in the Pacific during World War II. This map is unique because a great deal of text is involved, which helps us understand the main purpose of the map. I think this map would be a wonderful tool to use in a 11th grade US History class. The learning objective would be that students understand the sequence of events in the Pacific, and to learn about specific battles, and their outcomes. I think the lesson itself would take 2 class periods because I am incorporating a group project into the lesson. I would use this map to introduce to war in the Pacific and I would use a PowerPoint presentation, and video clips to give them a brief overview of Pacific front during World War II. The presentation would cover any concepts are terms that would be necessary to understand before completing the project. At the end of the lesson I would assign the students to groups, and each group would be responsible for one of the battles on the map. Each group would then research the battle, and create a poster to present to the class. Each group would be responsible for assigning roles for the project, and I would have them provide me with the names of who was responsible for each part of the project. I would present the lesson on a Monday, and have the students work at home on their project and present on Friday. I would have the students present their poster, and then we would create a timeline of the events around the classroom, with each poster displayed. The project itself would assess the students learning. I would also have students fill out a questionnaire during the other groups presentations, offering feedback to the groups, as well as listing the things that they learned during the presentation. I would read over the questionnaires and then return them to each group.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
History Caught in the Web
Web-based sources are vastly different than printed resources, but in a good way. Resources found on the web can be found in which ever form you refer. You can find resources that contain the information all on one page, or information that is divided into sections that you can navigate between. But sometimes, you can find information that you navigate just like you would any paperback book. Google Books, is a great resources for those who want to find a book that the library does not have. Web-based resources offer many different tools to help make it easier for us to navigate through and access information. The web also allows us to share this information with others with just a click of a button. You don't have to journey to your local library, and search through an old-fashioned card catalogue to locate information. All you have to do is simply type in key words in your search engine, and thousands upon thousands of queries are at your fingertips. Many online archives, such as The Library of Congress, make it easy to navigate their page by providing an internal search engine. The benefits of digital history is the ease of access, the convenience of being able to sit in your pajama's and do research, and wealth of information that can be contained on the web. There are often opportunities to download the information to you ipad, iphone, or some other technology so that you can access it anywhere you go. However, I believe there are some downfalls to digital history. For instance, web-based sources I believe are geared more toward the younger generations, and people who have experience with technology and the internet. Those who are older, and who may not have much experience in these areas may find the web completely unhelpful when searching for information. I also think that sometimes we become so detached from online sources. Sometimes I think it is very beneficial to go to the library or the archives and touch an old newspaper, or old documents. I experienced some of this myself when doing research for my undergraduate thesis. I visited the State Archives to look for information regarding Camp Butner, and I remember how excited I was to open up a folder and be able to touch and smell the old camp newspapers, or old telegrams sent to Army officials. It was a very unique experience that the web cannot provide. I think that the web is good when these kinds of primary sources are out of reach, and you would have to spend a great deal of time and money getting to the sources. The internet speeds up the process, and saves money and travel time by allowing you to locate sources from all over the world in a matter of seconds. Of the 11 versions of Harriot's book, three really stood out. I really like the google books version because you get the convenience and ease of an online source, but in the form of a book. Google also gives you the option to pay a small fee to buy the book and download it to your computer or your iPad. I think the layout is easy to navigate, and you can read it just as you would a book. I also really liked the American Libraries Internet Archiver version because it allows the reader to choose which format they would like to download. You can download the PDF format, and you can also download it to your kindle. The site is clearly labeled, and there is a box that gives you the different format choices, labeled "View Book". Project Gutenberg also offers many different download formats, and also has links to Twitter and Facebook so that you can share the source with others. This site also has a tab for the full bibliographic information, which can help you format a citation quickly. These three combined many elements of which are appealing. They all three were easy to use and navigate, and they also offered other formats that could be downloaded to other devices.
I would like to support the claim that American Memory includes a useful structure of accessing and using digital historical resources. Some of the things that stand out about the structure are the internal search engine that allows you to search the entire collection, a link for teachers, and the "Collections by Topic" box that help the researcher quickly locate what they are looking for. There is also an "Ask the Librarian" link for those who may need a little extra help. I had no trouble navigating through the site, and the page layout was simple, and appealing to the eyes. It was not to busy or distracting, and everything was labeled in a way that helped me navigate the site with ease.
I would like to refute the claim that, "the presentation of an historical resource online is not very important...what's important is the content within." I believe the presentation is of the upmost importance with trying to view an online source. I know for me, if a source is not appealing, if it is confusing, or difficult to navigate, I will not waste my time trying to view it. Also, if you have to go through too much "red tape", so to speak, it becomes frustrating to the point where you will just give up. I believe the presentation is just as important as the content within. Simple is always better. If a site is too busy, with advertisements and other unnecessary information it makes it difficult to concentrate on the important stuff. An example of a layout I did not like was one of our readings for this assignment. Mapping of the Republic of Letters did not have the common preferred layout where you would just scroll up and down to access the information. You also had to scroll left and right, which made it hard to see where you left off. It made it a tad bit confusing, when it could have been laid out much more simply.
If I was in charge of a web-based presentation of the Constitution, I would make it simple, easy to navigate, and convenient. I would have the actual image of the Constitution with a transcript beside it. This will make it easier to read, and will prevent having to decipher words. In the transcript I would have words highlighted that would open a pop-up window for the viewer to learn more. I would have the names of people, places, and other pertinent information highlighted, so that people could learn more with just a click of a button. I think that this presentation would benefit those that just needed to gain some knowledge of the actual document, as well as those who wished to learn more information about the people, places, or other information within.
Here is the link to my activity in DocsTeach: http://docsteach.org/activities/6889/detail?from_activity=1
The activity I created in DocsTeach is called Propaganda on the Homefront and is an activity in which students will examine, analyze, and interpret various propaganda posters used in the United States during World War II. The students will answer several questions to determine what the central theme or message of the image was, what emotions the creator is trying to appeal to, what group the image is intended to affect, and if they believe the image was effective. I am a little frustrated with DocsTeach because there was not a activity template designed to create my activity. I wanted to use 6 images in this activity and have students examine all of them to learn about the ways in which people on the homefront contributed to the war effort, and to also have them critically think about the intended message in the image and how the creators hoped to achieve their goals with the images. I could only use one image in the activity, so if I were to implement this activity in the classroom I would find the other 5 images and have the students answer the same questions about those images as well. I would have to give the students a brief overview of the ways in which Americans were asked to help at home. There is actually a useful interactive tool on the SAS website that I would use to introduce the activity to students. It provides a brief, but full overview of how the war affected life in the United States, and provides information on war bonds, nurses, women workers, and scrap metal. I would expect students to learn about how the war affected the lives of those who were in the United States during the war, and also how everyone from children to adults, and even women contributed to the war effort. I would also expect students to use and improve their critical thinking skills in this activity. I would have students complete this activity in class. I would have each student answer the questions that correspond with the document in this activity. I would have them turn in their answers so as to assess their understanding of the propaganda. After they completed the first activity independently we would discuss the initial activity as a class. I would have the class form a circle with their desks and we would proceed with a group discussion about the usefulness of propaganda. This would allow students to share ideas, and to expand their initial thinking. I would also introduce 5 other propaganda posters used during World War II, and we would answer the same questions in our group discussion. Each student would be expected to contribute to the discussion at least once to get credit for participation. I have always liked learning about World War II, but how the war was viewed at home is often not covered in most history classes, so that is why I decided to create this activity. I think you could complete this activity in a day, maybe less, and I think it would greatly benefit students by expanding their knowledge of the war and allow them to practice their critical thinking skills.
I would like to support the claim that American Memory includes a useful structure of accessing and using digital historical resources. Some of the things that stand out about the structure are the internal search engine that allows you to search the entire collection, a link for teachers, and the "Collections by Topic" box that help the researcher quickly locate what they are looking for. There is also an "Ask the Librarian" link for those who may need a little extra help. I had no trouble navigating through the site, and the page layout was simple, and appealing to the eyes. It was not to busy or distracting, and everything was labeled in a way that helped me navigate the site with ease.
I would like to refute the claim that, "the presentation of an historical resource online is not very important...what's important is the content within." I believe the presentation is of the upmost importance with trying to view an online source. I know for me, if a source is not appealing, if it is confusing, or difficult to navigate, I will not waste my time trying to view it. Also, if you have to go through too much "red tape", so to speak, it becomes frustrating to the point where you will just give up. I believe the presentation is just as important as the content within. Simple is always better. If a site is too busy, with advertisements and other unnecessary information it makes it difficult to concentrate on the important stuff. An example of a layout I did not like was one of our readings for this assignment. Mapping of the Republic of Letters did not have the common preferred layout where you would just scroll up and down to access the information. You also had to scroll left and right, which made it hard to see where you left off. It made it a tad bit confusing, when it could have been laid out much more simply.
If I was in charge of a web-based presentation of the Constitution, I would make it simple, easy to navigate, and convenient. I would have the actual image of the Constitution with a transcript beside it. This will make it easier to read, and will prevent having to decipher words. In the transcript I would have words highlighted that would open a pop-up window for the viewer to learn more. I would have the names of people, places, and other pertinent information highlighted, so that people could learn more with just a click of a button. I think that this presentation would benefit those that just needed to gain some knowledge of the actual document, as well as those who wished to learn more information about the people, places, or other information within.
Here is the link to my activity in DocsTeach: http://docsteach.org/activities/6889/detail?from_activity=1
The activity I created in DocsTeach is called Propaganda on the Homefront and is an activity in which students will examine, analyze, and interpret various propaganda posters used in the United States during World War II. The students will answer several questions to determine what the central theme or message of the image was, what emotions the creator is trying to appeal to, what group the image is intended to affect, and if they believe the image was effective. I am a little frustrated with DocsTeach because there was not a activity template designed to create my activity. I wanted to use 6 images in this activity and have students examine all of them to learn about the ways in which people on the homefront contributed to the war effort, and to also have them critically think about the intended message in the image and how the creators hoped to achieve their goals with the images. I could only use one image in the activity, so if I were to implement this activity in the classroom I would find the other 5 images and have the students answer the same questions about those images as well. I would have to give the students a brief overview of the ways in which Americans were asked to help at home. There is actually a useful interactive tool on the SAS website that I would use to introduce the activity to students. It provides a brief, but full overview of how the war affected life in the United States, and provides information on war bonds, nurses, women workers, and scrap metal. I would expect students to learn about how the war affected the lives of those who were in the United States during the war, and also how everyone from children to adults, and even women contributed to the war effort. I would also expect students to use and improve their critical thinking skills in this activity. I would have students complete this activity in class. I would have each student answer the questions that correspond with the document in this activity. I would have them turn in their answers so as to assess their understanding of the propaganda. After they completed the first activity independently we would discuss the initial activity as a class. I would have the class form a circle with their desks and we would proceed with a group discussion about the usefulness of propaganda. This would allow students to share ideas, and to expand their initial thinking. I would also introduce 5 other propaganda posters used during World War II, and we would answer the same questions in our group discussion. Each student would be expected to contribute to the discussion at least once to get credit for participation. I have always liked learning about World War II, but how the war was viewed at home is often not covered in most history classes, so that is why I decided to create this activity. I think you could complete this activity in a day, maybe less, and I think it would greatly benefit students by expanding their knowledge of the war and allow them to practice their critical thinking skills.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wikipedia: How History is Meant to Work
I will be the first to admit that if I want knowledge about a particular event in history, Wikipedia is the first place I look. I often find myself looking to Wikipedia to expand on or clarify some question I may have about a historical event. I was recently watching The Perfect Storm on TV, and wanted to read a bit more about the event, and clarify a few things I saw in the movie. Wikipedia is convenient, easily accessible, and I believe most of it is accurate. In college, we are all warned about using Wikipedia, especially when writing a paper, or conducting research. I would never cite Wikipedia as a source of information 1) because it is hard to tell where exactly the information came from, and 2) I would not be 100 percent sure the information was accurate. However, if you think about it....how do we know that anything is 100 percent accurate unless we witnessed it ourselves. History is constantly changing, and being reviewed and revised by people who have discovered some new piece of the puzzle. In the Sheets article, he mentions a book titled, Telling the Truth About History. I had to read this book in a Historical Methods class at ETSU. I actually enjoyed the book, because it helped me understand a bit more about how we write about history, and how it is a collaborative effort. I think history is a story told from many different perspectives, and we have to keep that in mind we we view Wikipedia, or any other source from that matter. I believe Wikipedia can be very useful in the social studies classroom, and I think it should be used to help students understand how historians go about writing the histories that we are reading in our history classes. There are some downfalls to using Wikipedia for information, for example, Rosenzweig warns that Wikipedia is open source, and information can be added or deleted by anyone. This can be very problematic, and could provide completely false information. However, one positive aspect of this is that it becomes a collaborative effort. Many different people can come in and add or edit information to provide a more accurate telling of the story. Wikipedia allows students to easily explore an interest, and it also provides references for further exploring. It can also point students to other related events or people, and it can really help students gain a full understanding of an event. Ryle and Snowdon's article, I believe, gives Wikipedia credit for helping students understand the "how" and not just the "that". It allows students to see how historians go about compiling information, and forming their research into a coherent story. It allows the to see how they get to the "that". I think knowledge is more than just facts, I believe it is how we organize those facts to understand the deeper meaning of an event. Knowledge is the "how" that comes from the "that". Meaning knowledge is how we organize all of the information in a way that we can recall this information and apply it to different situations.
My policy on using wikipedia in the classroom will be this: only use wikipedia as a means of located other sources of information, and never directly cite wikipedia as a source in any work. I think wikipedia can serve as a good stepping stone to other, better sources of information, such as newspaper articles or government documents. However, I think that it is too dangerous to allow students to use wikipedia as a source for any paper or project. Not to mention, I think it will do them a disservice when they reach the college level and are told never to use wikipedia as a source. I do, however, think that wikipedia can be a good way to show students how collaboration in history works. Much of the history we know has been edited and added to over time. New information is discovered, theories are overturned, and facts are further supported. A creative way to use wikipedia in the classroom would be to have students work together on a paper, or project and have students proofread and edit each others work. First, I would provide the students with some background information on wikipedia and how it works, as well as give them the specifics of how I want them to collaborate on their assignment. I will specify how many times the work should be edited by other group members, and how to address areas of disagreement. I think this will be a good way to teach students to collaborate, as well as give them a taste of what other historians do everyday. I think as part of the assignment I would also have them describe their process and their feelings on collaborating, such as what was easy or what was difficult about it. I think this will really get them to think more critically about where they get information, and will cause them to look more critically at open-source information, such as wikipedia.
My policy on using wikipedia in the classroom will be this: only use wikipedia as a means of located other sources of information, and never directly cite wikipedia as a source in any work. I think wikipedia can serve as a good stepping stone to other, better sources of information, such as newspaper articles or government documents. However, I think that it is too dangerous to allow students to use wikipedia as a source for any paper or project. Not to mention, I think it will do them a disservice when they reach the college level and are told never to use wikipedia as a source. I do, however, think that wikipedia can be a good way to show students how collaboration in history works. Much of the history we know has been edited and added to over time. New information is discovered, theories are overturned, and facts are further supported. A creative way to use wikipedia in the classroom would be to have students work together on a paper, or project and have students proofread and edit each others work. First, I would provide the students with some background information on wikipedia and how it works, as well as give them the specifics of how I want them to collaborate on their assignment. I will specify how many times the work should be edited by other group members, and how to address areas of disagreement. I think this will be a good way to teach students to collaborate, as well as give them a taste of what other historians do everyday. I think as part of the assignment I would also have them describe their process and their feelings on collaborating, such as what was easy or what was difficult about it. I think this will really get them to think more critically about where they get information, and will cause them to look more critically at open-source information, such as wikipedia.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Beautiful Data
I've never really thought about data being beautiful, but when I think about charts, graphs, or other representations of data I think about what aspects of these representations caught my attention and why. After reading more about what makes data beautiful, it makes sense that it is not just about the colors, its about how the information is represented. The visual must speak the "language of the eye" and the "language of the mind" simultaneously, as suggested by David McCandless. It is important to represent the data in a way that is easily understood, and provides all the necessary information. However, it should be visually appealing. As Noah Lliinsky suggests, data "must be aesthetically pleasing, yes, but it must also be novel, informative, and efficient." Beautiful data should possess all of these qualities. It should be innovative, and should attempt to convey information in a new way. He uses the periodic table and the map of the London Underground as examples of data having these components. Data should also be informative. If the data has no purpose their is not point in displaying it. And it should also be efficient, and easy to understand. A good example of beautiful data is the Geograph project underway in Great Britain and Ireland. The way the data is represented is beautiful, novel, informative, and efficient. The maps they are creating are packed with a great deal of information about the geography throughout Great Britain, and the geography can be seen and not just described. The pictures that are being collected for this project are beautiful, but they are also informative.
Matthias Shapiro believes that data should tell a story, which begins with answering a single question that you will answer through data. He informs the reader of the step by step process to creating a visualization. There have been many changes that have taken place in the field of data visualization through the years, but the purpose of organizing and representing data has always been.
Visualizations serve a great purpose: to inform. However, as we read in the Dragga and Voss essay, sometimes the viewer can be manipulated and mislead. It is important to look at data representations with a critical eye, so that we are in control of the information we absorb and are able to analyze it in a way that presents the truth.
As far a using data visualizations in the classroom, I think it is a great way to get them to think more critically about the information they take in. You can teach them to ask questions about visuals, and look at them with a critical eye. In history, it is a little harder I think to use visuals in the classroom, and since data representation is not our focus as history teachers, I think we have to be very careful how much time we spend on such a topic. I think it would be a good idea to have them analyze some visual representation in their textbook at the beginning of the semester. I think this would go well with teaching them how to use the textbook, and how to take information from it. I think you could let them choose any visual in the text book, and have them analyze it based on Lliinsky's 4 components of a good visual. I think this would be a quick assignment, but would also be very informative and engaging.
Matthias Shapiro believes that data should tell a story, which begins with answering a single question that you will answer through data. He informs the reader of the step by step process to creating a visualization. There have been many changes that have taken place in the field of data visualization through the years, but the purpose of organizing and representing data has always been.
Visualizations serve a great purpose: to inform. However, as we read in the Dragga and Voss essay, sometimes the viewer can be manipulated and mislead. It is important to look at data representations with a critical eye, so that we are in control of the information we absorb and are able to analyze it in a way that presents the truth.
As far a using data visualizations in the classroom, I think it is a great way to get them to think more critically about the information they take in. You can teach them to ask questions about visuals, and look at them with a critical eye. In history, it is a little harder I think to use visuals in the classroom, and since data representation is not our focus as history teachers, I think we have to be very careful how much time we spend on such a topic. I think it would be a good idea to have them analyze some visual representation in their textbook at the beginning of the semester. I think this would go well with teaching them how to use the textbook, and how to take information from it. I think you could let them choose any visual in the text book, and have them analyze it based on Lliinsky's 4 components of a good visual. I think this would be a quick assignment, but would also be very informative and engaging.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Are images invisible?
I am a very photographic learner, so seeing images helps me understand more about the written word and helps me make deeper connections to the material. At the same time, it makes sense that sometimes visuals can be invisible to the learner. The Burke article suggested that, “historians do not take the evidence of images seriously”. I thought this was strange, but when I thought about it you rarely see visuals alone to describe history. Images are usually accompanied by words that tell the story, and the images are just used as representations or depictions to support what is written. We rarely let the images tell the story themselves. Images have served important roles in telling the stories of the past since before the Renaissance. Back then images often told stories by themselves. A person could gain an understanding of a battle by looking at a series of images, but somehow images have become less important as prose has risen in prominence. “As one historian puts it, historians prefer to deal with texts or political and economic facts, not the deeper levels of experience that images probe.” Images can serve as a form of evidence to back up written word, and that is what we see now. There are many types of visuals that can tell stories of the past. Painters could also be considered historians. The history these kinds of artists usually represented was that of national history. They would paint images of war victories. A single image, to a series of images, then a strip narrative can tell the story of what did happen, or in many cases what should have happened. Many images of the past were used a propaganda. The Bayeux Tapestry is an important example of a strip narrative and explains a great deal about the Norman Conquest in England. Even still, the images must be placed in their proper context, and it is necessary to understand who created the images and where. The Werner article encourages teachers to use the images in textbooks as a way to teach their students about the past, not just to “lighten the word” or support the story.
Using images, and allowing students to draw on their own interpretations of the images enables helps achieve the goal of depth of knowledge and higher order thinking, not just the learning of facts. Students must know that they have the authority and capacity to assess the meaning of an image.In the Staley article, Edward Tufte calls images that are meant to convey information, “cognitive art.” Images in books like The Rise of the West are meant to be cognitive art. Staley believes that cognitive art and information images, such as maps, are a serious form of representation in history. Staley suggests that images can accomplish things that written prose can’t. They can depict dimensionality and structures when prose cannot always accurately describe these things.
Looking at ways to use visuals in the classroom, I think as assignment similar to one we just did would be very beneficial and a wonderful and engaging learning experience. I thought that it would be really good to do a visual assignment in a US History class when I would be teaching about the 1960's. There are so many defining images of that era, and visuals can say so much about the changing times that American's faced. I would assign a project in which my students had to find an image representing some part of the 1960's, and they would analyze the image, as well as provide contextual information, and present the image and their research to the class. I think this would be a very interesting assignment, it would be brief, but would convey a lot of information in a little bit of time. I really may keep this idea in mind when teaching about the 1960's.
Using images, and allowing students to draw on their own interpretations of the images enables helps achieve the goal of depth of knowledge and higher order thinking, not just the learning of facts. Students must know that they have the authority and capacity to assess the meaning of an image.In the Staley article, Edward Tufte calls images that are meant to convey information, “cognitive art.” Images in books like The Rise of the West are meant to be cognitive art. Staley believes that cognitive art and information images, such as maps, are a serious form of representation in history. Staley suggests that images can accomplish things that written prose can’t. They can depict dimensionality and structures when prose cannot always accurately describe these things.
Looking at ways to use visuals in the classroom, I think as assignment similar to one we just did would be very beneficial and a wonderful and engaging learning experience. I thought that it would be really good to do a visual assignment in a US History class when I would be teaching about the 1960's. There are so many defining images of that era, and visuals can say so much about the changing times that American's faced. I would assign a project in which my students had to find an image representing some part of the 1960's, and they would analyze the image, as well as provide contextual information, and present the image and their research to the class. I think this would be a very interesting assignment, it would be brief, but would convey a lot of information in a little bit of time. I really may keep this idea in mind when teaching about the 1960's.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
On Technology and Lincoln...
As I was completing the reading, I couldn't help but think of just how modern of a president Lincoln was. You could compare his dedication to the war effort, and his determination to play and active role and be informed to our more recent presidents. It brought to mind the images of President Bush meeting with generals from Afghanistan and Iraq, and it also brought to mind the recent image of President Obama sitting with members of his Cabinet around a TV watching the events of Osama Bin Laden's capture and death unfold. Lincoln was definitely innovative, being the "only president to hold a patent." His experiences with the development and progress of the railroad, or "iron horse", show just how in tune he was with technology. He spent more hours in the telegraph office than anywhere else during the Civil War, and he was determined to learn the skills necessary to use it himself. Most news travelled by messengers on horseback, which delayed any action on the front lines. Once the telegraph came into play, the troops could move quickly, and the War Department could gain the necessary information to keep things working in their favor. The entire outcome of the war, as well as Lincoln's presidency was affected by the telegraph. I can't really think of a downside to having the telegraph, other than having information leak, which we learned was not a problem during its early years. Lincoln was definitely the first modern president, and one who helped bring about progress in America.
Follow up:
I think our groups instructional idea to teach how the telegraph revolutionized war, and changed how troops fought and how they moved is a great pedagogical idea. I think you can compare and contrast the Civil War to prior wars, such as the Revolutionary War, and get students to think critically about how the telegraph impacted the changes that took place. You can give examples of how the telegraph helped the president execute commands quickly, and get word to people on the field quickly. You can have the students analyze telegrams relating directly to battlefield events and discuss how the telegraph influenced the situation. You can then hold a class discussion about the impact of the telegraph and about changes in warfare. Having the students work in groups and answer questions about a particular telegram sent during the war is a good way to assess their learning of the material and to see how well they understand the changes that took place between the Civil War and previous wars.
Follow up:
I think our groups instructional idea to teach how the telegraph revolutionized war, and changed how troops fought and how they moved is a great pedagogical idea. I think you can compare and contrast the Civil War to prior wars, such as the Revolutionary War, and get students to think critically about how the telegraph impacted the changes that took place. You can give examples of how the telegraph helped the president execute commands quickly, and get word to people on the field quickly. You can have the students analyze telegrams relating directly to battlefield events and discuss how the telegraph influenced the situation. You can then hold a class discussion about the impact of the telegraph and about changes in warfare. Having the students work in groups and answer questions about a particular telegram sent during the war is a good way to assess their learning of the material and to see how well they understand the changes that took place between the Civil War and previous wars.
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