Much of the excitement surrounding digital history is its great flexibility. Not only does new media offer multimedia capabilities, changing what content might easily be presented to students, but it also is adaptable to any age group. The ability to quickly and effectively incorporate images and sound, with or without the use of textual narration allows younger students the opportunity to engage visual material they might find more approachable, while older students can appreciate the connectivity between objects and the open-ended possibilities of the Web. (more…)
October 16, 2006
October 3, 2006
New Lights
Many of the readings this week took into account the whats and hows of communication and narration. This seems to really get at the heart of why new media seems to be a necassary step in the future of education. (more…)
September 25, 2006
It’s the Design, Stupid!
There seemed to be some disconnect between the various readings this week. Two major topics seemed to be the focus of the authors’ concerns. Some wrote on the creation of digital content which might be used in a classroom setting, while others explored the utility of such documents in both classroom activities and in planning a curriculum. In both cases however, the underlying theme was the buzzword of the semester so far: design.
September 19, 2006
Chasms, Breaches, and Other Arroyos
The image of academic historians dropping like lemmings into an abyss, futilely piling on top of each other in their efforts to translate their craft into classroom lessons is an amusing metaphor. But it is precisely the implication of the language employed in some of this week’s readings.
September 12, 2006
Missing the Bus
I had a post all set to go for when I returned on Sunday night, but when I arrived home, I saw that my copy of Understanding by Design had finally arrived in my absence. I thought it would be good to at least peruse it and try to incorporate it into my ideas a bit. I wish I hadn’t.