Andrew Reinhard's Posts - eLatin eGreek eLearn2024-03-28T08:42:02ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasishttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/352106374?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://eclassics.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=amasis&xn_auth=noTitio! Tweeting in and for Latin via Twittertag:eclassics.ning.com,2010-07-26:727885:BlogPost:463462010-07-26T14:28:20.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
<a href="http://www.twitter.com">Twitter</a> is another ubiquitous Web 2.0 communication tool enabling users to "tweet" (post) updates in 140 characters (or less). Some would argue that Martial was the first person to tweet even though Twitter would not be invented until nearly 2,000 years after his death. For users of Twitter, there are those who tweet, those who follow (subscribe to those who tweet), and those who do both. Classicists have gotten into Twitter, too, and some are even using it…
<a href="http://www.twitter.com">Twitter</a> is another ubiquitous Web 2.0 communication tool enabling users to "tweet" (post) updates in 140 characters (or less). Some would argue that Martial was the first person to tweet even though Twitter would not be invented until nearly 2,000 years after his death. For users of Twitter, there are those who tweet, those who follow (subscribe to those who tweet), and those who do both. Classicists have gotten into Twitter, too, and some are even using it for Latin education.<br />
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<br>I had the chance to do a one-hour workshop on "Tweeting for Classics" at the recent American Classical League conference hosted at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Below is my 2-sider handout containing an annotated list of *some* Twitter profiles of those people who actively tweet for Classics, specifically for Latin:
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/395818227?profile=original">TweetingForClassics.pdf</a> Apologies if you are not on my handout!<br />
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<br>If you tweet for Classics and for Classics classes, please leave a comment about your experience with the Twitter platform in the Comments area below. How do you use Twitter for Classics (both tweeting and following)?
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<br>Andrew Reinhard
<br>Director of eLearning
<br>Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
<br>eClassics founder/admin
<br>2010 Standards for Latin Teacher Preparation Published by APA/ACLtag:eclassics.ning.com,2010-03-31:727885:BlogPost:425062010-03-31T14:00:00.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
The American Philological Association (APA) and the American Classical League (ACL) jointly created and published the <a href="http://www.aclclassics.org/pdf/LatTeachPrep2010Stand.pdf"><span style="font-style: italic;">Standards for Latin Teacher Preparation</span></a> in 2010. There is a small section listing sample online resources (eClassics is one of the three resources listed!). There is also a "Note on Technology" on page 17. From the Foreword:<br></br><br></br>"Teaching Latin is a noble calling…
The American Philological Association (APA) and the American Classical League (ACL) jointly created and published the <a href="http://www.aclclassics.org/pdf/LatTeachPrep2010Stand.pdf"><span style="font-style: italic;">Standards for Latin Teacher Preparation</span></a> in 2010. There is a small section listing sample online resources (eClassics is one of the three resources listed!). There is also a "Note on Technology" on page 17. From the Foreword:<br/><br/>"Teaching Latin is a noble calling but not an easy vocation to follow. Someone who wants to be a Latin teacher has many ways to reach that goal, from on-the-job apprenticeship to formal programs in teacher education. No matter what their route to the classroom, prospective Latin teachers must study one and perhaps two difficult classical languages, and they must acquire the pedagogical knowledge and skills necessary for successful practice. In colleges and universities prospective Latin teachers, never very numerous, are sometimes shoehorned into programs designed for teachers of modern languages or other subjects. Eager students who sense a calling to teach Latin may find themselves turned away by misinformed educators who believe that there is no need for such<br/>teachers or who have little notion of how to prepare them. Often the greatest challenge, both for teachers and for those who train them, is to know what knowledge matters and what skills are essential. This document has been created to help them meet that challenge."<br/><br/>Please follow the link above to read the rest of the 24-page document. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on these standards and if you think there should be more mention of technological literacy integrated into it.<br/><br/>Andrew Reinhard (eClassics)<br/>Terence Awards for Excellence in Classics Student Filmmaking: Call for Submissionstag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-10-30:727885:BlogPost:402512009-10-30T17:49:28.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
I am pleased to announce the second annual Terence Awards. These cash awards and prizes will be given to those junior high, high school, and university students whose videos convey Classics in a way that is informative, entertaining, or both. Please read on for details:<br />
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Prizes<br />
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Cash prizes and free books will be awarded to the winning filmmaker or team in the following categories:<br />
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1 Best Picture, Junior Prize (junior high, high school, or homeschool student(s) ages 11–18 at the time the film…
I am pleased to announce the second annual Terence Awards. These cash awards and prizes will be given to those junior high, high school, and university students whose videos convey Classics in a way that is informative, entertaining, or both. Please read on for details:<br />
<br />
Prizes<br />
<br />
Cash prizes and free books will be awarded to the winning filmmaker or team in the following categories:<br />
<br />
1 Best Picture, Junior Prize (junior high, high school, or homeschool student(s) ages 11–18 at the time the film was created)<br />
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1 Best Picture, Senior Prize (college or university students aged 18+ at the time the film was created)<br />
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1 Best Foreign Film Prize (all levels, students who are non-US citizens living outside of the United States and its Territories at the time the film was created)<br />
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The Best Picture and Best Foreign Film prizes recognize excellence in student filmmaking which include exceptional creativity, superb writing, acting, and production of a movie with Classical themes including, but not limited to history, mythology, and/or culture. Movies may be set in any time period (past, present, future, or a combination thereof) and can be live-action, animated (including machinima), or a mix of live action and animation. The use of Latin and/or Greek is encouraged, but not required. Subtitles may be used.<br />
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1 Best Use of Latin in a Film Prize (all levels, Classical, Medieval, Vulgate, etc.)<br />
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1 Best Use of Greek in a Film Prize (all levels, Homeric, Classical, or Koine)<br />
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The Best Use of Latin/Greek prizes celebrate excellence and creativity in the integration of Latin and/or Greek into a student-created film. To be eligible for these prizes, the films must contain Latin/Greek subtitles and/or Latin/Greek spoken dialogue or narration.<br />
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A single film can win both a Best Picture prize and a Best Use of Latin/Greek prize. The Best Foreign Film prize-winner is also eligible to win Best Picture (Junior) or Best Picture (Senior).<br />
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Winners will also have their videos featured on the eClassics homepage (eclassics.ning.com) for one month, and will be designated as a Terence Award-winner for all time.<br />
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Special thanks to Excellence Through Classics (ETC) for a grant to fund cash prizes for the Best Picture winners (both Junior and Senior) and Best Foreign Film. Winners of Best Use of Latin/Greek will receive vouchers for free books from Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers.<br />
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Winners will be announced at the American Classical League Summer Institute on June 27, 2010, and will be simultaneously posted on eClassics and on various Classics discussion lists.<br />
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Winners will be paid either by check or EFT, or can have their winnings payable to their school's Latin Club, JCL, or NJCL chapter. Winners of the book vouchers will receive a special code for use with online purchases at <a href="http://www.bolchazy.com">www.bolchazy.com</a>.<br />
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How to Enter<br />
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1) If you (or all members of your film production team) were a junior high or high school student (grades 6–12) during the period of January 1, 2009–May 30, 2010, or if you were a homeschool student aged 11–18 during this same period, you are eligible for all prizes except Best Picture (Senior). If you (or all members of your film production team) were enrolled in a college or university during that same period, you are eligible for all prizes except Best Picture (Junior).<br />
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2) Videos must contain Classical (or Classically-informed/inspired) content. Videos produced for Latin or Greek class projects, videos on subjects from Greek and/or Roman mythology, videos on Greek and/or Roman history will be considered. Video submissions containing Latin and/or Greek (all or in part) are strongly encouraged. Videos may be live-action, animated, or both, and can include audio and video samples as long as those samples are credited. Videos should follow the MPAA ratings guide for "G", "PG", or “PG-13” content. Submissions containing profanity, nudity, graphic violence, or obscenity will not be considered.<br />
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3) Videos must be submitted in .avi, .mov, or .mpg format, or via a URL should the video submission be hosted on eClassics, YouTube, TeacherTube, or other online video content provider. Videos may be of any length. Videos must have been created during the period of January 1, 2009–May 30, 2010.<br />
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4) Submissions may be posted by students (or their teachers) on eclassics.ning.com and must include a tag/keyword of "Terence". Alternately, submissions may also be submitted on CD, DVD, or flash drive, mailed to:<br />
<br />
Andrew Reinhard<br />
c/oTerence Awards<br />
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers<br />
1570 Baskin Road<br />
Mundelein, IL 60060<br />
USA<br />
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5) One submission per student (or student group if created as a collaborative project).<br />
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6) Submissions must be postmarked on or before May 30, 2010. Late submissions will not be considered. Submissions cannot be returned.<br />
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7) There is no entry submission fee.<br />
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8) Questions about the contest should be sent via email to areinhard@bolchazy.com.<br />
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Good luck!<br />
<br />
Andrew Reinhard<br />
Director of eLearning<br />
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers<br />
areinhard@bolchazy.comTechnology at Texas Classical Association, October 23-24, 2009, University of Texas - Austintag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-10-27:727885:BlogPost:402232009-10-27T15:30:22.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
The Texas Classical Association (TCA) annual meeting was held at the AT&T Conference Center on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on October 23-24, 2009. With over 90 delegates, it was the best-attended TCA in the history of the organization, and featured one presentation on the 23rd and eleven on the 24th. Read the full program <a href="http://www.txclassics.org/" target="_blank">here</a>. Three presentations dealt specifically with classroom technologies for Classics, and one…
The Texas Classical Association (TCA) annual meeting was held at the AT&T Conference Center on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on October 23-24, 2009. With over 90 delegates, it was the best-attended TCA in the history of the organization, and featured one presentation on the 23rd and eleven on the 24th. Read the full program <a href="http://www.txclassics.org/" target="_blank">here</a>. Three presentations dealt specifically with classroom technologies for Classics, and one paper focused on vocabulary acquisition/retention, the results of which can be applied to digital helps.<br />
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On the 23rd, I spoke to the group from 4:00 – 4:45 about how to make responsible use of Web 2.0 technologies in support of teaching Latin, citing several teacher-created examples, working through strategies for encouraging buy-in by students, teachers, and school IT staff. We discussed the use of blogs, wikis, and social networks for Latin classes, learning about how projects that seek to implement these tools succeed and fail. Students, teachers, and school I.T. staff have to have a shared vision and buy-in to ensure the success of using online platforms to facilitate and continue classroom discussion. I'd encourage readers of this blog post to leave comments below on your own personal experiences with using these Web 2.0 technologies in your classes. What worked? What didn't?<br />
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On the evening of the 23rd, TCA arranged to have a concert by San Antonio-based indie rock outfit, <a href="http://athensvsparta.com" target="_blank">Athens v. Sparta</a>, whose 2008 album, <i>The History of the Peloponnesian War</i>, is a gem. From 8:00 – 9:00 the 7-piece band played out the historically accurate retelling of the 27-year conflict through the words of Thucydides and Xenophon. I was able to pick up a CD from the band’s founder on the following day after he spoke about the five years he spent producing the album. The MP3 version of the album is available for free download <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/athensvsparta" target="_blank">here</a>, and at just under one hour, can be played in class or made available to students via a link from your course management software.<br />
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The lectures on the 24th began at 8:30 and featured a wonderful mix of talks from graduate students, university professors, and high school teachers. The eleven talks ran the gamut from classroom technology to a brand new archaeological discovery to the oratorical stylings of Demosthenes to the future of AP Latin. Below, I have detailed the talks that have a direct impact on eClassics members.<br />
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I gave the keynote address, “Classics Classroom Computing: How to Take a Balanced Approach to Educational Technology”. In this talk, I gave a brief history of Classics eLearning followed by a tour of current technologies being used by Latin teachers with their students. These technologies included things for mobile platforms including iPhone apps, vocabulary cards, as well as Lee Butterman's <a href="http://nodictionaries.com" target="_blank">NoDictionaries.com</a>. The end of the lecture served as a caution to teachers not to completely avoid technology as students are using things like Facebook and YouTube to post commentary and videos featuring their Latin teachers.<br />
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Summary of Three Papers Given that Impact eClassics Members:<br />
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Andrea Stehle, “Recent Research in Latin Vocabulary Learning”: Ms. Stehle is an eClassics member and Ph.D. candidate in Classics and is interested in how students of foreign languages learn and retain new vocabulary. Her research (and the research of others whom she cites), have found the following to be true:<br />
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§ The reading of authentic texts greatly assists students in learning and retaining vocabulary (when compared to made-up texts or just word-list study).<br />
§ Reading new words or reading the words while listening to them being spoken is much better for vocabulary retention than just listening alone. The student MUST have the text in front of them.<br />
§ Average students must hear a word spoken 20 times or must read it 12 times in order to retain the new vocabulary.<br />
§ When teaching new vocabulary, teachers should not have the students write anything about the word until after it has been practiced orally and recognized visually.<br />
§ When a student is given vocabulary to learn either before a passage or next to a passage, the student retains words at a rate of 72% when compared to the 47% of students retaining the same words just in a list without any accompanying reading. The passage is what helps the students learn new words.<br />
§ Showing a picture along with a word to learn is too much information. Retention actually goes down if a picture is used for vocabulary.<br />
§ Low-level (introductory) learners need graded readers to help with vocabulary acquisition.<br />
§ High-level (advanced) language students need a quick way to look up an unfamiliar word. Good readers will recognize 95% of words in a passage.<br />
§ When studying new vocabulary via flashcard, it typically takes 5-6 seconds for new learners to make the connection between the word shown and its definition.<br />
§ Self-pacing drills and exercises are perfect for students as each can go at their own pace.<br />
§ Derivatives make words easier to remember – include derivatives (if possible) on vocabulary cards.<br />
§ Dual-encode vocabulary codes with the printed word/definition along with recorded audio.<br />
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Bob Cape, “AP: Present and Future Prospects”: Bob Cape of Austin College spoke to the group about what he has learned as part of the AP Latin committee:<br />
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§ The “V5” question is being dropped from the AP Vergil test (character-matching essay where students are asked to match characters from early and late parts of the Aeneid and explain how they relate).<br />
§ There will be a wholly new AP Latin test as early as 2012. The AP Latin development committee is seeking suggestions and comments for the exam, and these comments should be posted on Latinteach.<br />
§ No Caesar passages have been identified for the new AP Latin.<br />
§ Passages for both Vergil and Caesar could be publicized as early as the end of 2009.<br />
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Clint Hagen, “Classics 2.0: New Directions in Computer-based Curricula”: Clint Hagen teaches Latin and is St. Andrew’s Episcopal School’s educational IT person (he's also an eClassics member). He has his own company called “<a href="http://athirdway.com/" target="_blank">A Third Way, Inc.</a>”, which is dedicated to digital Latin pedagogy. His creations were designed to fill his own needs as a Latin teacher, and hopefully those needs of other Latin teachers, operating under the axiom that “if a teacher does not like the software, then they won’t use it”.<br />
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Hagen’s <a href="http://athirdway.com/glossa/" target="_blank">Glossa online site</a> is based on the public domain dictionary of Lewis and Short. Users can type in a word and get a list of words containing that word to choose from. Clicking on a word in that list provides a definition, data about the word, and examples of how the word is used. Glossa shows the user’s 20 most recently viewed words. Users are able to comment on words used in reading passages. Authorized users can also add further definitions and examples word-by-word. The online version can also be downloaded for offline use.<br />
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Hagen’s other programs allow students to type in their translation of entire passages. Students can complete worksheets online (including macra in their answers by way of a Quia-like push-button panel). Students can also scan poetry online that the teacher can review. The chorus of "wows" from the TCA delegates during Hagen's session was wonderful and seems to indicate that teachers are ready to use this kind of technology to help their students learn and to save time with preparation and grading.<br />
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Next year's TCA is tentatively scheduled for November 6, back in Austin.American Classical League Pre-Institute Workshop on free e-utilities for Latin teacherstag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-06-29:727885:BlogPost:356072009-06-29T16:09:23.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
I presented a pre-Institute workshop at ACL last week on how to download, install, and use Skype, Audacity, WeGame, Second Life, and World of Warcraft (machinima projects and live interaction in Latin). I thought that others might benefit from the 60-page, illustrated handout, so I have attached it to this post in PDF format.<br />
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/395822401?profile=original">ACL2009.pdf</a> Message me here or send email to areinhard@bolchazy.com if you…
I presented a pre-Institute workshop at ACL last week on how to download, install, and use Skype, Audacity, WeGame, Second Life, and World of Warcraft (machinima projects and live interaction in Latin). I thought that others might benefit from the 60-page, illustrated handout, so I have attached it to this post in PDF format. <br />
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/395822401?profile=original">ACL2009.pdf</a> Message me here or send email to areinhard@bolchazy.com if you have any questions, suggestions, or corrections. Andrew Reinhard Director of eLearning Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers areinhard@bolchazy.comSummer Webinar Series from Bolchazy-Carducci Publisherstag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-04-20:727885:BlogPost:333912009-04-20T20:00:00.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
Omnes,<br />
<br />
Starting in June, Latin teachers teach Latin teachers online in Bolchazy-Carducci Publisher's second annual, weekly series of online seminars. We have some exciting new sessions this year on Vergil, Catullus, Cicero, etymology, Roman culture, and Latin 2.0, not to mention two sessions from Milena Minkova and Terence Tunberg including a Virtual Conventiculum! Returning favorites Rose Williams and Anna Andresian will reprise their popular sessions from 2008.<br />
<br />
Whether you’re a new Latin…
Omnes,<br />
<br />
Starting in June, Latin teachers teach Latin teachers online in Bolchazy-Carducci Publisher's second annual, weekly series of online seminars. We have some exciting new sessions this year on Vergil, Catullus, Cicero, etymology, Roman culture, and Latin 2.0, not to mention two sessions from Milena Minkova and Terence Tunberg including a Virtual Conventiculum! Returning favorites Rose Williams and Anna Andresian will reprise their popular sessions from 2008.<br />
<br />
Whether you’re a new Latin teacher looking for teaching tips or are a seasoned veteran continuing your professional development, Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers offers you a diverse menu of options to give you what you need. You may be eligible for credit hours towards recertification; check with your school, district, or state to confirm.<br />
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More than just an online lecture, attendees can dialogue with each other and the speakers live, view presentations, and explore teaching materials used by the speakers themselves.<br />
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June 9: Ronnie Ancona — New Ways of Teaching Vergil's Aeneid*<br />
June 17: Helena Dettmer — The Agony and the Ecstasy of Catullus' Love Affair with Lesbia<br />
June 23: Anna Andresian — Using Oral Latin in Your Classroom<br />
July 9: Bill Dominik — Exploring Etymology in Your Latin Classes<br />
July 16: Rose Williams — Oral Latin via Readings in Roman History<br />
July 21: Jayne Reinhard — Roman Art and Archaeology for Latin Teachers<br />
July 23: Jayne Reinhard — Daily Life in Ancient Rome<br />
July 30: Laura Gibbs — Latin 2.0: Personal Learning Networks<br />
August 6: Rose Williams — Learning Latin Pronouns via Roman Mythology<br />
August 13: Jon Hall — Latin Oral Interpretation and Performance via Cicero<br />
September 23: Milena Minkova & Terry Tunberg — Training Techniques for Spoken Latin Expression (beginners)<br />
September 30: Milena Minkova & Terry Tunberg — Virtual Conventiculum (advanced -- no English will be used)<br />
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For more detailed descriptions and to sign up online, please visit <a href="http://www.bolchazy.com/webinars.html">http://www.bolchazy.com/webinars.html</a>.<br />
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Individual webinars are $99.00. Select any three for $249.00, or take all 12 for $749.00. Register online at the above web address, or phone 847.526.4344.<br />
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Class size is limited to 30. Minimum enrollment is set at five participants unless otherwise noted with a (*) which requires a minimum enrollment of 10. If a webinar is cancelled due to low enrollment, participants can choose to take a different webinar or may opt for a refund.<br />
<br />
Andrew Reinhard<br />
Director of eLearning<br />
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers<br />
areinhard@bolchazy.comLatin Teacher Dawn La Fon Featured in News Article on the Relevance of Learning Latintag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-03-11:727885:BlogPost:323622009-03-11T19:36:31.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
From The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN, March 4, 2009:<br />
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<a href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/mar/04/my-profession-teacher-living-language/">http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/mar/04/my-profession-teacher-living-language/</a><br />
<br />
Andrew Reinhard
From The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN, March 4, 2009:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/mar/04/my-profession-teacher-living-language/">http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/mar/04/my-profession-teacher-living-language/</a><br />
<br />
Andrew ReinhardTerence Awards Winner Announcedtag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-03-09:727885:BlogPost:322892009-03-09T17:27:03.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
It is with great pleasure that I announce this year's winner for the first inaugural Terence Awards for excellence in student-created films on Classical and Latin themes. There are two, official cash-prize awards:<br />
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Best Use of Latin in a Film ($250.00) sponsored by the Classical Association of the Middle West and South's (CAMWS) Committee for the Promotion of Latin<br />
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Best Picture ($100.00) sponsored by Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers/eClassics<br />
<br />
Thanks to both of these sponsors and to our student…
It is with great pleasure that I announce this year's winner for the first inaugural Terence Awards for excellence in student-created films on Classical and Latin themes. There are two, official cash-prize awards:<br />
<br />
Best Use of Latin in a Film ($250.00) sponsored by the Classical Association of the Middle West and South's (CAMWS) Committee for the Promotion of Latin<br />
<br />
Best Picture ($100.00) sponsored by Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers/eClassics<br />
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Thanks to both of these sponsors and to our student and faculty judges from Arizona State University. They were quite impressed and entertained by all of the entries.<br />
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---<br />
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The <i>bulla</i>, please...<br />
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After much deliberation, the judges decided to award both Best Use of Latin in a Film and Best Picture prizes to the film, <i>Exercitum Caesaris</i>, by the Latin IV students at Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.<br />
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Players: Nate Deysher, Erika Lawson, Brent Miller, Aston Dommel, Tyler Chanas, Tim Reitnouer<br />
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Script: Nate Deysher<br />
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Filming/Editing: Tim Reitnouer<br />
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Latin Teacher: Catherine Zackey<br />
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This movie is a Latin-language (subtitled in English) recruitment video for the Roman army. The Latin is all original and, quite possibly, marks the world's first Latin translation of "Belgian waffle-maker".<br />
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You can view the winning film here: <a href="http://eclassics.ning.com/video/exercitum-caesaris">http://eclassics.ning.com/video/exercitum-caesaris</a><br />
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With the success of this first contest, and upon request by many students and teachers, the 2010 Terence Awards will feature additional categories for student filmmakers including Best Foreign Film (movies created by students outside of the U.S.) and an award for university students (other categories will be announced in the forthcoming Call for Submissions). Details will follow in the next few months.<br />
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As more and more videos are produced for Latin class projects, please encourage your students to submit their films for consideration for the Terence Awards.<br />
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Thanks,<br />
<br />
Andrew Reinhard<br />
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers/eClassicsAF4tag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-03-06:727885:BlogPost:341212009-03-06T14:30:00.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
Here is the first file, uploaded here for your convenience. Andrew <br />
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/395834398?profile=original">Aristophanes_Birds-Part1.mp3</a>
Here is the first file, uploaded here for your convenience. Andrew <br />
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/395834398?profile=original">Aristophanes_Birds-Part1.mp3</a>AF3tag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-03-06:727885:BlogPost:341192009-03-06T13:00:00.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/395835716?profile=original">Aristophanes_Birds-Part4.mp3</a>
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/395835716?profile=original">Aristophanes_Birds-Part4.mp3</a>Ludi Latinitag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-03-03:727885:BlogPost:321932009-03-03T23:44:13.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" height="324" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/395822251?profile=original" width="486"></img></p>
I wrote a longish blog post on Latin via gaming on Latinblogg (managed by eClassics member Moa Ekbom). If you're interested in learning Latin with computer and console games, read the post <a href="http://latinblogg.blogspot.com/2009/03/ludi-latini.html">here</a>. Thanks to Ms. Ekbom for the invitation to write on my favorite subject. A more complete, formal paper will appear later this year as part of the published proceedings from the recent Greek…
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/395822251?profile=original" alt="" width="486" height="324"></p> I wrote a longish blog post on Latin via gaming on Latinblogg (managed by eClassics member Moa Ekbom). If you're interested in learning Latin with computer and console games, read the post
<a href="http://latinblogg.blogspot.com/2009/03/ludi-latini.html">here</a>. Thanks to Ms. Ekbom for the invitation to write on my favorite subject. A more complete, formal paper will appear later this year as part of the published proceedings from the recent Greek and Roman Games in the Computer Age conference, Trondheim. Andrew Reinhard Director of eLearning Bolchazy-Carducci PublishersReport on the Greek and Roman Games in the Computer Age Conference, Trondeheim, Norwaytag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-02-25:727885:BlogPost:319852009-02-25T00:35:28.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
<b>Report on the Greek and Roman Games in the Computer Age Conference<br />
Norwegian University of Science and Technology<br />
February 20-21, 2009<br />
Prepared by Andrew Reinhard<br />
<br />
Summary</b><br />
<br />
A revolution is happening now and the flashpoint is Scandinavia. Both Sweden and Norway have fought and won to keep Classics as a vital and viable subject of study at the secondary school and university level. Activist bloggers like Moa Ekbom in Sweden (see her <a href="http://latinblogg.blogspot.com">Latinblogg</a>),…
<b>Report on the Greek and Roman Games in the Computer Age Conference<br />
Norwegian University of Science and Technology<br />
February 20-21, 2009<br />
Prepared by Andrew Reinhard<br />
<br />
Summary</b><br />
<br />
A revolution is happening now and the flashpoint is Scandinavia. Both Sweden and Norway have fought and won to keep Classics as a vital and viable subject of study at the secondary school and university level. Activist bloggers like Moa Ekbom in Sweden (see her <a href="http://latinblogg.blogspot.com">Latinblogg</a>), and activist students like Magnus Eriksson in Norway have been responsible for rescuing canceled Classics programs while at the same time finding ways to resuscitate Classics, promoting and publicizing both Latin and Greek as important for contemporary audiences, not just relating to scholarship, but also to popular culture, stripping the stigma of elitism from Classics and proving that Classical Studies is indeed essential for anyone.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://classicscomputers.wordpress.com/">Greek and Roman Games in the Computer Age conference</a> was organized by Classics professors Thea Selliaas Thorsen and Staffan Wahlgren, both of the <a href="http://www.ntnu.no/historie/english">Norwegian University of Science and Technology</a> just outside of <a href="http://www.trondheim.no/">Trondheim</a>, Norway. The first of its kind, this conference sought to survey Classics in computer games and virtual worlds as presented by fifteen speakers from Norway, Sweden, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.<br />
<br />
The media were invited to attend and document the conference proceedings, and bloggers were also invited to record and comment on the sessions. I was happy to be invited to speak at the end of the conference and to blog about it on behalf of <a href="http://www.bolchazy.com">Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers</a> and eClassics.<br />
<br />
What follows are summaries of the presentations and a look ahead to what is next for our group of enthusiastic Classicist-gamers and how we can use games as a lever to get more people interested in Classics and also to use games as ways of teaching Classics.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday, February 20<br />
<br />
<i>Session 1</i></b><br />
<br />
NTNU Dean Kathrine Skretting provided the opening remarks for the conference, speaking specifically on why Classical topics are valid today. Her answer was on the universality of these themes as seen in contemporary Classical elements like clothes, heroes, conflicts. These universals raise an interest in Classical studies and are present in games with Classical themes. As such, these games (just like movies) can serve as recruitment tools to draw students into the field of Classics. Skretting stated that emotions are important when making career choices, and if we can inspire passion in Classics within younger people by way of engaging computer games, then we are serving the field well.<br />
<br />
Conference co-chair <a href="http://www.ntnu.no/hist/eng/staff/wahlgren">Steffan Wahlgren</a> then officially opened the conference thanking the two main funding agencies, The Institute for History and Classics at NTNU, and Norway’s Freedom of Expression Institute. Wahlgren called for interdisciplinary approaches to Classics and gaming, and the following papers offered the variety needed to make a perceived elite field more accessible and viable to a general audience.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://kcl.ac.uk/schools/humanities/depts/classics">Martin Dinter</a> of King’s College, London, gave the first paper, “Ludological Approaches to Virtual Gaming”. He cited the recent dominance of online gaming (especially social gaming (e.g. games that encourage cooperative play from online players)), and discussed how play has been a perpetual human pursuit. He cited the landmark study published by Johann Huizinga, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Homo-Ludens-Johan-Huizinga/dp/0807046817/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235520526&sr=1-1">Homo Ludens</a> (1955) which stated the importance of play for people, and that it is logical for one to make the leap to create new games (or to use existing games) in support of teaching and testing. Dinter cited recent studies made by other researchers in using games like World of Warcraft as viable tools for studying economics and virology. He also cautioned the conference delegates about the use of games (and other digital assets) in class where the lights dim and some students disengage. The usefulness of games lies in the hands of skilled teachers and the school environment in which these games are used, and we must continually be aware of ludology vs. narratology, the perpetual argument of show-don’t-tell, to ensure that students are active participants instead of passive learners. Dinter recommended the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Intermedialit%C3%A4t-Analog-Digital/dp/3770543742/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235520561&sr=1-5">Intermedialität</a> that articulates this argument rather well.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.uni-konstanz.de/paech2002/eds/furtwae/furtwae.htm">Frank Furtwängler</a>, Universität Konstanz, spoke next on “God of War and the Mythology of New Media”. Furtwängler is a German project manager whose team recently wrapped a Classically informed social site for children that merged Classical themes and architecture with Spongebob Squarepants. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/God-War-Playstation-2/dp/B0002XL3BA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1235520683&sr=8-1">God of War</a> is a console game developed for Sony’s Playstation 2 and has a partner game for the PSP called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/God-War-Chains-Olympus-Sony-PSP/dp/B000R3BN4M/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1235520683&sr=8-3">Chains of Olympus</a>. The game itself incorporates elements of Greek mythology into an extraordinarily violent war-game featuring a Spartan anti-hero, Pandora’s Box, Cronos, a journey to Hades (and back), a visit to the Sisters of Fate, and more. As Furtwängler studied this game, he was impressed by the emotional depth and poetic nuance available, perhaps more engaging that what a viewer feels when watching a film because the gamer is actually the lead character in the ongoing drama. The game serves as a state between reality and fantasy, putting the gamer into a dream-like state of play where the world is fictional but the emotions are real. The question of fate vs. freewill surfaced here within the gaming context, and the gamer finds him/herself channeled into the ultimate end result of the game designer’s plan. Furtwängler also explored the silliness of the “resurrection effect” experienced by gamers’ characters that die and are then brought back to life to try again. If only that was possible in the real world.<br />
<br />
New York University graduate student, <a href="http://classics.as.nyu.edu/object/class.gradstud.html">Stephen Kidd</a>, presented a paper on “Herodotus and the New Historiography of Virtual Gaming”. Kidd’s thesis sought to explore the idea of history (and recording it) of the virtual world. Events happen in games like World of Warcraft that go above and beyond the generic slaying of monsters in the game, and Kidd cites the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHJVolaC8pw">“Serenity Now Massacre”</a> as an example of a highly documented, historical event within the game. The event was recorded and posted on YouTube and now boasts over three million views as people watch the virtual world funeral of a real-life player as it gets crashed by an opposing faction who slaughter all of the avatars attending the event. On a more prosaic level, many guilds have their own historians who record guild-level events on websites and wikis like the WoW Chronicles. Other events are recorded as webcomix by <a href="http://www.pvponline.com/">Scott R. Kurtz</a>. I asked Kidd if he knew of a feed aggregator for these WoW histories and blogs, but he did not know. It would be nice to have a central location to record all guild histories. Kidd thinks the next step of this kind of virtual history would be to arrange for avatar-to-avatar interviews in-world to talk about guild history as well as the in-world history of the game itself. Kidd gave two other resources for learning about gaming or virtual world histories including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Making-Second-Life-Notes-World/dp/0061353205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235521014&sr=1-1">The Making of Second Life</a> by Wagner James Au, and the <a href="http://terranova.blogs.com/">Terra Nova blog</a> by Dmitri Williams.<br />
<br />
Perhaps one of the most fun presentation was given by <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/classics/about/staff/d-m-lowe.asp">Dunstan Lowe</a> of the University of Reading on “Always Already Ancient: Ruins in the Virtual World”. His paper focused on how Classical (or classicizing) buildings and environments are presented by game designers, dividing these into four groups: new-in-the-past (the gamer is playing in an old world and the buildings appear to be new), destruction (instant ruins based on action in the game), heritage (ancient-as-venerable buildings with wear-and-tear over time), and fantasy (buildings were never new at all but seemed to be born-damaged). For modern gamers and game design, seeing something in ruins automatically conveys a sense of age or time; they have pathos and are therefore interesting (albeit in some gaming environments and packaging, the ruins are downright silly).<br />
<br />
<i><b>Session 2</b></i><br />
<br />
A couple of sessions were given by two speakers. The first presentation of the second session was one such example given by <a href="http://www.kcl.ac.uk/gsp09/staffinfo/2030">Richard Beacham</a> of the School of Theatre Studies and <a href="http://www.kcl.ac.uk/gsp09/staffinfo/2031">Hugh Denard</a> of Computing in the Humanities, both of King’s College, London. They spoke on “Observations on Staging the Ludi Virtuales”. Beacham and Denard specialize in theatre reconstruction and use Second Life to do it. They consider themselves to be new engineers (compared to the engineers of antiquity who helped to create a state of play). In Second Life, the <a href="http://www.english.heacademy.ac.uk/explore/projects/archive/technology/tech23.php">Theatron</a> area allows the general public to “rez” (push-button construction) of several theaters ranging from the Globe Theater to the Theater of Pompey to the Theater of Epidauros. I took some time to visit the sim in Second Life and watched, slack-jawed, as the <a href="http://slurl.com/secondlife/Theatron/13/10/52">Epidauren theatre</a> unfolded before my eyes into an architecturally faithful reconstruction of the theater from antiquity. This ten-year-old digital imaging project is produced by the <a href="http://www.kvl.cch.kcl.ac.uk/">King’s Visualisation Lab</a> in partnership with watchdog group, the London Charter for the Computer-Based Visualisation of Cultural Heritage. These reconstructions allow visitors to experience these theaters first-hand through their avatars. As part of the project, the Lab actually films actors in motion-capture suits as they perform plays. These actors are then rezzed on-stage in the theater reconstructions. Classes can reserve time on these stages, too, so they can perform and observe plays in real-time through this Voice-enabled environment. In theory, a group could perform and record Terence’s Phormio in-world before a live, virtual audience. The reconstructions of the theaters were originally built in 3D Studio Max and then imported into Second Life for texturing, and have been saved off-line on the chance that Linden Labs, the company that created and hosts Second Life, goes under.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ntnu.no/hist/eng/staff/thorsen">Thea Selliaas Thorsen</a>, co-chair for the conference, presented on “ Virtually There? Women in Ovid, Tatian and the 3D Theatre of Pompey”. Thorsen’s thesis explored the literary and architectural/archaeological evidence for the identification of the female statues on the portico of the Theater of Pompey, and how they have been reproduced in the 3D reconstruction of the theater.<br />
<br />
After the coffee break, the delegates were treated to a presentation by Gian Paolo Castelli, the project manager for the ill-fated, Roman-themed game, The Emperor’s Seal. The project started in 1999 as a Roman-themed game created by Italians and marketed by a French distributor (that dissolved during the game’s completion) available in English, French, and Italian, using 3D environments and characters. The budget for the game and its promotion by Ecclectica Publishing was around 500,000 Euros. The game incorporated puzzle-solving, talking to non-player characters for clues, collecting objects, earning rewards for completing mini-games within the larger game, as the player sought to retrieve the lost ring of the Emperor. The game featured real Roman iconography and artifacts plus ten 3D-rendered environments. While fun to watch and fun to play, the game was poorly promoted and never reached the market. The game is currently in limbo despite some interesting quests, fun cut-scenes, and archaeologically derived visual content.<br />
<br />
The final presentation of the day was given by Adam Lindhagen from the University of Lund on “Constructing and Governing a Province: Fact and Fiction in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Caesar-IV-Pc/dp/B000EDPQMU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1235521666&sr=8-1">Caesar IV</a>”. This paper was both a critique and tour of this game and its rules for gameplay (this is a city-building game). A lot of the game’s design was made our of ignorance of archaeology and carried a Roman aspect that was accidentally more Medieval than it was intended to be. The game served as a leaping-off point for a discussion on games set in ancient times as being either faithful to history or more attuned to fun gameplay outside of any kind of historic realism. Classicists were urged to take back control of historical truthfulness from media companies as we try to determine a compromise between emotional truths and historical truths.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday, February 21<br />
<br />
<i>Session 3</i></b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/staff/profiles/gardner.htm">Andrew Gardner</a> of University College London is an archaeologist and avid gamer; he presented on “Entertainment and Empire: A Critical Engagement with Roman Themed Strategy Games”. Gardener started off with some U.S. gaming statistics that strategy games are played mainly by 35-year-olds in America, of whom 40% are women. He also gave an overview of war/strategy games and critiqued the use of history in these games. The games do share key themes of violence and conflict, but divorced from any cultural context. There are stereotypes of civilization vs. the barbarian, but the values of each “culture” are largely unexplored. Time and space are arbitrary to gameplay, and little attention is paid to any kind of division within a population. There are leaders and soldiers who manipulate everyone else, which does not necessarily reflect accurately the times/places where these games are set. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rome-Total-War-Gold-Pc/dp/B000E2D3LC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1235521752&sr=8-1">Rome: Total War</a> features a mod (i.e. modification) called Rome: Total Realism for additional faithfulness to Roman arms and armor, as well as an additional mod for Latin-language use, namely in Latin background audio during fights and set-pieces.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.hf.ntnu.no/hf/historie/Ansatte/leif.inge.petersen/personInfo.html">Leif Inge Peterson</a> of NTNU spoke next on “Siege Warfare in Computer Games: Problems and Possibilities”. Most wargames set in antiquity do not use realistic logistics for the resources needed for siege warfare. Peterson’s goal for his doctoral thesis is to create a resource for academics to use to plug in information about siege duration and location along with the presence/absence of natural resources, and the amount of people involved in the siege to test theories about siege warfare in ancient times through the Middle Ages. There is potential hear for an outstanding game where the fun is in the preparation for siege warfare and the outcome of the siege.<br />
<br />
“Studies of Rome: Prospects for Research in Ancient History after ‘Gaming’” was presented by <a href="http://www.hf.ntnu.no/hf/historie/Ansatte/jan.frode.hatlen/personInfo.html">Jan Frode Hatlen</a>, also of NTNU. His underlying question was whether or not gaming would affect the selection of Classical research topics. He also spoke on how historical authenticity within a game makes it more fun and more believable, and that mods make wargames even better. Hatlen surveyed his game-playing students to discover these results, and will possibly expand his pool of respondents in future study. In these kinds of games, women and a sense of culture are conspicuously absent. Hatlen’s fear is that the absence of these elements in games may directly affect what topics his students choose to study. If anything, I think the absence of those elements would encourage students to explore what is really missing.<br />
<br />
My presentation was originally scheduled to close out the conference, but one of the other speakers had to leave to attend a funeral and the conference organizers asked me if it would be okay to speak sooner than I had anticipated. This was fine with me. I spoke on “eLearning Latin via Gaming” focusing my attention on the use of Latin in contemporary computer games not tied to Classics or the ancient world (Harry Potter, Halo, World of Warcraft, and Final Fantasy to name a few), the current state of Latin-learning via games (from producers like Hungry Frog, Cambridge Latin Course, Quia.com, and Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers), how to adapt games and platforms like World of Warcraft, Second Life, iPod/iPhone to use them for Latin learning, and a look into the future for Latin pedagogy through games. As a publishing house, we need to make an effort to find new games to assist with Latin-learning from those Latin teachers who are game enthusiasts. We also need to work with teachers in creating a new pedagogic environment in which computer games are part of the educator’s toolkit (much like games like Jeopardy and Battleship and other board- and card-games were used in 20th century classrooms). We also need a teacher/publisher partnership in affecting a sea-change at the highest levels of education administration so that digital products, ancillaries, and games can be included on adoption lists at federal, state, and local levels.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Session 4</b></i><br />
<br />
The conference’s final paper was delivered by Daniel Jung of the University of Bergen and its section of Computing in the Humanities, and <a href="http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/">Barbara McManus</a> of the College of New Rochelle on “Latina Ludens: Educational Gaming in <a href="http://vroma.org/">VRoma</a>”. McManus created the two-dimensional virtual world of VRoma for students and teachers of ancient Rome to come and explore Roman culture, history, art, architecture, and archaeology. Jung assisted with the coding of the latest version including the addition of a Latin-language interface and a forthcoming economic system put in place for gamers to learn about Roman money (and to collect and earn cash for in-game purchases). VRoma is based on the Lingo system which is available for free and can be used to create imersive, educational environments. VRoma was also supported by an NEH Teaching with Technology grant. The world is all about game-based learning and is fun to play – visitors can interact with non-player characters and one another, can build their own areas, and can explore a virtual Rome via 2D pictures and text-based scenarios. At present, a 3D port of VRoma is too expensive and time-consuming to explore, but the VRoma content is both rich and accurate and is appropriate for all ages.<br />
<b><br />
What’s Next</b><br />
<br />
Over the next few months the conference organizers and speakers will be working together to produce an official publication via the NTNU university press. The conference proceedings will probably be made available as a printed book with accompanying CD (with images, demos, links, and PDF eBook version), although post-conference collaboration will most likely happen via a yet-to-be-built wiki.<br />
<br />
The second conference in this series will most likely be held in August 2010 on Classics and another contemporary theme (not computer games) to continue to demonstrate the omnipresence of Classics in contemporary Western culture and society.<br />
<br />
<b>Coda: Klassisk Aften</b><br />
<br />
I was invited to attend an occasional lecture post-conference, given by the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=39376436280">Classical students of NTNU</a>. These “Classical Evenings” are hosted on the second floor of an antiquarian bookshop in Trondheim, and seek to explore Classical topics ranging from music to theater to literature. On the evening of the 21st, Swedish Latin blogger, Moa Ekbom, spoke on Internet activism and how it has been used in Sweden to both rescue and promote Classics. Ekbom spoke about the creation and use of her <a href="http://latinblogg.blogspot.com">Latinblogg</a>, and encouraged her Scandinavian counterparts to do something similar with Web 2.0 technologies, using them as a force for instant communication and for maximum accessibility by readers/visitors. Talking about technology seemed anachronistic in the candelit bookstore with a quiet fire in the fireplace, yet the setting helped bridge the gap between past and present in a very contemporary lecture.<br />
<br />
After the lecture, we were unexpectedly treated to a Norwegian dinner of stew with veal cutlets, roasted potatoes, stewed carrots, and red wine. Conversation ran until midnight, and was a fitting end to an amazing gathering of people all interested in finding new ways of preserving and promoting Classics to a modern audience.AF2tag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-02-06:727885:BlogPost:341172009-02-06T12:30:00.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/395843641?profile=original">Aristophanes_Birds-Part3.mp3</a>
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/395843641?profile=original">Aristophanes_Birds-Part3.mp3</a>eClassics Demographics Commemorating the Occasion of Being Joined by our 1000th Membertag:eclassics.ning.com,2009-01-29:727885:BlogPost:309982009-01-29T19:06:51.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
eClassics Demographic Study<br />
Prepared by Andrew Reinhard<br />
January 29, 2009<br />
<br />
SUMMARY<br />
<br />
eClassics was joined by its 1,000th member on January 28, 2009. As founder and site administrator, I wanted to break down the numbers regarding the site’s membership according to age, geography, teaching experience, and the like, to take a snapshot of Classics pedagogy in the Digital Age.<br />
<br />
COUNTRIES: 38<br />
<br />
Argentina, 3<br />
Australia, 11<br />
Austria, 1<br />
Barbados, 1<br />
Belgium, 1<br />
Brazil, 7<br />
Bulgaria, 2<br />
Canada, 3<br />
Colombia,…
eClassics Demographic Study<br />
Prepared by Andrew Reinhard<br />
January 29, 2009<br />
<br />
SUMMARY<br />
<br />
eClassics was joined by its 1,000th member on January 28, 2009. As founder and site administrator, I wanted to break down the numbers regarding the site’s membership according to age, geography, teaching experience, and the like, to take a snapshot of Classics pedagogy in the Digital Age.<br />
<br />
COUNTRIES: 38<br />
<br />
Argentina, 3<br />
Australia, 11<br />
Austria, 1<br />
Barbados, 1<br />
Belgium, 1<br />
Brazil, 7<br />
Bulgaria, 2<br />
Canada, 3<br />
Colombia, 1<br />
Egypt, 1<br />
Estonia, 1<br />
France, 3<br />
Germany, 1<br />
Greece, 5<br />
Hong Kong, 1<br />
India, 1<br />
Iran, 1<br />
Ireland, 2<br />
Italy, 6<br />
Japan, 3<br />
Malaysia, 1<br />
Mexico, 1<br />
Nigeria, 1<br />
Norway, 2<br />
Philippines, 2<br />
Poland, 1<br />
Portugal, 1<br />
Puerto Rico, 1<br />
Romania, 2<br />
Russian Federation, 2<br />
Serbia and Montenegro, 2<br />
South Africa, 2<br />
Spain, 7<br />
Switzerland, 1<br />
United Kingdom, 17<br />
United States, 266<br />
Uruguay, 1<br />
Venezuela, 1<br />
Undeclared, 634<br />
<br />
STATES: 36<br />
<br />
Alabama, 3<br />
Alaska, 1<br />
Arizona, 5<br />
California, 18<br />
Colorado, 1<br />
Connecticut, 7<br />
Florida, 5<br />
Georgia, 6<br />
Illinois, 8<br />
Indiana, 1<br />
Kansas, 1<br />
Kentucky, 4<br />
Louisiana, 1<br />
Maine, 3<br />
Maryland, 2<br />
Massachusetts, 8<br />
Michigan, 5<br />
Minnesota, 2<br />
Missouri, 6<br />
Montana, 2<br />
Nebraska, 1<br />
New Hampshire, 3<br />
New Jersey, 15<br />
New Mexico, 2<br />
New York, 14<br />
North Carolina, 1<br />
North Dakota, 1<br />
Ohio, 9<br />
Oregon, 3<br />
Pennsylvania, 8<br />
South Carolina, 1<br />
Tennessee, 7<br />
Texas, 9<br />
Virginia, 8<br />
Washington, 3<br />
Wisconsin, 3<br />
<br />
GENDER<br />
<br />
Women: 163<br />
Men: 224<br />
Undeclared: 613<br />
<br />
AGE<br />
<br />
15-18: 16<br />
19-25: 53<br />
26-30: 47<br />
31-35: 49<br />
36-40: 42<br />
41-45: 30<br />
46-50: 31<br />
51-55: 27<br />
56-60: 21<br />
61-65: 14<br />
65-70: 13<br />
70+: 7<br />
<br />
15, 4<br />
16, 2<br />
17, 4<br />
18, 6<br />
19, 7<br />
20, 4<br />
21, 7<br />
22, 5<br />
23, 11<br />
24, 8<br />
25, 11<br />
26, 9<br />
27, 9<br />
28, 10<br />
29, 14<br />
30, 5<br />
31, 7<br />
32, 5<br />
33, 12<br />
34, 18<br />
35, 7<br />
36, 10<br />
37, 8<br />
38, 8<br />
39, 10<br />
40, 6<br />
41, 5<br />
42, 6<br />
43, 5<br />
44, 6<br />
45, 8<br />
46, 8<br />
47, 5<br />
48, 7<br />
49, 5<br />
50, 6<br />
51, 6<br />
52, 3<br />
53, 6<br />
54, 7<br />
55, 5<br />
56, 3<br />
57, 4<br />
58, 6<br />
59, 2<br />
60, 6<br />
61, 2<br />
62, 3<br />
63, 2<br />
64, 2<br />
65, 5<br />
66, 1<br />
67, 4<br />
68, 2<br />
69, 1<br />
71, 1<br />
72, 2<br />
73, 1<br />
74, 1<br />
76, 1<br />
100, 1 (I question the validity of this one, but you never know...)<br />
Undeclared, 651<br />
<br />
STUDENTS/TEACHERS<br />
<br />
Students: 295<br />
Teachers: 440<br />
All of the Above: 172 (people who identified themselves as both students and teachers)<br />
Undeclared: 73<br />
<br />
SCHOOL AFFILIATION<br />
<br />
Elementary School: 1<br />
Middle School: 3<br />
High School: 265<br />
College/University: 163<br />
Other Affiliations (private tutors and companies): 15<br />
Homeschoolers: Unknown -- I will add that option for new members when they sign up.<br />
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MEMBERS WHO HAVE AT LEAST ONE WEBSITE: 176<br />
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MEMBERS' FAVORITE CLASSICS WEBSITES:<br />
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Rogue Classicism is THE most popular place for Classics info (thanks David Meadows)<br />
The Latin Library (online Latin texts)<br />
Latinum Podcast (free Latin audio)<br />
Whitaker's Words (free Latin/English and English/Latin online dictionary)<br />
<br />
STATISTICS FROM MAY 1, 2007 – JANUARY 29, 2009<br />
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The following data spans the entire life of eClassics.<br />
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NUMBER OF ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE VISITORS TO ECLASSICS: 34,926<br />
VISITORS USING INTERNET EXPLORER: 49%<br />
VISITORS USING FIREFOX: 38%<br />
VISITORS USING SOMETHING ELSE: 11%<br />
VISITORS USING DIAL-UP: 2.66%<br />
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MOST UNIQUE VISITORS IN ONE DAY: 747 on April 9, 2008, when eClassics posted the petition in support of AP Latin Literature<br />
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ECLASSICS DISCUSSIONS POSTED: 80<br />
MEMBERS WHO STARTED NEW DISCUSSIONS: 26<br />
MOST “POPULAR” DISCUSSION: AP Latin Literature Petition<br />
<br />
ECLASSICS BLOG POSTS: 431<br />
MEMBERS WHO POSTED NEW BLOG ENTRIES: 37 (thanks especially to Laura Gibbs and Evan Millner)<br />
MOST POPULAR BLOG POST: "Why I Read Latin Out Loud"<br />
<br />
ECLASSICS VIDEOS: 220<br />
MOST-VIEWED VIDEO: Punk-Rock "Catullus 5" by Latin teacher Charles Umiker (575 views). The second-most viewed (574 views) is the student project of "Bella Dormiens".<br />
<br />
ECLASSICS PHOTOS: 179, many of which show Latin in a contemporary context<br />
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Thanks to all official members and everyone else who visits this site regularly to make it a vibrant and diverse community of people interested in Classics and what technology can do for the teaching of Classics. I also invite all of you to post to the blog about your experiences in teaching with technology -- we don't hear enough about that subject and the topic is the main reason I created the site. Please contribute!<br />
<br />
Valete,<br />
<br />
Andrew Reinhard<br />
Director of eLearning<br />
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers<br />
areinhard@bolchazy.comLooking at Latin Online Grammar Review Website Now Availabletag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-12-18:727885:BlogPost:297932008-12-18T16:37:05.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is pleased to announce the official launch of its new, Latin grammar review website, <a href="http://lookingatlatin.com">Looking at Latin Online</a>.<br />
<br />
Based on Anna Andresian's visual Latin grammar primer, <i><a href="http://www.bolchazy.com/prod.php?cat=latin&id=6153">Looking at Latin</a></i>, the website contains 5,717 Andresian-authored questions on all aspects of Latin grammar, edited by LeaAnn Osburn and Don Sprague, and "adapted for the screen" by Andrew…
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is pleased to announce the official launch of its new, Latin grammar review website, <a href="http://lookingatlatin.com">Looking at Latin Online</a>.<br />
<br />
Based on Anna Andresian's visual Latin grammar primer, <i><a href="http://www.bolchazy.com/prod.php?cat=latin&id=6153">Looking at Latin</a></i>, the website contains 5,717 Andresian-authored questions on all aspects of Latin grammar, edited by LeaAnn Osburn and Don Sprague, and "adapted for the screen" by Andrew Reinhard. The questions (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, translation, true/false, matching) can be used in support of any Latin textbook and are appropriate for anyone wishing to review Latin grammar at any level, from the definitions of "case" and "tense" to the double dative and beyond.<br />
<br />
The questions are self-pacing and self-correcting, grouped by topic, and allow students to review instantly questions they miss, giving them multiple chances to try again. Most questions are illustrated; all are presented in Flash and can be viewed with Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and other Internet browsers.<br />
<br />
Sign up for your free, 7-day trial at: <a href="http://lookingatlatin.com">http://lookingatlatin.com</a>. Individual and school licensing is available.<br />
<br />
Please email questions, comments, suggestions to me at <a href="mailto:areinhard@bolchazy.com">areinhard@bolchazy.com</a>.<br />
<br />
Valete,<br />
<br />
Andrew Reinhard<br />
Director of eLearning<br />
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers<br />
areinhard@bolchazy.comUniversity of Illinois-Chicago Classics under threattag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-12-16:727885:BlogPost:297302008-12-16T15:30:22.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
I am posting this note that was sent to the Illinois Classics list yesterday on behalf of Dave Johnson, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale:<br />
<br />
As many of you closer to Chicagoland than I here in deepest Southern Illinois have no doubt already heard, the Classics program at UIC is under threat:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/1329932,CST-NWS-classics14.article">http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/1329932,CST-NWS-classics14.article</a><br />
<br />
We all should pitch in to fight…
I am posting this note that was sent to the Illinois Classics list yesterday on behalf of Dave Johnson, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale:<br />
<br />
As many of you closer to Chicagoland than I here in deepest Southern Illinois have no doubt already heard, the Classics program at UIC is under threat:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/1329932,CST-NWS-classics14.article">http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/1329932,CST-NWS-classics14.article</a><br />
<br />
We all should pitch in to fight this. Anyone aware of a campaign afoot?<br />
<br />
The planned degradation of the UIC program would mean that the only state schools offering Greek in the state, to the best of my knowledge, would be Southern Illinois Carbondale and Urbana-Champaign. While we at Carbondale are pleased to find ourselves in such exalted company, this retrenching would further marginalize classics (not to mention set a precedent to cut our program as well, which ought to be even more fragile than that at UIC, since we have only three classicists here).<br />
<br />
I won't preach to this choir about the importance of Greek (and the classics in general), and particularly about making them available to a wide range of students, not only those attending elite universities. But this sounds like something we'll need to work to try to prevent.<br />
<br />
Dave Johnson<br />
Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFirst Annual Terence Awards for Best, Student-Created Latin/Classics Videostag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-12-06:727885:BlogPost:295062008-12-06T19:30:00.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
eClassics is pleased to announce the first annual Terence Awards. These cash awards will be given to those junior high or high school students whose videos convey Classics in a way that is informative, entertaining, or both. Please read on for details:<br />
<br />
Prizes: Cash prizes will be awarded for the categories of Best Picture ($100) and Best Use of Latin in a Film ($250). Winners will also have their videos featured on the eClassics main page for one month, and will also receive a plaque and a…
eClassics is pleased to announce the first annual Terence Awards. These cash awards will be given to those junior high or high school students whose videos convey Classics in a way that is informative, entertaining, or both. Please read on for details:<br />
<br />
Prizes: Cash prizes will be awarded for the categories of Best Picture ($100) and Best Use of Latin in a Film ($250). Winners will also have their videos featured on the eClassics main page for one month, and will also receive a plaque and a free book from Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers. Special thanks to the Committee for the Promotion of Latin (CPL of CAMWS) for the grant that provides the cash award for Best Use of Latin in a Film.<br />
<br />
How to Enter:<br />
<br />
1) If you were a junior high or high school student (grades 6-12) during the period of September 1, 2007 - December 31, 2008, or if you were a homeschool student aged 11-18 during this same period, you are eligible to enter the contest.<br />
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2) Videos must contain Classical (or Classically-informed/inspired) content. Videos produced for Latin class projects, videos on subjects from Greek and/or Roman mythology, videos on Greek and/or Roman history will be considered. Video submissions containing Latin (all or in part) are strongly encouraged. Videos may be live-action, animated, or both, and can include audio and video samples as long as those samples are credited. Videos should follow the MPAA ratings guide for "G" or "PG" content. Submissions containing profanity, nudity, or obscenity will not be considered.<br />
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3) Videos must be submitted in .avi, .mov, or .mpg format, or via a link should the video be hosted on eClassics, YouTube, TeacherTube, or other online video content provider. Videos may be of any length. Videos must have been created during the period of September 1, 2007 - December 31, 2008.<br />
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4) Submissions may be posted by students (or their teachers) on eclassics.ning.com and must include a tag/keyword or "Terence". Alternately, submissions may also be submitted on CD, DVD, or flash drive, mailed to:<br />
<br />
Terence Awards<br />
c/o Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers<br />
1570 Baskin Road<br />
Mundelein, IL 60060<br />
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5) One submission per student (or student group if created as a collaborative project).<br />
<br />
6) Submissions must be postmarked on or before December 31, 2008. Late submissions will not be considered. Submissions cannot be returned.<br />
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7) Contest is open to current United States residents only.<br />
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8) Questions about the contest should be sent via email to areinhard@bolchazy.com.<br />
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Judging:<br />
<br />
The top three videos submitted for Best Picture and Best Use of Latin in a Film will be posted on eClassics on February 1, 2009. Videos may be nominated for one or both categories. The finalists will be judged online at eclassics.ning.com by a panel of three Latin teachers as well as by the eClassics community at large. eClassics members can rate videos using the star-rating system (1 star=poor, 5 stars=excellent) between February 1, 2009, and February 28, 2009. The scores will be weighted at 40%; judges' votes will be weighted at 60%. Winners will be declared during a live webcast on Monday, March 3, 2009. Winners will be paid by check, or can have their winnings payable to their school's Latin Club or NJCL chapter.<br />
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Good luck!<br />
<br />
Andrew Reinhard<br />
eClassics Site Admin/Creator<br />
Director of eLearning<br />
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers<br />
areinhard@bolchazy.comReLIVE08 Conference: Report of Day 2's chaired debate, Latin workshop, and paper sessionstag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-11-25:727885:BlogPost:292222008-11-25T03:14:47.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
The chaired debate was the first thing on the agenda this morning. Roo, Ted, Bill, and Claudia were all on the panel, all of whom I had met the previous day. Delegates to the conference had been asked to submit questions to the panel in advance, and my question was one of ten selected to be asked. You can watch me ask the question and hear the answer via the recorded video webcast here:…
The chaired debate was the first thing on the agenda this morning. Roo, Ted, Bill, and Claudia were all on the panel, all of whom I had met the previous day. Delegates to the conference had been asked to submit questions to the panel in advance, and my question was one of ten selected to be asked. You can watch me ask the question and hear the answer via the recorded video webcast here: <a href="http://stadium.open.ac.uk/stadia/preview.php?whichevent=1248&s=31&schedule=1468">http://stadium.open.ac.uk/stadia/preview.php?whichevent=1248&s=31&schedule=1468</a><br />
My part starts just after the fourth minute.<br />
<br />
The debate focused on the current and future states of eLearning and virtual environments, and the panel of experts was there to give answers and advice. Here are the ten questions and answers:<br />
<br />
1) Is our real, personal identity under threat from virtual reality? Answer: Nope.<br />
2) MY QUESTION! “Many public schools in the United States with students aged 11-18 forbid in-school access of blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds, and MMORPGs with little or no exceptions. How can we convince parents, teachers, school administrators, and state and federal lawmakers that these tools are not only practical for contemporary education, but are also indispensible in making our children technologically literate? What strategies can be used to leverage a sea change, and are there lobbying efforts currently underway in the US and in other parts of the world? Have these efforts in other countries been successful?” Answer: In order to convince those in power (IT staffs and school administrators and govt. officials), we have to point to current, practical, and successful examples of real learning taking place in the virtual world. Send an appeal to <a href="http://stopblocking.org">http://stopblocking.org</a> to unblock Web 2.0 sites and virtual worlds in schools. Work with curriculum-development agencies to include new technology into mandatory lesson plans. If things are mandatory, schools and districts have to allow access. As younger teachers go through teacher training, they will begin to demand access to the new tools they have come to love. Have administrators play with what you want to use – a lot of times, this opens up these areas for teacher and student use. “These are the tools of NOW, not of the future,” Claudia said. “To not integrate these tools is like burying your head in the sand.”<br />
3) Teaching styles. Answer: Teacher training MUST actively start using virtual worlds where the teachers-to-be can play in order to understand how to use them. Include IT training for teachers as part of their regular prep. We have to prove to our administrators that this tools can be used practically in the classroom.<br />
4) What’s the biggest risk to stopping the fun? Answer: Keep reality (like taxes) out of online games. Fun should be valued in the schools. If kids are having fun, they are engaged in learning. Encourage fun. Keep regulatory agencies out of games, too. People need to understand that Second Life and other worlds are NOT in the early-adoption phase anymore after being around for five years. Several school systems are talking directly with Linden Labs to work with Teen Second Life in day-to-day curriculum.<br />
5) New interfaces? Answer: We can do a lot more than just QWERTY and a mouse. Mobile technology (cell phones) is the future of kinetic technology and eLearning. Everybody uses the devices, so they are socially acceptable. They give another sensory form of engagement with material to be learned.<br />
6) Economics? Answer: Gaming enrollment and play goes up when the real-world economy is down.<br />
7) Are their social divides in Second Life? Answer: Yes. Noobies vs. experienced users. Also there are divides based on language (English, German, Japanese, etc.). “Those who adopt virtual worlds first make the rules). The serious real-world issue here is that K-12 institutions frequently have less powerful computers than universities which affects adoption of new technologies online.<br />
8) When will the media report events instead of the vehicle hosting the events? Answer: Check out the “Serious Games Initiative” (<a href="http://www.seriousgames.org/">http://www.seriousgames.org/</a>) used by the military and business and educators. In a few years, virtual worlds will be completely mainstream, and the meaning will be reported instead of just the media.<br />
9) Where are we missing the boat? Answer: We’re not engaging ourselves deeply enough in these worlds to fully realize their potential. We need to work more towards self-directed learning in-world.<br />
10) What should we highlight as we write about this conference: “Play” an the fact that virtual worlds are now “mature communities of practice”.<br />
<br />
Reinhard Workshop: Conversational Latin in Second Life<br />
<br />
After the chaired debate, I hustled over to my meeting room to assemble the laptop, hooking it up to the in-room speakers and four flat-panel displays and projection screen. For the first time that I can remember, I was nervous prior to the presentation. What we were about to do was going to be a world’s first for Latin, and I had been wrangling participants for the past six weeks, trying to get a core group of conversational Latinists together within Second Life while at the same time engaging real-life workshop-goers in a kind of feet-in-both-worlds stunt to demonstrate a proof-of-concept utilizing Voice in Second Life, role-play, and Latin pedagogy in support of Latin for the New Millennium.<br />
<br />
In the end, we had five people show up in-world. A couple of speakers had to bail out at the last minute, and one speaker got the time wrong. The impressive bit about the organization of the workshop was that we had a few speakers from the US commit to waking up and speaking Latin at 2:45 and 5:45 in the morning respectively. Anna Andresian was in-world at 2:45, opting to stay awake until then. Chris Ann Mateo arrived at 5:45 her time from Virginia. Our UK liaison and Classicist, Anna Foka, signed on from the University of Liverpool at 10:45 her time. The only non-Bolchazy person to sign on was Idhrun Alatius, a Swedish university student connecting remotely from Scandinavia. And then there was me signing in from Milton Keynes. I had invited graduate students from Rick LaFleur and Ronnie Ancona’s Latin teacher programs, but the one taker I had got the time wrong. I also invited Terry Tunberg and his students from Kentucky to log in, but none of them came. In the UK, Anna sent out an email to her colleagues, but the few who committed did not appear in time. Most of us were using headsets and laptops on university networks, while a couple of the participants were wireless using cable modems.<br />
<br />
We started the workshop with me introducing Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers’ Latin-speaking space, and also talked about the merits of practicing oral Latin. I spoke about Latin for the New Millennium (and sent our real-life workshop participants home with information to pass along to their Classics people) and its strong oral component, and how it tied in with the Latin space in Second Life.<br />
<br />
The way the space is currently organized, I have welcome signage out front to explain the purpose of the house (it’s for practicing spoken Latin). On the inside, there is a sample conversation on saying hello. Moving upstairs, I have placed signage taken directly from the conversations in LNM so that people can practice pronunciation, reading Latin aloud. There is a passage from LNM by Pliny the Younger, and even the lyrics to “Ecce Caesar” (which we sang during the workshop). At the back of the house is a garden which I have hung with four pictures from Looking at Latin along with a couple of questions about each picture to start more free-form conversations. I want the garden area to play host to small, in-world Latin conventicula.<br />
<br />
Over the course of about 75 minutes, we were able to go from poster-to-poster to read and speak Latin, sing a song, and practice free conversation. I was the weakest Latin link; the others were either teachers or a student advanced in his Latin studies. Watching the four of them made me feel great as they actually used the system for its intended purpose. We inspired everyone present to try Second Life for language practice. And Anna, Chris, other Anna, and Idhrun are all continuing to play in our Second Life space. I actually bumped into Andresian there Sunday night!<br />
<br />
We did have some technical difficulties as Second Life’s Voice feature for in-world speech and audio kept dying on me. For the others, they seemed to have a reasonable experience. In the future, I would recommend Skype for the audio while using Second Life as the visual space.<br />
<br />
One of the coolest things to note was that during Latin conversation, the participants were typing Latin into the chat panel. The spoken Latin was formal, but the chat was fun and relaxed, and in Latin. Foka and Matteo even coined the very first Latin online abbreviation. Instead of “irl” (“in real life”), they used “ivv” (“in veritas viva” – or something to that effect). The pair will continue to create the Latin equivalents of “lol” and other, popular abbreviations often used in chat sessions and email. We should consider publishing them as an online appendix for Conversational Latin for Oral Proficiency.<br />
<br />
The real-life workshop participants were baffled by the Latin, but came because the workshop sounded both strange and amazing. And all participants felt at the workshop’s conclusion that what they had just achieved was both big fun and quite useful for teaching. We should continue to maintain the Second Life space, create a separate space in Teen Second Life, and investigate Active Worlds for Latin as well. Now that we have a good proof-of-concept, we can promote the spaces, and I can lead my first in-world Second Life safari for teachers after Thanksgiving.<br />
<br />
After the Second Life portion of the workshop concluded, I spoke to the real-life group about our Latin World of Warcraft guild for LNM, and also discussed the virtual visualization of 3D Ancient Rome on Google Earth. The workshop ended, and when I went back into second life, Chris Ann and Idhrun were still inside the Latin house, speaking Latin and chatting. That made my day.<br />
<br />
I took three in-world videos with sound, and will do my best to edit them and post them online in support of this report. We had fun, which is what learning should be, especially in virtual environments.<br />
<br />
November 21, Continued<br />
<br />
I went to a final paper session after missing most of lunch (I stayed and chatted with Anna Andresian in Second Life as well as our new, Swedish colleague. Diane Carr and Martin Oliver of the London Knowledge Institute (University of London) presented their paper on “Learning from Online Worlds: Teaching in Second Life”. Their study was funded by the EduServ Foundation (<a href="http://www.eduserv.org.uk/foundation">http://www.eduserv.org.uk/foundation</a>) and focused on how students learned within the virtual world. Their findings are blogged about on <a href="http://learningfromsocialworlds.wordpress.com">http://learningfromsocialworlds.wordpress.com</a>. In their study, traditional learners had less of a payoff using Second Life than distance-learners. They also learned that we cannot assume “game literacy” for all students; the presenters were surprised at how little a lot of their test subjects knew about online games. They also cautioned that we as educators cannot make Second Life compulsory as of yet because we are reliant on Second Life always being online for class (it does go down from time to time), and not everyone has the hardware that can run Second Life.<br />
<br />
The final paper was on “How Can Massive Multi-User Virtual Environments and Virtual Role Play Enhance and Embed with Traditional Teaching Practice,” presented by Angela Addison and Liam O’Hare of the University of Teeside. They had several bits of practical advice for educators in Second Life:<br />
<br />
§ Give people a reason to use the tool.<br />
§ Use notecards instead of posters that are often hard to read. (I will apply this to our Latin space in Second Life).<br />
§ Second Life seems to be best suited for distance-learners.<br />
§ Engage your students in play and role-play within your Second Life space.<br />
§ Online games and environments allow for learning in a safe environment (e.g. not getting embarrassed in front of the class for example, or yelled at by an impatient instructor) and allows for repetitive learning through play.<br />
§ To complete the illusion of total immersion in a virtual world, have little things happening in the background with audio and animation. Not enough to distract, but the addition of these details improves the illusion.<br />
§ Use in-world text instead of Voice in Second Life (I personally disagree especially when thinking of language learning).<br />
<br />
Other cool places to visit online for eLearning and virtual worlds:<br />
<br />
§ <a href="http://Rooreynolds.com">http://Rooreynolds.com</a> (eLearning and social media blog)<br />
§ <a href="http://www.dipity.com/user/xantherus/timeline/Virtual_Worlds">http://www.dipity.com/user/xantherus/timeline/Virtual_Worlds</a> (interactive digital timeline of the history of virtual worlds)<br />
§ <a href="http://wordle.net">http://wordle.net</a> (graphical word “art” to visually catch themes in papers and websites)ReLIVE08: Recap of paper sessions on education in virtual environments, Day Onetag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-11-24:727885:BlogPost:292172008-11-24T21:30:00.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
The opening plenary speech was given by Dr. Ted Castranova of Indiana University who specializes in the economics of massively multiplayer on-line role-playing games (MMORPGs) like he was introduced by an Open University administrator who spoke briefly of the challenges facing school administrations as new educational technologies come into more common use, specifically with the agenda of learning via playing.<br />
<br />
She said that crafting revised policy, management, budget, and strategy for online…
The opening plenary speech was given by Dr. Ted Castranova of Indiana University who specializes in the economics of massively multiplayer on-line role-playing games (MMORPGs) like he was introduced by an Open University administrator who spoke briefly of the challenges facing school administrations as new educational technologies come into more common use, specifically with the agenda of learning via playing.<br />
<br />
She said that crafting revised policy, management, budget, and strategy for online games and Web 2.0 sites (like blogs, wikis, and social networks) are challenges that are currently being undertaken by the Open University. She recognizes that the potential of these new digital tools is good for students, and what’s good for students is good for the university. The Open University has, over the past forty years, used new technologies for distance learning. The challenge, she says, of anyone seeking to leverage new technologies into established educational institutions is to seek a body of evidence to help guide university or school practice. At the Open University, they are producing scholarship for the Digital Age and are moving from practice to building sound pedagogic theory around these newly adopted tools.<br />
<br />
When she finished, Ted took the stage to deliver a talk on “Virtual Worlds as Petri Dishes”. He was extremely hard on Second Life as a learning environment (he was in the minority, but his arguments are very good ones), because he has seen a lot of people misusing it. What he is referring to is the fact that teachers go into Second Life and build virtual classrooms that look and behave exactly like classrooms. There are desks and a board for PowerPoints. There are walls. To Ted, the most important thing one can do in a virtual environment is play. As he said, “it’s not just the virtual; it’s the game….Games create worlds that become social and persistent.” To the Second Lifers in the audience, we need to make learning fun and engage students in a state of play. I think we’re doing the right thing by having togas and a Second Life space for Latin play. It’s a non-traditional classroom and it’s fun.<br />
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Ted through out a number which, as an economist, he says is conservative, that by 2011, 80% of the computer-using population will have at least one avatar in at least one virtual world. For learning-via-gaming, Ted suggested Active Worlds (<a href="http://activeworlds.com/">http://activeworlds.com/</a>) as a space better suited for eLearning than Second Life. He said that Active Worlds is more education-based and is more fun to use; people can have many avatars, and there is no age barrier – the place is open for teenagers and adults to facilitate learning. I will investigate this virtual environment during the first part of December.<br />
<br />
Ted says that to engage students in learning online that we need to build a way for students to create something of their own, to make their own fun. The students become emotionally invested in the program and will keep coming back as long as there are opportunities to do things and get rewards. For developers of spaces within virtual environments like Second Life, Ted asked us to spend as much time on the audio as we do with what we can see in-world. By adding ambient sounds and sound effects, the immersion into the world becomes more complete, and students will stay longer.<br />
<br />
Regarding the argument of some educators that something virtual is value-less, Ted takes real issue with that assumption. First, if we make virtual worlds fun, people will pay to play. This is true of physical things like good books, music, golf, and the like. Virtual environments behave in the same way.<br />
<br />
People, as a general rule, are creative. They want to play, to entertain themselves, but to also have the chance to create and explore things. Virtual environments and massive online games are taking off because people are seeking inexpensive ways to find places of refuge for their minds. It’s not escapism. Instead, these environments allow people to challenge their minds in different ways, to build an idealized space, to have another home for the human mind as we prepare ourselves for what’s coming next in our “real” lives.<br />
<br />
Switching back to eLearning and Second Life, he challenged us to try to use this virtual environment to do things that we cannot do in a traditional, real-world classroom. We need to make those spaces fun, and open those spaces up to those who want to play in them.<br />
<br />
Following Ted’s speech, we all split up to go to different sessions. I went to parallel session B which focused mainly on World of Warcraft with one paper on Second Life. Leonie Ramondt gave her paper on “Toward the Adoption of Massively Multiplayer Educational Gaming”. Her PowerPoint slideshow can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/5bfg5n. She believes that mainstream educational institutions will adopt the learning-via-gaming approach offered by virtual environments by 2010 or 2011. She feels also that software developers should be partnering with educators to create games that are fun, aesthetically pleasing, with a solid core of educational value and pedagogy at the center.<br />
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As people, Ramondt said, “we are wired for stories” and enjoy “learning by being”. Virtual environments allows us to merge the left and right hemispheres of our brains, the logical and the creative. With both Second Life and World of Warcraft, users experience “flow”, or that which gives us optimal happiness. Flow empowers learners and boosts their problem-solving skills and comprehension of complex concepts.<br />
<br />
The second of three papers in this session was delivered by Elena Moschini who presented on “The Second Life Researcher Toolkit: An Exploration of In-World Tools, Methods and Approaches for Researching and Evaluating Educational Projects in Second Life”. While most of this paper was not particularly useful to what I want BCP to do in-world, the presenter did offer a couple of practical suggestions.<br />
<br />
First, she reminded the group that there are free bits of Second Life software that can be installed in a structure inside Second Life to track visitors. We could conceivably track everyone who visits the Latin house in Roma, see what they do and how long they stay.<br />
<br />
The presenter also stated that as people who understand and use Second Life, we need to educate our colleagues about the virtual environment and create a buy-in at the institutional level. We need to let people play in these spaces so that they can realize the potential they have for learning.<br />
<br />
One other thing I took away from this paper was that Moschini develops educational games. She also took several years of Latin as a high school student in Italy and she was thrilled that Classics was represented in spaces like Second Life and World of Warcraft. We will be dialoguing about Latin game creation soon.<br />
<br />
The final paper of the first session was given by Clint Jeffrey of the University of Idaho on “Using Non-Player Characters as Tutors in Virtual Environments”. Non-Player Characters (abbreviated as NPCs), are characters in a game that can be interacted with by real-live players in order to get quests or sets of instructions for things that need to be done in a game. They might tell a story, give context to the environment, or give rewards for completed tasks.<br />
<br />
NPCs can exist in Second Life via some programming and can exist as educators with AI (artificial intelligence) as live players interact with them. In Jeffrey’s computer science classes, his students write computer code within Second Life which is then given to an NPC to review and critique. Students can then get back their critiqued results in-world and make changes prior to resubmitting.<br />
<br />
Jeffrey did compare and contrast Second Life and World of Warcraft as eLearning environments. While Second Life is open and allows for creation from the ground up, the reward system is quite weak, and there are no real goals or things to do. In World of Warcraft, things are more static, but the reward system of treasure and gear is quite high, making the game more fun and addictive.<br />
<br />
The workaround for Second Life is to create NPCs who can give tasks to students. As tasks are completed, an email can be sent to a teacher from within the game to alert them as to who completed an assignment in-world, how long it took, how many times did it take to complete. All of this information can be automatically logged and stored in an online database for the teachers to reference at any time.<br />
<br />
This session, more than any other, set my mind abuzz with possibilities. Jeffrey and I exchanged information and may be collaborating on a few projects which I will detail at the end of this report.<br />
<br />
We broke for lunch after the session concluded. We sat in tables of eight, and I chatted extensively with a graduate student, Sabrina Tormey, at a teacher college in Dublin and a project manager, Tom Smits, from Royal Dutch/Shell in the Hague. Sabrina is writing her doctoral thesis on religion in Second Life, and is also exploring educational uses for virtual environments, introducing teachers to learning and teaching in virtual worlds. Tom manages corporate Second Life space for Shell employees in the home office to use as a place to chat, relax, and also get company news, and take online training classes.<br />
<br />
After lunch, Sabrina and I joined twenty-eight other delegates in the workshop given by graduate student Michele Ryan on “16 Ways to Use Second Life in Your Classroom: A Course Design Workshop”. Michele does teach distance-learning courses in Second Life, mostly as multi-day workshops on how to acclimatize to Second Life and how to use it for education.<br />
<br />
We split into groups of five for most of the workshop to work through a series of questions that were never fully answered by the presenter, but were important to consider anyway. I was grouped at a table with Andrew Tarling who directs the eLearning efforts for his company, Infinitas Learning (<a href="http://www.infinitaslearning.com">http://www.infinitaslearning.com</a>). We exchanged cards. While his company focuses on general eLearning, he was very keen on talking about what we do for Classics. We will learn from each other. It was from Tarling that I learned of a rumor that Teen Second Life is currently under review by its creator, Linden Labs, to see if it will remain its own space, or if educators may simply just purchase independent server space (aka islands) in which to lead their classes in isolation. In this way, everyone is protected, there are no intrusions, and only those teachers and students who need to be on an island can actually go to the island for classwork. The downside of this is cost, as islands can cost a few thousand dollars a year to maintain. Again, Active Worlds might be a better long-term solution for younger learners and their teachers to exploit.<br />
<br />
With real-world education, we are still building instructional design standards. There is not enough data yet to know what works, what hasn’t worked, and what will work in the future for standardized educational models. We are still very much pioneers, and while everyone at the conference seemed to feel that virtual environments would become part of the everyday toolkit of educators in the next three years, no one really had a lock on educational models that work in these environments now. By 2011, there should be a large enough sample that we can start building theory.<br />
<br />
I learned about two other things that BCP might use in its future creation of eLearning products. Open Sim (<a href="http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Main_Page">http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Main_Page</a>) is an open source virtual environment available for educators. Also, for game development, we should investigate using the powerful-yet-inexpensive gaming engine called Torque (<a href="http://www.garagegames.com/pg/product/view.php?id=1">http://www.garagegames.com/pg/product/view.php?id=1</a>) . I will take a look at both in December.<br />
<br />
The question of security in Second Life did come up. What some of the educators present had done was to create a classroom set of “ready-to-wear” avatars. The students would come into class, sign in as a pre-made avatar, participate in class projects and discussion, and then log out under teacher supervision.<br />
<br />
One workshop participant asked about teacher training time for Second Life, and how many teachers were actively using Second Life for their classes. The speaker (and another one to whom I posed the same question later), said between 1 – 2 days to learn the basics of Second Life. There are between 4,000 – 5,000 educators in Second Life.<br />
<br />
As for the sixteen ways to use Second Life for classes, here they are:<br />
<br />
1. Visualization of Abstract Concepts (3D graphics)<br />
2. Interactive Library (data repository, asynchronous)<br />
3. Connection Device (VoIP, chat, etc.)<br />
4. Role Play (synchronous)<br />
5. Simulations (safe environment, practicing processes)<br />
6. Learning Games (interactive learning objects)<br />
7. Non-task Oriented (problem solving, soft skills)<br />
8. Research (platform environment, economy, augmented reality)<br />
9. Virtual Tourism (field trips, venue creation)<br />
10. Social Settings (ice breaker, team building)<br />
11. Anonymity (evaluations)<br />
12. Machinima (project management, assessment)<br />
13. Recruitment (3D presence)<br />
14. Awareness (environmental, social agendas)<br />
15. Technical Skill Development (3D rendering, animation, building, scripting)<br />
16. Action Learning (Open, non-structured, student-centered, informal, collaborative)<br />
<br />
The above points are explained in detail in her paper here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.lancs.ac.uk/postgrad/ryanm2/RELIVE_Ryan_PaperSumission.pdf">http://www.lancs.ac.uk/postgrad/ryanm2/RELIVE_Ryan_PaperSumission.pdf</a><br />
<br />
After the workshop, I went to the last paper session of the day. Shailey Minocha and Rita Tingle from the Open University presented on “Social and Collaborative Learning of Distance Learners in 3D Virtual Worlds”. In their presentation, the importance was stressed that these environments foster socialization and collaboration. 3D virtual worlds explore the social dimension of learning including in-world blogs, wikis, and chats, and also foster small-group discussions, simulations, group projects, and creative problem-solving activities.<br />
<br />
The speakers’ research found that 2D immersive worlds were not as effective as 3D immersive worlds for learning and collaboration. The presenters recommended that 3D virtual space be used by small groups with a moderator, and that a very popular educational activity is a scavenger hunt. We could translate this over to Latin and give people a list of things to find in Latin around Roma and spaces like it in Second Life.<br />
<br />
The second paper of the session was on “Education and social interaction in virtual worlds: science and language education in Second Life,” presented by Wan-Ying Tay and Ralph Schroeder of the Oxford Internet Institute. The paper focused exclusively on science education (they said they ran out of time and were not going to talk about language education). The speakers spoke about distance-learning classes given in-world: there are programming classes given in one space 10-12 times per day for free, so that people new to building things in Second Life can play. The difficulty in in-world classes is sustaining interest. Especially with free classes, participants might just wander away midway through the course. When people sign up for a class that is popular or that they have to pay for, attendance does not suffer. This seemed like a no-brainer to me.<br />
<br />
The final paper of the day was given by Julia Gillen of Lancaster University on “Literacy Policies in Schome Park: A Virtual Literacy Ehtnography”. SCHOME (<a href="http://www.schome.ac.uk/">http://www.schome.ac.uk/</a>) is billed as “the education system for the information age” and is a combination of Second Life, Teen Second Life, and real-world classrooms for a complete, blended learning experience. SCHOME is setting the standards for online distance learning via 3D virtual worlds in the United Kingdom and is getting a lot of positive press. They reported that the students in the testbed project used text in Second Life instead of Voice and actively use the Second Life form and in-world wikis. The students are gaining technical literacy in-world, and are using the tools for their online classes.<br />
<br />
My free-time between papers and the pre-supper reception was spent finishing my workshop presentation and replying to BCP emails. At seven I went downstairs for free drinks and to talk with people. I loved the expressions I got when I told people that BCP was leveraging virtual environments for Latin-learning. I spoke at length to the Education Programs Manager of Linden Labs (creator of Second Life), Claudia L’Amoreaux, about what we’re working on (and about the Teen Grid), and she thinks what we’re doing is cool and very much in the right direction. She said she’d come by for an in-world tour after catching up with her work back home. We’re getting noticed and we’re ahead of the wave which is exactly where we should be as an independent educational publishing house.<br />
<br />
I had dinner seated with seven others including Sabrina (see above), the two speakers from the Oxford Internet Institute, Dave Taylor of Imperial College London (who does a space museum simulation in Second Life), and four others. The Oxford people were quite interested in learning more about Classics and virtual environments and there was some discussion about having me out to speak at Oxford maybe in January. We’ll see. I’ll be in touch with them next week sometime to talk more. Our after-dinner speaker was Terry Waite, CBE, a journalist who was held hostage in Iran for three years in solitary confinement. He talked about creating his own virtual head-space in order to survive. I’m glad his story had a happy ending.<br />
<br />
After supper, I found myself tossed in to an impromptu group of digital evangelists (those who are actively promoting virtual worlds and learning-via-gaming) and did not realize until the chaired debate the following morning that these people are actually Important: Ted Castranova (the plenary speaker), Roo Reynolds (Portfolio Executive for Social Media at the BBC, my age), Bill Thompson (pundit and founder of the New Media Lab in the UK), and two other scholars from Indiana University. We had a lot of fun talking about Obama, the fact that we’ll have our first “wired” President, and optimism. I ended up going to sleep around 2:30, and up again at 6:30.<br />
<br />
Day Two recap to follow in a bit!Latin??? -- ReLive08 Pre-Conference Reception, 19 Novembertag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-11-20:727885:BlogPost:291252008-11-20T09:45:38.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
I had the good fortune to be in Milton Keynes in time to attend the pre-conference reception for delegates of the ReLIVE08 Conference (Researching Learning in Virtual Environments). I managed to speak to a few people who all had the same reaction once I told them what I was doing with Latin and virtual environments like Second Life and World of Warcraft: "Latin? Spoken Latin? And there's a publisher just for that?" I told them a bit more about my work for Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, and…
I had the good fortune to be in Milton Keynes in time to attend the pre-conference reception for delegates of the ReLIVE08 Conference (Researching Learning in Virtual Environments). I managed to speak to a few people who all had the same reaction once I told them what I was doing with Latin and virtual environments like Second Life and World of Warcraft: "Latin? Spoken Latin? And there's a publisher just for that?" I told them a bit more about my work for Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, and everyone seemed quite enthusiastic about the direction in which we are taking pedagogy: give Latin (and one day Greek!) to the students in a form that they are familiar with, be it games or phones or iPods or computers. Let them come to the language in that way.<br />
<br />
I chatted mostly with conference organizer Anna Peachey (wearing orange wings and a scarf stitched with skulls) who writes frequently on Second Life and eLearning at the Open University, as well as two professors, one of whom is in charge of building the entire eLearning infrastructure and strategy for the Open University, and the other professor was from Southampton and was new to Second Life, but is eager to explore its learning potential. The current thinking is that Voice-enabled Second Life areas (like Torin Golding's Roma sim) are indispensable for learning, that Second Life is essential for distance learners at least at university level, that Second Life is not going to take over the world, but is useful for class gatherings and instruction and for student expression.<br />
<br />
Here in the UK, there is still a site-by-site struggle between educators and school administrators and IT professionals about limiting/granting access to Second Life and software like it. I am happy to report that my question on technology policy for high schools was accepted to be used in the chaired debate on Friday, 21 Nov. The teachers are winning the fight, but again, it's still very much on a case-by-case basis.<br />
<br />
This is the first year for the ReLIVE conference, and I feel honored to be a part of it, and look forward to presenting the workshop on Latin and Second Life. I heard to student delegates talking about it during coffee at registration this morning: "There's a workshop on Latin!" "Latin?" "Yeah. My school didn't event have that and it's in Second Life?"<br />
<br />
It made me smile. New technology for old languages. It's how we'll preserve it and promote it in my honest opinion. We certainly cannot ignore technology as how it applies to language learning, especially for languages like Latin and other, more specialized languages like Assyrian. We need to learn how to adapt the technology to our needs, explore it instead of fear it, make it our own instead of having it thrust upon us. As Latin teachers and students, we are in a unique position of being able to pick our own teaching tools, paving the way for future generations of Classicists. We need to choose wisely. But in the end, we will need to choose.<br />
<br />
I'll blog about the sessions I attended late tonight. There is quite an air of optimism about virtual worlds and learning here, and everyone is eager to learn from everyone else. It's Web 2.0 in the flesh!<br />
<br />
Andrew Reinhard<br />
Director of eLearning<br />
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers<br />
areinhard@bolchazy.com<br />
20 November 2008<br />
Open University, Milton KeynesSeeking Latin Speakers for Second Life Workshop, Nov. 21, 10:45-12:15 GMTtag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-11-03:727885:BlogPost:286952008-11-03T18:21:09.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
I will be leading a workshop in how to use Second Life as a practical pedagogical tool for practicing oral Latin. The workshop will include instruction on how to install and activate real-time audio fro Second Life, how to chat, how to record machinima, and will culminate in a real-time, in-world demonstration of conversational Latin within this virtual environment.<br />
<br />
This workshop is part of the Re:LIVE '08 conference being held at the Open University in Milton Keynes, England, of which you can…
I will be leading a workshop in how to use Second Life as a practical pedagogical tool for practicing oral Latin. The workshop will include instruction on how to install and activate real-time audio fro Second Life, how to chat, how to record machinima, and will culminate in a real-time, in-world demonstration of conversational Latin within this virtual environment.<br />
<br />
This workshop is part of the Re:LIVE '08 conference being held at the Open University in Milton Keynes, England, of which you can learn more about <a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/relive08/index.shtml">here</a>.<br />
<br />
If you would like to participate, you will need to have downloaded and installed the Second Life client on your own PC and have created an avatar (setting up a Second Life account is free at <a href="http://secondlife.com">secondlife.com</a>). I can email you the SLURL (aka coordinates) to where the speakers and moderator will assemble. We will have a practice session a couple of days prior to the event.<br />
<br />
Please send me a message here through eClassics or drop me a line at areinhard@bolchazy.com if you would like to participate. This will be the first time Latinists have formally gathered in-world for a real-time dialogue in Latin within Second Life, and will bring additional attention to SL as a learning tool, and to Latin as remaining contemporary. I anticipate placing the recorded machinima on YouTube after the conference.<br />
<br />
Thanks,<br />
<br />
Andrew ReinhardMedieval and Vulgate Latin Textbooks and Online Summer Schooltag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-11-03:727885:BlogPost:286852008-11-03T16:43:12.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
With the launch of <a href="http://lnm.bolchazy.com"><i>Latin for the New Millennium</i></a> in support of 1st- and 2nd-year Classical Latin studies, Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is interested in doing either a textbook or online course for students interested in Medieval and/or Vulgate Latin. After speaking with hundreds of Medievalists at <a href="http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/">Medieval Congress</a> in Kalamazoo over the past few years, I have learned that Medieval Studies graduate…
With the launch of <a href="http://lnm.bolchazy.com"><i>Latin for the New Millennium</i></a> in support of 1st- and 2nd-year Classical Latin studies, Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is interested in doing either a textbook or online course for students interested in Medieval and/or Vulgate Latin. After speaking with hundreds of Medievalists at <a href="http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/">Medieval Congress</a> in Kalamazoo over the past few years, I have learned that Medieval Studies graduate students need a lot of help with their Latin, and many are required to take Latin for the very first time in grad school, often blitzing through the grammar in a single year so that they can muddle through Medieval Latin texts with the aid of a dictionary.<br />
<br />
What I am interested in learning from this group is whether there is real interest in a Medieval Latin textbook (or one for Vulgate), or if Medieval Studies students would benefit instead from a Medieval Latin "boot camp" online course taught over a 4- or 6-week period (or longer?). Maybe both?<br />
<br />
Please comment on this post with your feedback.<br />
<br />
Thanks,<br />
<br />
Andrew Reinhard<br />
Director of eLearning<br />
Bolchazy-Carducci PublishersNew and Updated Educational Materials Now Available from the Campanian Society!tag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-10-03:727885:BlogPost:278262008-10-03T16:04:21.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
The Campanian Society's educational materials for Latin, Greek and Greek and Roman Civilization websites have been updated:<br />
<br />
Website: <a href="http://www.campanian.org">http://www.campanian.org</a><br />
<br />
E-mail: <a href="mailto:campania@hvc.rr.com">campania@hvc.rr.com</a><br />
<br />
Below are the specific links to the various web pages available on Campanian Society website.<br />
<br />
Off-Prints of Articles by Authors on Classical Subjects: Latin, Greek, Art, Archaeology, Education…
The Campanian Society's educational materials for Latin, Greek and Greek and Roman Civilization websites have been updated:<br />
<br />
Website: <a href="http://www.campanian.org">http://www.campanian.org</a><br />
<br />
E-mail: <a href="mailto:campania@hvc.rr.com">campania@hvc.rr.com</a><br />
<br />
Below are the specific links to the various web pages available on Campanian Society website.<br />
<br />
Off-Prints of Articles by Authors on Classical Subjects: Latin, Greek, Art, Archaeology, Education<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-offprints.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-offprints.html</a><br />
<br />
Latin Authors - 19th Century Translation & Latin Loebs<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-loebs.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-loebs.html</a><br />
<br />
Vergil Books: Books About Vergil, Texts, Commentaries and Translations<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-loebs.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-loebs.html</a><br />
<br />
Books from Libraries of Retired Teachers<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-library.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-library.html</a><br />
<br />
Text, Commentary For Vergil Advanced Placement Exam<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/vergilbook.html">http://www.campanian.org/vergilbook.html</a><br />
<br />
Teaching Materials for Vergil & the Aeneid [AP & non-APA Courses]<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-vergil.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-vergil.html</a><br />
<br />
The Roman World<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-roman.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-roman.html</a><br />
<br />
The Greek World<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-greek.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-greek.html</a><br />
<br />
Mythology: Greek and Roman<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-myth.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-myth.html</a><br />
<br />
Educational Materials<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/education.html">http://www.campanian.org/education.html</a><br />
<br />
Educational Materials. Latin Textbooks. (Ecce, Jenney, First Latin, etc.)<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-latintexts.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-latintexts.html</a><br />
<br />
Teaching Materials Published by ACL and CANE For Sale<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-aclcane.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-aclcane.html</a><br />
<br />
Books About Egypt and Mesopotamia<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-egypt.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-egypt.html</a><br />
<br />
German and Polish Books For Sale<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-german.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-german.html</a><br />
<br />
Lots of Books (Old, New and Rare) On Many Subjects, Authors, Art, American and Canadian History<br />
<a href="http://www.campanian.org/edumats-miscellaneous.html">http://www.campanian.org/edumats-miscellaneous.html</a>eClassics Party at AIA/APA?tag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-10-03:727885:BlogPost:278212008-10-03T15:14:06.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
I have gotten a couple of recent queries asking if eClassics is planning on doing anything special at the <a href="http://www.apaclassics.org/AnnualMeeting/annualmeeting.html">joint annual meeting</a> of the Archaeological Institute of America and the American Philological Association (AIA/APA) in Philadelphia, Jan. 8-11, 2009. Now that eClassics has nearly 900 members, we could viably hold our own conference, but I'd like to start with an informal get-together where we can eat, drink, be…
I have gotten a couple of recent queries asking if eClassics is planning on doing anything special at the <a href="http://www.apaclassics.org/AnnualMeeting/annualmeeting.html">joint annual meeting</a> of the Archaeological Institute of America and the American Philological Association (AIA/APA) in Philadelphia, Jan. 8-11, 2009. Now that eClassics has nearly 900 members, we could viably hold our own conference, but I'd like to start with an informal get-together where we can eat, drink, be merry, and talk about what to do with all of this new tech that, at times, is thrust upon us by schools, districts, departments, and at other times is smuggled in by individual teachers seeking to modernize Latin/Greek pedagogy to make things a bit more approachable for contemporary students.<br />
<br />
Over the next couple of weeks, please leave a comment here to let me know if you will be attending the AIA/APA meetings. If anything, I'll post a real-live note on the real-live message board at the conference for an ad hoc gathering on one of those cold, January nights.<br />
<br />
Vale,<br />
<br />
Andrew Reinhard<br />
eClassics founder and site adminBreaking News: College Board statement on AP Latin Literature, Sept. 18, 2008tag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-09-18:727885:BlogPost:273472008-09-18T16:50:03.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
New from the College Board:<br />
<br />
AP Latin Literature<br />
We at the College Board value the study of Latin just as we value the study of other subjects ranging from biology to German to art history, for each of which we offer one high-quality AP Examination. We want to provide the same level of support for Latin as we do for other AP subject reas, but this entails focusing our efforts on one rather than two separate P Latin courses. It is the opinion of our World Languages Academic Advisory Committee…
New from the College Board:<br />
<br />
AP Latin Literature<br />
We at the College Board value the study of Latin just as we value the study of other subjects ranging from biology to German to art history, for each of which we offer one high-quality AP Examination. We want to provide the same level of support for Latin as we do for other AP subject reas, but this entails focusing our efforts on one rather than two separate P Latin courses. It is the opinion of our World Languages Academic Advisory Committee that it will be better to embed a variety of literature in the one AP Latin course we will sustain, rather than having it focus solely on Vergil. Accordingly, in fall 2008 we plan to convene a college faculty colloquium composed of professors from top classics departments ationwide to advise us on how we can make the remaining AP Latin program the best possible capstone experience for secondary school students seeking credit, placement, and further Latin studies in college. After the faculty colloquium, we will convene AP Latin teachers to discuss the needs of secondary Latin programs and recommendations for program sequencing during the AP Latin transition period.<br />
<br />
In summary, the two existing AP Latin courses will remain in place for the May 2009 exam, and AP Latin:<br />
<br />
Vergil will be the only AP Latin Exam in May 2010. No sooner than May 2011, we will strive to offer a capstone AP Latin Exam experience that provides teachers with an appropriate spectrum of Latin texts, and as much choice as possible. Any and all changes to the curriculum will be announced well in advance, and we will make every effort to support AP Latin teachers in their efforts to deliver a new AP Latin program.<br />
<br />
Andrew<br />
(Thanks to Carin Green of CAMWS' Committee for the Promotion of Latin for this news)"Latin undergoing a resurgence among students" article in Staten Island Advance, 3 Augusttag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-08-04:727885:BlogPost:263252008-08-04T15:23:10.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
Thanks to Ronnie Ancona for this link to an article about increasing Latin enrollments in the state of New York:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1217757629139030.xml&coll=1">http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1217757629139030.xml&coll=1</a>
Thanks to Ronnie Ancona for this link to an article about increasing Latin enrollments in the state of New York:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1217757629139030.xml&coll=1">http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1217757629139030.xml&coll=1</a>American Classical League, 2008: To Infinitive and Beyond!tag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-07-01:727885:BlogPost:252272008-07-01T01:27:31.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
The American Classical League Summer Institute concluded yesterday with the traditional Latin singalong led, as always, by Stan Farrow. As we sang "Guadeamus Igitur" and other chestnuts, I began reflecting on the Insitute's program, and of the many, many teachers I had a chance to speak with regarding technology and teaching Latin and yes, Greek.<br />
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To keep with the focus of eClassics, there were a number of technology-themed papers presented, and a number of handouts have been made available for…
The American Classical League Summer Institute concluded yesterday with the traditional Latin singalong led, as always, by Stan Farrow. As we sang "Guadeamus Igitur" and other chestnuts, I began reflecting on the Insitute's program, and of the many, many teachers I had a chance to speak with regarding technology and teaching Latin and yes, Greek.<br />
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To keep with the focus of eClassics, there were a number of technology-themed papers presented, and a number of handouts have been made available for free download on the ACL's website. Take a look at what was on offer, and see what you can use right now in support of your classes (clicking the links will bring you to the ACL handouts):<br />
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<a href="http://www.aclclassics.org/_uploads/institute/2008/handouts/208-Macros-Word2007.pdf">Microsoft Word 2007 Macros for the Latin Classroom (Anna Andresian)</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.aclclassics.org/_uploads/institute/2008/handouts/238-DeHoratius%20ACL%20iPod%20Handout.pdf">Individualizing the Classroom: iPods and the Classics (Ed DeHoratius)</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.aclclassics.org/_uploads/institute/2008/handouts/240-carpe_tabulum_handout.pdf">Carpe Tabulam: The Techno-Classical Revolution (Jerard White)</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.aclclassics.org/_uploads/institute/2008/handouts/281-LNMACLhandout.pdf">How to Use Latin for the New Millennium: Digital Support (Andrew Reinhard)</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.aclclassics.org/_uploads/institute/2008/handouts/206-FACEBOOK%20TALK.doc">Facebook.com: A Great Way to Spend Class Time? (Glenn Reider)</a><br />
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If you attended any of the above sessions at the Institute, please reply to this blogpost to let us know what you thought, and how you might use any of the technology discussed in support of your classes.<br />
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I spoke with many of the Institute's attendees about their use of technology in the classroom. While I have no quantitative numbers, I was pleased to learn that in-class technology usage continues to increase; I got a much more positive sense of this than I did at last year's Institute. The two major increases are seen in the presence of data projectors to broadcast the Internet or PowerPoint slideshows onto a classroom screen or wall, and the use of SMARTBoards (and Prometheus Boards), to facilitate classroom discussion and participation. One other major development (which I predict will not back off for the next five years) is the preponderance of iPods and Latin-language podcasting. More and more students and teachers have iPods (or other MP3 players) and use them to subscribe to Latin-language podcasts through iTunes U (via the iTunes store), or to listen to class- or teacher-created Latin-language podcasts.<br />
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I started a discussion earlier today on eClassics on what to do for next year's Institute, and am recommending that we do workshops that are hands-on and how-to. Let's make a podcast together. Let's make a classroom blog together. Once we demonstrate how easy this is to do, I think we'll have more and more teachers using this technology both in and out of class. We are nearing the tipping point (apologies for this tired phrase), and by this time next year, I would expect that better than half of all Latin and Greek classes will use technology of some kind in support of learning the language. Survey forthcoming to see if this prediction is borne out.<br />
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Andrew Reinhard<br />
Director of eLearning<br />
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers<br />
areinhard@bolchazy.comOld(er) Teachers, New(er) Technology: An Informal ACL Breakfast Chattag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-06-27:727885:BlogPost:251052008-06-27T13:57:54.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
I had the good fortune to bump into eClassics member Nicholas Young who has been teaching Latin at the high school and university levels for 38 years. It was breakfast-time at the American Classical League Summer Institute, and instead of going to some crazily early pre-conference workshop, we both had the same idea of drinking organic, free-trade coffee (all you can hold, and the only stuff that is offered by the University of New Hampshire), and kibbutzing with friends and colleagues. We…
I had the good fortune to bump into eClassics member Nicholas Young who has been teaching Latin at the high school and university levels for 38 years. It was breakfast-time at the American Classical League Summer Institute, and instead of going to some crazily early pre-conference workshop, we both had the same idea of drinking organic, free-trade coffee (all you can hold, and the only stuff that is offered by the University of New Hampshire), and kibbutzing with friends and colleagues. We picked up another seasoned Latin teacher, Gail Cooper, of the Academy of the New Church (Pennsylvania), on the way to the table and sat down to talk about AP Latin Literature, classroom technology, and Pompeii.<br />
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Regarding classroom technology, Cooper uses a SMART Board for her Latin classes. This was her first year using one (after over 30 years of teaching), and she liked it, but she felt that there is a lot more she could be doing with it. Because the SMART Board is connected to her classroom laptop, Young mentioned that she might explore using the board's native public address (PA) function to broadcast recorded Latin while students read the Latin text on the board itself.<br />
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If anyone else has been using SMART Board technology in support of their Latin classes, please feel free to post a reply to this blog entry, and I will put her in touch with you.<br />
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Young teaches in the Detroit area and is trying something new at the University of Detroit Mercy. For the first time, he will be conducting a Latin Composition course online. Both he and his administrator had discussed doing something like this for more advanced Latin students, and composition seemed to lend itself best to the online format. It is unclear as of yet what technology will be used to support the class. I recommended blogging as a means of writing Latin and then giving the chance for Young (and even other classmates) to comment/correct these writing assignments. Blogging and Latin teaching is not new, but this may be the first instance of a university-level Latin comp course being conducted online, especially if it utilizes Web 2.0 technology.<br />
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Both Young and Cooper see merit in listening to spoken Latin, especially when the text is before the students while they hear a passage all the way through for the first time. Cooper commented that when she was a student who was reading Latin out loud in class, that her comprehension of the Latin fell -- she had to read the line to herself after reading it aloud to make sure that she understood the content. Young shares this opinion. Last year he was able to use a new language lab equipped with computers. He utilized almost exclusively eClassics member Evan Millner's <a href="http://latinum.mypodcast.com/">Latinum podcast website</a> so his students could listen to Catullus poems, as well as all of Horace. The technology is easy to use, and the students enjoyed listening and reading simultaneously prior to deconstructing the Latin grammar of the passage or poem.<br />
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The technology exists and is freely available for Latin teachers who wish to use it, even for those instructors with decades of teaching experience. If they can learn the tech, so can you!10 Excellent On-Line Applications for the Innovative Teachertag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-05-21:727885:BlogPost:236322008-05-21T16:05:35.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
I found <a href="http://www.topeducationdegrees.com/online-apps-innovative-teachers">this link</a> when reviewing recent eLearning literature, finding existing and emerging technologies to work with within the context of Classics. While there is nothing in the list dedicated specifically to either Latin/Greek or languages in general, I found a few things that will be helpful to teachers who want to explore new on-line tools for interacting with students in new ways, managing classes, managing…
I found <a href="http://www.topeducationdegrees.com/online-apps-innovative-teachers">this link</a> when reviewing recent eLearning literature, finding existing and emerging technologies to work with within the context of Classics. While there is nothing in the list dedicated specifically to either Latin/Greek or languages in general, I found a few things that will be helpful to teachers who want to explore new on-line tools for interacting with students in new ways, managing classes, managing grades, and playing with multimedia.<br />
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Also, for those of you interested in technology and teaching in general, do visit <a href="http://www.classroom20.com/">Classroom 2.0</a>, a community of thousands of teachers exploring the Internet as a teaching tool.<br />
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AndrewReport on the AP Latin Literature meeting, CAMWS, April 17, 2008tag:eclassics.ning.com,2008-04-18:727885:BlogPost:219332008-04-18T23:03:04.000ZAndrew Reinhardhttp://eclassics.ning.com/profile/amasis
Report of AP Latin from CAMWS<br />
Thursday, April 17, 2008, 8-10 PM<br />
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One of the two evening sessions on April 17 at CAMWS focused on AP Latin, specifically the results of the two 2007 exams, how the exams were created, and how they were graded. The three panelists included Mary Pendergraft, Dawn La Fon, and Wells Hansen. At the start of the session, Pendergraft stated that there would be plenty of time at the end for questions about AP Latin Literature, which turned out to be a solid hour from nine…
Report of AP Latin from CAMWS<br />
Thursday, April 17, 2008, 8-10 PM<br />
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One of the two evening sessions on April 17 at CAMWS focused on AP Latin, specifically the results of the two 2007 exams, how the exams were created, and how they were graded. The three panelists included Mary Pendergraft, Dawn La Fon, and Wells Hansen. At the start of the session, Pendergraft stated that there would be plenty of time at the end for questions about AP Latin Literature, which turned out to be a solid hour from nine until ten.<br />
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Pendergraft took the first question about the chance of the College Board reversing the decision to cancel AP Latin Literature. “None of us are happy about this,” Pendergraft said. It turns out that none of the panel were involved in making the decision. They had received an e-mail some time ago that led them to believe that maybe Cicero would be cut from AP Latin Literature, but they were as surprised as everyone else when they learned that all of AP Latin Literature was to be canceled.<br />
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The AP Board has authorized the AP Latin Committee to either keep Vergil as it is, or they can do something different within the Vergil class. “Choice authors [Horace, Cicero, Catullus, Ovid] are not on the table,” Pendergraft reported. AP Vergil is good through at least 2010.<br />
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As for the reasons for the cancellation of AP Latin Literature, the decision was not entirely based on money. The budget for AP Latin is actually being increased by 50%. The decision was based in part in the College Board’s decision to have one capstone exam per AP discipline (not including Spanish). As such, it was decided that AP Latin Literature’s exam would be cut. The panel unanimously declared that the recent article in Education Weekly which stated that lack of diversity in Classics motivated the decision was groundless, and that this was not communicated to them by the Trustees.<br />
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Following this response, the questions and comments were many. “They are shutting down Classics in this country,” one delegate stated, a 32-year veteran of Latin teaching. “They give a sop to Italian [referring to the open door for subvention in order to preserve the program – to the tune of six million dollars], but not Latin. Where is the choice for Classics? The College Board is worthless.”<br />
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A colleague stated, “some sort of response is needed. What is the downside of raising hell?”<br />
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The reply was that we need to be wary of sending any kind of shrill response, instead opting for something measured. Sherwin Little, ACL president, stated that college teachers need to write letters, and that the College Board will listen then. He has had correspondence with Trevor Packer who has responded that the door will be kept open for continued dialogue regarding AP Latin Literature.<br />
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Robert Cape echoed Sherwin’s comments on college teachers writing letters. “The College Board will care about college’s acceptance”. He continued, though, stating that the College Board is not responsible for the success of Latin today. “We determine where we’re going to go.”<br />
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The chair of the Committee for the Promotion of Latin (CPL) asked “what can we do as college professors?”<br />
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Dawn La Fon focused the group into thinking about “how to use this [the cancellation announcement] for us…we need to show the College Board that Latin is of value.” La Fon continued, apologizing (even though this is not her fault). “I’m so sorry…it makes me sick to think what it’s been doing to you all.”<br />
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One teacher said that the “driving force of the Latin program is that it’s on par with all of the other AP subjects…AP Latin is a unique program that needs to be saved.”<br />
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Robert Cape then stated that “the Board of Trustees does not understand Latin and therefore does not ‘get’ why one capstone exam is not a good idea.” Looking at the list of the Board of Trustees, the members are all administrators.<br />
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Teachers remain incredulous regarding this decision. “The College Board thinks that Vergil numbers will increase after the cancellation of AP Latin Literature? This is a profound lack of comprehension of Latin and what the courses entail.”<br />
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We need to make an attempt to educate the College Board that learning Latin is different than learning a modern language.<br />
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Sherwin Little stated that the APA and ACL are working side-by-side on this issue. The CPL has also leant total support to this initiative. “What can we say to them?” the CPL president asked.<br />
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Still without an answer, the discussion moved to the impact of the cancellation on college admissions. The question lies as to whether admissions offices will admit students based on the number of AP tests taken. If high school students cannot take a second AP Latin exam, they may not take Latin altogether, instead opting for Spanish. The repercussions are great, especially for high schools that must alternate between AP Vergil and AP Latin Literature in order to keep up their numbers.<br />
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One teacher said her IB program is threatened because she can only offer AP Latin Literature to her students for the IB syllabus. Vergil just won’t cut it. Ginny Lindsey’s Latin classes may also be in jeopardy because when parents learn about the cancellation, the advanced Latin classes might not get the numbers needed for enrollment, and the Latin classes will be cancelled. With no option then for AP credit, parents might have their students opt for other AP languages instead.<br />
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There was general consensus that the AP Vergil exam does not prepare students for college proficiency exams in Latin. Prose is quite important to the mix.<br />
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Pendergraft weighed in with some long-term, long-range ideas, namely that we should try to persuade the College Board (not AP) to put into place and support AP Latin programs at the elementary school level. With the College Board currently thinking about reinventing who education can be in the United States, we are in a unique place to be able to start Latin earlier and produce a new generation of Latin students and especially teachers.<br />
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Cape stated that we should also encourage dialogue between high schools and colleges on how to promote Latin enrollment and education. Dual-enrollment programs for college credit could be an alternative to the missing AP exams or to AP Latin altogether.<br />
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Towards the end of the meeting, Cape and others began to strategize about how to pitch our letters to the Board of Trustees, namely asking them for the academic reason for canceling AP Latin Literature.<br />
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Panelist Wells Hansen moved that we ask for a College Board representative to attend a special session on this issue at ACL in June. There are so many unanswered questions, that an open dialogue would be quite helpful.<br />
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Cape thinks that we should make a Ciceronian response: “We love this great stuff that the College Board is doing, but how does the cancellation of AP Latin Literature help accomplish these goals?”<br />
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The discussion closed for the night with the president of CPL asking people to complete and publish pedagogical research on the benefits of Latin. “We need the basic pedagogical research from schools of education.” By providing the College Board with quantifiable results on how Latin improves students’ English as well as the learning of other languages, we should be able to save the program.<br />
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The door is currently open for dialogue with the College Board about this issue. And if we as concerned Classicists wish to be heard and taken seriously, the college professors in Classics departments as well as college administrators must engage in this campaign of writing articulate, logical, measured letters asking for the decision of canceling AP Latin Literature to be overturned. Colleges pay money to become member institutions of the College Board, and the potential lack of incoming Classics majors might effect the College Board’s bottom line if this money is not forthcoming from those institutions that do offer Latin.<br />
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More news will follow as we prepare for the ACL’s annual meeting in New Hampshire. Write your letters and direct them to the Board of Trustees for AP and the College Board. If you know a Board member, write that person directly to appeal this decision.<br />
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Andrew Reinhard<br />
Director of eLearning<br />
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers