General Interest
There are a number of novel and intriguing ways to present information via the web, and the Museum of Science in Boston has struck on one with this rather fine site. With the intent of introducing interested parties to the world of funerary practices in ancient Egypt, the site allows visitors to spend 3300 debens (an unit of currency from that period) on selecting their own tomb, mummification, mummy case, and “extras” (such as an amulet or a statuette). Visitors begin by reading a welcome statement about this process, and they can add items to their shopping cart, all the while learning about this fascinating aspect of world history. Of course, visitors can also click on a number of hypertext links embedded within the item descriptions to learn more such topics as the benefits of selecting a shallow urban grave or a canopic jar. [KMG]
http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/bisbee/index.html
American labor history, like other aspects of social history, is highly contested and often emotionally charged. One particularly compelling event in labor history was the Bisbee Deportation of 1917. The events took place in Arizona, and soon gained national and international currency as a well-known labor dispute between copper mining companies and their workers. As the striking miners at Bisbee were summarily deported into New Mexico, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) a more radical union, quickly became involved as well. This compelling web exhibit deals with this event, and draws on a number of primary resources from the University of Arizona Library, the Arizona Historical Society, and the Sharlot Hall Museum. First-time visitors will want to start at the history section of the site, where they can learn about the primary leaders and participants in the Bisbee Deportation. The primary sources area is quite useful as it provides first-hand recollections and newspaper accounts of these events, including articles from The Tucson Citizen and The Los Angeles Times. Educators will appreciate the Teacher’s Corner section, as it contains a number of helpful pedagogical resources, including a role playing activity for students and a selection of activities that are designed to work in tandem with the available images archived here. [KMG]
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/paleo/geotime/main/index.html
It’s hard imagining how one could fit the entirety of geologic time onto one website, but the staff members of the department of paleobiology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History have done an excellent job with this site. The intent of the site is to provide an interactive timeline of geological history, beginning with the Hadean eon and proceeding all the way to the current day. After a compelling introductory section, visitors are led into the elegant timeline interface which allows them to explore the site’s primary contents. Using a drag tool, visitors can move around the span of the different geological eons, eras, periods, and epochs in a direct fashion. Clicking on each of the icons within each division of time brings up a brief overview of each segment, along with a map of each period, complete with various renderings of the conditions that existed on the Earth at the time. Visitors will also appreciate the “Foundational Concepts” area, which provides a foundation for understanding the nature of geology, such as the importance of different dating methods and earth processes. Overall, this site is extraordinarily helpful, both for the general public and for more seasoned amateur geologists. [KMG]
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG290.pdf
The world of the visual arts is, at times, a chaotic one. There are a myriad of different institutions attempting to garner the attention of experts in the field, the general public, and various philanthropic organizations. It can be a complex landscape, but this latest report from the RAND organization goes a long way to document the many challenges that the visual arts community faces. While some pundits have described a largely positive portrait of the visual arts, this 152-page report released in August 2005, offers a bit of a more critical perspective on the current situation. Among its many findings, the report notes that the growth in overall museum attendance in recent years is primarily a product of population growth and higher education levels, rather than a result of museums' attempts to broaden the diversity of their audience. The report also suggests that the majority of the art museums around the country will need to ask a number of key questions, including what their primary goal is and how will they measure their success. [KMG]
http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/30/women/index.htm
Throughout the 20th and 21st century, women have played a variety of roles during various military conflicts, both on the homefront and on the front lines of battle. This online exhibit from the Imperial War Museum in Britain explores some of the complexities faced by women during these conflicts. The site is divided into four primary sections, including those that deal with both World Wars. Within each section, visitors can look at some of the activities that draw on the extensive visual documentation offered within. Some of the more fascinating activities here include “War babes: Stereotypes, Pin-ups and Prejudice” and “A woman’s place is in the home”. Even the most casual visitors will enjoy the wide range of digitized photographs offered here, such as shots of female air mechanics working on the fuselage of an Avro Biplane and an anti-nuclear demonstration in front of the Imperial War Museum from the 1980s. [KMG]
Interest in distance education within institutions of higher learning dates as far back as the correspondence programs first offered by the University of Chicago and Columbia University in the late 19th century. There are a host of organizations currently involved in disseminating and promoting the cause of distance education, the American Distance Education Consortium (ADEC), is one of the most notable. The ADEC is composed of approximately 65 state university and land grant colleges and as an organization is primarily concerned with creating a model of distance education that will provide instructional delivery and access anywhere and anytime. On their site, visitors can learn about a host of distance learning delivery technologies, read up on best practices developed by ADEC member institutions and individuals, and federal programs and grants designed to assist those with an interest in the subject. [KMG]
