There will be no final exam, but you will turn in your revised interpretive essay during the scheduled exam time (1-3 p.m.).
Week 15: Omeka Presentations
On Nov. 23 in class we will choose days and times for each of your Omeka presentations. The available slots will be Mon. 11/30, Wed. 12/2, and Fri. 12/4 at 12:20, 12:40, and 1:00 on each day. Everyone will be responsible for giving an approximately 12-minute oral presentation on their Omeka exhibit, meaning that each of you will walk the class through your exhibit, explaining how you set it up, what your major findings are, and why you made the choices you did about what images to use (including reasons for putting certain images together on a page, for instance). This presentation can be informal in tone. You’re simply giving a “tour” of your exhibit. With a 12-minute presentation, we’ll have time for up to 8 minutes of Q&A between presentations.
November 25: Individual Project Consultations
Today, by appointment (to be discussed in class on Nov. 20), each of you will meet with me at a location to be determined (probably either Mather Mansion or Special Collections). The available times will be 8:30, 9, 9:30, 10, 10:30, 11, 11:30, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3. You are responsible for having finished your Omeka metadata corrections or additions (for any additional images you’ve chosen since early in the semester) and your Omeka exhibit BEFORE you meet with me. The point of the meeting is for us to discuss any remaining issues with your Omeka work and touch base about your ongoing final essay revisions.
November 23: Rethinking the Role of the Historian in the Community
While there is no assigned reading for today, you should think about the role of historians in the community, broadly speaking. Drawing on everything we’ve learned this semester, we will discuss the role that historians should play in community history-making efforts: To what extent should they lead the public? To what extent should they give up control over projects? What are the ethical considerations they must bear in mind? What kinds of outcomes should they foster? These are just a few of the questions we might ask. I invite you to raise questions of your own.
November 20: Adapting Oral History to Digital Projects
Explore the Euclid Corridor History Project website, which shows the content available to riders on RTA’s HealthLine on interactive kiosks at selected transit stations. The Euclid Corridor project represents a three-year effort that culminated in a team effort to produce digital exhibits on dozens of Cleveland historic sites and topics. You should be prepared to comment on the specific content of any of the sites/topics covered by the project website. Each of these is accessible by clicking its corresponding orange dot on the interactive map. In class we will discuss the process that led to the final product and will discuss best practices.
Note that your final Omeka Image Collection (including revised metadata) is now due at the same time as your Omeka Exhibit on November 25.
The Death of John Henry and the Birth of Rock and Roll
Below is an event that I would like to encourage you to attend. It speaks to the theme of heritage and explores the relationship of public and academic history. I will offer extra credit in the form of a replacement for any blog comment assignment missed during the semester for those who attend (see me at the event to confirm your presence) and post a comment to this post.
Scott Reynolds Nelson
The Death of John Henry and the Birth of Rock and Roll
Wednesday, November 18 at 6:00 pm
Parker Hannifin Hall, 2258 Euclid Avenue
Reception at 5:30 pm
Dr. Scott Nelson Reynolds, Leslie and Naomi Legum Professor of History at The College of William & Mary, will deliver a lecture on November 18th at 6:00 p.m. in CSU’s Parker Hannifin Hall, 2258 Euclid Avenue. The lecture, entitled The Death of John Henry and the Birth of Rock and Roll, investigates the life and legend of John Henry as a way of exploring the tradition of work songs and their evolution into blues and rock and roll. The event is presented by the CSU Department of History and the Center for Public History & Digital Humanities. It is free and open to the public. Students, teachers, and scholars from all levels and fields are invited to attend. Professor Nelson is the winner of the Arts Club of Washington’s inaugural National Award for Arts Writing for Steel Drivin’ Man: John Henry, The Untold Story of an American Legend (Oxford University Press). The book also received a 2007 Merle Curti Prize from the Organization of American Historians. The official announcement may be viewed here.
November 18: Oral History as Public History
Read Green, “The Exhibition That Speaks For Itself,” available on Electronic Course Reserve. In class we will discuss the uses of public history, as well as the challenges that go along with such endeavors.
November 16: Introduction to Oral History
Read the indicated section of Baylor University’s oral history website. Click under “Manual” on the right side of the web page to access “Introduction to Oral History” (a PDF file); then read pp. 1-14. In class we will examine the nuts and bolts of doing oral history, from planning a project to setting up, preparing for, and conducting interviews, to analyzing the resulting recordings.
Also, note that your first draft of the interpretive essay is due today (not on Nov. 13, as was originally planned).
November 13: Historical Documentaries
Read Glassberg, Sense of History, chapter 4 (on Ken Burns’ The Civil War). Think about the techniques that Burns used to make his epic documentary. In class we will view portions of it and HBO’s documentary Unchained Memories, in which noted African American film celebrities read slave narratives collected by WPA workers in the 1930s.
Omeka Update
See Erin Bell’s comment under the November 9 post for more information.
msouther