One of the first blogs I placed on a links list was BibliOdyssey because the site is so unique and addicting.The reason?
Damien English, in the latest edition of Edutopia magazine says it best in his article The Phantom of the Optical:
Somewhere in Sydney, a man quietly communes with his computer, pouring over visual “materia obscura” from every corner of the world and a wide spectrum of centuries. Through RSS feeds, bookmarked links, e-newsletter subscriptions, and search engines, he sifts through the web looking for art collections, exhibitions, archives of old engravings, and portfolios of contemporary graphic artists to share with the world.
This man isn't looking for any particular thing; rather, it seems he's looking for every beautiful, peculiar, or haunting piece of art that has ever graced the pages of a book. But what he's looking for exactly is not important -- what matters is that he's gathering up the gems and oddities he finds for a visually rich site called BibliOdyssey, a splendid classroom-discussion tool and entrée into art and its history.
BibliOdyssey is a wonderful site and if you are not visiting it….you should.
The History Carnival is up over at Kevin Levin’s most excellent site Civil War Memory, and Dr. Homeslice has done a wonderful job with the Education Carnival at his site.
Which U.S. President do you think is the most obscure? A new poll feature over at American Presidents Blog wants YOUR input. Look for it in the sidebar.
Finally, I’ve been meaning to point readers towards Markeroni in order to introduce you to the gentle art of landmark snarfing. The site says:
Have you ever stopped to read a historical marker, or wanted to know more about an interesting old building?.....Beware! One snarf and you’re hooked.
The Markeroni site can be found here where you can get information on joining in….a great class activity for the year….and the Markeroni Blog can be found here.
5 comments:
Thank you so much for the mention! :)
No problem. Your idea over there is quite unique. I like it.
I have to disagree regarding Kevin Levin as a good source of historical interpretation and resource. Kevin fails to bring in the big picture of race and slavery in America, and rather chooses to denigrate Confederate memory and commemoration. Kevin's sectional bias is so obvious that it endangers our children with misinformation that forms perceptions going foward in their lives. Thanks for your interest in Civil War history.
Anonymous...how is the weather in Iowa? and why is it anytime someone wants to disagree they use the name "Anonymous"?
Apparently you had googled "kevin levin" and that's how you found me. At any rate I'm always appreciative of visitors and their comments, but I wonder.....why slam Kevin here? Could it be that you noticed his blog moderates comments and you were afraid your comment wouldn't be added, so you decide to use my forum?
That's fine, but you want to state at the outset you want to disagree with me. All I wrote was that Kevin has a most excellent site, and I mean come on....even if he writes a mundane list of things he does each day his blog is well done. It's pleasing to the eye, great links, and contains information regarding all of the avenues of history that Kevin is involved in.
As a born and bred Southerner one thing I know about is Confederate pride. I've been taught it, seen it action, and by this point of my life I'm an expert regarding true Southern pride and mangling that some do with Southern memory.
Please understand me when I say that if Kevin's "sectional bias" was endangering students in his high school classes in any shape or form I assure you the parents, as well as the students, would create an outcry heard round the world. I've seen it happen.
True, often I breeze by Kevin's site and I'm confronted by the way he writes about something, but I don't see misinformation. I often see another way of looking at something without my upbringing getting in the way. Anonymous, that's what a good teacher does. They confront, they motivate our brains in order to get us to think for ourselves.
Apparently Kevin has even been succesful with you because you got riled up enough to google his name and to find his site.
You mention that Kevin fails to bring in race and slavery in America to his students. I'm sorry, but you cannot base what Kevin does or does not post on his site as a complete reflection regarding what he does in the classroom. Kevin has state standards to meet and I'm confident he strives to meet the elements of each and every standard from my past visits at his site.
eht,
First, if the reply function offers the "anonymous" option, then it is valid to use it and the user should not be ridiculed for choosing it.
Second, I whole-heartedly agree with anonymous that Kevin Levin lacks a brain filter when it comes to offensive anti-southern propaganda. You probably missed many prior discussions where Kevin attempted to discount other opinions regarding parity among northern and southern racial views around the Civil War period and today. These biased opinions serve to impress upon students and all readers a flawed version of southern history and perception that is still evident after a century and a half since the Civil War.
Kevin espouses a deep-seated northern hypocrtical view of the South and suggests social policy changes that would denigrate Confederate memory and further divide people along racial lines. Let's celebrate the diversity of the South without condemning select groups.
Question: You were born a southerner, but where did you grow up, attend school, and what region do you currently reside in now? I'm just curious as to how environments shape opinions.
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