Richard Jones-Nerzic

This was indeed the great disappointment with most CDRoms in history, the vast majority of which attempted to sell a product that was freely availiable on the internet. The quality of the resources on the website, will I guess be the key to success of this project. I am very interested in the idea of the individual student working through the resources in lessons. I have ordered a trial copy (I hope you deliver to France ) but it is the sort of thing I can invisage working best at home, perhaps as a revision acitivity. I can even envisage exactly where it will fit into my scheme of work.

We had the same problem with our students. Even though we give every student a laptop computer, we can no longer expect them to do homework that requires internet access. Although the laptops all have modems built in, we have taken the decision to stop students using the internet at home. A real shame.

For those interested, I have begun a seminar which expands on some of my views above about using digital video in the history classroom over on the History Teachers' Discussion Forum

I just received a letter from Comenius asking the IST to verify our financial status and our most recently audited accounts. First solid evidence that they haven't forgotten all about us... I just hope our accounts add up!

Thanks for that John. I was beginning to wonder how much longer we have to wait. I heard nothing official yet, only positive rumours.

I watched the BBC4 Storyville episode on the weekend about Marcel Ophuls' 1969 documentary about the occupation of France 1940-44 The Sorrow and the Pity. http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries...-and-pity.shtml This is the closest comparison I can think of. I thought the interview with Ophuls fascinating and was interested to read how Michael Moore considers himself a disciple of Ophuls. In this recent Guardian interview Ophuls was asked whether he likes Moore's films:

Not yet, but our planning is well advanced. We will be bringing a class of about 30 IB students in October for six nights. In addition to three days in Madrid we will be stopping off in Burgos on our way down and spending full days at Toledo (thanks for the recommendation, I've never been) and Salamanca. Salamanca because both myself and Nuria (our Spanish teacher) spent our student days at the University town.

What a fascinating seminar, I only wish I could have seen it ‘live’ as it were. There is much to admire in the very systematic approach to film illustrated here, but it is these last comments about student filmmaking that interested me most. I have long been convinced of the need to spend time critically analysing film with history students as we would any other sources. Film, documentary or otherwise, is too often treated uncritically as a stimulus source of content knowledge; often to lighten the load before teachers return to serious ‘academic’ study. By far the best way to get students to engage critically with film is put them behind a camera, which is why I loved that sweetshop analogy. With the advent of fairly ubiquitous video cameras and DV editing software bundled with the latest versions of Windows, it is now possible replicate the whole filmmaking process from tentative pencil drawn storyboards to complete DV films with complex production qualities. In addition, broadband Internet connection now allows these films to be shared with the widest possible audience. I have been teaching Nazi propaganda for a number of years now and from the beginning, it was always filmmaking techniques that interested students most. I have always had students plan and storyboard films, but what the new technology has allowed me to do in the last 3-4 years is actually make the films with students. http://www.intst.net/humanities/igcsehist/...uasion/film.htm As a consequence of making films, students become sensitised to the various techniques employed by the filmmaker: camera angle, lighting, focus, music, narrative, editing etc. Consequently, they begin to understand how they are manipulated; they begin to see through the magic. This year I’ve moved on to look at documentary work. Looking at the various techniques available to begin with students then move on to write and produce their own. I recently experimented with an end-of-year activity with 13-14 year olds making films on the French Revolution. http://www.intst.net/humanities/y9/term3/d.../2004/index.htm I am also making more complex documentaries about the Cold War with my IB students. As in your case study I have set very tight restrictions on the timing of the films. I have also required them to include a number of documentary ‘techniques’: graphics, primary sources, archive video, narration, talking head, academics interviewed etc. I divided my (small) class into two groups, one group set out to produce a film that blames the US for the origins of the Cold War, the other blames Russia. As in your case-study, this a lesson in careful editing, selective application of the evidence and cinematic trickery. These films will not be ready until September, but I know from email that students are currently working on these during their summer holiday; further confirmation of your point about filmmaking being a motivational educational technique. In general, school history, with its emphasis on imparting the skills of the professional historian, (why do we do this?) neglects to equip students with the skills they require as consumers of history. I remember reading some serious educational research not that long ago, that suggested that most people’s historical consciousness is generated by television and cinema and has little to do with the ‘taught’ history of the school curriculum. In brief, the ‘document’ work and close examination of the (dominantly) written sources which characterises history lessons throughout the world, does little to prepare students to be critical users of the medium that is most likely to shape their understanding of the past.

Anyone who knows me will have heard me argue that the next phase of the ICT-History revolution will involve the adaption of the sophisticated gaming techiques of software like Sim City (which we use in Geography) to simulations in history. This software from a US company called Muzzy Lane claims to do just that. I have been in email contact with producers Nick deKanter and Dan Roy and they tell me that they will be unable to make the software available in Europe: 'Due to a middleware licensing agreement, we are currently limited to distribution only in the United States; however, that can change. If I get an estimate of international sales which justifies the investment in a worldwide license, we would certainly do so.' How can we help them justify the investment? For more information about the product see this article from the NY Times Making History is a multiplayer simulation that puts players in control of European governments before, during and after World War II. With a price tag somewhere between $25 and $40, the game is expected to be available in the fall from www .muzzylane.com. Computer games have been used in education for years, especially at the elementary level, where there are thousands of software titles. At the high school and college level, though, strategy games are generally limited to stock market and election simulations, experts and teachers say. Muzzy Lane aims to change that. The challenge is to "integrate the learning without preaching to the player," said Dave McCool, the president of Muzzy Lane. "You want to create an environment where they're learning." The game's designers took elements of entertainment simulations - the graphics, the realistic cause-and-effect, the variety of challenges - and adapted them for classroom use by making the game customizable for different learning levels, breaking it into timed sessions and adding a variety of supporting material for instructors. Making History starts in the 1930's. Students take on the roles of various European leaders, making decisions on taxes and spending, trade policy, international treaties and military action. The simulation engine calculates the effects of each player's actions and moves the game forward, sometimes with results that differ strikingly from actual events. Muzzy Lane's designers expect players to rely on their knowledge of history; the game is meant to help them add to it by delving deeper into their history textbooks or Web sites to improve their performance. Making History is also intended to encourage problem-solving and the understanding of cause and effect. Such skills "are difficult to teach in a textbook-and-lecture format," said Nick deKanter, vice president of Muzzy Lane. He said that a 2002 study from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars found that video game playing "builds on basic instincts for competition, interaction and imagination that are instinctive in so many people." The study recommended "combining these elements with instructive materials, or wrapping important content in a gaming package." Some teachers have used popular games like SimCity and Civilization in classes, but education specialists say that such programs, while useful, ultimately fall short. "They're good games, but they're inherently weak on education," said Eric Klopfer, an assistant professor of science, education and educational technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "They can be harnessed for education, but they weren't designed from the ground up for education." One of the biggest drawbacks is the games' lack of support materials to back up the content of the games. Making History will include comparisons to actual events, contextual commentaries and links to other history sources. The educational value of the game action increases when there is time to review and discuss what took place, Mr. McCool said. "We strongly believe that simulations require a good debriefing period." Making History is broken into sessions that last 45 to 90 minutes; turns can be played in class or assigned as homework. The game can be customized, with the instructor matching the difficulty level to the skills of the class. "I'm not familiar with anything else on the market that is as comprehensive" as Making History, said Michael Berson, an associate professor of social science education at the University of South Florida. Muzzy Lane may be breaking new commercial ground, but academia is also working - with some assistance from commercial software developers - to adapt video games for the classroom. This month researchers and some software designers gathered at a two-day conference in Los Angeles to discuss the many issues and challenges that educational video games face. The conference, held in conjunction with the annual Electronic Entertainment Exposition, drew an audience of about 350. It was organized by the Education Arcade, a consortium of researchers, professors and software designers who have worked since 2002 to find ways to expand the use of video games in education. Based at M.I.T., the Education Arcade has developed a handful of games, including a multiplayer role-playing game set in 1770's Virginia. That game, Revolution, aims to teach about day-to-day life in 18th-century America and the events that led to the American Revolution. The group hopes to make Revolution available to schools later this year. If Making History and other education titles are to succeed in the classroom, they will have to overcome hurdles like schools' limited budgets and a perception that video games and learning are mutually exclusive. Nonetheless, Mr. McCool said he hoped that teachers and parents who examine Making History would recognize its potential. Candace Jackson Gray, who teaches history at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in Mound Bayou, Miss., was introduced to Making History at a trade show and said she planned to use it in her classes in the fall. "I think Muzzy Lane is in the forefront," Ms. Gray said. "I think you'll see a lot of people copy what they're doing." But while the big entertainment publishers may watch to see how Muzzy Lane does with the new game, they are unlikely to race to develop games expressly for education. "I would stop well short of calling it a trend," said Doug Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association, a video game industry trade group. That might change, Mr. Lowenstein said. "The game industry is very conscious about the inevitable broadening of games in our culture, and the broadening of our market," he said. "Everyone recognizes that games are more than entertainment." No one argues that video games will or should become dominant in the classroom. "Our view isn't that you take the right video game, stick it in a classroom and everything gets better," Mr. McCool said. "But with the right tools, this can significantly enhance learning." http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/27/technolo...f&ex=1086843268

The student version of this forum recently passed its 100th member/1000th post http://studenteducationforum.ipbhost.com/ and as we reach the end of the academic year (in the northern hemisphere at least), I thought I'd take this opportunity to remind everyone here of our existence and extend an invitation to any who would like to join us ready for September. Unlike this forum, the Student Education Forum is an invitation only forum and is moderated by the students themselves. There are both institutional members (International School of Toulouse, Dartford Technology College and Dubai College) where teachers help with administration and private members who were recommended by members of this forum. The three global student moderators are Lia (IST), Robbert (Sintermeertencollege the Netherlands) and Stephen (Dover Bay School, Nanaimo, Canada). As well as general discussion areas, there is also a formal debating section and we have begun to create a number of curriculum specific areas. In the near future, I'd like to see perhaps half a dozen or so 'institutional' members with teachers using the forum in their daily teaching, but I would particularly welcome yet more well-motivated students who would enjoy the opportunity to meet like-minded students from around the world. Please email me if you would like to get involved.

I have a video on my site that includes an interview with Helen Stephens about this infamous proposal from Hitler. It also includes some useful archive footage. Video 10mb I have no problem with this being used with GCSE students 14-16 years old.

I have been working on the the Berlin Olympics in the last few days. I am particularly interested in the documentary/propaganda contribution of Leni Riefenstahl. In response to John's post, I have a video on my site that includes an interview with Helen Stephens about this infamous proposal from Hitler. It also includes some useful archive footage. Video 10mb

I have just uploaded Kjell's page on St Olav http://www.intst.net/humanities/vs/pilgrim...ends/stolav.htm Perhaps we can create different threads for the different projects? This will allow us to keep track of changes.

Thanks again to Anders for organising an excellent meeting and this wonderful time-travel opportunity. As you can see I have scanned the photo. Below is a 200dpi resolution for you to download and print. I can do one at an even higher quality resolution in .tiff if anyone wants it.

Cold Fusion from a German company http://www.contens.de/ww/de/pub/enterprise...-management.htm It is down at the moment How easy? Might be very easy eventually but obviously restricted in terms of design and style. At the moment it seems that the VS admin staff have deactivated aspects of it. We are unable to immediately change all the pages.

I'm not sure. Towards the end of June, early July I guess

I have recently updated my (still incomplete) Reichstag Fire website for my current Y10 coursework. I've changed the video extract this year so that students can comment on the usefulness of Robert Carlyle as Hitler http://www.intst.net/humanities/igcsehist/...rk/source_i.htm. People might find the clip useful for the scene of the Kroll Opera House vote on the Enabling Act. The site also includes the excellent Reichstag Fire roleplay written by JDC. http://www.intst.net/humanities/igcsehist/...eplay/index.htm I am using the new International Student Education Forum in attempt to establish some degree of online discussion. If anyone would like to get involved in any degree (from one interested student to a whole class) I'd be delighted to hear from you.

Fantastic site. I have already spent too long on it this afternoon. Which is your favourite cover? A thread in its own right I think. Mine is the one that covered Diana's death in 97. http://www.strobes.uklinux.net/932/ That whole edition was such a perfect counterweight to the general media nonsense in Britain that week.

Version 2 with budget amendments and other minor corrections uploaded below.

The various parts of the A380 fuselage have arrived The new final assembly line for the A380 is due to be inaugurated in the next few days. The process of attaching wings to fuselage has begun. Found one great image of the fuselage being transported through the village of Levignac, next to the Ratelier hotel: This Airbus site http://www.airbus.com/airbus4u/articles_de....asp?ae_id=1467 contains some interesting material for the technology people about the logistics of shipping the various components across Europe.

This section of the education forum is now closed. The all-new student run, student forum is now live at Student Education Forum It is open to all students who are registered on the Education Forum. Your user name is the same, as is your password. If you are a new student who would like to participate in this new forum or is you have forgotten your details, please contact the teacher who registered you and ask them to pass on your details to me.

After trials conducted with students on this forum, we have decided to create a dedicated forum for student discussion. http://studenteducationforum.ipbhost.com/ This forum allows for much greater independence for student members to post and initiate discussion. Students will also take on some of the moderating responsibilities. I have automatically registered all students who posted on this forum. The user name and password is the same. If anyone has any difficulty accessing the new site please PM me. The new site does not take new registrations, all students must be registered by me or Andy Walker. If you wish your students to be involved email me a list of names and email addresses. As a teacher you will be expected to take on the role of moderator.

Excellent, thank you! If it is possible, could you also add a general discussion area within which discussion could take place? Later this could be seperated out into topics by subject. Thanks Done. I've also created a general area for biographies and other member based issues. Tha languages aspect is certainly something I'm keen to develop. Can't think of a better use of forums than encouraging students to improve their second language skills with native speakers.

http://studenteducationforum.ipbhost.com/

Agreed. Robertjan L. I will create your account shortly and email you the details. You will become a moderator, but in the first instance I'd like you to participate in Stephen's debate. Stephen feels that moderators should not participate and at the moment we are short of members...