---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Memory Fellows <AMFELLOWS@RS8.LOC.GOV>
Poster: "Judith K. Graves" <jgrav@LOC.GOV>
Subject: '98 Fellows' lessons
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Everyone,
'97 Fellows remember well the angst of lesson development, testing, and
writing!! They feel your pain of non-working computers, promises of
classroom wiring, software glitches, end of term reports conflicting with
lesson development demands, life issues, and on and on and on.
I also know what you are doing this year, incorporating new materials,
seeing if they work, finding the black holes that don't pop up until you
are in them, trying to cram one more thing into already overcrowded
schedules, and then the little problems of life - family, friends, and
-heaven forbid- sleep!
On April 1, road-tested lesson plans are due to the Library. Don't let
that send a shudder through you.... I don't want to see anything final at
this point - it's just too soon for everyone. On that date - not before -
I would like to have an email message from each team telling me your team's
status, with a URL where the lesson resides (if there is a URL). If the
lesson isn't up anywhere (with time constraints and technology glitches, it
would be a wonder if it is!), we'll use email and/or fax. We'll use
whatever works for each team.
I know the previous paragraph sounds terribly forbidding, but here's the
reason why I want to check in with each team:
Remember my talk at the institute when I said that we want good lessons,
not fancy HTML? That's still true. Trust your professional judgement and
create what you feel is the best lesson with the topic and materials you've
chosen.
Your lessons will reside on a website, not in a file folder or on paper.
Writing for the web is as different as writing for the newspaper is from
writing a composition or paper. By stepping into the process in April, I
hope to guide you through the final writing process. The Library has a
writing style guide and a technical style guide that we must follow. It's
my job to help prepare your lessons to comply with that style. The Fellows
Toolkit has some information on web style that will be helpful to you.
Look at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/amfp/toolkit/intro.html
In addition, we are writing for an audience that may know nothing about
American Memory or using primary sources in learning. I'll also be looking
at your lessons for ways that we can help this audience be successful with
these lessons. I'll also be looking for ways that we can best present your
lesson so that your ideas and creativity shine through.
Please don't feel that you should know this technology or these guidelines
already. And please, don't feel that you should give me the completed
lesson on April 1. And please, please, know that just as your facilitators
have been cheering you on throughout the school year, I'm going to be your
staunchest cheerleader from now until your lesson's completion.
We are about to embark on the writing process cycle, with feedback,
drafting, feedback, mechanics. We'll work through the phases as time (and
life) allows.
Hope everyone has a great spring break,
Judy, m.h.
(It's snowing on the crocus and daffodil buds today. Sigh.)
-------------------------------------------------------
Judith K. Graves
Education Resources Specialist
National Digital Library Program
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20540-1320
jgrav@loc.gov
(V)202/707-2562 (F) 202/252-3173
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Jan 04 2000 - 12:24:18 EST