---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Memory Fellows <AMFELLOWS@RS8.LOC.GOV>
Poster: Kenneth Cooper Middle School <kcms@IONET.NET>
Subject: Re: What gives? Classroom Connect
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Ignore my last message--from what I'm reading, it is legal. Sybil
At 03:19 PM 3/25/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Susan, thanks, your response is really illuminating and helpful.
>"Value-added" is the key here. It's interesting to think that it might
>take the private sector to help with some of the unfinished things. I'm
>thinking especially about the "data cards" and the AM items that have no
>cataloging data -- and would never have any descriptive data if some other
>entity didn't come along to supply it. My secret if-I-won-the-lottery
>fantasy is to have the WPA life histories cataloged, because it just isn't
>going to happen in anyone's regular budget lifetime.
>
>I think this project and others like it remind me that there's never one
>answer, never just one way. The more hands there are in disseminating
>these treasures, the better. The other thing this is making me realize is
>that we current and past Fellows (or at least me!) have strong attachments
>to American Memory, possibly bordering on feelings of the proprietary.
>It's almost embarrassing to admit.
>
>Frances
>
>>X-Sender: svec@rs8.loc.gov
>>Mime-Version: 1.0
>>Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 15:29:32 -0500
>>Reply-To: American Memory Fellows <AMFELLOWS@RS8.LOC.GOV>
>>Sender: American Memory Fellows <AMFELLOWS@RS8.LOC.GOV>
>>From: Susan Veccia <svec@LOC.GOV>
>>Subject: Re: What gives? Classroom Connect
>>Comments: To: American Memory Fellows <AMFELLOWS@loc.gov>
>>To: Multiple recipients of list AMFELLOWS <AMFELLOWS@RS8.LOC.GOV>
>>
>>Just so you all know, this product from Classroom Connect has been
>>developed under a long-standing cooperative agreement with the Library of
>>Congress. It does two things:
>>
>>1. While you can find all the items on the Classroom Connect CD-ROMs in the
>>American Memory Web site, Classroom Connect has selected from this vast
>>site and created thematic views of our materials. The resulting four
>>CD-ROMs are on the topics of Identity, Power, Environment, Change, Culture.
>> They have selected items from across all the collections and assembled
>>them into these thematic CD-ROMs. They have taken the cataloging data that
>>comes with each item and simplified it into a "data card." For items for
>>which there is no cataloging, they have created brief identifying
>>information, which is also presented on a "data card." The items were
>>selected to support an inquiry-based curriculum. The CD-ROMs will have
>>links directly to our Web site where you can view the entire collections
>>and also the Learning Page.
>>
>>The Library was not involved in the selection of the materials, but was
>>involved in the review of the data cards. The first 4 CDs will be
>>available this spring, I think. I am not sure when the 5th one will be
>>released. We have not yet seen the print materials, lesson plans, or the
>>Web site.
>>
>>2. It will provide schools that do not have reliable Internet connections
>>to access our materials. This project was developed to provide more access
>>to our materials to more kinds of school populations.
>>
>>Overall, I see this as a value-added product, not as something that is
>>identical to what is already on-line. We will probably be using this
>>product as a supplement to our on-line workshops and training sessions.
>>
>>What we have heard from day one of this project is TIME...or lack of it.
>>Most educators tell us they do not have time to find all the neat stuff,
>>thus a thematic approach to our collections seemed like a good idea. In
>>all honesty, I must say that this price is dirt cheap. Developing a CD-ROM
>>is a very time-consuming process, and even developing good teaching
>>materials is very, very expensive. You don't want to know how expensive!
>>
>>
>>At 10:29 AM 3/25/1999 -0600, you wrote:
>>>Hi all -
>>>
>>>I just got a catalog from the Classroom Connect people ("Our passion at
>>>Classroom Connect is to support you in creating powerful learning
>>>experiences for your students by integrating the Internet into your
>>>classroom curriculum"). They are advertising a product ("New for Spring!")
>>>called "American Memory Primary Sources." There are four CD-ROMs, each
>>>with a unit on a different theme. Each unit comes with a 112-page
>>>curriculum guide, the CD "for speedy access," and a one-year membership to
>>>a companion web site that gets you a password to the "special Primary
>>>Sources Web site," which includes reproducible student pages, links to
>>>primary sources and history sites, and links to American Memory.
>>>
>>>I think it's interesting that people would pay ($69.95 for one unit,
>>>$225.00 for all four) for something that's essentially free. A question
>>>for the teachers out there: how much do you use these types of full-blown
>>>teacher guides that come with various classroom resources? I guess I've
>>>thought of the lessons we've developed as being conceptual templates rather
>>>than step-by-step handholding guides. I suppose that this Classroom
>>>Connect product line is just another venue for American Memory, another way
>>>to get the word out. I wonder if the "special Primary Sources Web site"
>>>links to the Learning Page and the lessons that are posted there. What do
>>>others think about this type of commercial phenomenon?
>>>
>>>Frances
>>
>>
>>Susan Veccia, Project Manager
>>Educational Services
>>National Digital Library Program
>>Library of Congress
>>email: svec@loc.gov voice: 202/707-6151 fax: 202/252-3173
>>
>
>
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