“How Web Video Powers Global Innovation”

I’ve been thinking (again) about the digital aspect of the MUA.  Our goal as an organization has always been to encourage underwater archaeologists to share their research with the public via the web.  That last bit is very important: via the web.  Why?  Because we believe it is the best tool to reach the widest possible audience.  That’s important too because we need to spread the word about ethical underwater archaeology so that the public understands what we do and why it is important to them. It’s not an option for us, it’s a moral imperative.

Originally I had hoped to have a bit more on our site about some of the technical innovations and practices going on in humanities computing but I think we’ve been lacking in that category.  Hopefully we can make up for lost time by highlighting relevant websites, articles, videos etc. that relate to this topic.

Getting back to my opening comments about using the web to reach wider audiences, I recently viewed a “TED Talk” video by Chris Anderson on how web video powers global innovation.  Many of you may already be aware of TED talks, a growing collection of videos hosted by a small nonprofit devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” I could spend hours on that site (could?  I have!).  Have a look at Chris’s talk and see what you think.  Feel free comment here and share your “ideas worth spreading.”

You can view Chris Anderson’s TED  Talk here:

http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html

Enjoy

-Kurt

Japanese Ship Construction, Art, and Continuing Mysteries

Michelle Damian has posted a new entry to her online journal which records her experiences as she continues her research on Japanese ship construction as seen in woodblock prints. In this entry Michelle discusses some of the continuing “mysteries” that she is trying to solve as her research and writing draws to a close. Her post includes one puzzling example from the artwork and a request for help from the audience. You can read this latest post here:

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/his/mua/project_journals/aj/aj_9.shtml

Enjoy!

Excavating the Website: There are Lessons Buried Here

Last week we announced that the Museum of Underwater Archaeology’s “Holding History in Your Hand” (HHYH) classroom learning kits were ready for shipping world wide. The response has been incredible with inquiries coming in literally from around the world. If you’re not familiar with the kit you can view the brochure here. The MUA staff has been conducting the HHYH exercise for several years now. But since we can’t be everywhere at once we worked with members of the East Carolina University’s Maritime Studies Association to create a lesson plan and artifact analysis guide so that school teachers and other organizations could conduct the exercise themselves.

But one of the most exciting things for us was the decision to augment the lesson plan with additional exercises that let teachers use the MUA website as a teaching tool. We’ve built up a great collection of projects written by underwater archaeologists from around the world but after you’ve read say a field journal written in 2006 what more can be done with it? Is it then time to send it off to the archive to wither away? We don’t think so.