WFP 2008 Friday 8/15

WFP 2008 Monday 8/11 | WFP 2008 Tuesday 8/12 | WFP 2008 Wednesday 8/13 | WFP 2008 Thursday 8/14 | WFP 2008 Friday 8/15 | WFP 2008 Monday 8/18 | WFP 2008 Tuesday 8/19 | WFP2008 Meeting 2008-07-24 | Original Syllabus

Friday, 8/15: Databases and Scholarly Communication

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM: WELCOME AND OVERVIEW OF THE DAY

A time for questions and answers about the preceding day and the contents of the current day.

9:15 AM – 10:30 AM: Scholarly Communication: Delivery and Content

Presenter: Wardecker

Location: Bosler Microroom

Abstract

For centuries, scholarly journals have been the primary channels for scholarly communication, and lately, many of these have migrated from print to electronic format. This change in format has led scholars and publishers to explore the potential of the digital medium and provide new features for enhancing the delivery and presentation of content that would have been previously impossible. Examining some of these developments will provide you with some examples of resources you and your students can use and even create within the contexts of your classes.

Outcomes

• An broader understanding of RSS
• An understanding of the importance of datasets
• An appreciation of the document as a database
• Discovery of at least one tool each fellow can use for their class or project

Outline

• Overview of trends in digital scholarly communication
• RSS and content delivery
  • Review feeds and aggregators
  • Embedding RSS feeds:
    • Grazr
    • Feed2JS
  • Generating an RSS feed for a search query:
    • Sending a Pubmed search to an RSS feed
  • Importing an RSS feed into a spreadsheet
    • Importing a local weather feed into a Spreadsheet
• Electronic text and content presentation
  • Annotation tools:
    • Zotero
    • Google Notebook
  • Text and dataset visualization software:
  • TAPoR
  • Many Eyes (and Freebase)
  • Google Spreadsheets Gadgets
• Applications and content enhancement
  • JoVE, a scientific journal that has entirely broken free of traditional formatting
  • Other kinds of applications for enhancing content:
    • Scribd (documents)
    • MapLib (maps)
    • circaVie (timelines)
    • Screencast-O-Matic (better than it sounds)
    • 280 Slides (slideshow)
    • WebSlides (RSS into slideshows)
    • Sprout

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM BREAK

Coffee and pastries will be available outside of the Microroom.

The Document as Database: A Gentle Introduction to XML (10:45 AM – 12:00 PM)

Presenter: Alvarado

Location: Bosler Microroom

This module will cover the technology that is behind much of Web 2.0 — XML — and how it can be used in courses based on primary, textual sources. Fellows will learn the basic syntax of XML and be introduced to its academic uses, particularly within the digital humanities and the Semantic Web.

Go back to Blackboard for material related to this lesson ...

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM: LUNCH

In the Blumberg Reading Area, Library.

1:30 PM – 2:45 PM: GOOGLE MAPS AND GOOGLE EARTH: GEOGRAPHY AS USER INTERFACE

Presenter: Burke

Location: Bosler Microroom

This course covers two extraordinarily powerful and simple tools introduced by Google that allow non-experts to both access comprehensive maps of the earth's surface, as well as how to create "layers" of information on top of these maps. This talk will cover how to create these layers as well as how these tools can be used as course material.

What is Google Earth? Google Earth is a virtual globe program that was originally called Earth Viewer and was created by Keyhole, Inc. It maps the earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS over a 3D globe. It is available under three different licenses; a free version, Google Earth, with limited functionality, Google Earth plus which includes a few more features, and Google Earth Professional intended for commercial use. Google Earth allows users to search for addresses (for some countries only), enter coordinates, or simply use the mouse to browse to a location. Google Earth also has digital terrain model data collected by NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. This means one can view the Grand Canyon or Mount Everest in three dimensions, instead of 2D like other map programs/sites. In addition, Google has provided a layer allowing one to see 3D buildings for many major cities in the US and Japan. Many people using the applications are adding their own data and making them available through various sources such as the BBS or blogs mentioned in the link section below. (Wikipedia) Where can you find resources?

• Google Earth User Guide
• Google Earth Gallery
• Google Earth Outreach
• Google Earth Blog
• Google Earth Hacks
• Google Earth Community
• Best of List

Examples

• Astronomy

Exploding Star Animation

exploding_star_n.kmz

Space Telescope Science Institute What is a light echo? See one in action as a star called V838 Mon explodes. These Hubble Space Telescope images show the light from the star reflecting off the dusty material nearby in various stages, showing an animation of the explosion. You will need to switch to Sky in Google Earth 4.2 to view t...

• Crab Nebula Animation

crab_nebula_n.kmz

Joey P. Wade Located over 6000 light years from our planet, the Crab Nebula is the result of a supernova explosion first witnessed in 1054 AD. In this animation, created by Joey P. Wade, slides from a YouTube video have been overlaid and animated inside Google Sky. To view, press the play button next to the time...

Biology

• AntWeb

antweb.kmz

AntWeb Question. How many internet search engines have an ant name after them? At least one. AntWeb, based at The California Academy of Sciences has put together a KML file giving an overview of different ant species around the globe with each placemark showing a photo and link to further information. Appr...

Geology

• Ecological Research on the Ancient Bristlecone Pines

bristlecone_pine_research_n.kmz

Abstract Since the days of Charles Darwin, biologists have struggled with ways to represent our planet's incredible biological diversity on maps that convey both meaningful information and a realistic sense of scale. In recent years, this challenge has morphed into a search for mapping platforms that are available to help educate the general public, are easily accessible to both novice and established scientists, and are powerful enough to track and display biological data. Our research focuses on the population ecology of ancient bristlecone pine trees in California's White Mountain range, and we have found that Google Earth is an important tool for both expediting the everyday process of fieldwork and for educating the public about our projects. Google Earth has made it much easier for our team to share spatial data, to quickly view this data overlaid on aerial imagery, and has helped us discover key ecological patterns in the bristlecone pine forests.

• Appalachian Mountaintop Removal

NationalMemorialMtns.kmz

Abstract Mountaintop removal coal mining is changing the American landscape on a scale that is hard to comprehend unless you see it from the air. Anyone who has ever flown in a small aircraft over southern West Virginia or eastern Kentucky will never forget the experience of seeing the massive scale of destruction - mountain after mountain blown up and dumped into valleys as far as the eye can see. Mountaintop removal affects more than mountains and streams, however; it is threatening to displace and destroy a distinctly American culture that has persisted in the Appalachian Mountains for generations. Appalachian people working to save their communities have long dreamed of ways to fly reporters, decision-makers, and thousands of other Americans over the Appalachian coalfields to see this destruction first hand - and then to visit their communities to hear stories of people who endure the consequences of what some have called "cheap energy."

• Rising Sea Level Animation

changing_sea_level_n.kmz

Zoltán Büki This file animates one scary potential effect of climate change -- rising sea levels. Will your house be underwater? Will the desert become an ocean? Use the time slider to see which locations will be submerged as the planet's oceans rise. Note: it's important to turn on the terrain in the "Layers" ...

• Volcanoes of the World

gvp_world.kmz

Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program data for known or inferred Holocene volcanoes are now available as a Google Earth layer, displaying a photo (when available), geographic data, and links to more detailed information from the GVP and international volcano observatories or other websites focusing on regional volcanoes.

History

• Early PA Migration

“EarlyPAMigration.kmz”

This is a living project. The intent is to enable genealogy researchers to see/visit PA as it existed from about 1750 through 1850. In addition, I attempt to provide additional links to related research. Blog: http://apoetsblues.typepad.com/studentsofdescent/

• Henry Box Brown

Henry Box Brown.kmz A tour of his journey.

Literature

• Mapping the Bible

Bible.kmz Contains all the identifiable locations mentioned in the Bible.

• Odysseus's Journey home : Homer's Odyssey

odysseus.kmz

Many peoples attempt to identify geographic places mentioned in the Odyssey. We have chosen the traditional orthodox theory but there are many others. the 13 annoted placemarks are numbered in the order of the journey.

Other

• Paris Landmarks

“Paris Landmarks.kmz” Find out here some of the greatest Places from Paris. Monuments and other Places to visit.

• Video

“Columbia_York_Tour.wmv”

Hands on:

Tutorial

Campus Map 1938 Campus Map 1955 Sample Images

Adding Content to Google Earth:

• Adding a Placemark
• Adding a Polygon
• Adding a Path
• Adding an Image Overlay
• Using the Ruler Tool
• Saving and Sharing your file

My Hike Example

Media:My_Hike.kmz‎

My Hike Movie

Extending Google Earth:

GIS & Google Earth: http://arc2earth.com/ 3D Modeling: http://www.sketchup.com/ 3D Warehouse: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/

Break (2:45 PM – 3:00 PM)

Refreshments will be available outside of the Microroom.

3:00 PM – 4:15 PM: HANDS-ON TIME

Fellows will have the choice of developing a layer for Google Earth or working with XML to create a document.

Readings for Monday

Read Gee, Situated Language and Learning Chapter 5 on Blackboard and From Age of Empires to Zork: Using Games in the Classroom on Academic Commons[1].