Classical Conferences and Meetings in 2014
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This month, I have chosen the iPad/Android app Explain Everything. This app allows the user to create video screencasts and share them quite easily. In a nutshell, it’s a digital whiteboard that records what you say orally and what you write on the screen. However, it really is much more than that. It can take a PDF, PowerPoint file, Keynote file, or a document and allow you to write directly on that material and record your narration. If you make a mistake in your narration, it’s easy to fix and does not require deleting the entire video and starting over. During your recording, you can incorporate material from a website, images, or even other videos. Once you've created your recording, it's a cinch to export it your Dropbox, Google Drive, EverNote, Box, or even YouTube accounts. The exported video can be placed on a Moodle page, a wiki, an Edmodo site and many others. There is a bit of a learning curve with this app. Other, simpler apps out there will allow the user to screencast, but its ability to work from virtually all the types of files that I use and to allow for such versatile recordings, give Explain Everything an edge.
I have used Explain Everything in an effort to try to flip some of my lessons. I've created brief (less than 5 minutes) video introductions to some grammar concepts that my students watch for homework. These videos have also been really helpful for students who are absent from class. I have generated many PowerPoint presentations on grammar over the years. This summer, I'd like to take some of these presentations and turn them into videos using Explain Everything. Some of my students struggle as they encounter sentences of increasing complexity; this is a great app for modeling the types of strategies that I use as I translate. I can have the Latin text on the screen and record my thinking process as I translate. My students have told me that this technique is helpful.
Next school year, this app will be part of the core app bundle loaded on the students' iPads. I love the idea of asking students to create videos that explain everything. For example, color-coding a complex sentence, talking through the grammar,and sharing their translations with their classmates, is a great practice opportunity for students. I look forward to exploring other ways in which my students can use this app.
To get started, download the app for $2.99 from the app store. The developer's website offers some useful tutorials: http://www.morriscooke.com/?p=1045
Lynne West
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World Cup Greek Gaffe
Raetia
The Roman province of Raetia, conquered in 15 BCE to serve as a buffer for Italy from northern invasions, is recalled in the Rhaetian Railway. The photo captures two Rhaetian Railways ABe 4/4 III multiple units with a local train traveling from St. Moritz to Tirano just as they cross the Brusio spiral viaduct in Switzerland. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
What Latin teacher wouldn’t have been drawn to a book with such an intriguing title? Immediately upon purchasing Rebecca Rupp's How Carrots Won the Trojan War: Curious (but True) Stories of Common Vegetables, I checked out the carrot story and have subsequently enjoyed reading about other vegetables and their development through the ages. Classicists will enjoy Rupp's work not only for such classics-specific stories as those listed below but also for multiple references to such ancient writers as Herodotus, Apicius, and Pliny the Elder.
Classicists will delight in the following:
Asparagus: Sanskrit Sex; Beans: A Pythagorean Dilemma, A Roman Broccoli Binge; Cucumbers: The Emperor Tiberius's Moveable Garden, Sparta's Beastly Broth, Cleopatra's Beauty Secret; Lettuce: An Emperor's Astonishing Recovery; Onions: The Seedy Side of Pompeii; Turnips: A Roman Wrinkle Cure.
And what about those carrots and the Trojan War? Tradition holds that the Greek warriors while hiding in the wooden horse were quietly munching carrots, definitely the purple variety in those days, "to bind their bowels." Rupp notes that the carrot, phallic in shape, inspired the Greeks to concoct an aphrodisiac from carrots and that Caligula fed the Senate a feast of carrots in the hope that he would witness them "running amok sexually."
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Thaddeus Lisowski’s June 9 webinar on eyeVocab was met with great interest and enthusiasm—watch for a reprise in August! We are in the process of assembling our webinars for the new academic year. As soon as we have the lineup settled, we will announce its appearance via a B-C newsflash.
What Equipment Do I Need for B-C Webinars?
To participate in Bolchazy-Carducci Publisher sponsored webinars you will need high-speed internet access, computer speakers/headphones, current web browser with updated “Flash Player”*, and the link to the webinar virtual meeting space, which is provided in your webinar invitation.
Webinars Make for User-Friendly Professional Development
Participation is free. All webinars provide opportunity for participants to ask questions. Learn lots—attend as many presentations as you can. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers provides documentation for your participation. You can share this with your supervisors. Many webinar presenters provide handouts, etc.
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The Pompeiiana Newsletter created and edited by Bernard Barcio ran from 1974 through 2003. The newsletter offered a place for Latin students to publish comics, stories, games, and articles, and was a beloved resource for Latin teachers. In 2008, Barcio granted Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers the rights for all of the Pompeiiana Newsletter. B-C is proud to serve as curator for this archive and has made the issues available for teachers, students, and friends of the classics. Check out http://pompeiiana.blogspot.com/
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Preview Bolchazy-Carducci Titles
Preview Bolchazy-Carducci titles before you purchase using Google Preview.
Downloadable Products
iPodius - Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers online shop for: audio, software, video, and a treasure trove of teacher-created materials in the Agora.
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Become a FAN of Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, visit our Facebook Fan page for the latest news from BCP.
BCP Blog
Visit the BCPublishers Blog for BCP news and information.
*AP is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product.
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The eTextbook trend is progressing and Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is adding more eTextbook providers to offer a variety of eBook platforms for users. Currently Bolchazy-Carducci textbooks are available through GooglePlay, MBSDirect Digital, and Chegg. Each eBook platform offers a variety of tools to enhance the learning process. eBooks have the same content as our traditional books in print.
For direct links to purchase Bolchazy-Carducci eTextbooks, visit the title's product page. Just above the product description there is a list of the eTextbook providers and a direct link to purchase the eTextbook.
How do I purchase a B-C eBook?
Simple! When you are browsing through www.Bolchazy.com, any time you see GooglePlay or DirectDigital link, click on the link, and you will automatically be directed to a webpage where you can purchase the eBook.
Can I purchase direct from the distributor?
Yes! If you prefer, you can link directly to our eBook providers’ websites and search by title, by author, or by Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers to locate the title you would like to purchase. The GooglePlay ebooks store offers a preview of the book, including the table of contents and select pages.
What hardware is required?
You can read eBooks on a Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, Android, or a variety of eReaders.
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Welcome summer! Such sweet words for teachers who relish the opportunity to recoup, refresh, and recharge. Our best wishes for a continued restful and productive summer.
It was my pleasure to celebrate the summer solstice in Rouen, France where the city exploded with the "Night of Music" as did the rest of the country. I was leading a tour that included Roman sites along the Rhine and Normandy, D-Day sites, Flanders Fields, and then Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent, and Brussels.
You'll find this issue full of well-wishing as we salute Eta Sigma Phi celebrating its centennial, we celebrate Ken Kitchell's retirement as well as American Classical League stalwarts Geri and Jack Dutra, and we look forward to Sherwin Little's new responsibilities with the American Classical League. Ad multos annos! aptly serves all three!
I must also express meae culpae for two errors in the May issue. Alack! The very first line should have read "congratulates" instead of "congratulations"! How many of you caught that one? In addition, I directed your attention to our new eBook options but offered you information only on our longtime providers GooglePlay and Direct Digital. Ugh! So sorry about that. The new options are featured in this issue's "Resources and Teaching Tips."
One of the most popular features of eLitterae are our "Classical Tidbits." Please share those you come across with your fellow and sister subscribers. Zap 'em my way at don@bolchazy.com.
Again, best wishes for a wonderful summer whether it finds you taking a breather, teaching away in summer school, or taking classes.
Don Sprague
Editor
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I have enjoyed my time talking with you about teaching and learning. Whenever I do professional development workshops, teachers who are feeling overloaded have similar reactions to trying new things. I thought for my last column* I would present some of these and give a response. Every teacher, myself included, has had these thoughts about one professional development or another, but my plea is for you to listen to new ideas and try some of the new ideas. Of course these are generalizations, so if you don't see yourself, you will probably see someone you know.
My Students Won't Learn from This
Teachers tend to believe that the way they were taught is the best way to teach. That makes it easier to dismiss a new idea or approach. This stance used to come up a lot when discussing integrating technology. I argued in response that telling our students they can't use tools in school that they will be using in their careers did not make educational sense. Now I hear similar statements used against cell phones and social media in the classroom, but my argument still stands. Your students will be leaving you to go into 21st century jobs, and these technologies, as well as ones we can't even conceive of, will be their tools.
I also hear this brought up when we discuss active Latin. We generally were not taught to consider using Latin to do anything. When I started asking my students to use more active Latin, such as writing original ideas in Latin, not just translating other people's sentences, it challenged me to consider things from my students' viewpoint. Students today don't just want to sit and contemplate a Latin text. Students want to take what they are learning and use it for their own purpose. When you challenge your students with an activity that lets them explore what they can do with their knowledge of Latin, they learn and understand in a deeper way.
I've Taught for X Number of Years and
I Know What to Do
The best teachers with whom I worked throughout my career were always those reflecting on their practices and regularly making adjustments, both small and large, to improve student learning. They used data in a rational way to see if their students were meeting the standards. They also knew their students well and were able to use observations and conversations to find out their students' perceptions.
Be open to trying new strategies. Including a variety of approaches and different ways for your students to show what they know and what they can do may help more of your students succeed. After all, isn't that the goal—helping every student succeed?
I Can't Possibly Fit One More Thing into My Curriculum
It can be hard to jettison a favorite project that you have had your students do for many years, one for which you have carefully articulated guidelines, and rubrics, and samples. But it is a culture project all in English, and your department chair is pushing you to find a way to connect your culture project to the Latin. This is the perfect opportunity to revise that project, so you do not need to add anything to your curriculum, instead you need to reshape what currently works for you into to something that can meet an additional need.
When I started focusing on developing my students' reading proficiency, I didn't really add anything to what I was doing. Instead, I took activities, assignments, and assessments that I already used and kept the same Latin texts but revised the task and the questions to focus on proficiency. I made a shift in my philosophy and expectations for student learning but kept the content I liked.
I feel confident in saying that most teachers can prune their curriculum a bit, and still have their students reach their goals..
This is Just another Gimmick—It Will Go Away If
I Just Ignore It
This sadly is actually the most valid point. Someone influential in your district went to a workshop and has now invested lots of money into this 'next great thing.' You have to listen to a consultant tell you this will revolutionize your teaching and every student will learn. Alarm bells are going off in your head but you still need to humor some administrator. You should feel skeptical when it feels like you are part of an infomercial—Try this program! Watch this video! Here's a CD to develop lesson plans! Here are some new assessments!—all of which have dollar signs attached to it. I believe in paying consultants for their time, expertise, and intellectual property, but sometimes it feels like a racket. However, in the midst of the all this clutter you can find a few gems that you can successfully include in your teaching philosophy.
I feel more empowered about professional growth when I am at a conference and I can listen to a teacher's experiences and ideas, and I can decide how best to adapt it to my fit my teaching and my students' needs. If you try something new that you don't believe in, your students can tell.
We Can't Do That with Latin
The simple answer is "Yes! We can!" Kids can write and speak in Latin. Kids can read all sorts of Latin from ancient texts to contemporary writing. The harder question is should I do that with Latin? You have to examine your teaching philosophy and decide if what you are pondering fits in with your plan. Sometimes you are not given a choice by administrators, and you have to make it work. Find a way to adapt the strategy in question. You will be amazed by what your students can do!
Good teachers are always filled to the brim with great ideas and things they want to try. The comments I shared as examples arise from the best teachers who are frustrated with being handed one more thing to do. Each comment has some grounding in reality, and I have myself said each one, except the last one. My plea is to keep an open mind—try out different techniques to see what resonates with you and your students. Keeping your students in mind will help you make learning Latin matter to them in their lives.
I continue to welcome your comments. My email is still slittle6@cinci.rr.com, or you can find me at the ACL Office.
*The Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers family has enjoyed their longtime relationship with Sherwin Little and has especially appreciated his monthly contribution, Little’s Bits, to eLitterae. A nationally recognized representative of the classics, Little will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to his new position as the Administrative Secretary (i.e., the person who ensures all the good work of the ACL office gets done) of the American Classical League. All of us at B-C wish him well on his new responsibilities. Ad multos annos!
To learn more about the latest at ACL, check out the June ACL Newsletter. Not a member? It’s time to remedy that! |
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Eta Sigma Phi Centennial Convention
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Editorial assistant Laurel Draper represented Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers at Eta Sigma Phi's centennial convention held in Evanston, Illinois from April 11 to April 13. Eta Sigma Phi, an honorary collegiate society for students of Latin and/or Greek, was founded at the University of Chicago and later united with a similar organization at Northwestern University. While most of the convention's events were held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Evanston, attendees also visited the University of Chicago, the Oriental Institute, and Northwestern University.
The book exhibit was open all day Saturday, April 12. Bolchazy-Carducci was honored to be invited in recognition of B-C's support of the organization. The exhibit was set up in the back of the conference room where the day's lectures and events were held. The B-C Latin Readers and the children’s books were very popular with participants.
Representatives of various college chapters reported on their activities over the past year. Four students presented papers in competition for a scholarship. To conclude the morning session, two alumni spoke about their career paths and the value of a classics education. During an extended lunch break attendees visited Evanston and Northwestern University. In the afternoon the society conducted its business, including nominating candidates for various offices.
Following the evening banquet, Brent Froberg (Baylor University) and Tom Sienkewicz (Monmouth College) received lifetime achievement awards. Tom's wife Anne and their children and granddaughter also attended. To conclude the evening, David Wray (University of Chicago) presented a lecture based on his chapter for the forthcoming Cambridge Companion to Seneca.
Ad multos annos!
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers and Eta Sigma Phi not only share mutual admiration but they also both feature a bubo, “owl,” in their logos.
For more on
Eta Sigma Phi's centennial, check out the special edition of their newsletter The Nuntius. |
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49th International Congress on Medieval Studies
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An annual harbinger of summer is the International Congress on Medieval Studies hosted by Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Editorial assistant Laurel Draper, senior graphic designer Adam Velez, and his wife Christine Vail represented Bolchazy-Carducci at this year’s conference held May 8–11.
Editorial assistant Laurel Draper and Christine Vail put the finishing touches on the B-C booth at the Medieval Congress. Photo by Adam Velez.
The LNM College Exercise Book, which features answers for many of the exercises in the back of the book, was very attractive to people who were interested in studying Latin on their own. Ecclesiastical, Medieval, and Neo-Latin Sentences, a supplement to Wheelock’ Latin, proved extremely popular. Many attendees said that this book is exactly what they need to help them transition from elementary Latin to reading medieval Latin sources. Thanks to an advertisement in the program, all copies brought to the conference were readily sold. B-C’s children's books, part of the company's commitment to responsible popularization of the classics, attracted much attention as did the new Ten Fairy Tales in Latin. Michael Twomey, a medievalist at Ithaca College, and husband of Paula Twomey, author of Ten Fairy Tales in Latin, visited the booth.
Paula Twomey and her editor Laurel Draper review proofs for Ten Fairy Tales in Latin in the B-C library/conference room. Paula and Michael Twomey visited Mundelein in January of this year.
For local conferences, B-C has been bringing along books from founder Lou Bolchazy’s personal library. Laurel Draper selected three boxes of books for the Congress. All except one in Italian and two in Slovak were eagerly snatched up. One particularly satisfied attendee who picked up a book about Aristotle’s views on tragedy mentioned that he had been looking for a book on the subject and could hardly believe that it was being given away.
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Association of Ancient Historians / Classical Association of Canada
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McGill University in Montreal hosted the combined meeting of the Association of Ancient Historians, whose membership is drawn from both the United States and Canada, and the Classical Association of Canada. Joint meetings of the two organizations regularly draw a larger attendance and the May 6–11 gathering was no exception. The CAC program comprised 11 sessions, 39 panels, and some 142 presenters while the AAH featured 8 sessions and 31 speakers.
Bolchazy-Carducci's Don Sprague joined two other publishers and a distributor in the main corridor of McGill's ARTS Building. The book exhibits were strategically located by the registration desk and the refreshments. Participants expressed their appreciation for B-C making the journey to the belle province and for the company's ongoing support of the classics profession. Several Canadian universities use Latin for the New Millennium for students new to Latin. Others praised the BC Readers as ideal texts for the transition from beginning Latin to authors courses.
A highlight of the joint meeting was Thursday's keynote lecture and opening reception. Martin Jehne, from the Technische Universität Dresden, gave an engaging address entitled "Did Caesar Destroy the Republic? Once again, the Great Man in History." The university provided significant support for the meeting including the attentive services of Dr. Kathleen Holden, communications officer for the faculty of arts. The book exhibitors were all impressed with Dr. Holden's kindness and ready assistance and appreciated the solicitous concern and regular "how are things going?" of Professor Michael Fronde.
Engineering students do a surveying project Saturday morning along the vast green expanse that runs from the Arts Building to Sherbrooke Street.
The BC Latin Readers and the newest title An Ovid Reader: Selections from Seven Works by Carole E. Newlands attracted browers.
The center block of the neoclassical Arts Building, the oldest building on campus, dating from 1843, housed the joint meeting.
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Resources & Teaching Tips
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√ CANE Emporium Reminder
Our colleagues in the Classical Association of New England take pride in finding various resources for the Latin classroom. At the annual CANE meeting this year, they were offering a beautiful set of seven posters that illustrate various aspects of the Caesar's Gallic campaigns—the entrenchments at Alesia, military formations, military garb, etc. For specifics, see CANE's pages on Etsy.
CANE has also published a beautiful full color calendar for the 2014–2015 school year. Each month has its own color image. Bolchazy-Carducci will be selling these calendars at NJCL for just $13.
√ ebooks
Bolchazy-Carducci is committed to providing digital options for you and your students. As the following overview shows, we are significantly expanding options and the number of eBook providers. The summer is a great time to plan some time to check out the various options as you consider eBooks for your classes or your administration encourages you to do so.
Visit our website to view updated eBook information.
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Myth Is Truth: A Radio Series
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Jesus Christ and the Composite Superhero
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers takes great pleasure in providing this fifth installment as a free download for classicists and students of mythology across the globe. Myth Is Truth, a series of interviews with Dr. Nancy Boyle as host and Dr. Lou Bolchazy as comparative mythology scholar, was broadcast by WLUC, Loyola University Chicago, in 1977, and by WRRG, Triton College, in 1978.In this audio program from the Bolchazy-Carducci archives, Dr. Bolchazy reflects upon religious and mythological similarities between mythic heroes and Jesus Christ. In particular, we explore the similar motifs of virgin birth and a divine parent. In a surprising turn of events, we find that Moses has much in common with the Greek hero Perseus. Join Dr. Bolchazy as he compares and contrasts various mythic heroes of both ancient and Judeo-Christian religion.
A metope from the frieze of Temple C in the Greek city of Selinus (today’s Selinunte), Sicily depicts Perseus slaying the Medusa as Athena watches. Temple C is one of a succession of temples built in the late sixth century BCE. The temple and the metope's relief demonstrate the characteristic features of archaic Greek sculpture—the "archaic grin," bulging eyes, and the pose that combines both a frontal and a side perspective. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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Special Discount for eLitterae Subscribers
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G. B. Cobbold provides a clear, striking translation of Cicero's letter of advice written ostensibly for his son but intended for a wider circulation. Cicero's ethical considerations remain as valid today as they were in the first century BCE. He addresses the quintessential question of what constitutes living the “good life.” Indeed, Cicero proclaims that kindness and thinking of others are key.
The Right Thing to Do: Cicero's De Officiis is an ideal summer read! Why not have your reading group schedule it for discussion. It also makes for a great gift for graduates or your contemplative friends.
by G. B. Cobbold
xxvi + 289 pp. Paperback ISBN 978-0-86516-824-4
$15.00 33% discount $10.00
(This offer is valid for one copy, prepaid, no returns, special price is
not available to distributors. This offer expires 07/31/14)
Make sure to mention that you are an eLitterae subscriber if you place your order by phone or fax. If you place your order via www.BOLCHAZY.com, enter coupon code eLit0614 on the payment page. The special eLitterae offer pricing will be charged at checkout. |
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