Online Course Planning Export

Welcome, Linda and Florence! How exciting to see an actual Courses PLANNING AREA on SeniorNet.org, what a wonderful omen for the future!

This is quite exhilarating.

Jane and Pat here are the very best in setting up the technical ends of the classrooms we use at present, in helping people get used to the message boards we now use for classes, and to help them in any way with anything that impedes what they want to do online. They do php pages, graphics, organizing, editing, you name it they can do it. They also, as they have said, do the Registration and the Orientation for new students in the Classics Project, and a lot of work also in the Books & Literature sections of SeniorNet: they are indispensable.

Ok we're supposed to tell something about ourselves? I retired from teaching Latin at Furman University in 1981, where I now teach two classes in Introductory Latin in Furman's FULIR Program: Furman University Learning in Retirement. We began the Books and Literature sections on SeniorNet in 1996 and the Classics Project in 2004, and both those areas are still viable, because of volunteer collaboration: there are 28 volunteers in the Books and 15 in the Classics to date.

So Florence is right, it IS a Team, and Marcie is the very best at what she does, I wanted to add "Schwarz is super" to that bio she put up hahahaa, and I think this group, when we add Nedra, will be a fabulous start. (Nedra is under the weather at the moment unfortunately) but you will see she is a VERY bright light when she gets here, and this new initiative will burn the screens off the monitors. I am quite excited about this, it seems almost a dream come true!

So yeah, Welcome!

Hi All,

Yes, I am "under the weather" - But am on the road to recovery from a dreadful bout with pneumonia - thanks to antibiotics and bed rest. I am so sad I was unable to join all in DC this weekend.

As a little introduction: in 1980 I was the curator of a children's science museum and in the process of doing research for an exhibit on the brain I became so fascinated with neuroscience and neuroscientists that I retired from the museum business and embarked on a program to become a neuroscientist. Thus have spent the last 25 years studying and teaching about the brain at U Penn - currently teaching 4 courses: Cellular Neuroscience, Biological Basis of Psychiatric Disorders (Fall semester), Clinical Psychopharmacology, and Molecular Basis of Neurodegenerative Disorders (spring semester).

I teach by inquiry and discussion rather than lecture and test and think this method could be adapted to the internet.

I know it won't be long before the younger faculty gives me the nudge so I am looking forward to exploring ways to continue sharing my excitement about the brain with others. I was so excited when I found Sr Net and am just blown away by Ginny's splendid Latin 101 course.

I am so pleased to be included in this discussion of new courses for Senior Net. The way Jane and Ginny work together to provide a seamless online experience has been an eye-opener for me and I know that each of you will have creative and innovative ideas for this expansive pedagogical style.

I look forward to further discussions and getting to know each of you as we join the trailblazers (Ginny, Marcia, Jane and Pat) in their quest to provide stimulating and challenging learning experiences for seniors.

Best, Nedra

When will they begin?I am raring to go.LINDA

Hello everyone ! I am only checking if everybody is still here. What will be the next step ? I apologize if I am waiting here while everybody is working somewhere else ! I am ready and eager to begin.

Hello,

I apologize for starting this planning discussion and not getting back in here.

Thank you for being willing to offer online courses for SeniorNet.

Would those of you who are considering teaching a course for us, please provide a short description of some ideas you have for course topics?

Our current online course offerings in Latin and Greek are described in links at the bottom of our Classics page at http://www.seniornet.org/php/default.php?PageID=8015.

Thanks Marcie for the link.I understood that there is a virtual classroom (I saw the entries in the discussion) but I did not find this classroom. My question is : are students and teachers able to interact together in real time ? For example, in French, would I have the possibility to speak with the students ?

This is what I would love to do :

IDEA nº1 name of the course = FRENCHZINE / audience = false beginners / supports (material) = French editions of popular magazines like Cosmopolitan. The magazines will be choose accordingly to the audience + 1 grammar book (with the verbs) + 1 dictionary (better if with audio) / All exercises will be "homemade" and tailored to the needs of the audience. The idea is to avoid the boredom of a typical textbook speaking about first day of school and so long to people of 50 or more. A magazine give us real life and also an input to know more about the culture and the literature. Even in a sport magazine, there is a lot of cultural and historical references. The same of course in advertising. And we will change "textbook" every month ! Less expensive, more fun. The magazine serves as an illustration of the target language. Songs can be added.

IDEA nº2 : TRAVELFRENCH audience = beginners or false beginners / for people going to a French speaking country / support : dictionary + grammar book (verbs) all can be done on line, no textbook / Real life situations : interactions with peers in the virtual classroom

IDEA nº3 AH, LES FRANÇAIS ! / audience = advanced French / supports = "Le Guide du routard" (a French travel guide) of New York (or and another state) / "60 millions Frenchmen can't be wrong" / "Au contraire" (in English) / "One year in the merde" / Analysis of French stereotypes about Americans and English

Hello, Florence. Those descriptions sound wonderful! Our current Latin and Greek courses are conducted in asynchronous discussions, partly because we have students in all different time zones in the U.S. and other countries. We do have live chat capability but we have not used it for our online courses. We have made some vocabulary sound files available for the Latin course.

I'm wondering how we could overcome the time zone issue.

We can choose a specific time as a general reference (for example West Coast). The meetings will be at this West Coast hour. And if we offer 2 classes per week, at a different time, every body will be able to attend. Some ones will attend in the morning while other will attend in the afternoon. But we will meet all together at the same time of reference. I like the idea of audio files for vocabulary list. This is a great tool that users can download for self paced learning. They can also record themselves and send to the instructor an audio file for a personalized assessment.

Florence, are you thinking that "live meetings" would occur once a week for each course?

Our Latin courses currently "meet" (in a discussion--not live chat) and through assignments 5 days a week.

Yes, this is exactly what I was thinking. As French is a "live"language, in my opinion, it is mandatory that people can speak with me and interact with peers in a live speaking chat. Students feel very happy when they noticed that they are able to understand me when I am speaking French and also when they can answer some basic questions in French. Be able to do so, even in a little scale, has a very good impact on their self-esteem and increases immensely their motivation for French, but also for other things. And this is also why these classes are for isn't it ?

Thanks, Florence. It will be interesting to try a live "audio" format. We have not done that before on SeniorNet. What technology have you used to do that?

I am currently teaching French with Horizon Wimba and it is working well. We can speak, chat(writing) and use a common virtual eboard ! http://www.horizonwimba.com/ On this page you can see a demo. There are lots of possibilities. Looking just now on this website I saw that we can mix Wimba with IPod (podcasting). We have so many great learning tools now, I am not at all an expert but I am sure that we can use these possibilities to improve the teaching/learning process, especially at a distance. What do you think ?

Thanks for that resource, Florence. I'll check it out more thoroughly in a little while.

Let's all of us here put together a list of possible technologies we might use (preferably at no/little cost), with pros and cons and then, together with our webmaster, we can make a decision.

One "con" -- in the demo, the speech was so fast that it was difficult to understand for someone hearing impaired. If I could have see the speaker face, it might have helped. The Internet has been a wonderful tool for learning, since I didn't have to be able to hear. But studying a language, I would expect one should be able to hear the pronunciations.

We do deal with the most part with older students, probably not all as old as I am, but there are several in our classes that are older.

Thanks, Pat. That's a good point. As we get more involved in planning in an organized, we'll make a list of any points made re strengths and weaknesses of any technology and possible workarounds.

I am glad to see so much planning here, I can speak for the Classics Project what a satisfying joy it is to work collaboratively on something like this. There's really Nothing Like it in the World as the book title goes.

We have a lot of needs also. Audio is a really big one, and something we have struggled with constantly. The WAV and MP3 files are just gigantic, and you really canNOT do more than a simple sentence, the result is just too big to load. We've had to provide, as Pat notes, also, since Latin is not a modern conversational language, phonetic spellings.

We don't meet at a particular hour, but 24 hours a day 5 days a week, yet I see students trying to time themselves as best they can, where they are in the world, to try to be there and participate when the other students are. If they can't there is always something for them to do in the classroom, too. Our Brits and Irish students tend to come in quite early, but get hooked and stay all day. Our Australians and New Zealanders do the same but start at a different time.

I also see some possiblity for interdepartmental work, if somebody is going to teach HTML, we could use some work on charts, and tables especially.

I am excited to see what all can be done in the audio department, we have labored long with the technology we have available, and to learn how others are doing things online: it can only strengthen an already very strong program.

(Florence, I personally think the idea of a magazine is very exciting! You may have to provide a source where they can be bought, not everybody lives where they can be obtained in the States. [They aren't available here, maybe the odd Paris Match but nothing more]. Subscriptions to French magazines can be bought on Amazon, but we also have several French Candaians on SeniorNet who, I bet, can get hold of individual issues, or a local bookseller might be willing to order one. But speaking as one who always comes home with a magazine or newspaper from where I have been, I think the idea is BRILLIANT!) Brilliant! If I had 5 minutes to spare I would just love to take that course.

I am eager to hear more about the audio possibilities and any other ideas you all have.

Thanks Ginny for your enthusiasm ! Yes we will have to think about a provider for the French magazines. Sure that the local bookseller will be happy to help. And even if there is only Paris Match we can do a lot with that ! Specially because it is so "typical". About audio I have record long texts with AUDACITY http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ There is also PURE VOICE http://purevoice.softonic.com/comment.phtml?id_comment=85528&action=view Both free and easy to use.

I have built a French Audio Bank for my students with audio files that they can listen or download for free. Isn't great to go shopping or ice skating with the French verbs !!!! http://frenchaudiobank.wikispaces.com This is FREE and EASY. Any one can listen and through ODEO it is also possible for the students to record a comment ! and to post it for me. This is fantastic in a language course as finally students have the possibility to do audio homeworks, and for free. I like the idea of an "open room" for the class. This can be done in French too, and we can add some audio files through the French Audio Bank. I will go in the US (WOUAHHH!!!) on Sunday, in Philadelphia then in New York (I want to ice skate under the Xmas tree !!!). A pity that you are all West side ! In any case HAPPY HOLIDAYS and JOYEUX NOËL to all of you.

Florence, thank you so much for sharing the resources that you have created. That's interesting that students can both listen to and record sound files through the comments feature at the odeo.com web site.

BTW, that's a lovely photo of you and you have a very cheery office!

Next week we'll put together a few links to show you all an example of materials and "classroom" discussions from Ginny's Latin courses.

Happy holidays to everyone here!

WHOOP~! I agree, Marcie, just LOOK at all those resources, whooeee, thank you, Florence! We'll set our volunteers on them immediately, to see what we can do too!

Also don't miss Wollman Rink in Central Park for ice skating, I absolutely love it, do not miss it, it's just a short walk in and well marked where Central Park begins right across from The Plaza Hotel, it's safe to go there in the day time, everybody is there. Do get a photo of you skating to put up here, either at Rockefeller Center or Central Park!!!

We are not all on the West Coast here, Nedra is at the U of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pat and Jane are in the mid west, and Philadelphia is my home town but I now live in South Carolina and will not, this year, get up to NYC, unfortunately. I usually do, nothing like it at Christmas time.

Safe trip and a

to all of you!

How do you put a picture in your message ? This was a nice one ! When I was to NY (great, great great ice skating under the Xmas tree at the Rockefeller center) I spent plenty of time in Barnes and Nobles. I have seen that 3 cooking magazines are in French "Saveurs", "Gourmet" and "Bon appétit". A cooking French magazine will have success as a learning book ! I have also snapped a picture of a pastry called "Napoleon", a typical French pastry called in French "Mille feuilles". This can also be an interesting start for an advanced cultural course. I did not seen French revues in Barnes and Nobles but in some other location yes. So the easy way will be to have them shipped. Is it possible for learners and instructors to upload audio files and power point presentations in the course ?

Hello, Florence. Thank you for checking to see what suitable magazines might be available.

To post a photo, the photo has to reside on your home page or other web page. You use the following coding to post it in a discussion message or heading:

<IMG SRC="The full URL of your photo goes here">

You may upload audio files, PowerPoint presentations, etc.

I was able to upload a photo but not the good one. I have to resize it I think. Let me try again.

This makes me think that what about a place on senior.net webpage to post pictures ? Personal snapped picture (=without copyright) can be a useful tool and can be used as a support for discussion in a course. Free for the learners, easy and free for senior.net. Something like a photobank where everyone could upload pictures to be used by others instructors. For example, I am in Spain and it will be easy for me to snapp some specific pictures for a Spanish Course. Something like that is already done by 5 colleges (New England) but not free to use for everyone.

This is the same idea that the audio bank. Only more easy to be done.

Would that be possible ?

Yes, we are figuring how to provide photo upload capability to our members so that they can easily display photos.

For now, I am giving you all HOST access to this specific discussion. With that kind of access you will see an Attachment box when you fill out the message box to post a message in this discussion. You can upload a photo from your computer and it will appear as a link in your message after you post it.

With Host access you will see various new buttons in this discussion such as EDIT, DELETE and MOVE buttons next to every post. Just ignore the extra buttons.

See the link below.

Florence, what a great idea to check out Barnes & Noble!

I called my local B&N and asked if they had any magazines in the French language. They were not sure but did find Elle, which amazes me.

I asked them if perhaps I lived in an area that was remote (as if you could get any more remote than this) say in Montana, could the magazine be ordered from B&N at another location or could B&N itself provide me with one at that location and he said he was not sure, he thought so but the Newstand operated differently than the regular store, and you'd have to go on a case by case basis, but that seems good news, to me.

If our local B&N does have Elle (but not Paris Match) then, depending on where the students live, they might be able to get one from B&N itself or have it mailed from a store which has one, that's good news, along with the cookbooks, I thought.

There appear to be some online French magazines. This site has some bad links but some that are fine: http://www.coh.arizona.edu/french/uoa/magazine.html

Zut alors! haha Marcie can find anything. As the Romans would say inveniēmus viam aut faciēmus: we will find a way or we will make one: where there's a will there's a way, how do you say that in French?

Amazing, and the Paris Match also has an email Newsletter.

Thank you Marcie for this link. I have added it to my bookmarks. Yes it is a good (because easy and free !) solution to look on an on line magazine. Thanks also for the utilities added in my access. Just to try, here you can see the Napoleon (Millefeuille in French) Ginny, yes, yes and yes "Quand on veut, on peut" in French !

mon dieu! Desserts...just the thing

Napoleons! Funny true story on Napoleons. One year in Paris we noticed quite a queue at the Monoprix (the one near the Opera) and so in going over we found a lot of people at the bakery area for some reason, and I spotted Napoleons so thought why ever not. And so asked for 3 (there were 3 of us).

She did not understand Napoleon so I had to point. AH she said, mille feuille and when I did not understand that she translated, "a thousand sheets." Unfortunately her pronunciation of the word sheet sounded exactly like the English word for "merde," and so to this day we all refer to the Napoleon as a "thousand....sXXXXs" hahahaaa

Er...maybe I do need to take the class. I do wish I had time, what a joyful idea it is!

hahah Posted by a student in the Classics Lounge:

One Secret to a Longer LifeKeep Learning

One Secret to a Longer Life: Keep Learning

The one social factor that has been consistently linked to longer life, regardless of country, is education. It is far more important a factor than even health insurance.

A few extra years of school is associated with extra years of life, as well as vastly improved health during old age.

Not only have studies consistently shown this connection, but there is no limit beyond which more years of school stop adding to a person's life span. There are several theories as to why this may be the case, including a better ability to plan for the future.

Other factors that seem to greatly affect health include tight social networks of friends and relatives, and income level.

New York Times January 3, 2007

The Ledger January 3, 2006

The Review of Economic Studies January 2005; 72(1): 189-221 Free Full-Text PDF

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

In this interesting New York Times article, three economists noted the correlation between education and health and gave some interesting advice: If you want to improve health, you will get more return by investing in education than by investing in medical care.

My guess is that this cannot be forced or compulsory education, and is more likely not related to the absolute knowledge gained as much as it is to the burning curiosity and desire to learn. I interpret this data to support the contention that becoming a lifelong student will not only make you a more interesting person, it will also allow you to live longer!

Other variables -- such as smoking, a vital network of friends, or powerful jobs with greater flexibility -- certainly count in the equation, but none are more important than education.

In fact, a Princeton University professor found a patient's life expectancy at age 35 could be lengthened by as much as 18 months, merely by going to school for one extra year, leading to more studies that have altered laws on compulsory education in various European countries.

Not only are more educated people better equipped to make life-saving health choices such as quitting smoking or modifying their diets, but an active mind will help ward off memory problems, neurological ailments, and other problems traditionally associated with old age.

On Vital Votes, reader Mary from Cabool, Missouri observes:

"Learning requires brain power, which requires good nutrition. Take up something you have been interested in for a long time, but have not had time to get into, it would definitely be interesting."

Other responses to this article can be viewed at Vital Votes, and you can add your own thoughts or vote on comments by first registering at Vital Votes.

Related Articles:

You Should Live to be at Least 100 -- Find Out How

Mind-Training Exercises Keep Your Brain Fit as You Age

Are There Limits to Longevity?

She writes:

So now we have something to look forward to - Conjugating until we are 101!

That's a very interesting article, Ginny. If we apply for grants to support our online education, I think it would be useful to make the connection to health which, in turn, is a benefit to the economy (healthier older people are an asset, not a burden, on the economy).

I would like to read the NY Times article from January 3. Could anyone send me this article (You have to pay to see the full article). I agree with this : education = longevity, and I would add something : you are not only living longer you are also becoming more beautiful !!! It is not a joke ! I strongly believe that vital interest, curiosity and enthusiasm are the best "anti-age" cream in the world. About audio, do you know this software : http://www.ventrilo.com/ it seems to be free and perfect to be used by Senior.net Language (or others) courses. It is quite new for me and I have to setup the whole thing. If you do the same you can try to connect together and see how it works !

It looks like the full NYT article is here: Florence.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/03/health/03aging.html?ex=1170481669&en=a015926e714650bb&ei=5102&partner=vault

I have to go to a meeting in a few minutes but I'll check out that audio software.

Just a line to say that I have got a campus interview and, as you can imagine, I have a lot to prepare ! I will fly in 2 days for New York. It is like my wishes when ice skating at the Rockfeller Center are coming true ! In March I will come back to our conversation, promised ! Did any one know an English Teacher in New York City ? I need to prepare my interview. I will pay for 2 hours. Thank you.

I wish you success in your interview, Florence. What school is it? I don't think I know anyone in New York who might help you prepare for your interview.

I hope that your interview was interesting, Florence. Let us know.

Hello everyone.

I have received some information about a digital humanities fellowship and want to share it with you. It might apply to some things that some of you want to do to create materials or resources for educational purposes using various technologies.

* A Q & A WITH RUSS WYLAND ABOUT DIGITAL HUMANITIES FELLOWSHIPS **

Are you working on a wonderful humanities project? Do you tag your cereal with metadata to help you find the most optimal breakfast each morning? Do you find yourself saying things like "that's so Web 1.0" ?

Does your avatar talk to your students more than you do? Yes? Then you might be a candidate for a Digital Humanities Fellowship! Deadline is May 1, 2007!!!

In all seriousness, I recently chatted with the NEH's own Russ Wyland to get the straight dope on our new DH Fellowships program.

BRETT: Russ, what are these DH Fellowships all about? How large are the awards?

RUSS: NEH has been making awards to individuals scholars since it opened for business in the late 1960s. And from the very beginning, our Fellowships program has been used by scholars to "buy" the one thing that they need most: time...time to read, time to write, time to explore, time that allows them to focus solely on their projects. Digital Humanities Fellowships are intended to function in that same way by supporting individual scholars working full time on projects that explore the relationship between technologies and the humanities; or produce digital projects such as electronic publications, digital archives, databases, advanced digital representations of extant data; or exploit existing digital analytical tools that further humanities research.

DH Fellowships are awarded to individuals (not institutions). Like our existing Fellowships program, the amount of the base stipend is calculated at $4,200 per month. DH Fellowships can be proposed for a period of 6 to 12 months, so the base stipend will range from $25,200 for a 6-month fellowship to $50,400 for a 12-month fellowship. We recognize that many of these projects will have specific, project-related costs which might require additional funding, so applicants have the option of requesting up to an additional $25,000 for items such as project-related equipment, software, and travel.

BRETT: How do they differ from regular NEH Fellowships?

RUSS: The big difference is the added allowance of $25,000 mentioned above. We hope that a DH Fellowship winners will be able to take their funded projects to new heights with this funding mechanism. The good news is that we have kept the same, simple application format: a 3-page narrative, a 2-page c.v., a 1-page bibliography, and 2 letters of recommendation.

I should mention that we run all of our Fellowships competitions concurrently. So, we'll be accepting applications at the May 1 deadline for DH Fellowships in addition to the regular Fellowships and the Faculty Research Awards programs. Applicants to all of these program are permitted to submit only one application, so applicants will have to choose the program to which they will apply.

BRETT: The NEH website mentions that many of the DH Fellows will work collaboratively with digital humanities centers. Tell me more about how that might work? If I apply for this grant, should I include a letter of support from a digital humanities center if I'll be working with them?

RUSS: It might be that a DH Fellowships project requires an award winner to go to a digital humanities center....if that's what it takes to make sure the project is done in the best way, then we're all for that. A DH Fellow might use the additional allowance for travel to a center and/or to cover living expenses while in residence at a digital humanities center. DH Fellowships are made to individuals and, as such, are the administrative responsibility of the awardees. An award winner can request money for specific, documentable expenses related to the project. So, payment for a desk, a computer, and other specific expenses incurred at a DH Center would be permitted. Could the award winner ask for money for an undefined payout to a Center? No.

If you think you're project will require the use of a digital humanities center, then a letter would be appropriate. You get two reference letters total, however, so you probably want to make sure that its more than a simple letter of commitment.

BRETT: Anything else I should know?

RUSS: Two things: 1) all Fellowships applications have to be submitted through Grants.gov this year...don't wait until the last minute to become familiar with the process. The NEH guideline instructions and FAQs are pretty good at guiding new users through Grants.gov. They can be found at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/DH_Fellowships.html. 2) I am happy to answer questions about DH Fellowships. I can be reached by email at RWyland@neh.gov and by telephone at 202-606-8200.

Wow, that certainly looks as if it applies to us and they're offering

to "buy" the one thing that they need most: time...time to read, time to write, time to explore, time that allows them to focus solely on their projects. Digital Humanities Fellowships are intended to function in that same way by supporting individual scholars working full time on projects that explore the relationship between technologies and the humanities; or produce digital projects such as electronic publications, digital archives, databases, advanced digital representations of extant data; or exploit existing digital analytical tools that further humanities research.

The irony of ironies of course is we're so busy we can barely understand what he's talking about.

We could really use digital representations of extant data, in the worst way. I just saw that done in Mobile and it was extraordinary. Who would do it?

May 1, of course it would be May 1.

What is a "digital humanities center?"

I think if I could understand what he was talking about surely we could apply.

Thank you for finding that, had given up on the grant idea as pie in the sky, none seemed to fit, is this a fund- in- kind type of grant? We have to match funds?

We could use our PowerPoints converted if that's what he's talking about, I am not sure what exciting things he seems to think we could do, I wonder if the vRoma site is an example of the recipient of one of their grants, I believe it is.

We could get our volunteers working on the various aspects if we only knew what he was talking about?

Ginny, the funding for this grant program would be to one person/scholar (not an institution). The person who is funded has have knowledge of the field of study (not just be the tech person).

We can brainstorm here what types of projects the funded person could undertake. (We can also look for other funding opportunities besides this one if it doesn't seem to apply well to the stage we are at). Perhaps this grant could fund one of you online instructors or fund one of our intermediate/advanced students who is doing a Classical language project.

I have excerpted the following from http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/DH_Fellowships.html

NEH Digital Humanities Fellowships are intended to support individuals pursuing advanced research or other projects in the humanities that explore the relationship between technologies and the humanities; or produce digital products such as electronic publications, digital archives, or databases, advanced digital representations of extant data using graphical displays such as geographic information systems (GIS) or other digital media, or digital analytical tools that further humanistic research.

Fellowships support FULL TIME work on a humanities projects for a period of six to twelve months. Applicants may be faculty or staff members of colleges, universities, or they may be independent scholars or writers.

The award period must be continuous, and award recipients must in most cases work full time on their projects.

Digital Humanities Fellowships do not require cost-sharing or matching.

Applications must be submitted between March 1 and the May 1, 2007 deadline.

The narrative should convey the ideas, objectives, and methods of the project. It should also communicate the project's substance and potential contribution to the humanities. A simple statement of need or intent is insufficient. Because some evaluators will not possess specialized knowledge of the proposed field of study, the description should be free of jargon.

While your application narrative should discuss the relationship between your subject matter and the technology you hope to employ, it should not make the technology the centerpiece at the expense of the humanities content.

There is no formula for writing a successful narrative. However, past applicants have typically addressed the following questions:

What are the basic ideas, problems, or questions examined by the study?

Explain the planned approach or line of thought. If the area is a new area of research, explain the reasons for working in it.

For what part or stage of your project are you seeking support?

Provide an overview of the project and describe what part of the study you will undertake during the award period.

What will be accomplished during the award period? Supply a brief work plan.

How will the project complement, challenge, or expand relevant studies in the field?

Explain what makes the study distinctive.

What contribution will the project make to the humanities?

What is your competence in the languages needed for the study?

Where will you conduct the study and what materials will you use?

Do you have access to archives, collections, or institutions with the necessary resources?

Who is the intended audience for the results of the study?

What are the intended results of the project? Indicate plans for articles, conference papers, books, etc.

How is your inquiry improved, enhanced, and/or made possible through the use of digital technologies?

Successful fellowships applicants have typically written their proposals as narrative essays and not as a set of answers to these questions. These questions should be regarded only as prompts to constructing a narrative.