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Issue 26: May 1, 2001 | « previous issue | next issue »

Guest Contributor: Alexey Fantalov of Saint Petersburg, Russia

Contents:

A Fond Farewell
Nancy Franklin, Director of Distance Education and Faculty Development

As many of you know, I am leaving ISU in a few days for a position with Virginia Tech. In departing, I wanted to thank each of you for your support and interest in expanding the possibilities of teaching and learning through the application of educational technologies and congratulate you on your considerable accomplishments in that realm.

I am especially proud that we, together, have provided access to education for a segment of students who are unable to come to a university campus to obtain a degree. But the greater achievement has been an increase in the flexibility in which we serve students, both through our academic offerings and our student services. This flexibility will stand ISU in good stead as the world of higher education evolves into one much more competitive and student-centered that our traditional models have been.

Change is increasingly a part of our lives, and it is accelerating at a breathtaking rate. Embedded in change, there is always opportunity. The trick is to find the opportunity, and ideally, anticipate it. As Benjamin Franklin said, "When you're finished changing, you're finished." So I wish for you change and opportunity.

There are many exceptional people here to help you travel new paths and seize new opportunities, several of which are already on the horizon. I will miss not being with you on those journeys but wish you every success on the way. Thank you for the chance to be with you these past five years and be a part of your discoveries and successes.

Nancy


Meet Alexey Fantalov: Teacher and Artist

Editor's Note: For several months, Alexey and I have been exchanging emails regarding his new web site, dedicated to the study of mythology through the use of art and science. Struck by Alexey's enthusiasm for mythology, his talent as an artist, and his desire to collaborate with other faculty, I asked him to write this short article.

My name is Alexey Fantalov. I live in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Currently I teach at the Herzen State Pedagogical University in the Department of Aesthetic Education. My courses include the Principles of Art and the Principles of Aesthetic Education. However, my main interests are art and mythology.

In my research, I analyze the heathenish pantheons of the Northern and Eastern European people. I also study the problems of mythical heritage reflection in the Middle Ages and Modern cultures. Currently, my book "Mythology of the Northern European People" is at the printer's.

I have created a unique course dedicated to this theme. My course - Iconography of the Indo-European Mythologies - can be seen as an integral part of an education in multicultural society. Better knowledge of traditions inures respect and interest for different people. Mythology is great for uniting people; legends display a wonderful resemblance. One can suppose, like Jung, that mythological characters and plots personify some transcendent reality. At my university, my course is taught along with courses such as the Principles of Art, the Principles of Aesthetic Education, Aesthetics, Civilization and History, Aesthetic Culture History, and Ethno-Pedagogiks.

Of course, many scientists study the problems of the Indo-European pantheon reconstruction. This popularity is due to the importance of Indo-European culture sources (especially Scandinavian, Celt, Slav, Balt, Thracian, and Indian) for contemporary political and cultural processes. However, as a rule, most investigations consider the separate culture worlds in general area of these peoples. In addition, specialists in texts do not usually consider art and artifacts that often throw light on many controversial questions. Therefore I believe that my course will make new contributions to the investigations of an archaic kernel of Indo-European myths and associated development tendencies. I have studied the numerous archaeological catalogues and gathered all of the figurative ancient art representations. I also have investigated the modern scientific points of view on the problems of Indo-European pantheon reconstruction.

In developing my web site, my purpose was to study mythological heritage by means of art and science. I am an artist. I paint in oil and draw in watercolor and in Indian ink, and I am the author of the landscapes and still lifes. Prior to teaching at the Herzen State Pedagogical Institute, I taught painting, drawing, and composition at an art school for seven years.

I decided the web site should consist of about 150-200 pictures, dedicated to principal mythologies, with English-Russian commentaries. In order to achieve this task, it was necessary to overcome great difficulties. Certainly, as a teacher at the university, I have limited access to the Internet. However, I created my site independently.

The first task - the creation of pictures - was easiest for me. The second task was the creation of the site. To make this process easier, I used FrontPage Express. This was the best way, given my conditions. The third task was the installation of graphic images. The fourth task was the translation of descriptions from Russian into English. For this I studied English through university courses. As a teacher, this was possible for me.

Finally, I had to promote my site. I have investigated my strategy to work with such well-known Russian search engines as Rambler, Aport, and Yandex. I took part in their top ratings; therefore, these engines gave my site a good placement in their lists. As for English-American search engines, Alta Vista and others gave me too low a range. Now I am trying to register my sites in Yahoo.

Currently, my web site includes 100 pictures dedicated to the most vivid and important plots which can develop the imagination and characters of Scandinavian, Celt, Slav, Finno-Ugrian, Zoroastrian, and Greek mythologies. I created the images in oil, watercolor and Indian ink with English-Russian commentaries and articles. Also there are forums for interactivity, and some landscapes and still lives.

You can visit my site at http://www.fantalov.narod.ru or http://www.geocities.com/fantalov (Please note that the Geocites site loads much faster.)

My goal is to show myths in a form people can enjoy, understand, and discuss. Most people read mythology in school but do not truly appreciate what they read because it is just an assignment or because the language is difficult. However, once they see mythology as entertainment, they can talk about it all day long and love it. My goal may seem ambitious. However, modern cultures seem to absorb ideas most easily from television-type documentaries or dramas. So, it seems to me that one way to get the power of myth to people is to show it to them. Online video reaches only those people who are online. And, unfortunately in Russia, the Internet is not very accessible for the majority of educational institutions. However, it is a starting point. A long myth could be done episodically, in small bits each week or two, much like a comic book. It could even be done using animation instead of live actors. That might be less expensive.

I am sure the study and the teaching of Northern mythology are very importance. Its characters, rich and varied, are not less than antique ones. The Celtic legends are distinguished by their dreamy and poetic mentality; the Scandinavian myths have got an original fantasy and have been penetrated by an idea of fate; the Balt folklore is the most graceful; in Slavic myths there is a worship to the nature powers. Lastly, the Finno-Ugrian epos trends of Paleo-Siberian cold.

The knowledge of our own tradition and our neighbor's tradition enables us to realize our roles in an exchanging world.

Alexey Fantalov teaches in the Department of Aesthetic Education at the Herzen State Pedagogical University located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Alexey is seeking a collaborative project with ISU faculty members who are interested in mythology and art. If you are interested, contact Alexey at fantalov@rambler.ru


New CTA Workshops - Sign Up Now!

Two new Course Transformation Academy (CTA) workshops are scheduled:

To sign up or request information, call the Office of Distance Education at 237-8639 or sign up on the web at http://indstate.edu/lifelong/ctaMore.html


Etcetera, Etcetera, Etcetera: ISU News, Interesting Links and So Forth

"Sketches of Innovators in Education" (2nd ed), a collection of articles written by ISU faculty who teach with technology, is now archived at the ERIC Information Technology site located at www.edrs.com The ERIC reference number for this document is ED444596.

The US Department of Commerce plans to transfer control of the "edu." internet domain from Verisign to Educause, an association of 1,800 college IT departments.
Source: www.emarketer.com

* Visit the UMUC-Bell Atlantic Virtual Resource Site, which includes two modules that offer tips on designing online courses, links to over 40 examples of web-enabled assignments from a variety of disciplines, and interviews in which faculty discuss delivery issues including ways to encourage interaction.
URL: www.umuc.edu/virtualteaching

95% of public schools are connected according to the National Center for Education Statistics. However, bandwidth is becoming a problem. As more K-12 teachers embrace technology, including the use of video and web-based curriculum design tools, creative solutions are needed. One solution: Internet2, which currently is used primarily by universities.
Source: NY Times (April 11, 2001)

General Motors Corporation and UNext have formed a learning alliance that will provide access to online courses for GM's 88,000 employees. Initial online offerings will include "high quality executive and management development courses" and an online MBA program created in partnership with the world's leading business schools. Programs will be offered through UNext's Cardean University, a wholly owned subsidiary of privately held UNext. Currently, Cardean offers programs and courses in partnership with Columbia Business School, Stanford University, the University of Chicago Graduate School, Carnegie Mellon University, and the London School of Economics and Political Science. For more information, visit www.unext.com and www.cardean.edu
Source: www.prnewswire.com

MIT will make materials for almost all of its courses available for free via the Internet through a new MIT program called OpenCourseWare. Course materials to be shared include lecture notes, course outlines, reading lists, and assignments. The OCW site will provide a consistent format for presentation of materials, but be flexible enough to accommodate many different types of courses, lectures, and seminars. Users will be able to search by discipline, subject area, type of materials, faculty name or author, and type of instruction. The OCW project will begin with a two-year pilot program that will include design of software and protocols to monitor and assess use by faculty and students at MIT and throughout the world. By the end of the two-year period, MIT expects that materials for more than 500 courses will be available on the OCW site. According to the President, OpenCourseWare will establish MIT as a "model for other institutions who choose to make content open and available."
Source: www.mit.edu

Some interesting trends:


Thought for May:

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.

- Albert Einstein


Interaction is an electronic newsletter delivered on the first day of the month via electronic mail. Each issue offers information on teaching, learning, course design and educational technologies, and events pertaining to distance education at Indiana State University. We invite your comments, articles, and suggestions. Please contact Interaction at interact@web.indstate.edu

Interaction is published by the Office of Continuing Education/Instructional Services.


Issue 26: May 1, 2001 | « previous issue | next issue »



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