What a pleasure this history class has been! Often as students I think we go into core or interdisciplinary required courses with low expectations, and are still sometimes disappointed. I’m so delighted to have had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Oberle and Alyssa, and to have shared in this Read more…
Working with primary sources can be demanding and tedious. Because the information contained in primary sources is often recorded chronologically, grouping the data in other ways to make meaningful connections is slow. I think of digitizing primary sources like I think of rearranging my Scrabble tiles. Sometimes when I’m able Read more…
Digging Into a Curiosity of Old Fairfax I’m delighted to have been approved to research the history of Gallows Road in Old Fairfax. While it’s established that a courthouse once stood at the intersection of what is now Route 7 and Route 123 near Tyson’s Corner, how the nearby road Read more…
When people think of violence, they often picture physical harm done by one person to another. In his article Cultural Violence, Johan Galtung explains that broadening our definition of violence to include not only that perpetrated by societal structures, but also cultural conditions that normalize imposed suffering may help us Read more…
How Not to Organize Your Reference Materials The first real clue that I had a problem was when I started declining Windows updates so that I wouldn’t lose everything I had open. My digital “desk” had become the same as my physical desk: I was keeping track of things by Read more…
Four Essential Literacies When beginning a project in the digital humanities, a scholar may have many goals in mind. They may wish to revitalize discussion in their area of interest, summarize the contemporary state of research, or suggest new ideas or theories or reveal discoveries that extend the edge of Read more…
After 20 years of digital life, I still cringe when I Google myself. I have alerts set up for my name and the names of my businesses, but to say that the Internet is unpredictable and perhaps unable to be tamed is the most obvious and most terrifying thing in Read more…
