Around the Twin Cities, and no less here at Luther Seminary,
anticipation has been running high
for the opening of the Dead Sea Scrolls
exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota.Now that the exhibit is underway, you may be interested to know that the
library and the archives each contributed an item from our collections to the
exhibition.No, it wasn’t a fragment of
the scrolls themselves, although there are a few owned by several seminaries
in the U.S. (See related news release by one of these institutions). Rather, along with the Scrolls, the Science
Museum is interested in displaying examples of Christian, Jewish, and Islamic
sacred texts that share roots in these ancient scrolls from the Judean desert.
For the library’s part, our donation consists of a notable
example of an 18th century Bible – a Baskerville Bible, so named
from its printer, John Baskerville.Baskerville made his reputation as an exceptionally talented printer,
first with exquisite editions of the works of Virgil and Milton, and then, in
1763, of the Bible itself, which has been called one of the finest English
Bibles ever produced.The library’s copy
is a later edition from 1772, printed in Birmingham, with 10 copper engraved
plates, bound in morocco leather, with gilt spine and borders.Baskerville was also a typographer and his
name has been given to a family of typefaces he created characterized by their bold style.
So, when you go to the exhibit (and we hope you have plans
to), in addition to the scrolls and the artifacts from the caves by the Dead
Sea, be on the lookout for the Baskerville Bible.We’re happy to share it on the occasion of this
fascinating look into a past that continues to shape our present.
When you are faced with a challenge how do you do your best thinking? Are you logical and analytical, or more abstract and random? Are you a Right Brain Thinker (intuitive, synthesizing, subjective, random, holistic)? Or a Left Brain Thinker (logical, sequential, rational, analytical, objective)?
Do you consciously try to balance your approach to a problem or question? Concept Mapping (also known as Mind Mapping) is a tool that helps you think through complex problems, summarize information, or plan projects in a more visual way. It can help you to step away from a one-sided approach and take a look at another way to organize your thoughts, or a project.
The following example of a concept map comes from Mike Wazowski's blog Learner-Shaped Technology. Mike used concept mapping software (Cmap Tools) to give us a closer look at Superheroes and the issues they deal with.
According to Joseph Novak, emeritus professor at Cornell, "concept maps are graphical tools for organizing and representing knowledge." Novak is well known for his work on concept mapping. A technical report on his ideas and methodology is available here: download. In the corporate world Tony Buzan is the developer of what he calls "Mind Maps." Check out his site to see colorful, graphic-laden examples.
The Web Center for Social Research Methods describes concept mapping as a "structured process, focused on a topic or construct of interest, involving input from one or more participants that produces an interpretable pictorial view (concept map) of their ideas and concepts and how these are interrelated." They go on to say that concept mapping helps people to manage the complexity of their ideas without trivializing them or losing detail.
Reasons to use Concept Mapping
Learning Tool
Evaluation Tool (products, processes)
Consolidate information from multiple sources
Summarize information
Reveal hidden patterns, connections between elements
Think through complex problems
Change the way people think about data
Remember complex information
They are fun!
How to Create a Concept Map
Hal White's site proposes that you use the following as a way to create and organize your concept map. Check out his site for more details.
Brainstorm: Identify facts, terms, ideas. Put each one on a Post-it Note.
Organize your concept terms into groups and sub-groups, create hierarchies
Layout: create a layout that reflects your understanding of relationships and connections
Link the concepts, define relationships
Finalize: add images and color
You can keep it simple. Use Post-it Notes with a big tablet of paper to create your concept map. If you prefer to use software there are many programs available. Ryan Torma (Director of Learning Design and Technology) has used Xmind for website development. A few other sites are listed below. There are many free, open source options for concept mapping software.
