Absolutely one of the highlights of #opened17!

This section reminded me of the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes who believed the nature of man is inherently bad and the purpose of government and education is to control man's selfish desires. In my opinion, I side more with John Locke's philosophy that the nature of man is inherently good but society is corrupted by certain negative people. Education's purpose should be to remind people of their virtuous nature and not become distracted by the inequalities and failures of society.

It is particularly noteworthy that the authors thought to use Anglo Saxon to teach about the development of language over time. Since this was the language spoken by most of the prospective students, tracking its changing history would provide an engaging demonstration of the dynamic nature of language. In other words, by using Anglo Saxon, students would be able to identity their own contemporary role in the timeline of an always developing language. Having this knowledge, students would (perhaps unconsciously) attain an understanding of how all art, not just language, can change meaning over time. This could help students in time grasp the developments occurring to their university which is, in many ways, a work of art in itself.

-Joe S.

I believe this sentence very accurately characterizes the intentions and the foundations of the New College Curriculum; The New College seeks to provide students with a core knowledge of the arts (especially how they are applied in our society) that can be further strengthened and complemented in studies of math and science should students so choose in the future. This sort of foundation, outlined in both the document and the mission of the New Curriculum, is important because it can allow students to examine a wide range of academic fields before studying concrete methods of applying those fields practically. Since I am taking the Art: Inside/Out Engagement, I also sought to interpret this sentence in taking "arts" literally to mean art in its various expressive forms. In this way, this sentence helps develop the important concept that art and maths/sciences in no way exist in conflict with each other; while many believe these two subjects to be on opposite sides of an academic spectrum, this section of the Rockfish Gap Report helps to remind that art and science can freely interact and engage with each other to work for the benefit of both.

This was really unsettling for me read. Proximity to the most white people is the one criteria that made the difference in where the University's location was chosen. If Charlottesville hadn't been most central to the white population of Virginia, UVa would be located in Lexington or in Staunton. Its definitely not a good thing that our school was centered around pleasing only the white race before our grounds were even built. I can't imagine how different our grounds would be and our university if another place had been more convenient for white people. UVa certainly has a racist past and I think most of us, if not all, are aware of that but I still couldn't believe that such a racist criteria is the reason the school exists where it does today and is the way Uva is today.

• Becca Meaney

It is interesting to see the purposeful imagery the authors used for this passage. They first liken the students of UVA to a chimaera, a being composed of multiple animals, showing they intend to have us as students adapt and evolve during our time here rather than to remain a static character. The writers then go on to mention a tree that has been engrafted, much like a chimaera may take on new animals the tree takes on new fruits. This is what the founders of UVA wanted, but rather than fruits and animals, they wanted to do this with education and I feel this visual analogy serves well in that purpose.

This portion of the document is extremely important because it addresses the purpose of the University, but is also somewhat ironic regarding what was stated earlier in the document. In the first paragraph, it is revealed that the University's location was chosen based on its centrality to the white population in Virginia. Although this statement implies a bias against non-white Virginians, the listed purposes of the University and what it hopes to impart to its students paint a different picture, one in which a student would use his education to behave morally in society. In this light, the purpose of the University can be interpreted in different ways, either as a way to serve the white population so that they may "preserve [the] ideas" of the time Oppositely, students could use the knowledge they gain to "improve [their] morals," and work to bring about change in society by educating others about the ethical way to interact with people of all races.

Claire W.

I believe the use of the phrase "honorary excitements" is extremely interesting, as it is very ambiguous in comparison to the other facets of the “education of youth” the author listed earlier. Aside from tuition, diet, lodging, and government, "honorary excitements" could include any and every activity to make the student a more wholesome individual. In addition to their studies, “honorary excitements” seem to promote student involvement in a variety of extracurricular activities. From community engagement to sports, these activities allow the student to develop skills that they may not be able to learn just inside the classroom. UVA greatly promotes the idea of a community in which students are active.The University has greatly implemented this concept of “honorary excitements” throughout the years, as there are hundreds of clubs and organizations available for students to join. -Komal Kamdar, Morgan Negron, and Lyudmila Avagyan

This sentence alone encompasses the controversy on racism that has plagued the University of Virginia 'til this day. The fact that the location for which these grounds were built upon was chosen solely based on the "...degree of centrality to the white population..." (meaning the most profitable and nurturing location for white people to flourish, with no regards toward people of color) emphasizes the 19th century's view of racial superiority and the founders' initial intent for inequality. This single sentence painfully and unmistakably claims that this university was founded entirely for the advancement of the white population, and no one else. Today, as Charlottesville, and the University of Virginia, proudly thrives on its growing diversity, this sentence also alludes to some irony.

The planning and design of the lawn shows care for its aesthetic nature. The pavilions were to be set with a specific symmetry and to be linked to each other by student housing. This layout is then mirrored for the other side of the lawn and set with no real limit for its expansion. This exemplifies what the founders of UVA thought about this venture into education, limitless. The proximity between students and teacher signifies a sort of journey one must take in their academic journey, and that this specific road may never end as everyone continually grows.

I find it interesting that the University made it a goal to cultivate the morals of the students attending their school. They also stress how they want to instill the precepts of virtue and order. They want to achieve this, yet they based the location of their school to be around the centrality of the white population. I do not believe this is cultivating the morals of their students. This is narrowing their viewpoints, and not expanding on the multitude of cultures that lie within the United States.

In my Mortality and Morality engagement class, we often times talk about the role of family in the event that someone does become sick and how their presence can make a huge impact on how a situation is carried out. Family is often time seen as an extra layer of protection over any individual, especially for children. We assume that children are not old enough or mature enough to make major decisions for themselves, so it is ideal to keep them within reach in case of emergency. Therefore, if a school can supply resources that could be beneficial in times of need many parents would view that as a plus. - Kayla Thomas

The University set out a goal for the parents of young boys to begin their studies of the ancient languages at the year of age ten. This is an extremely young age, considering that the boys would be going to college eight years later. The minds of the young boys seem to be too young to be able to grasp this form of art. This correlates to my Engagement, Art Inside/Out, by focusing on the art aspect. Latin, Greek, and Hebrew are forms of art in the language aspect. This piece of art is powerful and intriguing; however, it may be too complex for the minds of ten year olds who are still trying to develop.

I think it is interesting (and a little nauseating) in how this is what an impartial and mature consideration was considered at the time. The idea that a consideration was considered unbiased while it only accounted for the convenience of one race is baffling; it’s a complete lack of foresight into the future of the people that would make up the university. This relates to our discussion in our evolution engagement about noticing how science is inherently biased, which can be seen in their “impartial...consideration”, which is not impartial at all. They claim how it is a mature consideration, but there is nothing mature about the fact that they are segregating such a large portion of the population in the plans to build the University of Virginia.

This clause directly following the colon intrigues me in its oxymoronic quality. The paradox of using the same breath to explicitly state that race was the chief determinant for the location of the University of Virginia and to then describe this decision as having been reached by impartial deliberation immediately came to my attention as ironic. Looking at this fragment through the lens of the Ethical Engagements, the words "impartial" and "mature" accomplish two things. The first word reveals the intrinsic acceptance of discrimination based on race and the blindness to the possibility that it could even be accepted as discrimination. The second word, "mature", belies the value and justification the authors of the document and those who took part in the decision hold in regards to the conclusion they reached. In plain terms, they believed their actions to be of the purest standard based on an engrained ideology that fundamentally repudiates the pure standards of impartiality and morality they believed they were upholding.

Actually, microlectures are NOT just what they sound like. This implies an abbreviated lecture (ie., Ted talk or Khan Academy). Instead these are strategically designed 60 second presentations incorporating metaphors and keywords, designed to arouse curiosity. Learning takes place when the learner actively participates in knowledge acquisition and synergy.

Vicarious epistemic engagement?

Bringing outside interests into the classroom to keep students engaged - This drop off in engagement is something that drew me to middle grades, I feel like it the last chance to keep them engaged or get them interested in science before full blown teenage apathy sets in during high school.

Napoleon oak genome sequencing project web site: example of public engagement in tree genomics

Very interesting development!

power business

Priority of spending time with people/tv/class/conference

Attachment. Planning. Engagement

Access, skills, motivation, and engagement with content

Compare to studies on engagement. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/opinion/sunday/why-you-hate-work.html?ref=opinion

Hypothes.is lacks this first step in the ladder. We don't have a like button. Tagging doesn't seem as easy as it could be.

Maybe when we rethink page level notes, we might prioritize calling user to action there: tag the text; maybe offer a broad statement/description.

Sequencing calls to action from liking to commenting.

So social engagement increases brand loyalty.

Seems like that could be a key to Medium's success.

Awareness of a user's lifecycle from exploring to adoption to megauser is key.

Types of museum visitors outlined: idea generators, exhibit designers, idea implementers. Next paragraph introduces that an aspect of exhibit design missing is 'audience targeting' - reaching out to a specific clientele intentionally with an exhibition's design.

Annotation engenders literacy and encourages participation...

Absolutely, but it's government's job at all levels--from our hometowns to Washington, DC--to make it easier for citizens to do that. Far too many Americans simply can't fulfill many of these "obligations as a citizen," due to work, or kids or fear or lack of information, or school, basically, life. Government has to lower those barriers, make it way more possible for citizens to do their civic duties. There's a tremendous opportunity to deploy free, open source tools--heck, even proprietary ones--here.

C'mon, civic technologists, government innovators, open data advocates: this can be a call to arms. Isn't the point of "open government" to bring people together to engage with their leaders, provide the facts, and allow more informed, engaged debate?

An opportunity to employ online, open co-creation tools. Such as, say, Hypothes.is. Or what the D.C.'s Mayor Bowser and city council are doing with the Madison online policymaking software.

Back when this was still being negotiated in secret, a leaked chapter of TPP was opened on the very first version of Madison. What could've been as far as harnessing open online annotation for transparent, smarter policy outcomes.

Reach out here...

And no tool digital communication tool fosters this more than collaborative annotation, which engages citizens with the primary sources of politics and directly with each other.

Teaching that there is such a connection should be a priority for digital pedagogues.

Well, simply put, they are. When else in history would this have been possible for a farm boy. Seriously, though, young people have public personas today like they never have before.

Two words: open annotation.

Quote this somewhere...

Yup!

American Society of News Editors=possible partner/funder

I like this idea a lot. Annotation seems as though it could play a major role here.

Funders of this theme.

Note adjectives here:

• active as in participatory
• informed as in well- and critically-read
• responsible as in listening to others, acting reasonably
• effective as in taking action that has results

Emphasis on peer to peer learning, open, free software...

...and civic appreciation and civic enthusiasm...

This is where hypothes.is becomes part of the picture...

I'm thinking through what "equal engagement" might be. Access is s starting point. What about the tools to do something with the access granted?