Would you like to have an overview of philosophy? Want to know who is considered a great philosopher? Are you looking to understand some of the terms associated with philosophy?
If the answer to those three questions is yes, then The Great Philosophers: From Socrates to Foucault by Jeremy Stangroom and James Garvey should work very nicely for you. It is currently available at Barnes & Noble stores, as a special price book, for $7.98.
From the back cover, "Philosophy's long walk continues, and you will find here the thoughts which make its contemporary form what it is, and perhaps what it is on the way to becoming. Philosophy is very much still under way and The Great Philosophers pays regard to both the discipline as it is practised now, and to the history which made contemporary philosophy possible."
It's a good addition to the lifelong learner's library. If you're looking for an introduction to philosophy, this just enough information, but not too much.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Lifelong Learners Meet the Philosophers
Monday, July 7, 2008
The Victorians Are Here!
The Young Queen VictoriaQueen Victoria reigned longer than any other British monarch, from June 20, 1837 until her death on January 22, 1902. This period is known simply as the Victorian era.
For those lifelong learners interested in this period in British history, this course at Lewis & Clark College is a gold mine of information. For his research seminar, Hist 450 The Victorians, Assistant Professor of History, David Campion, has done an enormous amount of work. He says, "The goal of this seminar is the development of a substantial and original research paper addressing one aspect of the British experience in India."
He gives you all the resources you need to be able to fulfill that goal, if you choose to do so. But, regardless of whether you write that research paper or just use the information he provides on this website for your study of Bristish history, you'll certainly come away with a much better understanding of the Victorian Era.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
It's a Blogging World
This morning in Flagstaff, Arizona, it rained. Rain may not be a big deal in your part of the world, but here it is cause for celebration. Since it stopped snowing, precipitation as been practically non-existent. So, when it started raining, I grabbed the camera and headed to the deck. I only got three photos before the blowing rain stopped my little adventure.
Why, you ask am I telling this story on a blog about lifelong learning? It's all about what I did with those photographs, using the tools independent learners have at their finger tips.
First of all, I don't have a really expensive camera, just my trusty little Olympus. It did come with a USB cable so that I can just connect the camera to my computer and immediately upload my pics.
And that's just what I did this morning. Then, I logged on and opened a new post on The Coconino Chronicles, my blog about Flagstaff and Northern Arizona. Within that post I was able to click an icon and upload those three pictures. I wrote some suitable comments about the rain and added an apology for my "rain celebration" to the local farmer's market and gave them a little nod with a link to their website. Within minutes, I published that post. Instantaneously, it was available around the world.
Of course, when I finished I just had to go find my partner in lifelong learning and wax eloquent about the amazing resources we have access to. That led to bemoaning the fact that I couldn't come up with an idea of where I might submit an article about the opportunities blogging opens up to us. The response immediately was, "Why aren't you writing a post for The Everyday Scholar? That's the best place to publish it." That was truly a "what was I thinking" moment. So here I am, within minutes, posting this article.
If you don't already have a blog, I strongly encourage you to give it a try. You have a choice of many free or almost free blog hosts. I have only used Google Blogger and I love it. But, I know a lot of bloggers who prefer TypePad or WordPress. No matter which one you choose, just jump in and start your blog.
For me, a journal for a lifelong learning project is just the perfect use of a blog, whether you choose to make it public or not. When you try it you'll understand. It allows you to hone your writing skills, to follow your creative urges and to keep a record of what you are learning. We definitely will revisit this subject later. Another great addition to the learning toolbox.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Natural Science From the Inside Out
If you're interested in natural science, and what lifelong learner isn't these days, then the USGS CoreCast is just waiting for you. As of today, you have access to 52 podcasts, starting with episode 1, Hurricanes and Extreme Storms, August 2007 and up to Episode 52, Tribal Canoe Journey to Help Restore Salish Sea Resources, July 2, 2008. And in between you can learn about droughts, floods, wildfires, sinkholes, monthly hazard roundups, big oil in North Dakota and Montana, plus five episodes on Earth Science Week. This just a partial list, so you'll have to go take a look for yourself.
It's difficult to single out one or two episodes to highlight, but try these two. Of particular note are episodes 15 and 37. Episode 15, Who Do We Think We Are?, covers an overview of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Episode 37, Science as it Happens--Glen Canyon Dam High Flow Experiment offers video, audio only, a slideshow, as well as a transcript and related links.
The podcasts range from approximately 3 to 20 minutes in length. Transcripts of all episodes are available. Don't miss the links for additional information. You have to scroll all the way to the bottom of each transcript page to find the list of links for that podcast.
This is just one resource made available by the USGS. We'll discuss more of their contributions to our learning toolbox in coming posts. Enjoy!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Independence Revisited at the Library of Congress
Chicago World's Fair Fireworks
Gottscho-Schleisner 1939 or 1940
What do lifelong learners do to celebrate the Fourth of July? Of course, they head over to the Library of Congress American Memory project to see what's now available about the Declaration of Independence (click on 1700-1799) and the people who wrote it. For example, you'll find the Thomas Jefferson Papers at the Library of Congress.
Be sure and check out the Collection Connections. Just too many resources available to list. There is one link to Declaring Independence: Drafting the Documents that you'll definitely want to look at. The objects in the exhibition page is also a must see.
The Library of Congress is continually adding to its online resources. So, look around while you're there.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Fossils in Oregon
Painted Hills
John Day Fossil Bed National Monument
National Park Service Photo
Hope you independent scholars enjoy that virtual tour as much as I did. I'm going to check out some more of the NPS park sites to see what other pages may have been upgraded since I last visited them.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Microsoft Live Search Images
Anyway, when I searched on books, it came back with "1-12 of 188,000,000" images. Is that possible? I didn't try to follow all the way to the last one, since if that is true, I don't have long enough to get there in my life time.
It does look like a great way to search for images and video and more. Now if I can just learn to refine my searches so I just get copy-free images, which I haven't been able to do in Google. Lifelong learners can always use more pics and videos.
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