The Bridge Blog
A dialog about our new bridge and these web pages
Overview. As a pointy-headed
university professor, my weekend project of bridge photography and
building these web pages generated many questions and introduced me
to just-in-time learning. I enjoy chasing my curiosity and
want to identify ways to encourage younger learners to also enjoy curiosity
chasing and learning.
Learning usually requires repetition while forgetting occurs when
I infrequently use information. Many young learners do not understand
the importance of repetition. Weekly visits to the bridge provided
the repetition necessary to detect changes in the bridge and
consequently generated
many questions and opportunities for learning. Over the course of the
bridge project, I had access to few experts for answering questions.
Rather than a liability, this became an asset and pushed me to improve
my search skills with Google. Soon, I found that answers
to questions encountered during my weekly photo shoots were often
only a Google-search away -
(see
Restoring the Joy in Learning). Consequently Google + Internet became
dependable extensions of my memory.
The bridge story is a work in progress and is evolving from a simple
collections of photographs to an experiment with Internet-centric
just-in-time learning.
Insights I gain from you
will find their way into the learning centers of MUSC.
Palmetto Bridge Constructors, a joint venture between
Tidewater
Skanska and
Flatiron Constructors, as well as
High Steel Structures,
Freyssinet, the
SCDOT and the
Federal Highway Commission Office
of Bridge Technology guided much of my learning.
I also learn from many of you and from Google-linked resources. More
important is the e-mail encouragement I receive from many of you.
Tue, 01 Mar 2005
March 1, 2005: A Dinosaur story
During the growth of the deck, there were 4 cranes, one located at each
end of each deck. Philip Cotter named one of them
"Last Dinosaur Standing" and I have a few
photos of this animal. I was told that each crane was an antique - over
100 years old. I've not been able to confirm this, but perhaps it is correct.
If so, then these cranes have seen many projects and I can imagine the
stories they have to tell. I have assembled a few photos
of
the Last Dinosaur Standing and placed them near the end of the close-up
page. Perhaps someone knows more about these creatures? If yes - don't keep
it a secret.
Many of you have discovered this page - an exploration of using a blog
(webLog) to express some of the content of these pages. I discovered
blogs from my IT Lab brain trust - a group of the greatest and friendliest
guys at MUSC. I was reluctant to engage this new tool - but as the bridge
web site spun out of control, some sort of organization was necessary. This
blog is a test of whether I can maintain some sort of links with photos that
are posted to different sections of the site and maintain a 1-way dialog with
all of you.
If you have not encountered blogs - it is the tool that is transforming web
resources from read-only to read-write. Blog tools permit individuals to
post thoughts and observations to the web without the geek-skills necessary
to manage a web site. This morning I ran across an article that
addesses
Blogs in education.
The thoughts parallel my thoughts about
Internet-centric learning
(see also
Restoring the joy of learning ) and the evolution of the bridge web
site - as a learning tool. I suggest you check it out and share your
impressions with me and your friends.
posted at: 09:55 | path: | permanent link to this entry
