Ontario Time Machine - Really Old Ontario Books

The Ontario Time Machine

OHASSTA November 7th, 2008

http://www.ontariotimemachine.ca

The Ontario Time Machine

OHASSTA November 7th, 2008

http://www.ontariotimemachine.ca

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AGENDA

• Introduction• Collection content• Technology• Educational content• Awesome demo• Promotion

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What is OTM?

• Educational website that showcases Ontario history for students and teachers

• Fun and interactive• Provides curriculum support - Grades 7 & 8• Opportunities to explore and learn• Partnership among TPL, HPL and KFPL• Funding support from Ministry of Culture LSDF• Ed consultant, web developer

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Stories from pages of the past

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OTM Objectives• Promote awareness of educational value of primary

source materials• Provide opportunities for students that build personal

connection to the past• Provide teachers with engaging tool to help them support

the curriculum and computer use• Promote student achievement in the development of

inquiry, research and communication skills

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Build student skillsRead, analyze and use information• Engage, challenge and encourage students • Provide self-discovery and guided paths• Offer ways to examine causes, events and

results of Ontario historyThrough the stories, build• Awareness and understanding of new concepts,

theories and views• Knowledge of people, places and times• Connections to the past, present and future

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438 years of collecting and166 years of expertise…

Three partners have:• Comprehensive and specialized collections• Overlapping and complementary

strengths• Specialized staff

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COLLECTION CONTENT• Intended to support the Ontario History

curriculum– Grade 7: Conflict and Change

British North America– Grade 8: Confederation

• “Lays the foundation for the compulsory secondary school course in Canadian history”

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Selection Criteria• Diverse subject areas• Circa 1800 to WWI• Materials representative of the time• Languages – majority English, French,

First Nations• Printed or handwritten• Pan Ontario content, urban and rural• Balance between local focus and broader

provincial coverage• Compelling in some way

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TECHNOLOGYTPL’s Virtual Bookbuilder• Custom-built software tool (2006)• Showcases digitized books with realistic page turning action• Adds value with supporting links (text, image, sound, video)• Flash interface, easy to use, clean layout

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The Books• Showcase collections

from three partners covering over 150 years of Ontario history

• 31 books produced 1759-1918

• 1300 pages, over 1000 links

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Enhancing the bookLinks:Text, image, sound or video• Places, people or things• Archaic or unfamiliar

terminology• Geographic references• Text passages (interesting

to be read aloud)• Unusual sounds, music

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Enhancing the bookLinks:Text, image, sound or video• Places, people or things• Archaic or unfamiliar

terminology• Geographic references• Text passages (interesting

to be read aloud)• Unusual sounds, music

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Research Each item contains three to four types of links

(text, image, sound and video)• Text links

– historically accurate, required original research • Image, sound and video links

– public domain, copyright-held, copyright-cleared or created inhouse

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EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

• Primary and secondary sources plus stimulating learning activities • Libraries lack skills of trained teachers• Hired educational consultant to develop learning activities plus teacher’s guide• Development of learning content a collaborative process

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Books and categories

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Student activities and teacher’s guide

Research Tips• Fundamentals of research, academic honesty pre-taught by teachers

Student Activities• Webquest format, 10 subject categories with 3-4 books each• Three questions per category, optional classroom “magazine”

Teacher’s Guide• Recommendations for use in the classroom

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Ontario Time Machine Site

Ontario Time Machine meets the world…

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Key Audiences for OTMPrimary Audience• Ontario students in Grades 7 and 8• Ontario teachers of Grades 7 and 8• Youth librarians and teacher librarians• Home-schoolers

Secondary Audience• Curriculum and instructional leaders, consultants and

administrators in Ontario schools• Ontario researchers

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Messages to Students• OTM is a fun way to learn about Ontario history• OTM lets you see what things were really like back then

• OTM lets you “virtually touch” really old books

• OTM is like having a virtual librarian at your side

• OTM is awesome

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Messages to Teachers• OTM is a fun way to learn

about Ontario history

• OTM has value-added and curated content

• OTM was created to support the Ontario curriculum

• OTM is a great way to teach research skills and support homework

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Questions?

Joel Krentz Teacher-Librarian, Toronto District School Board [email protected] Lofft Department Head, Preservation and Digitization Services Toronto Public Library [email protected] Wellheiser Manager, Preservation and Digitization Services Toronto Public Library [email protected]