Conjunto clash : competition and sustainability in 21st-century cultural heritage management

Scholar Dan Margolies has noted the growing presence of music initiatives in the Texas-Mexican conjunto community that conform to the framework of “cultural sustainability,” as defined by ethnomusicologist Jeff Todd Titon (Margolies 2011: 30). Titon’s model “decenters the top-down discourse by cultural heritage experts, and instead … repositions cultural workers collaboratively” (Titon 2009: 703). One program identified by Margolies as culturally sustainable is the Big Squeeze statewide youth accordion contest (Margolies 2015). The Big Squeeze attempts to promote the many accordion traditions of Texas by showcasing talented young performers. In practice, the event conforms to a co-operative mode of cultural heritage management in that it stages auditions throughout the state, often in underserved or rural areas, and collaborates extensively with local musicians, teachers, cultural workers, and business owners. The Big Squeeze has also created professional opportunities for its winners. On the other hand, many issues emerge as a result of the event’s sustainable structure. In the case of conjunto, the element of competition is at constant odds with the music’s resonance as a symbol of working-class solidarity among Mexican-Americans. More broadly, competition can have the effect of discouraging young participants from playing. Other problems arise when attempting to address the needs of multiple music communities through one framework. Ultimately, the lessons from the Big Squeeze build upon Titon’s scholarship by identifying and attempting to create solutions for unforeseen issues presented by culturally sustainable heritage efforts.Musi

MOOCs 2.0: Reviewing n.paradoxa's MOOC on Contemporary Art and Feminism

This collaboratively written article explores the pedagogical role of MOOCs today through analysis of a MOOC on contemporary art and feminism, created by Katy Deepwell, editor of the international feminist art journal n.paradoxa. Parme Giuntini offers an updated overview of MOOCs and their increasing value as OERs for faculty and students. Feminist art historians Anne Swartz and Kathleen Wentrack investigate the n.paradoxa MOOC from different, but complimentary perspectives. Wentrack explores the structure, documents, and interactivity of the MOOC as a rich source of feminist material useful to both students and scholars. Swartz addresses Deepwell’s international treatment of transnational feminism at a moment when feminIsm is under worldwide siege

MOOCs 2.0: Reviewing n.paradoxa\u27s MOOC on Contemporary Art and Feminism

This collaboratively written article explores the pedagogical role of MOOCs today through analysis of a MOOC on contemporary art and feminism, created by Katy Deepwell, editor of the international feminist art journal n.paradoxa. Parme Giuntini offers an updated overview of MOOCs and their increasing value as OERs for faculty and students. Feminist art historians Anne Swartz and Kathleen Wentrack investigate the n.paradoxa MOOC from different, but complimentary perspectives. Wentrack explores the structure, documents, and interactivity of the MOOC as a rich source of feminist material useful to both students and scholars. Swartz addresses Deepwell’s international treatment of transnational feminism at a moment when feminism is under worldwide siege

Highjacking the MOOC: Reflections on Creating/Teaching an Art History MOOC

This article reflects on the experience of creating and launching a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) at Otis College of Art and Design. The authors will discuss the development process from content, goals and production to curriculum design and pedagogy. Lessons learned and best practices will be shared as well as assessment of the MOOC’s success. Suggestions will be offered for faculty who are interested in adapting and adopting (hijacking) MOOCs in conjunction with credit courses in their own institutions, and addresses the very practical faculty concerns that MOOCs pose

Cálculo elemental de láminas en paraboloide hiperbólico

El rápido aumento del interés en una de las más modernas formas constructivas de cubiertas laminares — el paraboloide hiperbólico— se debe fundamentalmente a su económica forma de utilizar los materiales de construcción, a la sencillez de su comportamiento estructural y a su belleza intrínseca