Saturday, April 16, 2022

Moodle 4.0 Is Here! What's new about it?

Moodle 4.0 is here! I’m trying to determine just what the advantages are and how much of a step change it is from Moodle 3.11.  I don’t think that Moodle can change the basic architecture for a number of reasons. So, the changes have to come in things like user experience and efficiency.  

 

 If you've worked with Moodle for very long, you know that it can be a place of almost infinite complexity, but also almost Zen-like simplicity. It's also a veritable ant-hill of programming activity, as programmers develop productivity and design apps - some are available for free, others require a download fee.  Moodle and Moodle partners are likewise entrepreneurial, and you can quickly use pre-built templates and hosting and an integrated software-as-a-service solution.

 

Improved User Experience, with modules listed in an easy-to-follow design.

 

MoodleCloud is still in 3.11, so I can’t experiment with it as much as I’d like. However, the “sandbox” is still available, and one can select a role as student, teacher, or manager, to play around with it.  

 

Here are some of my initial thoughts:

 

PROS:

1.  Much improved user experience, in terms of navigation, layout, use of new thumbnails, and course construction (with drag and drop).

 

2.  The default theme being used in the Sandbox (probably either Clean or Boost) is very attractive and easy to use. 

  

3.  Fully responsive interface that works well with tablets, laptops, and phones.

 

4.  Improved navigation – you can tell where you are, and can go back to a previous screen very easily. There may be some AI-based plug-ins that can help refine "smart navigation."

 

5.  One can use the calendar as a dashboard. The "My Courses" screen can display in a number of different options. The “Card” option makes the interface look a lot like the way Canvas displays available courses. 

 

My Courses page

6.  The basic structure of the learning management system is the same, so the same names, arrangement, process and procedure works.

 

7.  Moodle 4.0 is available for download if you’d like to host courses on your own server. That PRO is also a CON if you’re not ready to be a Moodle Administrator.

 

8.  Outside Apps more easily integrate with Moodle 4.0.  Integrating apps has always been fairly easy by means of a link or embedded log-in.  I don’t know to what extent single-sign on is facilitated, and if authentication is otherwise streamlined.

 

9.  There is less content on each screen. Not only is it easier to see with your tablet or phone, it’s much easier to stay focused and avoid distractions due to a busy design. 

 

10.  Moodle is open source, which means that there is an entire industry dedicated to building plug-ins and other features that are useful and needed.  I would not be surprised if there will be machine learning-based apps that can detect patterns in student performance and help administrators and even teachers, see student preferences, gaps in knowledge, and collaborative strengths. 

 

CONS:

1.  If you have not worked with Moodle before, you may feel a bit discouraged. Moodle is not a very intuitive LMS, and one may not know where everything is without going through a pretty thorough training course. 

 

Courses and categories admin screen

 

 

2.  It’s not clear how much Universal Design for Learning was used with the new interface, dashboard, icons, etc.  I did not see multiple modes of content delivery on the sample classes in the sandbox site, but that does not mean that they are not available.

 

3.  Moodle 4.0 is not yet available in MoodleCloud, which is the most popular cloud-based Moodle.

 

4.  Moodle documentation is still at 3.11. 

 

An Initial Chat:

Relatecasts' Rick Zanotti and I have an informal conversation about Moodle 4.0, just hours after its release to the web on April 14.  Please click on the link to hear our conversation on E-Learn Chat.  I'm not as clear as I could be as I respond to Rick's questions -- I think my enthusiasm about the  arrival got the best of me :)  Please click and listen, then share your thoughts.

 

 
E-Learn Chat on the debut of Moodle 4.0 - speaking with Rick Zanotti

 Here's a link to the chat:

https://youtu.be/PqjHqLuWRqg

 

 Please note that an updated version of Packt Publishing's guide to Moodle course development will be published in July 2022, just in time to get courses and programs up and running.

 

 

****

Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D. 

 

 

Sunday, April 03, 2022

The Renaissance: Philosophical Ideas

The Renaissance (1450 – 1600) marked the flowering of culture, science and ideas about the nature of humanity that occurred in Europe, starting in Italy, spread throughout Europe. Characterized by philosophy, art, architecture, and literature, the Renaissance was a cultural revolution fueled by wealth from trade and new technology, along with political consolidations. It began in Italy in the 15th century (the “Quattrocento”) where the wealth banking family, the Medicis, became great patrons of art and learning. 


The Big Question: 

How did the philosophical ideas of Humanism reinforce the cultural and scientific revolution of the Renaissance?


Watch:  The Philosophical Foundations of Humanism

 During the Middle Ages, Aristotelianism reigned. It was a nice, orderly way of thinking of the world. Everything was in its right place, and there was always balance, equilibrium, and symmetry. Perhaps nowhere was this more evident than in Aristotle’s book, Categories, from his Organon. The Renaissance embraced the structure and symmetry of Aristotle as a way of creating beauty, instead of enforcing order in the world and structure, as it was used in the Middle Ages. The renewed emphasis on the philosophy of the Classics allowed investigation into representation of the phenomenal world, which is to say during the Renaissance, it was now acceptable to explore the natural world, and to ask questions about his forms and functions. Finding new ways to represent the natural world was also encouraged, which meant that the Renaissance brought together art, science, philosophy in new ways. As a result, we see the development of 3-dimensional art on a 2-dimensional canvas (thanks to, for example, linear perspective converging on a vanishing point where there are orthogonals, such as large tiles in the floor in a painting). 


Read: Defining Humanism in the Renaissance

Overview: Humanism represented a change of focus. Instead of simply seeking to define the right place of everything within a rigid hierarchy, Renaissance thinkers began to focus on the human being, and human potential for achieving great things, and finding a moment of unity with the good and the beautiful. There was a renewed interest in the philosophical writings of the ancient Greeks, primarily Plato and Aristotle.  In addition to exploring the philosophy of the Classics, the Renaissance thinkers also studied their buildings, sculptures, and other works of art. 


Foundational Humanism

Petrarch: Considered the key philosophical figure in the Renaissance, Petrarch, who was Italian, was driven by the idea of the quest for the ideal. For Petrarch, there was no conflict between realizing human potential and having religious faith. Petrarch was very interested in the ancient Greeks and Romans, and the classics, not just in terms of art and architecture, but also poetry, philosophy, and lost works. He invented the sonnet form, and he wrote love poems for Laura, although he had very little real contact with her in real life. His poetry and prose championed realism and empirical knowledge. 


Giovanni Pico della Mirandola: His “Oration on the Dignity of Man” is considered the Manifesto of the Renaissance. Pico resurrected humanism of ancient Greek philosophy, including Aristotle and Plato. His ideas mainly based on Plato. Through mental struggle, ascends great chain of being towards the angels and communion with God – unity which is very Platonic. 


Thomas More:  Wrote Utopia, an example of an ideal world which represents humanistic philosophy. In it, each person has a place in society that corresponds with their true nature and abilities, and there is communal ownership of property.  


Montaigne:  Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, Lord of Montaigne, was one of the most important philosophers of the French Renaissance.  His essays were explorations of his own thoughts and attitudes, and he mulled over the prevailing philosophies and reflected upon the novelties of the times, such as the tales of travel in the Americas. 


Reformation

Luther: Faith and the Individual

Martin Luther, a German professor, was famous for his “95 Theses” which rested on the main concepts that the Bible is the core authority and that individuals can be saved (achieve salvation) only by faith and not by deeds. The “95 Theses” were published in 1517, and unleashed the Reformation, a religious schism which broke with the Catholic Church and repudiated the pope’s authority, rejected the validity of the sale of indulgences. Instead, he promoted “The Priesthood of All Believers.” Luther was excommunicated in 1521 at the Diet of Worms, after which he used the printing press to create pamphlets that explains the new doctrine.


Calvin:  Break Away from Hierarchy 

John Calvin, a French Protestant, believed in predestination and the omnipotence of God. Calvin was a stern believer in the power of God’s word and the responsibility of individuals to learn to read the Bible directly and to obey the word of God, without intermediaries (priests, bishops, etc.).  The core concept of Calvinism is that God selects those who, through grace, are made capable of believing in God, which is the route to salvation (not deeds, or purchasing indulgences). It was very anti-authoritarian, and was not welcome among the priests, kings, popes, bishops, and others who had benefited from a belief system that gave them privilege, power, and authority. 


The Middle Way

Henry VIII, miffed at Pope Clemente’s refusal to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, decided to create a religion that maintained hierarchies and the divine rights of kings, but which eliminated the Pope. That church was The Church of England, and it instantly made enemies of both Protestants (Calvinists, etc.) and Catholics. Henry VIII sought to replace both with his Church of England, and he did so by burning Calvinists at the stake for heresy, and beheading Catholics.  


Analysis: Machiavelli’s The Prince (1532): The End Justifies the Means


Dedicated to his patron, Lorenzo de Medici, The Prince (1532, but written earlier) contains advice to the prince about how to acquire and maintain power. Much of the focus is on the psychology of the subjects, and so it is often considered a practical guide into the psychology of leadership, and the dynamic between the leader and followers. 


Machiavelli first defines principalities, types of armies, and then moves into the character and behavior of the prince. Written in a pragmatic style, with a tone of scientific inquiry, some of the passages seem almost satirical, such as when Machiavelli concludes that it is better for the Prince to be feared than loved by his subjects, better to be cruel than merciful, but is a good idea to launch large projects in order to create a positive reputation. Enormously influential, but not at all an antidote to political hot water, Machiavelli was accused of conspiracy and tortured in 1513.  


Later, Machiavelli wrote The Prince as well as historical and literary works.  The main point of The Prince is that almost any tactics can be justified in achieving the overall goal (creating a stable princedom), and if the populace is treacherous, then treachery on the part of the leader is justified.  The book was condemned by Pope Clement VIII, but nevertheless became widely adopted and studied. 


Explore:  Scientific Revolution

Francis Bacon: The Scientific Method

Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626) was determined to invent a scientific method based on experimentation rather than parsing scriptures for evidence of natural law. He wanted to bring to light all the things that were previously hidden or unknown, and to do it for the good of humanity. His most important scientific writings were in essence writings in the philosophy of science. His book, “Novum Organum Scientiarum” (The New Scientific Method) lays out procedures for scientific investigation. 


Galileo:  The World Is Round, Despite Orthodoxy

1543):  Born in Poland, Copernicus was an astronomer who developed a celestial model which placed the sun in the middle of the planetary system (instead of Earth at the center). The heliocentric solar system was described in “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres.” Copernicus was considered heretical by the Roman Catholic Church. 


Galileo (1564 – 1642) was convicted of heresy for his belief that the world is not flat, and barely escaped being burned at the stake, although he did spend time in prison. He was most famous for his work in astronomy and math, and his assertion that the Earth is not flat. 


Discuss:  Similarity and Differences

Discuss the ways in which humanistic philosophy found its way into science, art, literature, and philosophy. What were the similarities and differences across the areas of study? 


Check your knowledge Quiz (5 questions):


1.  The great patron of the arts in Quattrocento Italy was

a) Giovanni de Medici (correct)

b) Pope Clemente VII

c) Niccolo Machiavelli

d) Pantagruel, as chronicled by Rabelai


2.  Machiavelli asserts in The Prince that mercenaries are

a) essential for defense

b) dangerous and can leave one vulnerable (correct)

c) expensive and wasteful

d) useful because they bring new ideas


3)  Copernicus devised a heliocentric planetary model which asserted that 

a) the moon was at the center, and the “Prince of Tides”

b) the planets have moons, and the moons are sometimes more important than the planets themselves

c) the sun is at the center, and the planets rotate around it (correct)

d) the earth is flat


4)  Humanistic thought in the Renaissance includes all except the following:

a) a return to Classical models

b) the human being has infinite possibilities of self-actualization

c) human accomplishment should be celebrated, and it brings together science, literature, politics, architecture, art, and more

d) Literacy is dangerous and all serious works of science, politics, and literature should be written in Latin (correct) 



Glossary

Heliocentric planetary system: developed by Copernicus. The planets rotate around the sun. 


Reformation:  The reaction and reorganization of the church based on Martin Luther’s 95 Theses (written in 1517) which criticizes the Roman Catholic Church. 


Quattrocento:  The 1400s (15th century) in Italian


Petrarchan sonnet: a sonnet form popularized by Petrarch, consisting of an octave with the rhyme scheme abbaabba and of a sestet with one of several rhyme schemes, as cdecde or cdcdcd


Elizabethan sonnet: a type of sonnet much used by Shakespeare, written in iambic pentameter and consisting of three quatrains and a final couplet with the rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef gg.


Vanishing point: the point at which receding parallel lines viewed in perspective appear to converge


Linear perspective: a type of perspective used by artists in which the relative size, shape, and position of objects are determined by drawn or imagined lines converging at a point on the horizon.


Orthogonal line: A related term, orthogonal projection, describes a method for drawing three-dimensional objects with linear perspective. It refers to perspective lines, drawn diagonally along parallel lines that meet at a so-called "vanishing point." Such perspective lines are orthogonal, or perpendicular to one another.


Key Takeaways

Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to 


1. Define humanism in the Renaissance

2. Explain the political philosophy of Machiavelli in The Prince

3.  List important works of philosophy in the Renaissance

4.  Identify key scientific works in the Renaissance

5.  Describe utopian writing in the Renaissance and its impact


Lesson Toolbox

Renaissance Links


Encyclopedia Britannica:  Renaissance art and architecture. https://www.britannica.com/event/Renaissance  


Metropolitan Museum of Art: Renaissance. 

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/keywords/baroque-art/


History.com: Renaissance Art: http://www.history.com/topics/renaissance-art


Art Institute of Chicago: Arms, Armor, Medieval, and Renaissance http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/armor 


Virtual Uffizi Gallery / Florence. https://plus.google.com/u/0/+UffiziFlorence 


Art Museums: Where to see Renaissance Art. https://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/Art-Museums.html 


Renaissance Inventions: http://www.inventionware.com/renaissance-inventions/ 


More, Thomas. Utopia. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2130/2130-h/2130-h.htm 

Machiavelli, Niccolo.  The Prince. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232 


Grotius.  The Rights of War and Peace. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46564  


Cortes, Hernan. Letters to Emperor Carlos V. https://archive.org/stream/lettersofcorts01cortuoft/lettersofcorts01cortuoft_djvu.txt  


Lope de Vega. Comedias: El remedio en la desdicha; El major alcalde, el rey. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28408


Calderon de la Barca.  La Vida Es Sueño. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2587/2587-h/2587-h.htm 

Garcilaso de la Vega. The works of Garcilaso de la Vega. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49410 

Montaigne, Michel.  Essays. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3600/3600-h/3600-h.htm 

Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2235 

Petrarch. Sonnets. Triumphs and other Poems. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17650 

Sir Philip Sidney. Astrophel and Stella. https://archive.org/details/sirpshisastroph00sidngoog 


--- Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D. 

susan smith nash, ph.d.
susan smith nash, ph.d.

The Renaissance: Cultural Developments

The Renaissance was nothing less than a cultural revolution that shifted the focus from religious art centered on the doctrines of the Catholic Church to one that celebrated humanistic achievement, including that guided by monarchs and successful entrepreneurs, and revived the Classical tradition of the ancient Greeks and Romans, including their art, architecture, literature, and philosophy. The works from the Renaissance continue to be cornerstones of cultural achievement for all of humanity. 

The Big Question: 

What made Renaissance cultural developments different from those of the Middle Ages?


Consider:  What is really behind Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa? 


The Renaissance emerged in Italy in a spectacular way with the construction of the Florence cathedral which was designed by Brunelleschi (1377-1444). The elements that represented a break from the Middle Ages included architectural elements from Classical Greek and Roman architecture. 



Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, painted between 1503 – 1506, is such a cornerstone of artistic experience that we often lose sight of what makes it really special.  Da Vinci broke new ground in many ways.  For example, is a highly unusual half-length portrait, and instead of being in a closed room, she is framed by fragmentary columns that create a framed window that opens to a fantastical landscape that leads the eye through winding pathways that suggest the Infinite. Yet, instead of letting the energy of the painting evanesce into a type of neoplatonic euphoria, Da Vinci creates a grounding equilibrium which places a very tangible, realistic human being on the edge of a gorgeous, fantastical landscape. Her famous smile and her direct gaze into the viewer’s eye, which pull the viewer’s eye back into the center of the frame, ground the composition, and yet maintain the tension between the earthly and the concrete, and the amazing landscape in the background, which would have struck the Renaissance viewer as a pathway to the divine, straight from Dante’s
La Commedia Divina. The landscape is sublime, and it proposes a bold question to the viewer: “Where do you live? In this world of soft, rounded flesh, smooth satin and velvet?” The chiaroscuro and sfumato techniques makes possibilities viable. They also suggest that she is, as in The Madonna of the Rocks, in the amazing, ineffable space of Nature that forces you to realize that there is a Divine, and that you can straddle the two worlds – the earthly, and the divine.  


The Mona Lisa does in a single canvas what it took Dante three Cantos with its 14,233 lines in terza rima to accomplish. It encapsulates the journey of the soul from the darkness of the Pit (the inferno), through the sufferings of Purgatory, and finally to round after round on a mountain taking one to Paradise. The Mona Lisa’s smile is one of knowledge and experience: she is in her world of silks and velvets, and she is also in the transcendental world, not of the mystic, but of the Humanist, who states that perfection is at least envisionable here in the material world, and the artist can open the eyes and the hearts of the viewers so that they can see for themselves the Paradise they can strive for and potentially achieve during their own lifetimes.  


Read: Art of the Renaissance 


Overview: The Renaissance was a time of a major change in the way that art was depicted, and it opened the way for new subjects of art as well. As artists turned to the Greek and Roman examples of antiquity, they also developed ways to depict depth, perspective, and distance. In addition to confining themselves to religious subjects, they were able to paint and create sculptures based on Greek and Roman mythology, Christian doctrine, and everyday life. Realism was embraced, and the composition, the still life, was a way to celebrate accomplishment and the achievement of a comfortable living. 


Linear perspective:  One point perspective: Method for projecting illusion of space on medium. no single artist should be credited except perhaps Bruneleschi. All artists came upon together with scientific exploration of time. Orthogonals converge at a single vanishing point on horizon. 

Orthogonal line:  Imaginary diagonal lines that point and converge at the vanishing point and contribute to Linear Perspective. 

Vanishing point: Traditionally at eye level, the point at which all points recede and intersect, causing the illusion of 3-dimensional form. Part of Linear Perspective.  


Botticelli: The Birth of Venus (1484 – 1486): Now housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” is important for a number of reasons. First, it demonstrates the Renaissance artists’ desire to include stories from Classical mythology. Second, it depicts the female figure in a realistic manner, as opposed to the Medieval painters, and echoes Greek and Roman sculpture. Third, it is a secular counterpart to the nativity scenes so prevalent in a world dominated by religious art. Finally, the techniques of perspective and vanishing points are on display in the background.  


Andreas Vesalius, a 16th century anatomist born in Brussels in 1514, is known for his extremely detailed line drawings of human anatomy. He mastered the technique of creating three-dimensional drawings, and his drawings of the human body feature extremely realistic and detailed depictions of muscles, bones, and cartilage. He was not averse to dissecting cadavers, which must have been pretty revolting in a time before formaldehyde. His methodology was deliberate and he approached the tasks as a scientist, and he recorded his findings in his books. His drawings were very important for future generations who used them to gain an understanding of the body, and to continue to investigate its functions. 


Hans Holbein the Younger (The Diplomats): The Northern Renaissance style was in direct contrast with the Southern Renaissance style of Da Vinci and others. He prided himself on his draftsman type precision and the extreme realism, especially of textures of fabrics, plants, jewelry, skin, and hair. For example, the ermine in the cape of  Holbein’s portrait of Henry VIII introduced a tension between surface and depth, and animated the tactile detail that makes his portraiture so unique. Very productive in the last 10 years of his life, Holbein died in London during an outbreak of plague in 1543.  


Reflect: That was impressive! What impresses you most?

1. Da Vinci’s The Mona Lisa

2. Petrarch’s work and his sonnets

3. Drama in the Renaissance

4. Humanistic philosophies expressed in Renaissance literature

5. Rise of realistic anatomy in art and science

6. Linear perspective in art

7. Orthogonals in art

8. The importance of diaries and letters from explorers to the Americas during the Renaissance


Expand: Let’s look at Renaissance literature.  The literature of the Renaissance was widely produced, which reflected expanded literacy in the vernacular, rather than only in Latin. It was also more available to people due to the printing press. Some of the most important accomplishments are listed below. 


Poetry:  

Petrarchan Sonnets: iambic pentameter, 14 stanzas, with the rhyme scheme ABBAABBA CDECDE. The rhyme scheme suggests two bodies of knowledge or perception, and often they are in opposition with each other, and reflect a paradox or an ironic observation. 


Shakespearean sonnets:  iambic pentameter, 14 stanzas, with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, which suggests three separate comments, statements, or observations, with a couplet at the end, which allows a summative commentary. 


Garcilaso de la Vega:  Important because he brought Renaissance verse forms to Spain (and also New Spain)


Sir Philip Sidney: Important for his analysis of the rhetorical functions of poetry in “A Defense of Poesy,” which discusses how poetry brings one from the dungeon of the body to the exalted divine, and whose neoplatonic idea of transcendence shines brightly in his work, Astrophil and Stella (The Star-Lover and the Star). 


Novel:  

Lazarillo de Tormes:  Perhaps the first novel in the Spanish language, Lazarillo de Tormes was written by an anonymous author, and followed the adventures of a street-smart trickster character who survived by his wits. 


Rabelais:  Gargantua and Pantagruel was a satirical novel that included a giant and a corrupt priest, who were used as vehicles to mock the Church (mainly the Jesuits) and corrupt, inefficient government. Rabelais spent a lot of time in jail. 


Drama

Lope de Vega: One of the most important figures of the Spanish “Siglo de Oro” whose poems, essays, and plays were foundations of literature for centuries to come  


Calderon de la Barca: Extremely philosophical writer whose ideas made their way into his creative work, especially in his plays, where La Vida Es Sueño is a classic blend of drama, pathos, and philosophical inquiry. An English counterpart would be Shakespeare’s The Tempest. 


Christopher Marlowe: A gifted poet, playwright, and translator, Christopher Marlowe’s most important plays were Doctor Faustus, Edward II, and Tamburlaine, all of which explore the evil compacts one might enter into in the pursuit of riches, power, knowledge, or simply untrammeled lust. In addition to posing great moral questions (and entertaining the audience with glimpses of evil and licentiousness), Marlowe takes the audience into a vicarious journey of vice, hunger, blood-lust, greed, and desire. 


Shakespeare: Shakespeare’s tragedies, comedies, and history plays broke new ground in the Renaissance for their use of blank verse and iambic pentameter. The history plays were historically flawed, and contained a great deal of bias; it was better to look at all his plays figuratively rather than literally; for example, Richard III was not the evil, twisted miscreant Shakespeare made him to be in Richard III. But, he quickly became a favorite anti-hero for all who saw him. 


Explore:  Letters and Diaries – the Convergence of History and Fancy

Many explorers kept diaries, mainly with the idea of documenting their locations, their encounters, and potential for treasure and natural resources (namely, gold). They also wanted to prepare reports for their backers, such as Queen Isabella, Queen Elizabeth, or Carlos V, justifying backing for future voyages, or asking to be named governor of a territory. The diaries and letters were widely distributed in published form, and served as imaginative fodder for any number of novels, plays, poems, and even maps. 


Letters and diaries:

Hernan Cortes:  Cortes arrived with a malnourished, dirty, ragtag army who prevailed due to a combination of technology (firearms, horses) and fortuitous prophecies. Cortes wrote letters describing life in the Valley of Mexico, which were devoured by the King as well as the populace in general. They described the customs, costumes, food, architecture, religious practices, and beliefs of the Aztecs. Some were extremely graphic, which motivated the Church to send their priests.  Carlos V funded more expeditions after the boats returned with gold and silver.  There are a number of unanswered questions, though. For example, who tended the boats anchored off the coast near Veracruz?  How did they keep them maintained?  How was it possible to keep from being attacked? It seems very challenging for the Spanish party to keep their boats intact and even repaired as they spent almost a year in trekking across Mexico to the Valley of Mexico. 


Bartolome de las Casas:  Bartolome de las Casas was the first Spanish writer to argue against absolute brutality toward the indigenous peoples they encountered. Most other Spanish explorers were so horrified by the human sacrifice that they witnessed that they were eager to reduce their civilizations to ashes. He coined the term, “noble savage” which suggested that the Aztec and other civilizations that were encountered were “savage” and yet in their lower status, they were innocent. Bartolome de las Casas perpetuated cultural chauvinism, and helped convince the Jesuits and other priests from Spain that they were justified in coercing and sometimes forcibly converting the indigenous to Catholicism. 


El Inca Garcilaso: An Incan nobleman who was highly educated, and whose diaries serve as important documents about the life, civilization, and beliefs of the Incas. He wrote about Pizarro and also documented the terrible outbreaks of disease that wiped out the vulnerable population. 


Discuss:  Similarity and Differences

What are some of the points of similarity between the diaries and journals from explorers, and the works of art and literature inspired by them? (Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Montaigne’s “On Cannibals,” and Amerigo Vespucci’s Maps of the New World, are a few). 


Check your knowledge Quiz (5 questions):


1.  Petrarchan sonnet

a. abba cddc effe gg 

b. abab dcdc efef gg 

c. abbaabba cdecde (correct)

d. abababab cdecde


2.  Vanishing point

a. the point at which receding parallel lines viewed in perspective appear to converge (correct)

b. the point at which parallel lines viewed in perspective appear to split

c. a series of parallel lines that recede into distance

d. a series of intersecting lines that come together in the middle of the canvas and create a black hole effect


3.  Linear perspective

a. the use of a perspective that avoids the use of lines.

b. a type of perspective used by artists in which the relative size, shape, and position of objects are determined by parallel lines placed in the horizon. (correct)

c. the use of a perspective incorporates right angles mixed with 30-degree angles.

d. a type of perspective used by artists in which the relative size, shape, and position of objects are determined by drawn or imagined lines converging at a point on the horizon.


4.  Noble savage

a. the early depictions of monarchies immediately after the collapse of the Roman Empire

b. a kind of weaving that was used for tapestries that depicted the Garden of Eden

c. a representative of primitive humankind first described in Latin America, symbolizing the innate goodness of humanity when free from the corrupting influence of civilization. (correct)

d. the ideal behavior of a Jesuit priest who came to the Americas, and who wanted to be effective in converting indigenous peoples to Christianity


5.  Humanism

a.  cultural movement that perpetuated the medieval desire for developing a definitive cosmology that placed God at the center of the universe

b. a cultural movement that emphasized human frailty, and developed technology to assist in overcoming physical challenges

c. cultural movement that turned away from medieval scholasticism and revived interest in ancient Greek and Roman thought. (correct)

d. a philosophy developed by the Marquis de Sade


Glossary


Petrarchan sonnet: a sonnet form popularized by Petrarch, consisting of an octave with the rhyme scheme abbaabba and of a sestet with one of several rhyme schemes, as cdecde or cdcdcd


Elizabethan sonnet: a type of sonnet much used by Shakespeare, written in iambic pentameter and consisting of three quatrains and a final couplet with the rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef gg.


Vanishing point: the point at which receding parallel lines viewed in perspective appear to converge


Linear perspective: a type of perspective used by artists in which the relative size, shape, and position of objects are determined by drawn or imagined lines converging at a point on the horizon.


Orthogonal line: A related term, orthogonal projection, describes a method for drawing three-dimensional objects with linear perspective. It refers to perspective lines, drawn diagonally along parallel lines that meet at a so-called "vanishing point." Such perspective lines are orthogonal, or perpendicular to one another.


Noble savage:  A noble savage is a literary stock character who embodies the concept of the indigene, outsider, wild human, an "other" who has not been "corrupted" by civilization, and therefore symbolizes humanity's innate goodness.


Picaresque: relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero.


Sfumato: the technique of allowing tones and colors to shade gradually into one another, producing softened outlines or hazy forms


Chiaroscuro: an effect of contrasted light and shadow created by light falling unevenly or from a particular direction on something.



Key Takeaways

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to 


1.  Define humanism

2.  Identify important works of art and literature from the Renaissance

3.  Explain the reasons for the importance of Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”

4.  Describe the structure of Petrarchan and Elizabethan sonnets

5.  Discuss innovations in art technique during the Renaissance


Lesson Toolbox

Resources (links) 

Renaissance Links


Encyclopedia Britannica:  Renaissance art and architecture. https://www.britannica.com/event/Renaissance  


Metropolitan Museum of Art: Renaissance. 

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/keywords/baroque-art/


History.com: Renaissance Art: http://www.history.com/topics/renaissance-art


Art Institute of Chicago: Arms, Armor, Medieval, and Renaissance http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/armor 


Virtual Uffizi Gallery / Florence. https://plus.google.com/u/0/+UffiziFlorence 


Art Museums: Where to see Renaissance Art. https://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/Art-Museums.html 


Renaissance Inventions: http://www.inventionware.com/renaissance-inventions/ 


More, Thomas. Utopia. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2130/2130-h/2130-h.htm 

Machiavelli, Niccolo.  The Prince. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232 


Grotius.  The Rights of War and Peace. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46564  


Cortes, Hernan. Letters to Emperor Carlos V. https://archive.org/stream/lettersofcorts01cortuoft/lettersofcorts01cortuoft_djvu.txt  


Lope de Vega. Comedias: El remedio en la desdicha; El major alcalde, el rey. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28408


Calderon de la Barca.  La Vida Es Sueño. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2587/2587-h/2587-h.htm 

Garcilaso de la Vega. The works of Garcilaso de la Vega. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49410 

Montaigne, Michel.  Essays. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3600/3600-h/3600-h.htm 

Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2235 

Petrarch. Sonnets. Triumphs and other Poems. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17650 

Sir Philip Sidney. Astrophel and Stella. https://archive.org/details/sirpshisastroph00sidngoog 


Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D. 


Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.