Books
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
Heart of Darkness/ Search for the Unconscious,Gary Adelman
Heart of Darkness/ A Case Study in Contemporary Criticism, Edited by Ross C. Murfin
Heart of Darkness/ Backgrounds and Criticisms, Editied by Leonard F. Dean
Conrad: The Critical Heritage, edited by Norman Sherry

Key words for search
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, Colonialism, morality, racism, economics, human nature, congo, pilgrim, criticism of H of D

Plan to do

Purpose: Illustrate with examples the racism,economics and human nature of colonialsim. Then convince readers that the novel puts these ideas in a real-life context in which these ideas are negative.

Audience: High school or college instructors teaching the novel or the topics the novel discusses/ philosophers interested in the novel or the topics it discusses

Initial Investigation

Part I: Exploration
1. Identify the issue or problem that you plan to focus on in your research project.
I will be writing about how colonialism is explored in “Heart of Darkness”.

2. What is your personal connection to and interest in this topic?
This is one of my favorite books. It is a book I constantly consider and reconsider and I am very interested in it.

3. What opinions do you already hold about this topic?
I am of the opinion that Conrad is very anti-colonialist and portrays it in a very dark way.

4. What knowledge do you already have about this topic?
I have read the book and discussed it at length. There is significant debate on the racism of the book, but I am of the opinion that the depiction of racism is a small facet of the depiction of colonialism.
What are your main questions about this topic?
My questions are, what specifically does Conrad write that gives his opinion of colonialism?
What are you most curious about?
I am most curious about how the author shows his opinions without directly stating them. I am also curious about how the author went about creating a book with so many overlapping ideas, all of which are incredibly well developed.

6. Within what scholarly discipline (such as history, biology, psychology) do you expect to do most of your research? How does this discipline approach or study this topic?
I expect most of my research will be done in psychology with a little research on the historical facts of colonialism. Studies of this topic in psychology are done by investigating how the text shows the author’s thoughts, and also how we as readers interpret the text to arrive at what we believe are the author’s thoughts.
Historically this topic will be studied by citing statistics of the examples the book provides.

7. How could you research this topic outside the library (for example, through interviews and/or observations)? I can interview people who have read the novel and have an educated response to my topic. I would be able to interview at least a few people because I have already discussed this with others.

Part II: Focusing
Write an initial claim, or an open-ended question, to guide your research on this topic. Make it specific but exploratory. Remember that a good claim opens up an area of inquiry about a topic; a claim should invite evidence, support, and debate.
How does Joseph Conrad explore colonialism in "Heart of Darkness"?
racism, spread of religion/ values, economics, human nature (possession/control/dominance)

Why does this matter? Colonialism is a representation of human nature, it has historical significance, it was key in the development of modern world

Does the American system of justice need reform to ensure that criminals are properly punished? Jena 6

Are American Indians being treated fairly in the 1990s?
Indian reservations, drug usage/acholism, jusicial issues

*How does Joseph Conrad explore colonialism in "Heart of Darkness"?
racism, spread of religion/ values, economic gain, possesion/control/dominance

Victorians and Africans: The Geneology of the myth of the dark continent
http://www.jstor.org/view/00931896/ap040045/04a00100/0

Why does this matter? Human nature, historical significance, development of modern world

citations

Sheingold, Karen and Martha Hadley. “Accomplished Teachers: Integrating Computers into Classroom Practice.” Eric.ed.gov. September 1990. Center for Technology in Education, New York, NY. 1 October 2007. [http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/22/42/d1.pdf]


Squire, Kurt. “Video Games in Education.” Simschoolresources.edreform.net. 2003. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1 October 2007.
[http://simschoolresources.edreform.net/resource/11095]

Ohmann, Richard. “Computers and Technology.” Radical Teacher, no. 63, pp. 2-6, Spr 2002. FirstSearch database. Accessed 1 October, 2007. [http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org]

Shaffer, David Willaimson, Kurt R. Squire, Richard Halverson and James P. Gee. “Video Games and the Future of Learning.” WCER Working Paper No. 2005-4 June 2005. [http://www.wcer.wisc.edu]

Summary for computer paper

Accomplished Teachers, Integrating Computers into Classroom practice. Sheingold/Hadley

This is a report based on a survey of teachers who used computers in their classrooms in 1990.

As early as 1990 teachers have seen the benefits of using computers in their classrooms. Sheingold and Hadley conducted a survey of teachers using computers as part of thier teaching plans. Based on the findings of this study, Sheingold and Hadley concluded that teachers were devoting "considerable time and effort to teaching with computers in thier classrooms" (6). The authors feel that that the use of computers within the classrooms of the surveyed teachers had a positive effect on the students' education. Teachers felt higher expectations from students when computers were used. This report also notes teachers feeling that they could cover more complex material with the class when they were using computers. With as positive feedback as they received from teachers, they still note that five or six years of teaching with computers was needed to master computer-based teaching techniques. The study finds that teachers also encounter problems when faced with inadequate amounts of hardware. Extra planning time computer-based lessons also presents challenges to teachers. The study's final finding is that the teachers with the most technology resources believe they need more to accomplish the full potential they see possible.

http://website.education.wisc.edu/steinkuehler/papers/SteinkuehlerGC2006.pdf.
Why Game(Culture) Studies Now? onstance A. Steinkuehler niversity of Wisconsin-Madison

http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/22/42/d1.pdf
ERIC #: ED322900
Title: Accomplished Teachers: Integrating Computers into Classroom Practice.
Authors: Sheingold, Karen; Hadley, Martha

[DOC] Video games in education
K Squire - simschoolresources.edreform.net