Newbie session: how does one go about building, managing, and coordinating your personal research, writing, and teaching work into a successful team project?

You have a great idea. You have a project that is timely, innovative, unusual, intellectual stimulating, and no one else is doing anything like it. You fully embrace models of scholarship and research in which print is not the sole medium or means by which knowledge is produced. You begin to think about making a shift in your academic work from single-scholar research and writing to a more collective collaborative model.

Since digital humanities projects demand knowledge sets and skills that are particularly well-suited for teams, one could expect a variety of individuals, including scholars, experts in various content areas, archivists, library professionals, researchers, tech adepts, designers, programmers and developers, and others to be involved at each stage of the project development.

How does one go about finding these collaborators?

I would like to propose a session for those of us who relatively new to THATCamp, who are thinking about dh/Religion projects, planning dh/Religion projects, applying for funding for dh/Religion projects, or who find themselves at any other stage and who want to find potential co-conspirators collaborators.

In this session, I would like to hear from others who have successfully developed dh/Religion projects with a group: how did your project team come together? What kinds of strategies did you employ in organizing the team and launching the project? What about identifying individuals? Once projects are initiated around a particular area of research or question, how does one go about getting others on board with the program? What planning and management challenges are specific to digital humanities collaborations? What things should one look out for?

Are there particular social media (twitter, blogs, groups) that are most useful in organizing and pulling together interested parties?

Hello All,

I would like to propose a short workshop on Twitter. As many of the students use it and would like to quote and post on Twitter, it would be useful to know some useful pedagogical issues connected with using this.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Lavanya

In this session we will explore possibilities for using digital technologies in the classroom. It is hoped that our thoughts will be valuable to those currently exploring digital possibilities and allow them to offer insights from their own experiences and discover new assignments. However, we also aim to present new opportunities in course assignments and collaborative work for those not using technology in the classroom. Therefore, the session will simultaneously serve as a Teaching with Technology 101 and Lessons from the Field.

Possible topics for conversation:

• Audio Podcasts
• Video Mash-ups
• Infographics
• Storify
• Geo-Spatial Mapping
• Canvas Presentations
• Class Blogging
• Twitter Assignments

I will be happy to show some of my students’ work and hope to hear about exciting new assignments for future courses.

Please join fellow campers for drinks and dinner at 5:15 at Frank and Nics West End Grille. Continue the conversation or start new ones. Join us for a drink even if you’ve got dinner plans!

Getting there couldn’t be easier. THATCamp is being held at 401 W Pratt St in the Hilton Baltimore’s Key Ballroom. Frank and Nics is located at 511 W. Pratt St in the Zenith building. Simply exit the Hilton on Pratt St and turn left. At the corner you should see the entrance to Frank and Nics on your left on S Paca Street.

Just in case, here’s a map:

See you there!

Glad to join you all for THATcamp. Looking forward to meeting you all at AAR.

Thanks,

Lavanya

Lavanya Vemsani

Associate Professor of History and Religious Studies

Shawnee State University, Portsmouth OH 45662

We’re thrilled to announce that De Gruyter Press will be sponsoring the AAR’s first ever THATCamp. Now in addition to all of the great skills, connections, and ideas campers will get, we’ll also be able to offer free coffee and some swag! De Gruyter’s series of theology, Judaism, and religious studies texts has long been established in the field, and we’re excited the press is also showing an interest in digital scholarship.

So a special thanks to De Gruyter for the caffeine!

Registration for THATCamp AAR2013 is now live! If you’re interested in talking more about how technology is changing–or can change–the study of religion, come join us! Head on over to our registration page and sign up!

There’s a new THATCamp being planned! The details will be published here when known. Meanwhile, read more about the THATCamp movement and browse other THATCamps at thatcamp.org.