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The Collins of Chard/Chapter I

 The Collins of Chard: Rural West Country England by Chapter I. The Manor and the Bishop.

''In the West Country, close to the town of Chard, is a grassy mound and the remains of a trench - of an Iron Age settlement – a ditch and earthworks, which had its own-hutted encampment. Rough grass now grows within the enclosure giving cover to the rabbit… that never travels far from the warren. Close by, the partridge – neck thrust forward keeping low to the ground, scuttles for cover. Everything of consequence lay at the foot of the hill… those things beyond give a backdrop to my tale - country life through the ages...''

From the top of the earthworks is a beautiful view… over hill and dale. It is the type of picture which lightens and warms long winter evenings – stirs the memory – remind one of summer skies and the call of birds – of wind blown sward – waving fronds of fern and nettle. The bees are there making full use of the wild flowers as they return repeatedly to carry the next golden harvest… back to the hive. In the distance a plume of smoke rises from the charcoal burners mound, disappearing in the grey streamers of cloud, interspaced with brilliant blue, that skate by above - toward the darker grey horizon – heralding rain. Scudding lower down a puffy white cloud goes gliding by, as graceful as a swan. The suns rays penetrate the breaks in the clouds to illuminate by turn the fields, the hill, and distant farm buildings. The grass-decked mound, its past associations with ancient folk recognised and considered, prompt us to seek out their source of fresh water - needed for drinking. There, issuing from numerous springs clear water brooks, streams and watercourses are formed… winding down to the river. The ancient inhabitants of the settlement chose their encampment well.

Not far away, a ribbon of road carries a wagon pulled by a pair of horses enters a field. As your eye travels along the track, you spy a rick that has a bite out of it. It is to this that the wagon draws up for another load to be cut out for carting away. The driver saws out the next series of straw blocks, which make up the next load to make his way back over the bridge to the group of buildings, lying in the distance. The stream that travels under the bridge starts near to where you are standing… a little lower than the warren. It wends its way down the hill, you can just make it out… as it runs by field and farm through field and dale to end up, eventually, on either side of the main street of Chard; then divides, to become the River Isle that runs north and River Axe that heads south – towards Tatworth. To the east of the town is a ridge, which carries an important Roman road giving ease of access - for the legionnaires to March and chariots to drive… westwards. These old Roman roads built so long ago are discernable today and purposely laid, with their attendant forts, taking the easiest, straightest route. On the uphill side of the paved way is the fosse – the ditch to take away storm water that is now full of weeds and grass. This gives the road its name - Fosse Way.

The geography of the market town of Chard - that sits upon this main arterial road, which leads to Honiton and London, Bath and Bristol, made it a valuable ‘trade’ link. This geographical reason made Honiton one of England’s main lace production centres - gave the driver of the pack-horse caravan a route to Somerset and beyond…to Devon villages, that lay in the valleys, particularly those to the south towards Axminster, and Lyme Bay. It is believed, the skill of lace making began in the late 1300s, in Beer, Branscombe, Honiton, Otterton and Sidbury.

''Documents record that Collins is a Norman name, derived from Colin. The family found its way to the West Country in 1381 - the Gloucestershire Poll Tax confirms this, and by the fourteen hundreds, the family became established ‘workers of the land’; bound to the soil within Chard’s manor boundary… there they worked looking after the lord’s sheep on common land, ‘the waste’, [heath, woodland and marsh] which encircles Chard, and its sub-manor Tatworth…''

Pre-history Iron Age was a period in England of forest clearance and a settled population. The countryside was dotted with settlements made up in the main of extended family units. It is highly likely that Tatworth, had a few homesteads for it was surrounded by a rich countryside with ample water. This period lasted from about the middle of the first millennium BC until the time the Romans invaded. Celtic people populated the West Country originally from Ireland and Gaul of the Durotriges Tribe. During the Roman occupation of Central and Eastern Britain, there was a great deal of trade. The Romans left the West Country alone not fearing any attack. The rural pagani worshiped their native gods speaking in the Celtic tongue – gradually adopting Latin closer to the line that separated Roman Britain and the Celtic West Country. The west of England was consolidated into Saxon England proper towards the end of the first millennium, which encompasses The Dark Ages and Aethelred I.

Over a hundred years later King William’s Doomsday survey catalogued in 1086 declared that Chard was owned by the church but would be recorded for the assessment and collection of the ‘geld’ or land tax. In this there was no exemption from paying royal tributes - included the provision and upkeep of armed men. As the land comprised eight hides and one man was to be provided per six hides we will be generous in stating that The Bishop had to provide one armed-man for the king’s service. The Bishop had to pay towards the upkeep of bridges and highways… he also had to hand over any fines [fees] from legal jurisdiction. He may have been able to levy fines and receive them instead of the king’s sheriff but that privilege was not universal.

The first time we come across the name Thatteworhe is about 1320 relating to someone of that name holding land attached to a dwelling house. Chard’s sub-manor land was arranged as a three open-field system, cultivated in a three-year rotation of: white corn – wheat, rye, and barley; peas and oats, and the third arable… resting as fallow. The two main production fields raised corn crops on the furlongs – ground cultivated in strips. Each farmer had rights over his land that was scattered across the manor. The decision about what was planted, and when, was made communally; all the men worked together sharing the oxen, ploughs and other tools under the direction of the Reeve. The other main activity was looking after the animals – sheep and cattle, on the common grazing land…, one looking after the lord’s oxon, grazing the water meadows.

Each village gave work to a miller, baker and ale-house-keeper - who also sold provisions. They all worked in unison, as did all the other tradesmen. Each farmer gave a percentage of the grain to the miller for grinding his corn - the flour produced, he used for his own household - any extra was sold to the baker… he in turn sold the bread to the tradesmen who did not work the land but needed loaves. Some of the grain went to the brewer to make into ale, who provided all with brew. The craftsmen needed the skills of the smelter and the foundry. The charcoal maker needed his axe and knives forged and sharpened. The blacksmith made up the farming tools, and the wheelwright sought his rims; the carpenter put on the handles and made the yokes. The shoemaker and leather worker shaped the soles and cut the traces; the basket maker and weaver all exchanged their wares for basic materials from the farmer and his field. It was part-bartering system that worked well; the wise Reeve saw to it that no one was given short change. All these trades with their craftsmen had rights too, just as the farmer did. These tradesmen’s sons took over from the father keeping the skills within the family making themselves indispensible. They too had to pay for the privilege of working for the lord even though they were freemen. When there was trouble, they had to turn too and become part of the lord’s conscripted army, and when the harvest needed to be gathered in, they became farm labourers. It is only by long service that they could purchase their freedom from forfeiture.

Up to the late Middle Ages, the power in the land lay with the king, who owned all the land. The king awarded some of his land to relations and those who helped him – his lords. Both the king and lords gave land to the church so that they might be redeemed. A manor is principally a territorial unit, which corresponds to the parish… The manor included settlements referred to as vills’, which corresponds to villages, hamlets, and large farms. Most of England and Wales was divided up into manors. All the land in the manor was overseen by the lord or his tenants and was held as principle tenures being freehold and copyhold. The freehold tenants held their land by grant from the lord in return for a definite service. Military service was usually commuted in course of time for a money payment or ‘quit rent’ – quit of his personal service. The copyhold tenants, whose evidence of title was their copy of the entry in the Court Rolls recording their admittance, owed various services, which usually was particular to the parish. These included heriots, forfeiture, the obligation to do fealty to the lord, and suits and services of many different kinds. A heriot is the best live beast – horse or ox – of which the tenant dies possessed, or sometimes his best chattel – piece of plate, furniture, or garment. The lord was entitled to take this when the tenant died or when the property was alienated to another person. Forfeiture, or obligations, was the liability of the copyholder if he alienated without telling his lord or seeking his consent. All tenants of the manor had the same rights on the manorial waste – the unenclosed, uncultivated land – on the common… This did not necessarily mean they were ‘practicing commoners’ for that was generally reserved - as a handed down right - to long serving members of the community. The freeholders had, as well as their tenure, ‘rights of pasturage’ for their ‘beasts of the plough’ cattle, horses, donkeys, geese and special rights for sheep. The copyholders also had various additional rights.

Tillage:‘working the land for cultivation: needed ploughs, plough socks, coulters, spades, shovels, sickles and scythes… power was supplied by oxen. All these were the means to produce enough grain and vegetables, to feed the ploughman and his family, and to pay rent for his land. Eventually after more common land had been cleared there remained sufficient for a cash crop. Pasturage: the right to graze cattle, horses, donkeys, geese. Pannage: the right to graze pigs. Turbary : the right to cut turf. Marl     : the right to dig clay. Estovers: the right to cut bracken, ferns, heather, gorse. All these were used to provide roofing and bedding. Wood could be cut but only for use in the dwelling… for the right applied to the hearth, that lay in a particular place. Similarly the Turbery – the right to cut turf as a fuel. This also belonged to the chimney and the hearth. There was also a ‘right’ to draw water, and to fish. Housebote: the repair of cottages. Firebote    : the collection of fuel for the fire. Ploughbote: the wood needed to make the farm implements. Hedgebote: the material to construct hedges and fences. Tenant: Usually described as a smallholder, one who rented land paying dues and a forfeiture to the owner… could also be a Cottager - a villager, [villein or feudal serf], with a smallholding of land measuring one yardland or less. Also described as a husbandman – a common labourer - someone attached to the soil - a slave.

A cottager owned very little… other than one or two house-cows, he had no other animals and the minimum of arable strips. His only source of payment was from an excess of the corn he grew and grazing rights. Bad weather, poor harvests, and low grain prices saw him destitute – owing money for his rent…; he had to keep a supply of grain for his next sowing. When enclosure was forced upon him, he lost what little income he could make. When enclosure was enacted it affected all the cottagers until tillage ceased - and all became landless – unattached labourers… Illness and injury saw the family begging. The cottager’s rights were for constructing dwellings, maintaining them, making the tools and carts, and developing the land to produce food. The tenants and copyholders had these rights attached to the property - passed on when the property changes hands. All these went with the property not the person that meant the dweller was secured/attached/linked to rights that kept him firmly controlled and subservient to the holder of the land - the lord. Over time, these rights become unused, disinherited and died out - as tenants moved away.

The Reeve, who enforced the local rules and rights, with the aid of his Hayward [Assistant] handled the management of the lord’s estate. The workers of the land voted him into office, which gave him credence - elected him annually giving him the authority to adjudicate… when there were arguments; this gave him standing, especially when discipline was called for. Generations later, the Reeve’s job was superseded by the Sheriff, only this time the position was the lord’s to give, and not the people; he was retained in office, in some cases permanently… being an inherited position - able to be passed down from father to son. The forfeited service – the obligation the tenant had to pay for the privilege of the ‘grant’, was usually military service. The lord was honour bound to provide a similar service to his superior in the hierarchy… and so on. It was a method whereby the king obtained an army, which he did not have, to train or support.

By good work and long service, the tenant could buy his quintal from his obligation to fealty – his quit rent. The lord held his fiefdom devising taxes and laws hiring a steward to look after the day-to-day running of his estate in company with the reeve who was far more knowledgeable about the countryside and the people who dwelt there. The result of The Black Death – the unprecedented death rate - particularly of the poor, reached Chard in the autumn of 1348/9. For the first time it gave more power to the workers – the serfs, because the plague reduced the population by over a third - making those left worth a great deal more; they could now demand better conditions – which is what they called for… The Bishop’s steward, fifty years later, found that low prices and high wages made demesne farming no longer profitable. The Peasants’ Revolt in 1381, led by Wat Tyler was mainly the outcome of the massive increase in the poll tax - three times higher than the previous year, taxing both rich and poor, at the same rate. This aggravated the already dissatisfied working population who wished to have their servitude – as serfs and the villeinage system, abolished; they also wished to have free contracts for labouring services and the right to rent land. Parliament legislated to keep the wages of the workers low - prevent their dissatisfaction from seeking new employment - moving to other estates. The lords sought further means to stop the flow of workers from the land by increasing the feudal dues – services rendered, tightening the legal bonds. The rebels attacked any signs of lordship and lordly authority – both secular and civil, including their manorial systems and records they kept.

The Bishop of Bath was the district governor and owner of Chard Manor. He represented the church here and at other manors - in his diocese. He was a member of the king’s council and one of the country’s leading magnates, and often the holder of high offices of state. To oversee all the churches property and land he travelled continually accompanied by his secretaries, servants and guards. At each manor he controlled there would be his steward who ran the estate in his absence. Over time - by beneficent work and prayer, the church had been gifted over forty percent of the land. The ‘lordship’ of land is about its benefit to the lord, ‘hide’ refers to an area of land of about 120 acres and virgate measures about one quarter of a hide.

The armed man provided by the owner of the land, tenant in chief, to the king’s service was not just a swordsman but also ‘a man at arms’ or knight. The knight also held land which he sublet and lived off the rent, or employed a steward – he usually held the largest free holding in the manor – sometimes he represented his holding as ‘his’ manor. The steward acted as a local administrator to run the demesne of the knight, when he was away serving the king, appointing a reeve [magistrate, organized labour and collected rents] and a beadle [parish officer, enforced law and order] from names put forward by the villagers.

All the inhabitants of Chard – the Manor, and Tatworth – the sub-Manor, knew their place in society. It was a ‘feudal’ society, which meant that it was a society based upon families within a community - where each person relied upon the other. Land was owned by the lord in return for ‘homage’ and ‘fealty’ – recognising the power and rights of the king, which the land owner had to defend – in reality both protected each other. The land was held on condition and service – a fiefdom. Homage referred to an acceptance by the knight that he recognised and respected the king’s position – to which he swore an oath of loyalty.

Over a period of about two hundred years, this tenure changed as much by the increase in population as anything else. Land became transferrable from one generation to another – it became one of inheritance. The land then became enfeoffed by common-law owners. The lord was most reliant upon his workers who were the villeins. Their sons had to have a house. Itinerate serfs needed a home too. There was ample land and in most part, individuals built their own home, perhaps bartering help from neighbours… It was wise to tell the bailiff and seek his approval which was easy to do labour was sorely needed - if the lord’s position was to be maintained. There was not a strict plan to be upheld houses were built close to the areas being worked. It was normal to try to build close to housing materials, fresh water, and ease of cartage, near neighbours and close to the church. The bailiff would advise taking a small parcel of land not occupied on waste ground – which would be close to the forest or wood… This ensured that arable land was not lost. The main upright structural members, which support the beams and roof would be buried into the ground. Large horizontal timbers called plates would be morticed into the posts. These would stop the posts from sinking and distribute the weight of the building. Depending on the surrounding ground, there may be sunken stones or logs providing a foundation – the posts jointed into the plate, or the walls half built of stone.

However, we must not get beyond our self for the serf or villein neither had the time, help, tools and expertise, to form such a structure. Their simple structure was a pole house needing no sawing only the splitting of green timber. Lesser posts were the uprights to support partition rails, which together make up a frame or panel. These wall panels were made up of woven split canes, similar to a hurdle. A mud and dung daub filled the gaps. This would soon become a hovel with a compacted earth floor and a fire burnt upon stones set into the centre of the floor area. Smoke would dissipate through the rather rough thatch… such a hovel would soon deteriorate and the roof to sag. Depending on the character of the man that lived there the place would either fall into total disrepair or it would be maintained, improved and part rebuilt. The improvement upon a simple pole house was a post and beam building with rails, rafters and braces, and a crown-post roof. The wattle and daub walls replaced with shuttered cob… better still a stone and flint infill, using a lime mortar. The single large room partitioned and a floor above with dormer windows… but this was years later after The Black Death when the workers conditions improved - their labours better appreciated.

The villager who wanted a dwelling either negotiated a plot with the bailiff or squatted. There was an excess of waste ground and the village needed labour. It was a do-it-yourself building although there was usually somebody close to superintends the building – either a family member of a close neighbour who had knowledge of such things. The site would be marked out taking regard for access to the site and availability of wood, gravel, sand, mud and lime. A trench dug out to accommodate the foundations, which was filled with stone cleared from the site. There was no need to consider drains for these would be external. Close to the site, a pit would be dug to mix up the daub, cob, plaster, and lime. If this sound rather slap happy it wasn’t. All these mixtures had similar components and to some extent worked. The frame of the building was of wood or the walls built of cob blocks, stone, flints, or shuttered cob or a selection of all, perhaps you could lay your hand on some old Roman bricks or stone from a disused house, church, or barn. Once again, this choice relied upon what was on the site - or close to. Cartage was a problem. It was rare for the villager to have his own cart, or the loan of one. Nor did he own a horse. What had to be transported to the site had to be carried? If you had to do this, you made very sure you had enough materials on the site before you began, and the most easily made up compound was a mixture of mud, chalk, flints, stones, straw or chaff and cow dung. If you added stones, sand or flint to the mixture it became hard to mix so that that leaves just a mixture of mud, chalk, clay, dung, chaff and soil. Whether or not you baked the chalk or lime was probably doubtful. The longer the mixture was kept together in the pit with sufficient water to soften it the better- if possible, for six months - all the components had to be fully saturated, fattened, and rotted, to break up into particles.

The most common method was probably the easiest, which was to build thick walls of stone. The largest stones were reserved for the base, which saved having to lift them up. The stones were assembled very much like dry-stone walling or building with brick or block - to make the inner and outer surfaces’ interlock to give rigidity. The mixture of chalk, lime, clay, and mud pushed and placed between and about the stones to give a secure base for the next layer and to stop any draughts blowing through. In an area providing sufficient stone, much of that picked up off the ground by stone-pickers who were paid a contract rate – so much per cubic yard in preparation for planting, building with stone was the obvious answer. Similarly in areas of slate and flint. In deciduous woodland clearings, the land gave the split green wood to make timber-framed houses associated with the Tudor period and in areas planted with pine, the pole houses the simplest construction method. The relative scarcity of wood dictated the use of cob in Tatworth.

The easiest way to use cob was to make blocks using a mould, allowing the cob to dry in the sun – very much like the original way of making clay bricks. This took longer but in the end was more precise. Constructing wooden shuttering either side of the wall then packing, the cob down inside was perhaps the faster method, but took longer to dry out. For some villagers simply piling up the cob into layers allowing each to partially dry out before the next placed on top was the easiest. Making the sides true and square with axe and saw, trimmed it into shape. The quick, but holding the shortest life span, hurdles, or wattle tied against stakes driven into the ground, daub pressed into it from both sides, and smoothed off. All these methods were used allowing a large overhang of the roof to offer protection to the walls. Giving the inside and outside wall a wash of lime gradually built up a hard rainproof surface. Making sure, the rain drained away from the wall base kept the building relatively damp proof. Ultimately, it was continuous maintenance, which secured the longest lasting building, and having a well founded thatch the key to that.

It must not be thought that cob, timber framed or pole houses, flint, slate, or any of those other building materials were inefficient building materials - which had a short life span. They were used hundred of years ago, are still able to be seen today, and lived in. Nor must one think that the builders in the past were incapable of building attractive long lasting houses that leaked, were damp, and disintegrated. Research reveals that lime and brick kilns operating in Tatworth, whilst cob was extensively used. Lime burnt, crushed, and mixed with water made an excellent protective coating and many of the houses were thatched. A full range of attractive bricks was made as well as drainage pipes and roof tiles.

title: The Collins of Chard/Chapter I


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Seminar in Tradecraft and HumInt/Moscow Rules/Moscow Rule 2

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I've spent the past few hours reading about Self-efficacy, and how it relates to motivation, and have come to the conclusion that a lot of our happiness comes from maintaining control over our environment, allowing us to seek out satisfactory outcomes. Not being able to do this leads learnt helplessness. A feeling of total despair and an inability to focus and push forward to achieve goals. This element of control over our environment I believe is at the core of motivation.

See here.

See here.

See here.

During this week we covered the fundamentals of positive psychology and how it relates to motivation and emotion. In the tutorials we dicussed the importance of postivity and self development. In particular we related this discussion to Maslows Hiearchy of needs and his final stage of the pyramid known as self-actualisation.

During this tutorial we had a group discussion regarding people we would like to study based on the notion of self-actualisation

Questions: What is self actualisation? Is it thinking beyond? Linked with spirituality etc.

In week 13 we finished off on a more positive note, covering the fundamentals of positive psychology and how it related to motivation. The subject of positive psychology is a relatively new one, as traditionally abnormal psychology, that is the focus of mental illness, has overshadowed the psychology field.

This exciting new approach to motivation and behaviour, although just in its infancy has led to some surprising discoveries in regards to optimism and its potential health benefits.

A good example of this is an archival study conducted in 2000 by the University of Kentucky. In this study data was taken from 180 nuns that had written short autobiographies after taking their vows in 1932.

The purpose of this study was to measure the positive emotional content found within the autobiographies and see if any significant correlation could be found between the level of positive emotion within the autobiographies and the health of the nuns between the ages of 75 to 95. Statistically significant results were found indicating that higher levels of positive emotion were strongly correlated with a lessened risk of mortality in the later life.

The results found that 54% of the more cheerful nuns were still alive at the age of 94 when compared to just 11% of the less cheerful quarter.

Seligman uses this study as an example of the emotional health benefits of optimism in his book authentic happiness. However why optimism in general can lead to longer life and better health is not completely known, as other complex factors such as diet, family history of illness can also come into it.

One theory for why optimistic people tend to live longer than less optimistic people is based on autonomic nervous system (ANS) response that occurs when one experiences negative emotions. It is thought that when experiencing a heightened sense of arousal triggered by negative emotion or suppression of positive ones can increase the heart rate and blood pressure of an individual, causing the body to work at a harder rate more periodically, which over time is thought to lead to increased wear and tear (Krantz & Munuck, 1984).

How does optimism directly relate to motivation? One model looked at in the lecture and also found in the Reeves textbook (Reeves, p.449-450) lists a number of factors that can affect our motivation. As covered by Reeves, a number of factors including environment, intrapsychic, interpersonal and physiological factors are all potential variables affecting motivation.

Taking into account a physiological model known as the BIS (Behavioural Inhibition System) an important factor of motivation might be explained by the effects of anxiety. High anxiety can cause someone to focus on a task whereas lower anxiety can cause someone to avoid a behaviour, which in turn can lead to depression (Gray, 1985). Although some anxiety is good, this relationship with motivation and anxiety seems to curve off when anxiety levels get to a really high level (Mogg & Bradley, 1998). Although anxiety has some plausible interaction effects with depression.

A much more obvious environmental factor recently theorised in the positive psychology field is the notion of learnt helplessness.

Seligman also credited for coining the term, observed an interesting phenomenon when looking at the behaviour of dogs in response to electric shocks. Briefly summarised, in a study where he paired some dogs two another set of dogs receiving electric shocks, one set of dogs were unable to stop the shocks whereas the others only had to push a lever.

Those dogs that seemed unable to stop the shocks where then compared to those that could in a follow up experiment.

In this experiment both set of dogs could escape the shocks by jumping over a wall partition from within the box the shocks were occurring. It was observed that those previously unable to control the electric shocks for the most would not do this, instead they lay down and whined. However later, after much effort (usually hundreds of attempts), the helpless dogs could learn to jump over the barrier.

The results of Seligman’s experiments have many implications in regards to learnt behaviour and motivation, suggesting that learnt motivational disturbances such as learnt helplessness can be overcome. It might also be interesting to test possible genetic factors contributing to this behaviour.

 * 1) Seligman, M.E.P. and Maier, S.F. (1967). Failure to escape traumatic shock. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74, 1–9.
 * 2) Krantz, D. S., & Manuck, S. B. (1984). Acute psychophysiologic reactivity and risk of cardiovascular disease: A review and methodologic critique.Psychological Bulletin, 96, 435-464.
 * 3) Gray, J. A. (1985) Issues in the neuropsychology of anxiety: In A.H Tuma & J.D. Maser (Eds.). Anxiety and the anxiety disorders. New Jersey: Erlbaum.

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User talk:I.REID

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Motivation and emotion
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Teaching EFL Listening via FUN WITH ENGLISH Books/7B/Lesson 16

Lesson Taught on 11 June 2010

 * 1) Lay out the test papers in the students seats before class begins.
 * 2) Gather the students in their classrooms.
 * 3) Put them in their seats, ensuring horizontal space.
 * 4) Go over how many names they are supposed to write and to put down Mr. Danoff or Mr. Brown depending on who is their teacher.
 * 5) Go over the rules for the test.
 * 6) Administer the test playing each audio piece 3 times.
 * 7) Give them a minute or 2 inbetween each playing to review and answer the questions, depending on how screwy they get.
 * 8) Following the collection of the test, watch a short film.

Lesson Critiques
g8 c10
 * 1) Place the tests out in the chairs.
 * 2) * Not staggering them this class worked fine.
 * 3) Gather the students in their classroom.
 * 4) Explain that they should write 3 names on the sheet.
 * 5) Tell them to write Mr. Brown or Mr. Danoff depending on who is their teacher.
 * 6) * A little bit of confusion.
 * 7) Play the audio 3 times.
 * 8) * Short breaks in between gave some the chance to speak.
 * 9) * Some students who did not understand, simply gave up and did not answer anything.
 * 10) * Tell them to answer the T/F and muliple choice questions?
 * 11) * Ended up playing the audio through one more time at the end.
 * 12) Had the students leave to return
 * After class we discovered the audio played differently in different media players. On one there was a significant echo, on another, none.

g7c7
 * gave them 3 readings from the start.
 * not having the test papers laid out made it more difficult.
 * give them a minute or two around each test to answer questions.
 * played a short movie at the end, which they seemed to like

g7c9
 * have some difficulty with remembering to put their teacher's name on the paper
 * Finished with about 15 minutes to spare.
 * graded some tests as they were watching a film. took about 25 minutes per test.


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Portal:Board game studies/Archive1

=Areas of Inquiry=

Economics and Game Theory

 * Game Theory: The study of human decision making.
 * Games of Game Theory: A Catalog of games used in Game theory and analyses of their use and strategies.

History
A study of Chess is also relevant here.
 * Games of Ancient Rome

Mathematics and Probability

 * Fundamentals of probability theory

Strategic Studies

 * The Universal Tactical Simulation: This project aims to develop a workable set of basic rules, that can be applied to any era of history or configuration of forces, for simulation of combat at a tactical (battlefield) level. The rules will, hopefully, be playable by students and have some degree of pedagogical utility. The project takes the human as the basic unit of analysis and attempts, as best as possible, to measure and predict a human's response to the difficulties experienced in combat. This may be accomplished by the use and analysis of smaller games specifically designed to fight single battles in history.
 * Universal Operational Simulation: Drawing from the experience of the Tactical Simulation, this project aims to make a hex-based operational simulation for the purposes of instruction. Like the Tactical Simulation, it will be useful to develop individual games with specific wars and/or eras as their subject, and then extrapolate common themes into a universal "base" of rules from which any other era or war may be extracted.
 * Strategic Simulations: This project attempts to create a set of workable rules for strategic level simulations. These games should be useful to higher-level students as a pedagogical tool and should be playable by large numbers of players. Each simulation is built to illustrate a certain angle of the study of strategy. When enough data and content is gathered, we may attempt to combine the individual simulations into a grand unified simulation of strategic level decision making.

=Active Members=
 * dnjkirk

=Interactive games=
 * Virtual games and experiments and computer game-simulations

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text: User:Driolar

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User talk:Fluteflute

 Hello Fluteflute, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

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And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity. --Adambro 09:16, 27 August 2010 (UTC)

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The Collins of Chard/Chapter II

 The Collins of Chard: Rural West Country England by Chapter II. The Development of the manor and land.

The Black Death reaped its toll over Britain. The country lost over a third of its population. Some villages were abandoned, and cottages remained empty… the countryside began to disintegrate - as the land drainage systems clogged and the tracks became overgrown. The landowners could not maintain their estates - the fields returned to their natural state. The numbers of skilled artisans – that did survive, were sorely needed, which gave them power, which previously had been denied them… the lord of the manor could not continue with the old manorial system and the tillage system broke down. The only way food could be produced was to entice the remaining men by the promise of land of their own. The onetime cultivated fields now grazed sheep. This alarmed the government who believed this would reduce the number of peasants owing forfeiture – they would lose subjects for the Crown. This they tried to prevent. There is little doubt that the plague did alter the countryside and its manner of husbandry. Food had to be grown and the bartering system had to be maintained. The land’s management certainly took a blow and most manors reduced their farming areas - productivity fell, but only so far, the reduced population was still fed. The main source of income was the lord’s store-flock of sheep and in this the Bishop of Bath did very nicely – he maintained his position. In all, the ancient enclosures of Chard and its sub-manors, did not radically alter. The tillage system evolved with a reduced number of serfs attending to the land.

The first dwellings were the construction of a single room, housing the family and its animals. In the centre the fire. This ‘hall-house’ gave way to the smoke bay house where part of the end of the hall was given a first floor, reached by a ladder. A space was left over the hearth for the smoke to travel up to the roof. In later times, the hearth made into an inglenook open on both sides – this structure becoming a hollow dividing wall – the fire heating both rooms. It was not long before the cooking was done in a separate room either partitioned off or built as a lean-to onto the original structure. The dwellings of the 1600s took the form of a conventional house with two rooms below and a number of bedrooms above. The original rough structures, built before this period were over time, improved, replaced, built onto and refaced… the hovel became the hut, the hut became a cottage and the cottage a farmhouse. A steady improvement over many years made the now quaint farmhouse much sought after - becoming a countryside residence upon the town’s main road.

The hovel had no windows relying upon the open door back and front to give air, light and access for humans and animals. A later improvement, which required very little structural alterations, was to put in window slits - to direct light. The huts that came after, in the 12th century, had windows included with bars and shutters for security, and keep the winter draught out. Horn was also pared down to give a sealed light-penetrating cover but these have not survived. An oiled cloth draped over the hole was another method used – as a light emitting barrier. By the 1500s small paned mullioned windows were glazed having the panes tied to the bars. This was before grooved lead glazing bars were introduced - for the insertion of glass a hundred years later. The glass was blown and cut to fit giving at every blowing what is termed a bottle bottom, the rest was cut into very small panes. Later the glass was blown in a tube, removed - unwrapped - opened out, and cut… This latter method continued for decades. All old glass would have distortions created by blowing and are distinct. Whether the bars created a latticed diamond pattern or vertical and horizontal plan was incidental – a design feature.

By the 17th century, most open hall houses were converted to take a staircase and second floor. The buildings structure incorporated a designed series of fireplaces with the flues linked top and bottom – some sharing the same smoke chamber and chimney. It wasn’t long before builders and architects became aware that it was best to add a kink in the flue to drawn air through the fire… and to stop smoke being sucked back into the room. It did not take the government long to tax people on the number of hearths – rooms, the building had. This was the hearth tax of 1689. Parrocks Lodge had about twelve chimneys. Those houses where there were more than half a dozen chimneys could be considered the dwelling of minor gentry… below this number the house of a yeomen, tradesmen or craftsmen, and those with but one homes for husbandmen, shoemakers, labourers and shepherds. Householders that paid less than 20s for their hearth tax, per annum, were exempt, as long as they did not own another property. This banding applied also to paying church tithes, rents and rates, and to those who were widows; Paupers also did not have to pay or the bedridden.

Chard Manor came about from its geographic position by sitting on a trade route – the main highway between Plymouth and London. When the Doomsday survey was made, there were fewer than two hundred persons in the borough. By the time Queen Elizabeth I mounted the throne that number had increased to five hundred… A further two hundred years saw over five times that amount… then becoming an assize town, with buildings to match its importance. The lord’s ‘manor court’ was probably held at Chard Church otherwise known as Manor Church. It was the place where disputes between all were deliberated and the results declared ‘the custom’. The court was run every three or four weeks by the court baron, whose declarations became local law – no appeal even at the king’s court were countenanced. Other matters were not the business of the lord but for the hundred court to consider, presided over by the sheriff, on behalf of the king. The good behaviour of the citizens maintained by a system of frankpledge. These were groups of ten or so households called tithings, pledged to be responsible for each other’s good behaviour – usually fixed prices of goods and maintained weight and quality. The tithing men and aletasters oversaw the assize of ale.

The church was an important part in village life. Many sermons proclaimed the hope of salvation, which had the result of making attendances regular. For the majority this became a habit, celebrating and proclaiming the rites of baptism, marriage, and death… celebrating too the Saint’s day, Christmas, Easter, Lent and Whitsun, all helped separate the seasons… the peasant’s work on the land - the tilling, sowing, reaping and harvest, given a rightful place in the order of service. All these special occasions drew the congregation together. Saint Mary’s Church, built c1440, in flint and dressings of local Chard stone was given castlations on wall and tower as decoration, was the centrepiece of the local community and provided a meeting place for the village. Bishop Jocelyn’s courtroom of c1235, now part of the church structure, suggests that before the church was built the Bishop’s Courthouse was part of the Bishop’s farmhouse, which is a good deal older than the church. Chard Church has its own cemetery; the allotment of land to provide a cemetery was a privilege granted to the church and not a right. St Margaret’s Chapel at South Chard was built in the 1500s served as one of St Mary’s chantries – whose priest was given an endowment by the mother church to sing masses for the founder’s soul. The chapel made oblations and donations for pious uses to St Mary’s Priest. It was also used as neutral ground for local hearings particularly between the various religious bodies.

A manor was a certain amount of land granted by the king to some baron or lord; the king also granted land to the church for absolution. Locally it was in two parts. There was the demesne - which the lord retained for his own use, and the rest, which was parcelled out to the tenant’s, freemen, or villeins - held in villeinage, virgate or half-virgate land [A virgate is thirty acres] - in return for services. The land was allotted in hides or carucate, which was an area of land, which could be ploughed by one team of oven in one year... Each manor was a kingdom within itself… with its own customs… wholly at the mercy of the lord, who held the largest share of common pasture and wasteland. The tenants had certain liabilities besides supplying eggs and chickens… they had to perform boom-works at harvest and ploughing time… these duties were not linked to him but to the land he held… he however, was expected to provide ‘aids’. The legal possessor of the land – who occupies it - as ‘something passed down from generation to generation’, holds it as his ‘demesne’ [di΄meen]. In the English village the lord of the manor owns, more often than not, ‘home farm’. He also owns a number of strips in each field and sundry other parcels of land. The lord charged rent for the use of his land that was collected by his steward or bailiff – who also had the task of allocating the land. The Bishop of Bath, being the district governor of the church, received a tithe - a tax of one tenth of annual proceeds of the land worked… collected by the Bishop’s bailiff for the church commissioner. Sir William Petre and his successors – the Barons Petre, were granted the sub-manor… and received, as a due, rent from each villager… This could be cash, produce or service. This ‘right’ depended on any number of circumstances - good or bad harvest, what work was necessary in the manor and war. Sir William also had to pay rent to the Bishop who was Lord of Chard Manor. When first marked out the greater part of the manor was divided up into strips or balks. These strips were separated from each other by unploughed turf. The strips were not all the same size but measured about an acre… the length being a furlong - 40 poles, and the width, 4 poles. A furlong taken as being a suitable length to drive a plough pulled by oxen to make a furrow. A pole, rod and perch being the same length, the language difference being a purely local patois. Some strips were half-acres having the same length as an acre strip but half the number of rods wide. The strips lay side by side – separated by unploughed furrows, to make a number of separated strips – about a square acre. Each acre square separated by wider balks, which became over time overgrown, making a rough hedge. There was an important downside to this system of land share. The principle was that each year different strips were issued to every villager from the three fields – so that all had an equal chance of receiving the best and worst land. This collective issuing of land meant there was no incentive to treat the land well - knowing that it was to be re-allotted the following year. Another handicap was having to move any tools, hurdles and other farming paraphernalia to the new site wasted time and energy.

All the tenants’ vassals in the manor were allocated a certain number of strips, in several fields, so that the best and worst evenly shared – some probably held land gained by military service. The head tenant was probably the sheriff, who held a virgate and considered himself a yeoman – a much-respected man in the manor. A lesser holding was the cotland holding five acres whose holder did not attend court, paid no rent or relief but provided services. Below the free tenants came the villeins – the baulk of the population – who did the main work. The villeins, customary holdings - tied to the land called copyhold land – copied into the rolls. The waste hold tenancy held less than an acre in return for a small rent. Sub-tenancies could be granted usually only by the head tenant from his own land, then the rent was due to him. People who owned no land - who rented, did not appear on the rolls. Below them came the cottagers who might be called allottees and lower still the serfs who were really slaves that could be bought and sold in the market at the lord’s pleasure. This became known as the ‘open or common field’ system of cultivation. The common land, or waste, was shared too; in a similar manner - for grazing and haymaking… when the harvest on the strips gathered in this too put to graze using hurdles to pen-in the flock.

Where the strips touched head to head a gap was left to become the ‘headland’ – the place where the plough could be turned round, this area of land could be cultivated, but only after all the strips had been ploughed. If the strips were situated upon a hillside, terracing, or lynches would occur. If one or a number of tenants worked thirty scattered acres of land this bundle of land was referred to as a virgate ‘worked by a villein’ therefore he became a villein tenant… the highest grade in the village hierarchy and served as jurors in the ‘Halimot’ – Court of the Manor. Even though a villein owned the land, he still had to pay rent. Uncultivated land, bearing beech, oak and scrub, was prepared for future cultivation. The felled wood split for building houses, furniture making and fencing, and the better pieces used in the manufacture of wagons and farming implements. This clearance prepared land for the new generation to occupy it also helped develop the basis for new highways. Clearing land exposed rocky outcrops, gravel beds and chalk hills all to be of use building roads and houses of the future old town.

This manorial and monastical system, exacting rents and tithes for the use of the land, was, if fairly operated, for the good of all. The Lord and Bishop guaranteed security and stewardship… they needed the serfs, or villeins - to work the land productively, and ultimately, profitably, to maintain their position. The ‘freemen’ in the village were not subject to this tax, they owned their own plot of land or had a trade or skill needed by the lord. Unfortunately, none of the landlords were above taking advantage of their position, interpreting ‘the kings will’ to suit themselves - extracting more and more for their ‘rights’. This development of the land and the overseeing of best practice in the seasonal production of food was not haphazard. It was about husbandry – cultivation by open-field farming where villagers worked their own strips of land in the company of others all within a large field. The tools, harnesses and heavy equipment shared as were the oxen. After the harvest all, the livestock turned out into the field to manure the land and partake of the feed. All this was done in ‘common’ – with everyone else – as a communeral undertaking. There was no time for disharmony or discussion, the land and weather dictated the course of events. The methods of cultivation and husbandry worked out over the centuries. Everyone had to pull together and make the system work.

The strips of land allotted to each villager were long and thin specially designed for the ox-team to get in and plough. The action of ploughing over the centuries had produced steps, somewhat like terracing, seen today as a series of ridges. The strips grouped together in shots or furlongs and where the heads of the strips touched the unploughed parts were called baulks – over time became paths, tracks and byways. All villagers held a number of strips in three fields – one of the fields kept in rotation fallow, as pasture for the animals to manure. [Rents were not due for fallow land] The number of strips distributed by rank or standing in the community – allotted by the lord’s steward. His job was to see that this distribution of land was fair - according to age old custom and fertility of the soil – sharing good and difficult land. The three-year system worked tolerably well – one year to grow corn or peas, the next corn and beans and the following to lie fallow.

The villein’s stint – his allotted amount of work or share of the land, was five sheep for every acre of meadow, this also applied to the number of sheep he could turn out into the field-laying fallow. In the late fifteenth century, fees had to be paid to the Reeve for pannage rights – allowing pigs to root among the acorns in Great Chard Wood. Pasturage, conferring the right to graze cattle. Another, entitled the villager to turbary – cut turf or dig peat, estovers – to gather wood from uprooted trees and wyndfallen, gather wood from branches blown off trees. An amount had to be paid for the enclosure for grazing in Chard meadows and on the common land beyond Tatworth Middle Field. The pig was the primary source of meat for the villager. Once again, pannage had to be paid for letting the swine feed and a strict watch was paid for how many and for how long the pigs ate. Too much rooting disturbed the growth of young trees and the mud baths created barren earth. Although there was clearage of forest, wood and bracken to form arable land it was appreciated that this would detrimentally affect the numbers of wild animals that could be caught and eaten and eventually strip the land of wood for building.

As Tatworth expanded – mostly by births not by an influx of workers, more trades and skills became available that brought prosperity to the village. The baker, butcher, ale sellers, cobbler, smith, carters, drovers, shepherds, shop keeper, tailor and weaver of baskets just a few of the trades that flourished. Whilst they were busy they could not work the land or the land they were allotted. Therefore, there was bartering, agreements and tokens to be exchanged. Each villager had an entitlement to use the wasteland – meadow, pasture, and wood. Mostly all villagers paid rent and tithes, and carried out some service for the community - threshing, winnowing, gathering, carrying, or stacking. The meadowland down by the river was specially set aside for the small herd of oxen owned by the Bishop - kept to do all the heavy work in the village.

During the Reformation, Henry VIII made himself Head of the Church of England in 1534 – this was the pre-industrial age of English history. Henry’s act abolished control of the English Church from Rome, and as the church was very strong - played an important part in English society, Henry assumed total power over all aspects of the society. This was also a dynamic age regarding the economy, which affected both towns and villages. From this book’s point of view, this age set Chard and its satellite villages firmly on the map. As explained, the village of Tatworth functioned using a high degree of democratic control through The Bishops representatives working in conjunction with village-meetings - expressing concerns and electing the populations choice of leaders. The economy was centred on arable farming, the dairy livestock, woodland crafts, and smithy.

The lord of the manor, who may also be the squire and magistrate, exercised justice and good government. The squire, usually the largest landowner, was the senior landed gentleman and managed the day to day running of the manor. It was a handed down, hierarchical existence, based on the gentry. This was not always the case if there was an aristocrat or Bishop in the manor who may have been in a higher class. However, neither of these tended to interfere in the running of the manor. Following on under the squire was the parson, then, the largest tenant farmer running the manor farm, the apothecary, the miller, the bailiff, the wheelwright, publican, postman and then the smallholders. At the bottom, the shoemaker and below him the agricultural labourer. Each member of the community dressed according to their position in society. Research declares that Tatworth was a sub-manor of about five hundred acres producing corn and livestock. The first possessor of the land was Sir William Petre in 1550 as a dependant paying rent to the Bishop of Bath & Welles. He was a tenant of the sub-manor working his service. He had no court for the bishop was the owner. His manor was in effect an agricultural holding.

A butcher of Tatworth, according to the Borough Court records of 1569, overcharged shoppers and was fined… This was not the only case recorded where shop owners tried to extract more for their wares than was acceptable. The manor court or assemblies, called ‘Hallmoots’, controlled the actions of the population by the consent of the owner of the land - who had ‘right of title’… in effect, the lord of the manor… and to the Bishop, being the representative of the church. In the instance of Chard manor and its sub-manor Tatworth the lord of the manor was the Bishop of Wells who was the district governor of The Church.

Tatworth grew in size - in the number of dwellings erected… the increased population were materially better off than previous generations. The swing away from a purely arable to mixed farming – with an emphasis on sheep rearing improved per-capita wealth. Towards the end of the century, the common land was under pressure to be enclosed. It became essential for good stock breeding to separate animals, carefully manage the production of wool and dairy food… this was a natural and obvious evolution in the production of food and animal products. The reaction of the small holding poor was one of fright and concern. The peasantry were being forced to give up their rights by the larger tenant farmers. The result was unrest. More commons were turned into pastures and the onetime tilled fields seeded with grass. The wealthy farmers began to take a great interest in better husbandry. Pastures were drained, watercourses diverted and ditches dug. Stones were picked up off the land and used to erect boundary walls. Fences erected and hedges laid. England began to take the shape seen today. In reality, the poor were being exploited by giving up their rights, which they receive little compensation for. Gradually the little hovels and hamlets were flattened and cottages abandoned. The poor drifted towards the towns to work in the mills. The Collins, and the rest of the inhabitants of Tatworth, remained closely tied to the land - to the manorial system.

The dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry saw two-thirds of ex-monastic land sold… his original intention was to abolish the whole monastic system. The monastic houses included abbeys, convents, nunneries and friaries… their dissolution lasted four years between 1536 – 1540… in all there were over eight hundred religious houses, the homes to many monks, friars, canons, and nuns. Initially lands were given to the church by the king and his lords to secure redemption – to be prayed for. By good husbandry, the monks developed the land making it very profitable. Before the dissolution, the bulk of the land was put to wool production, which was very profitable finding a ready market at home, and aboard. This made the various religious bodies’ very wealth. It was after The Black Death, which reaped a heavy toll on the population as well as the monks that the tillage system faltered. The land afterwards could not be maintained properly. To increase profitability the fields were turned into pastureland, which was easier to manage. Clearing the land of stone, building walls, fences and hedges the sheep were corralled… production increased and profits kept pace.

In 1538, the Vicar-General decided that the dissolution was not being accomplished fast enough especially on the larger houses. He sent out his secretaries who presented a ready-made deed of surrender to the abbot who in most cases readily signed the property away. Those who did so willingly were granted a pension for life and a lump sum of money. The sized property was granted to landowners or offered for sale, some given to the parish. The stonework demolished and reused, lead and precious metal melted down. There were a number of priories raised to cathedral status with a dean, and a chapter of canons, that saved them from extinction. The redistribution of land meant a change of ownership not ‘change of use’. The system of paying rents and tithes did not alter - only now there were more owners. However, before the new order was established there was disruption and confusion – rents not paid - land becoming overgrown. Eventually, some of the church lands were returned to their original owners… and order restored…

This harmony was soon dashed by tenant eviction. The ‘open field system’ was changed to one of ‘enclosure’. The object was to make the land more productive, especially for the grazing of sheep… this in turn gave an opportunity to advance a new farming technique - controlled dunging of arable land. The village people really affected by closure were the small tenant farmers of mixed farms, smallholders and those with limited rights. They were all paid a minimum amount to move minus that year’s forfeiture fee. In the 1530s, the price of farm produce – labour and grain, increased appreciably. By 1540, there was a series drought, which pushed prices up further. It was thought by some that this was exacerbated by the continuing enclosure of land – that sheep farming reduced the amount of land available for arable crops. Four years later the king sold off more land grants. The rents due on the land included the right to carry on collecting the old Landmole rents [ground rent outside the town walls, rent at a penny an acre – or measure of land, per half year]. Thus, the tenants on land had a new property owner not set free from their old duties of forfeiture. Over the next fifty years there was much selling of land, which consolidated holdings and redeveloped larger estates. The Bishop of Bath held onto his estates being a supporter of the king. Edward Seymour promoted himself to Duke of Somerset and by so doing focussed attention on himself. Eventually he was overthrown and replaced as head of the Great Council by the Earl of Warwick.

The effects that came from the dissolution of the monasteries on the citizens of Tatworth were small. Henry’s commissioners found nothing in St Margaret’s chantry or any guild funds to lay their hands on. The Abbey at Forde closed becoming a private home. Those in the village who were staunch Catholics kept a low profile, moved away or emigrated. For the labouring tenants nothing altered their way of life. Having the Chantry and guilds abolished and their plate melted down meant little to them. In 1546, peace was restored between England and France. Mary I followed by restoring the Catholic faith in England nine years later, then it was the turn of the Protestants to hide. From this time the non-conformists began to form groups lead by dedicated missionaries. The dissenting chapels started being raised over the next three hundred years: The Baptists, Mission Halls, Methodists, and Wesleyans, The Independents and the Congregationalists and others. This move away from the established religious institutions marks out Tatworth and the area around.

The church was not the only institution going through social and economic changes. The expanding population that was ‘on the move’ was undermining the manorial system. It was a time of recession after as period of growth. The government brought about controls through Justices of the Peace who had the authority to impose fund-raising to relieve poverty. The administration ordered the Parish of Chard carry out legislation with a constable of its own. Gradually the manor lost its relevance. The importance of wool is recorded in 1586 as a commodity, as well as for local bartering and weaving - no longer thought of just as a by-product. Gradually the purely rural cultivation of land promoted ancillary trades which eventually developed more profitable skills – the wagon maker turned his hand to making more practical farming machines, the millwright devised machinery for cutting wood and the blacksmith produced cooking implements and furniture for doors and windows. It wasn’t long before these skilful adaptors became organized by entrepreneurs, adding yet another strata to the society. These new tradesmen maintained their position by organizing themselves into guilds - societies for mutual benefit controlled by a council.

The domination of the underclass, by those who owned the land, was not seriously questioned – it was an accepted fact, and only worked when for most of the time a sort of fairness existed – some individuals changed their class through hard work, opportunism and good fortune. Those who held freehold land were guaranteed the right to vote for Parliament. The yeomen were the baulk of the lesser landowners – they could be tenant farmers if prosperous. They served a jurors, constables, churchwardens and bailiffs. In a village, such as Tatworth, there were but few, perhaps three or four tenant farmers. It was to them that any credit goes if the village was run well. Husbandmen rarely owned land but had smallholdings with long-term leases, which were renewed. They either bought spare land to make theirs more profitable or became wage labourers for others whilst maintaining theirs.

title: The Collins of Chard/Chapter II


text:
User talk:David baidoo

 Hello David baidoo, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
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And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity.Harrypotter 14:09, 27 August 2010 (UTC)

title: User talk:David baidoo


text:
User talk:Gigue1965

 Hello Harrypotter, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

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And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity.Harrypotter 14:09, 27 August 2010 (UTC)

title: User talk:Gigue1965


text:
User talk:Codes.burner

 Hello Codes.burner, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

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title: User talk:Codes.burner


text: File:Zoom globe.jpg

title: File:Zoom globe.jpg


text:
Geographic touchpoints

The concept of geographic touchpoints, a term popularized by Gregory Kohs, is the association of points on the Earth's surface with significant events in history. In this Wikiversity learning resource, we wish to build a database that associates four significant events in a person's history (birth, education, work, and death) with the corresponding touchpoints on the globe.

How to participate
Everyone is welcome to join in building this learning resource in one or more of the following ways:

Database development

 * Add your personal geographic touchpoints to the database below
 * Add the verifiable geographic touchpoints of other individuals (try to diversify the sample)
 * Proof, corroborate, and update existing touchpoints in the database

Analyze the database
Using any method or software of your choosing, try to determine how these geographic touchpoints might tell a larger story.
 * Do individuals with a lower income have a smaller geographic footprint over their lifespan?
 * Do males or females travel farther from their birthplace to receive their highest education?
 * Are people born more recently more mobile over their lifespan? If so, how much more in terms of miles expanded per decade of cohort births?
 * Etc., etc., etc. Let your imagination wander!

Details
The Geographic touchpoints initiative will be a collection of coordinate mapping data for four key events in a person's lifetime:
 * Birth - Place of birth
 * School - Where engaged in most advanced phase of formal education (to date)
 * Work - Where performed highest-paid phase of employment (to date)
 * Death - Where subject reasonably wishes for remains to be interred or scattered, or (in case of death) actual interment place

You may wish to use iTouchMap to assist in finding latitude and longitude coordinates.

Additional data points are requested from contributors, so that a more robust analysis may be accomplished. These are:
 * Year of birth - YYYY
 * Gender - M or F
 * Highest level of education (to date) - NHS (did not complete high school); HS (high school diploma); SC (some college); C (college degree); GS (graduate study); G (graduate degree).
 * Household income (current quintile for the country where work touchpoint was performed) - 1 (lowest class); 2 (lower middle); 3 (middle); 4 (upper middle); 5 (highest class).

You may enter data about yourself, or about well-documented individuals of wider notability. It is believed that substantial insights may be gained from the detailed analysis of this data, once the sample set contains at least 1,000 members.

Assistance
If you are too confused (or lazy!) to enter your data into the table, feel free to just leave your information in text form on the discussion page, and someone will be along shortly to look up and plug in your coordinate data.

Musical inspiration
If you wish, enjoy the music video Birth, School, Work, Death by The Godfathers.

title: Geographic touchpoints


text:
Howard Gardner's Nine Types of Intelligence

Introduction

While Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences has been critiqued for having never been tested or subjected to peer review, many educators prefer it as a "common sense" alternative to a unitary concept of intelligence purportedly measured by psychometric tests. Gardner argues that IQ tests only address linguistic, logical, and some aspects of spatial intelligence, and attempts to address other types of intelligence. Educational consultant Dr. Thomas Armstrong believes that each "type" of intelligence also provides a potential pathway for learning. Though Gardner's work provides an alternative groundwork for moving away from psychometric tests and a view of intelligence as a unitary phenomenon, it also has many flaws beyond its lack of empirical validity, including its failure to consider development (such as Piaget's work) or emotional intelligence (a la Goleman).

Each "type" of intelligence is broken down into the component skills or capabilities Gardner associates with it, as well as particular tasks or jobs he sees as benefiting from it.

Naturalistic Intelligence
Added in 1999, this type of intelligence purports to deal with the natural world, but appears to have less to do with human interactions with nature and more to do with visual and observational skills used to discriminate between objects, shapes, textures, smells, etc.

 * discriminating
 * recognizing and distinguishing between plants and animals
 * sensitive
 * noticing geological formations, clouds, etc.
 * agriculture
 * cooking
 * consumer culture
 * discriminating between 'products'

Musical Intelligence
Gardner does not expound much on the link between music and the emotions (no wonder, as he appears to completely ignore emotional intelligence) or on the link between music and mathematics.

 * discerning
 * identify pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone
 * recognizing
 * identify instruments, familiar tunes, etc.
 * creating
 * produce original music
 * imitating
 * reproduce others' music
 * contemplating
 * make observations about music
 * sensitive listeners
 * aware of sounds others may miss
 * emotional link
 * mathematical link

Logical-mathematical Intelligence
This is essentially analytical or 'rational' thought.

 * calculating
 * quantifying
 * categorical
 * considering propositions and hypotheses
 * solving math problems
 * perceiving relationships and connections
 * using abstract symbolic thought
 * sequential reasoning
 * inductive and deductive thinking
 * interested in patterns
 * mathematicians
 * scientists
 * detectives

Existential Intelligence
Gardner also considered calling this 'moral' intelligence, and has not developed this type very extensively; it receives little mention or attention in other articles on Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.

 * asking 'deep' questions
 * why are we here, why do we die? etc.

Interpersonal Intelligence
This appears to be much more concerned with 'effective' communication to gain resources, not emotional communication; there is no mention or consideration of empathy here.

 * understanding
 * aware of others' feelings and motives
 * communicating
 * perspective-taking
 * sensitivity
 * recognizing others' moods and temperaments
 * teachers
 * social workers
 * actors
 * politicians

Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence

 * fine motor skills
 * gross motor skills
 * coordination
 * timing
 * mind–body union
 * athletes
 * dancers
 * surgeons
 * craftspeople

Linguistic Intelligence

 * think in words
 * understand the order and meaning of words
 * meta-linguistic skills
 * reflect on use of language
 * writing
 * reading
 * storytelling
 * crossword puzzles
 * poets
 * novelists
 * journalists
 * 'effective' public speakers

Intra-personal Intelligence

 * self-awareness
 * self-understanding
 * self-motivation
 * introspection
 * appreciates 'the human condition'
 * psychologists
 * spiritual leaders
 * philosophers

Spatial Intelligence

 * think in three dimensions
 * mental imagery
 * spatial reasoning
 * image manipulation
 * graphic and artistic skills
 * active imagination
 * daydreaming
 * sailors
 * pilots
 * sculptors
 * painters
 * architects

Gardner mentions 'imagination' only in the context of spatial intelligence, just as he mentions 'creativity' only in the context of musical intelligence. There are a number of false distinctions or areas of overlap that go unacknowledged. While there is definitely a need for an alternative model to stand against psychometric testing and the concept of intelligence as a single phenomenon, Gardner's work only provides a 'theory' in the philosophical sense, and does not stand up as a scientific theory or a model in its current state.


text:
User:Gruenhmw

Hello, my name is Malachi Gruenhagen. I am currently studying at Miami University with the hopes of receiving my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. While my research interests extend into a great number of topics, environmental studies, Judaic studies, and nursing are the area to which I show the greatest continual commitment. I am committed to the philosophy of libre knowledge while strongly believing that free knowledge should not mean knowledge of lesser accuracy. I hope that I can be of assistance to Wikiversity by helping to refine the quality of articles within my research interests.

title: User:Gruenhmw


text:
User talk:Jesss987

 Hello Jesss987, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
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 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
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And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity.Harrypotter 19:50, 27 August 2010 (UTC)

title: User talk:Jesss987


text:
User talk:Khoman78

 Hello Khoman78, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

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And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity.Harrypotter 19:51, 27 August 2010 (UTC)

title: User talk:Khoman78


text:
User talk:Gruenhmw

 Hello Harrypotter, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity.Harrypotter 19:51, 27 August 2010 (UTC)

Documentary Hypothesis
I would be grateful if you could look at Bible, English, King James, According to the documentary hypothesis. Actually, the topic is the Torah, even if the person developing the page became a little over excited about using an Church of England. Nevertheless, I think the documentary hypothesis could usefully complement some of the other views expressed as regards the origins of the Torah. What do you think? However, weighed down by Jacobean embroidery the page currently has to support, I feel the the reservations spelled out on Topic page would exclude it's inclusion.Harrypotter 20:27, 27 August 2010 (UTC) Harrypotter 19:57, 27 August 2010 (UTC)

title: User talk:Gruenhmw


text:
User:The obvious two or three

JOKE, User:Thekohser!

title: User:The obvious two or three


text:
User talk:Taruna srivastava

 Hello Taruna srivastava, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
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 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
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And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity.Harrypotter 20:41, 27 August 2010 (UTC)

title: User talk:Taruna srivastava