James Burke Institute's Knowledge Web




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	The Knowledge Web
	At the beginning of the twentieth century, explorers, scientists, oceanographers, aviators, and other adventurous spirits—often aided by the emerging technologies of the time—set out to explore the planet’s remaining frontiers and expand the boundaries of human experience and knowledge. A century later, information technology has created a new frontier where all the accomplishments of the past and all the possibilities of the future wait for intrepid explorers to blaze trails of discovery. So the building of the Knowledge Web is not so much a project as it is an expedition, and like any great expedition, it needs hands, minds, skills, and work. *What is the Knowledge Web?* The Knowledge Web is an interactive learning tool, an online resource that enables users to explore the history and creation of ideas. Users journey through a rich, three-dimensional database of knowledge, made up of thousands of history’s key people, places, and inventions, interlinked in thousands of ways, to discover the remarkable serendipity behind humankind’s tireless commitment to invention and innovation. Content for the initial Knowledge Web database is being compiled from the research James Burke has collected over his career. With continuing contributions from subject matter experts and digital content providers such as libraries and museums, the Knowledge Web can grow to include a theoretically unlimited amount of information. Currently teachers are testing a beta version of the Knowledge Web and exploring ways to integrate the K-Web into their lesson plans. For teachers and students alike, the Knowledge Web aims to: Offer an accessible approach to the world of knowledge. The Knowledge Web is as engaging as it is educational. Put the people, places, and events of history into a relevant context. The Knowledge Web shows users that we are the product of history, and that to understand our future, we have to understand our past. In some way, everybody and everything is interconnected. Inspire users. Through the Knowledge Web, teachers can encourage talent that may not be recognized or cultivated by common methods of teaching and learning. *Who will use it?* Perfect for educators, students, and lifelong learners, the Knowledge Web provides framework for mapping the accomplishments of the past and the possibilities of the future. The Knowledge Web is meant for all curious people, from precocious 10-year-olds through adults. Educators—particularly middle school and high school social science teachers—are already beginning to incorporate the Knowledge Web into their curricula. Interested individuals will be able to explore the Knowledge Web on their own through the World Wide Web. Teachers can assist in testing the Knowledge Web and in creating lesson plans and other supporting materials articulated to state standards. Educators interested in consulting on or testing the project are invited to contact Patrick McKercher Next: How It Works...
		“Learners may study either history or physics, or perhaps only Renaissance history and astrophysics. People tend to become experts in highly specialized fields, learning more and more about less and less.” James Burke