Towards a single Learning Object Platform

		       "Instantiation of a Candle"

			    January 19, 2005

			    W. Curtiss Priest


William Blake. 1757-1827

The Tiger

TIGER, tiger, burning bright In the forests of the night, What
immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant
deeps or skies

Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the
hand dare seize the fire? And what shoulder and what art Could twist
the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand and what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain? In what furnace was thy brain? What
the anvil? What dread grasp

Dare its deadly terrors clasp? When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears, Did He smile His work to see? Did
He who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, tiger, burning bright In the forests of the night, What
immortal hand or eye Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

One cannot think of burning without imagining how a flame evokes both
good and evil in the world.  It is by flame that we both warm many
homes, and it is by flame, and electric generator that we cool many
homes.  It is by flame that most meat is roasted and it is by flame
that many of us are able to see in the dark.  Yes some receive
electric power by the splitting of atoms but most of us receive power
via the burning of wood, gas, oil, or coal.

So, to instantiate a candle is to put the candle in its historic,
present and future position as a source of light and warmth.  And, as
a source of light, the candle has meaning from "Bellbook and Candle"
to emergency kits containing bandages, water and candles.

So, the properties of a candle range from the eminating of light via
the combustion of wax using a wick, to the myriad ways in which
candles have infused themselves with the human race.

Candles have mystical and religious properties.  When some wish for
grace from God, they enter a church and light a candle.  Candle light
not only lights the way, but, it provides the affirmation of our
existence on this planet.

The candle is also symbolic of fire that destroys.  The candle, placed
to close to drapes, passes combustion to the frail fibers.

So, to conceive of "a candle" as a learning object, we must recognize
the many ways in which "candleness" permeates (or permeated) the world
around us.

A chemist, alone, might simply focus on how the liquid paraffin is
"wicked up" and how there is a steady-state way in which the burning
candle, further liquifies the paraffin, thus providing further liquid
for the wick to emit hydrocarbons to the air, and, how those
hydrocarbons combine with oxygen in the air to produce a flame.

However, "the candle" has many meanings and properties in our world
that extend well past a simple form of combustion.  We can, at least,
divide these properties into 1.)  The ways in which candles have
spiritual significance, and, 2.)  The ways in which the candle is one
of many ways we produce either illumination or warmth.  So, from an
"object" perspective, we have a host of properties associated with the
candle.  And, as an "object" or "learning object" we now have two
major properties to ascribe to the candle.

Let's focus on the spiritual properties.  When electricity fails, many
turn to the candle as a backup, to illuminate the dark.  So, at a very
basic level, the candle is the object that turns dark into light. 
While some, awake, might sit in the dark, most of us have some,
underlying fear of darkness -- perhaps out of a feeling of unseen
vulnerability.  In some situations dangerous creatures are repelled by
light, so this fear is not without basis.

So, any flame, via torch or candle, etc., has vast historical
implications.  Some might wander an ill-lit building or castle, guided
only by the sparse light of the candle.  And, today, if a movie wishes
to evoke such sense of refuge, we will have a character holding a
candleholder, candle, and whispering shadows on the walls about the
character.  The candle connotes only limited visibility, so we can see
within a few feet of the candle, but, if darkness, there is always the
dread of what might lie beyond the light of the candle.  And a sudden
gust of wind might extinguish the candle, thus raising apprehension
about the wind.

At another level, candles connote festivity.  As candles can be
scented we can create both a mood of light and fragrance.  Such a mood
might grace a party of gatherers or it might grace the bed of two
lovers.  The flame flickers with every movement, almost as if it is
alive. Despite the modern use of electric bulbs, candles are sold in
the billions.  These candles speak to their users in ways that even a
candle-like, flickering bulb cannot.  We adorn birthday cakes with
miniature candles and their number often speaks to the age of the
recipient.  We create candles that relight themselves, even when
(apparently) blown out.  So, such candles remind us of fireworks.

And, the religious significance of candles pervades across religious
belief and throughout the world.  For a tuppence of contribution to a
church, we may light one of many candles sitting to exude their light.
The visitor finds peace in his/her soul in lighting the candle under
the grace of God.  The light that shines may help atol for past sins
or may shine upon a religious event that mightily engages the
participant.

At the most elementary level, the candle has practical purposes.  A
candle may be used to keep a cheese fondue ready for dipping.  Several
dozen candles provides warmth and a way to remove the frost from cold
hands.  The soot of a candle is a means to blacken glass, so that
traces can be later observed.  The delicate flame can be used to
indicate and measure air flow.  The varying colors of the flame
indicates the efficiency with which wax (oil) combines with ambient
air, and building upon that knowledge, better oil burners are
designed.

***

So, to instantiate a candle means to take "object" "candle" and place
it into its place vis a vis the purpose of a candle.  And, as a candle
has a myriad of purposes, we need only partially instantiate a candle,
for the purpose at hand.  So, we reach into the "world brain" of
candleness and we extract that aspect of a candle, that, say, lights
our way in walking down a dark corridor.  So, the "property" of the
candle is physical illuminiation.  And, what "methods" do we ascribe
to this property:

       1.  Ignition: the candle must be capable of ignition by, say, a
	    match

       2.  Constance: the candle must be capable of providing a fairly
	    constant light

       3.  Range: the candle must be capable of illuminating enough
	    distance so that the act of walking is easily attained

       4.  Sympathy: the candle must provide light without harming the
	    user either by its heat nor by any emitted poisons

       5.  Longevity: the candle must last, at least, for the length
	    of the journey

       6.  Radiance: the frequency spectrum of the candle must be
	    within our ability to witness illumance

In summary, had we a fully defined candle as a 'learning object' --
not only would the learner be able to witness those properties that
pertain to the current presence of the candle, but, the learner would
be able to traverse "the candle" to its other uses and purposes.

The result of such an ability is to introduce the learner to the
wholeness of "the candle" as an entity that has a complex and rich
history, thus, tying the learner's mind to the linkages that the
candle represents.

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Thu, 20 Jan 2005 18:14:24 -0500

In my essay [above] I generally address "properties" of
"a candle."

I then chose to instantiate (have a use or access
to the candle) by calling on its property to
"physicially illuminate" a physical space.  I then
describe various "methods" that pertain to the property,
such as the method of "being lit."

So, when you write and ask where is the object?  I am
quite confused.  The candle as a learning object has
the method "being lit" which the student understands
in the context of its other methods and its other
properties.

Now.  A "science standard" is not a property of the
candle, it is a property of the student.

Say the science standard is "concept awareness of
illumination."

The question is.  Does this student, more specifically,
have concept awareness of illuminations provided via
properties of candles?

Now.  If I observe a student with a candle and if the
student strikes a match (yet another object) and
brings it in proximity of the wick, then the student
will have demonstrated concept awareness of the "being
lit" method of the "illumination" property of a candle.

Say, now, I ask the student to bring the lit candle, quickly,
across the room.  If the student takes his/her hand
and holds it to guard the flame from excessive wind,
then the student has now demonstrated concept awareness
of the "constance" method of the "illumination" property of
a candle.  In this case the student also demonstrates
concept awareness of a cupped hand of the "baffle" method
of the "aerodynamic" property of a partial cup (yet another,
different object).

So, you see the candle, itself, has no direct properties
related to science standards.  These standards relate
to the candle as an object within a myriad of ways in
which candle (as object) and learner (as object) interact.

In our notion of affinity is a glimmer of how certain
exterior objects tend to want to work together.  In
the case of the candle, a cup, or a shroud, general
want to work together.  In the context of providing
steady light, they need each other.

And, when we observe how well the student, as an object, has
learned, we are really witnessing how well the student
understands the natural affinities.

And, when learning leads to invention, we are actually
witnessing the birth of new affinities.  And, at first,
these are just technological affinities, i.e., the
pieces work together.  Now, for the invention to be
an innovation, it is the steps beyond technological
affinities, they are affinities with the ways in which
people wish to conduct themselves.

So, in summary, we need to also instantiate an object
of pedagogy.  That object has its own properties such
as "suitability to a learning style" or "defining affinities
among objects."

The "portal" then becomes an instantiation of the
pedagogy object.

Sincerely,

Curtiss