Written by: Ana Mairena, ClioVis Intern and University of Texas History and Psychology Major

August 15, 2024.

Who is Sabrina Carpenter?

For many people, the story of Sabrina Carpenter begins in 2021, following the media frenzy generated by a suspected love triangle between herself and fellow musicians Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo. But long before she was rumored to be “that blonde girl” mentioned in Rodrigo’s song “Driver’s License,” Carpenter was an accomplished actress and singer whose career was already on the rise. She co-starred in her own Disney Channel show, Girl Meets World, for three years and had finalized a record deal at the ripe old age of 14. Five studio albums and several film appearances later, Sabrina is one of the most well-formed and well-branded pop stars of her age. 

Follow along with the video case study I made on how I used ClioVis to make a visual timeline of Taylor Swift’s career and further my learning experience in the classroom.

My personal connection to the music

Although the general public is just now waking up to the force that is Sabrina Carpenter, I’ve been aware of her career since she played Maya Hart on the aforementioned Girl Meets World, a spin-off of the ‘90s show Boy Meets World. I was a fan when she released her debut single “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying” all the way back in 2014, and I’ve watched as she evolved from her Eyes Wide Open era all the way to Short n’ Sweet, which will be her most recent album. For many of her listeners, Carpenter’s recent success isn’t just the work of the past couple years, it’s the culmination of a decade’s worth of fandom. Sabrina has grown up and so have we, right alongside her.

Where the new meets the old – and how ClioVis helps us bridge the gap

Because Sabrina’s career was somewhat of a slow burn to stardom, it can be difficult for people to wrap their heads around her fame. Some argue that she shouldn’t be nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys this year because she’s about to release her sixth album, which makes it seem like she isn’t very “new,” but others have frequently commented that they hadn’t heard of her at all until recently. Making a ClioVis timeline allows us to see how Sabrina grew into her artistry with each passing album, and how her current fame is the product of her experience as a child star.

Conclusion

A timeline also helps us understand how Sabrina’s career has been connected to and shaped by other celebrities. One of her first major breakthroughs in music was when she placed third in a singing competition hosted by Miley Cyrus. Since then, Sabrina has performed with The Vamps and opened for the likes of Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift. Now a huge artist in her own right, she’s giving a platform to other musicians such as girlhouse, Blu DeTiger, spill tab, and Annika Bennett, who were some of the opening acts on her most recent tour. Tools like ClioVis give users the opportunity to show the development and trajectory of not just their favorite pop stars but the advancement of whatever subject they feel passionate about. Check out another ClioVis timeline about Taylor Swift.

A Timeline of Taylor Swift’s Historic Career

Written by: Evelyn Jackson, UT-Austin Psychology Major and ClioVis Intern

August 5, 2024.

The role of music

Music has long helped humans connect. During the 2020 pandemic, music was one of the few forms of entertainment that continued to be available to almost everyone with a radio or a phone. At a time when many people were unable to meet in person, music provided a way to foster connection. And, people and the media connected with Taylor Swift’s music.

What’s so special about Taylor Swift?

During, and then after, the media surge of the pandemic, Taylor Swift captured my attention. Like millions of others, I loved and appreciated her music but I also became aware of her remarkable success and unwavering prominence in the industry. In thinking about her career and trying to see its trajectory, I decided to make a timeline to better understand Swift’s expansive career, especially since it’s a career that stretches across decades.

Visual timeline software

Making a timeline proved to be helpful for me in this endeavor. ClioVis, a visual storytelling and interactive timeline tool, allowed me to map her career and to see each of her albums in a chronological format. More than that I could see how her artistic endeavors were connected. Another goal was to chart how many awards and accolades each album, and her different songs, received. Ultimately my timeline allowed me to convey just how successful she had been and it allowed me to make my observations about her success visible to others. 

Take a look at my timeline, see Swift’s career in a new way.

Being able to translate my ideas into a different medium such as a paper or list was not my goal because it was hard to put in proportion just how many awards and albums Swift has produced. Mutli-modal mind mapping and network visualization tools like the one I used are ideal for content planning and, later, presenting that information to friends and family – or other Swift fans. (You can see my timeline here. You can zoom in on specific nodes or put it in a simplified view format by clicking on the three lines in the right-hand corner. If you are using your computer, use the arrow keys on your to explore the timeline and zoom in and out. Click on the nodes to see the information.)

Written by: Aidan Dresang, ClioVis Intern and University of Texas History Major

July 31, 2024.

The current state of student-engagement in the classroom

On my first day of 11th-grade history, I remember the sense of gloom I felt when I was presented with a nearly 500-page history textbook. The textbook seemed to suggest that the history of the United States could be summed up in a single, linear, narrative devoid of connections and nuance. This was no fault of my wonderful teacher — I still reflect on her amazing lessons. Rather, it is partly a symptom of the lack of accessible and easy methods teachers have at their disposal to get students to make connections between different historical events.

My perspective

As a student studying to become a public high school history teacher, I often think about how I can best engage students with history and encourage them to find connections between different historical events. How can I find creative timeline project ideas for history classes?

How can digital tools help?

ClioVis, a technology I first used in college in Dr. Erika Bsumek’s course, offers a new way for students to immerse themselves in history. The software allows students to visualize history on a timeline, make connections between events, incorporate multimedia to build an argument and present their projects when finished.  Since I really liked the project I created with the technology, I wanted to share my ideas about how it and other technologies could potentially be used to create similar products.

Video walkthrough

Visually breaking down history

Teaching history to a diverse set of learners can be hard. The traditional method of presenting while students take notes is becoming increasingly less popular as research shows that students need various ways to engage with material to maximize their learning. ClioVis allows students to visually break down complex history onto an interactive timeline. Students can map out different events while categorizing them and placing them into different ‘eras.’ Now, instead of (or in addition to) making concept maps on a whiteboard, you can allow students to take their ideas online. 

Connecting events (concept mapping)

One of the greatest features of timeline technology is that it allows students to connect different events and concepts simply by drawing an arrow or line. Students are then prompted to explain the connection between the events. As teachers struggle to combat AI, ClioVis’s connection feature highlights Human Intelligence (HI). This feature encourages students to analyze the ways different historical concepts and events interact. 

Incorporating multimedia and digital literacy

Allowing students to interact with multimedia (historical and contemporary) is immensely important for student comprehension and engagement. ClioVis allows students to attach images, audio files, and even videos onto individual event nodes. The possibilities are endless—you may have students navigate online historical archives for videos, create their TikTok to expand on a historical event, or practice their digital literacy skills by finding a reputable YouTube video. Whatever you choose, there are benefits of using a visual storytelling tool in education.

Reciprocal teaching

Imagine you have students break up into groups and create timelines on different subjects you are covering in class (conveniently using the real-time collaborative feature, of course). Now, with the timelines finished, you want students to share their work with each other. ClioVis enables students to easily share their timelines with each other through the “present” feature. The feature allows a presenter to navigate through the timeline almost like a powerpoint, easily sharing their work. 

Conclusion

Having already taught in several high school history classrooms I see the need for a technology that allows students to draw connections between various events. Digital tools can fill that need and offer a new, engaging way for students to think and learn about history.