TEACHING THE VIRTUAL PAST
Experimenting with Technology in the Undergraduate History Classroom
The following set of sites is far from exhaustive. Nevertheless, they serve as a starting point for looking into the latest resarch and examples in the the fields of digital history and humanities. Above all, they demonstrate what researchers in the humanities aim to accomplish - and possibly avoid - as digital technologies increasingly complement the pursuit of scholarly inquiry. These are just a first few models that come to mind where I have found inspiration in my research and teaching. The plan is to build this list as the fields grow and I continue to learn. Stay tuned, stay patient, and stay in touch!
This web site is more balanced in terms of considering the practice of historical inquiry from three core approaches: "documenting," "doing," and, "teaching." Each of the three sections provides a rich set of articles, essays, and syllabi by leading practitioners in the field.
The cite features a host of information about relevant events, positions, and research at the intersection of history and new media. Similar to the DH Project, the center builds its efforts on the three key pillars of "teaching/learning," "research/tools," and "collecting/exhibiting." While many professionals wear all three hats, these three sections might be interpreted as sections for the digital educator, the researcher, and the archivist.
This is a companion site to a book by the same title: Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web. While the site is geared more toward professional historians, instructors should take cues from these experts in order to recognize current best practices when digitally curating the past.
Of all the centers currently listed, the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH) appears most active sponsoring opportunities for networking, brainstorming, and continuing educaton. In addition to developing its own research initiatives, the Institute also creates public podcasts, organizes conferences, provides professional consultations, and offers workshops.
This is the official web site for the Department of History and Humanities Technology at Michigan State University. It is one of the rare departments in the US that emphasizes new media, project management, and other topics in digital communications in its History curriculum. The department's collaborative relationship with MATRIX, the Center For Digital Humanities and Social Science, is also worth remembering
The Center for Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University focuses significant resources culling information and tools for teaching in (and with) the digital humanities. When it comes to the topic of digital humanities, the site does not necessarily reflect a focus on original research or community engagement like the others, but its focus on teaching offers a useful starting point when discussing the topic of teaching with technology.
Resources
A new blog edited by Connecticut College ("Conn") Instructional Design Librarians Laura Little and Jessica McCullough. While the blog is "Conn specific" reporting on initiatives and workshops taking place for faculty at the College, it is a useful resource for anyone interested in the applications of technology for teaching - especially at small liberal arts colleges - and for resaerch.
The "Play the Past" blog explores one of the more unique approaches to technology and teaching: integrating digital/interactive games. In particular the blog explores "the intersection of cultural heritage (very broadly defined) and games" by new scholars including current PhD students, junior college faculty, and teachers of secondary ed. Of note to locals in southeast CT is the participation of a Kevin Ballestrini, a teacher of Classics at the Norwich Free Academy.
The Chronicle of Higher Features an important series called "The Wired Campus: The Latest on Tech and Education." It's a great resource for keeping up with the latest faculty projects, blogs, and debates in higher education.
BLOGS
An online resource that professors can use to have students reconstruct timelines of past events to complement learning in digital history courses.