2009 AHA "Expanding Global and Technological Boundaries: Teachers Learning History in a Web 2.0 World"

AHA 2009 New York CityDr. Kelly A. Woestman

Pittsburg (KS) State University

Greenbush ◦ Southeast Kansas Education Service Center

Technology leader Reaching rural students and teachers

Connecting them to the global economy

Project Mine (2001-2004) – Pocket PCs

◦ Unreliable and “clunky” wireless access

◦ Lack of wireless connecting points

◦ Still a bit ahead of the students

Frustration

◦ Teacher time limitations

◦ Lack of technology use in college teaching Smart Classrooms too often seem to translate into

“computerized overhead projector”

Intensive and Regular Systematic Use of New Tools

Motivation??◦ And, of course, a grade at stake helps . . . .◦ Graduate work◦ Time will always be an issue

Like students, teachers have to see that a technology will be useful.

Project eHIKES [2003-2006]

◦ Delivered MA in History◦ Constant contact with core cohort of teachers

Summer Seminars

Online courses during two school years

Blackboard CMS◦ CMS: Content Management System

◦ Central portal for all grant activities Announcements

Submission of work/reports

Guided access to online databases and web portals Easily accessible online docs related to project

activities

Online university databases

H-Net Book Reviews◦ http://www.h-net.org/reviews/

Individual Blogs at blogger.com◦ Now part of iGoogle.com◦ Free

Emerging Practices◦ Blogs as Reflective Practice

Valuable Qualitative Data for Annual Report Teachers’ Voices

◦ Teachers developed hands-on skills for utilizing online databases and free web resources:

National Archives (http://www.archives.gov) Library of Congress (www.loc.gov)

American Memory (memory.loc.gov) Kansas State Historical Society (www.kshs.org)

Kansas Memory (http://www.kansasmemory.org/)

National Archives Library of Congress Gilder Lehrman Institute (

http://www.gilderlehrman.org)

Digital Cameras◦ Collection/Distribution Challenges

Readable cds Viruses Multiple copies

Blackboard

Behind the scenes: ◦ I began exploring Web 2.0 tools beyond Blogger

Free Eliminate transition issues with Blackboard servers

Historical data loss

Or is this repetitive?

Blackboard CMS Migration toward iGoogle Teachers post their material Wikispaces

◦ Links to other materials◦ Permissions Issues

Google Docs◦ http://docs.google.com/?pli=1#all

Picassa◦ http://picasaweb.google.com/home

Wikispaces◦ http://tahps.wikispaces.com/

Teachers’ Blogs◦ http://tahps.wikispaces.com/BlogAddresses

Slideshare.net◦ http://www.slideshare.net

Teacher Reflective Practice◦ Had to pick someone Dr. Wintz didn’t specifically

to discuss Provide for broadest possible knowledge base

Examples:◦ http://bigmachistory.blogspot.com/2007/07/harle

m-renaissance-countee-cullen.html◦ http://tahps3.blogspot.com/2007/07/harlem-renais

sance-duke-ellington.html◦ http://claycentersocialstudies.blogspot.com/2007/

07/harlem-renaissance-louis-armstrong.html

http://tahps3.blogspot.com/ http://cwalk32.blogspot.com/ http://tahps.blogspot.com/

YouTube http://www.youtube.com NYPL Harlem Renaissance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0mMabhS5vw

Second Life◦ http://www.secondlife.com

Limited success Learning curve Download software Not the only virtual world

Dred Scott case reargued in Second Life:◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL-

A6fOh6Nk&feature=PlayList&p=04F3DBBFEF7A9D99&playnext=1&index=80

TeacherTube◦ http://www.teachertube.com/

Facebook◦ http://www.facebook.com◦

NO Blackboard CMS Focus on iGoogle.com

◦ More utilization of Wikispaces and Blog site as grant portal

YouTube – teachers “collecting” and evaluating usefulness/accuracy

3D Worlds – 2nd Life

TAH Book – May 2009◦ http://www.routledgeeducation.com/books/The-

Teaching-American-History-Project-isbn9780415988827

◦ Discounts available – handouts on back chair

◦ TAH Availability of colleagues