Teaching with Technology

In my United States History survey classes at Northern Virginia Community College, like most teachers I ask the students during the first class of the semester to introduce themselves and then respond to two or three questions. My questions include the basics like where you are from, do you have a hobby and what is it, etc. I also include two additional ones which I know the answers for already. First, why are you taking the course? Answer: it is required. Second, do you like History? Generally about 20% respond yes, and the rest don’t like it. Of those that don’t like it, the reasons are usually: I can’t remember facts and details, I don’t think it is relevant today, and it is boring and about old white men.

I’d like to say that after these students complete my course, they all love  History, can remember facts and details, are aware of its relevance, and realize it is an exciting and scintillating experience! While my student evaluations of teaching are generally pretty good and  I do my best,  I realize it is not always good enough to get these types of post class results. I have pondered how to translate my love of History and instill it in my students.  The question is how to get it done.

One thing that I also know, is that when I ask my students what their hobbies are, a vast majority like to play video games, download and listen to music, and religiously use My Space and FaceBook. Further, they don’t bring the same enthusiam for these new media activities to using Blackboard! In fact, it is hard to get them to check it and use it.

While teaching History is not my only job, it is the one I like doing the most and it is the reason I am seeking a Certificate in College Teaching in the Higher Education Department at GMU. I am taking this course, Teaching with Technology, to get my teaching in line with the way my students live and learn. I’m also taking it because it is a requirement for the Certificate, but that is a bad reason and tends to tick off the professor (I know it does that for me in my classes), but we are all friends here, right, and this is a learning community!!

So what do  I use in my teaching? I use Blackboard, but not the Discussion part.  I use Powerpoints with some imbedded videos. I lecture in class. I use discussion groups for specific topics. I require student class presentations. I require two papers and give tests. I use You Tube videos on interesting subjects.  I know I am not using the available technology and it is disturbing to me, especially given the media savvy students. I can do better and they can learn better if I get better in using Technology.

So, my goal for this course is specifically to learn to use Technology more effectively in my US History survey classes at NOVA.  I hope to be able to rewrite the courses I teach to incorporate more technology and to actually do so while completing the Internship requirement for the Certificate. That way I can actually use what I have learned in the program in my courses.

All that being said, my interest is finding a journal to blog about that will give me current Technology uses in History courses. Unfortunately, my quest to find such a journal, specific to History, has been difficult. I have settled upon Teaching History: A Journal of Methods (http://www.emporia.edu/socsci/journal/main.htm) , and the Journal of the Association for History and Computing (http://mcel.pacificu.edu/jahc/). The former is generally about History with some technology articles, while the latter is purely about Technology uses in History.  I’d like to pick from both depending upon the relevance of the articles I discover.

I plan to continue to search for another journal related to History and Technology, but I am not optimistic on finding one. I have reviewed the Center for History and New Media website at GMU to determine which journals they cite in their listing of relevant digital articles. Unfortunately, they are from numerous journals and appear to be one off articles in the chosen journals.

I look forward to reading the blogs of the other students to get a broader view of Technology uses which can be tailored for my use in History as well.