History 2.0

Hi there,

I received some post today from my girlfriend! She sent me two really interesting articles, one on the introduction of PSHEE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) becoming compulsory in all Secondary School.  I thinki it's important that we install important life skills into pupils at an early age in order to best help them later on in their adult life.

But the other was titled "How the future can shed light on the past."  Published in The Guardian on Tuesday 25th November written by Mick Archer.

It spoke about the unique chance History has to fully intergrate ICT within the Subject of History.  Like Mick Archer, I agree that History perhaps has a really unique chance to fully use and harness the power of ICT in the classroom.  For example, I'm a firm user of Powerpoint or Keynote as it is called on my Macbook.  Powerpoint/Keynote is a great teaching aid, you can build animation, video, audio into slides which save countless amounts of carrying videos, dvd's, cd's, etc...  Plus Powerpoint/Keynote has the ability to allow you to give structure to a lesson and to set tasks and leave them on the board instantly, rather the turning your back on the class (which can be a BIG mistake to make!)  

I've thought a lot on ICT in History, and believe that change is coming and the age of the textbook may finally be in its death-throws.  But we can develop ICT into History much further.  I'm in the unique and somewhat privileged position to have a girlfriend (sorry I hate the word, Partner.) who is learning to become a journalist.  So I get all the cutting edge ideas from her and her trade.  Something that has been banded around recently is the idea of web 2.0.  The rise of social networking sites, Facebook, Myspace, bebo, I could go on and on. 

But I recently thought about a "History 2.0" a subject fully intergrated with ICT.  The idea of VLE's (Virtual Learning Environments) isn't a new concept.  VLE's really interest me, because we now have the power to use massive servers to access and store a wide range of sources, still pictures, audio sources, visual sources would all be now within the reach of anyone with a computer.  A lot of videos I use to classes I find from "Youtube."  This is potientally a great font of material to show pupils and really interest them within the subject of History.

My idea of "History 2.0" goes beyond the virtual classroom and into much wider realms and ideas.  Something that recently came up during an INSET was the GCSE/A-level revision classes after school and who is going to supervise and manage them.  Why not do away with that, and introduce podcasts of revision lessons.  How many times as a pupil or student have you thought you wish you could re-visit something said in a classroom after you've left? Go on raise your hands? Ok, put them down.  Well recording and podcasting revision lectures is something that also interests me.  How many children have iPod's or MP3 players.  (I'm finally getting an iPod at Christmas!)  They can download the lesson and listen to their revision lesson again and again.  Look at that we now have "History for the iPod generation" imagine that! 300 year 11 pupils walking to school with your revision lecture blaring through their iPods on their way to and from school, at work, whilst travelling! Maybe I'm an idealist, but this idea surely needs exploring!

I recently came across Apple's plunge into the Education scene with iTunes U.  (iTunes University, basically!)  Where they have lecture series from Ivy League professors!  Another University student in the world can go on the iTunes store and immediate have access to an Ivy League Professor!  I understand that this is purely for students at Higher Education.  But why not have "iTunes High."  I'm sure the sheer thought of this sends shivers down the spines of many teachers and head teachers.  An expansion of ICT is surely the next step in Education! 

Secondary Education is crying out for money to thrown at it! I think the idea of a fully ICT merge into the Subject of History is critical to the survival of the subject.

So how would "History 2.0" work?  Well allow to give you a "best case ideal scenario."

Let me introduce Michael, he's 15 and in year 11.  He's studying GCSE History, and it's after christmas and his exams in the summer are coming closer and closer with each passing day.

His project is on the rise of Hitler and Nazis.  He uses the computer to access the History VLE, and can surf the internet to find what he's looking for.  For example, an interview of a former Nazi Youth member when discusses the "Cult of Hitler" a very important factor of his rise when talking about his rise.  After accessing the interview and making his notes in for his essay.  He can of course go away and type it up onto his computer.  Furthermore, he can't make the revision class tonight, so he goes into the School's podcast zone and downloads the exposition of the revision session so he can listen to it on his walk home.  Also, he doesn't need to print his essay out and waste paper, he can merely electronically submit.  His feedback is then emailed back to him or discussed when back in school.

I know that's a very basic and simple case. 

But surely it's worth investigating and exploring, right?

History 2.0, coming to a classroom near you! (I hope!)

Until next time,

Peter

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