When the 2008 Democratic National Convention (DNC) starts this August in Denver, K-12 teachers and their students throughout the state will find themselves on the historical frontlines thanks to an innovative project with strong roots at Metro State.
The When History Happens (WHH) project, http://www.whenhistoryhappens.org/, will create a 21st century learning environment around the convention. Its collaborators are Metro State’s Teaching with Primary Sources-Colorado (TPS-Colorado), the Denver Newspaper Agency (DNA), the Colorado State Library, the Bibliographical Center for Research (BCR) and the Council on 21st Century Learning (C21L)
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| O'Neill-Jones: " We as a community experiencing [the DNC} should be experiencing it with all the ability that we have. All the ability to investigate the past, experience the present and archive all of this for the future.” Photo by Dave Neligh |
Peggy O’Neill-Jones, who is the principal investigator on the TPS-Colorado grant funded through the Library of Congress, describes the 21st century learner, in part, as self-directed, skilled at critical thinking, active as a local and global citizen, and able to easily adapt to a rapidly changing world.
TPS-Colorado began about four years ago at Metro State under O’Neill-Jones’ direction to provide free professional development to K-12 educators on how to access and then appropriately use primary-source material in their classrooms. More than 11 million digitized primary sources are freely available to download at http://www.memory.loc.gov.
O’Neill-Jones says--as she points to a framed print of an early draft of the Declaration of Independence hanging on her office wall--primary-source materials include snippets of history such as photos, manuscripts, speeches, drawings, newspapers, audio and video.
“Primary sources are just what happened at the time [in history], so there is little or no context,” says O’Neill-Jones. “They’re there for you to interpret, to infer from, to look at and wonder, to formulate probing questions, to investigate what the real story was.”
Consumers and creators of knowledge
The WHH project is founded on the idea that the best time to create history, to truly be a part of history, is right here and right now with the Democratic convention this summer. And who better to impact that history than those young people whose futures will be largely shaped, likely even defined by, present-day events?
One aspect of the project, which held a kick-off event last week at the DNA, is to explore and compare the primary-source materials from the 1908 Democratic National Convention held in Denver with the 2008 DNC events. The Colorado Historic Newspaper Project (http://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/), a Colorado State Library initiative, has digitized versions of Colorado newspapers from 1859-1923 that are available for educators and students to glean a useful historical perspective. The DNA’s Newspapers in Education program (www.postnewseducation.com/) provides the electronic versions of The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News to educators without charge.
However, the most critical aspect of WHH will have educators leading discussions and facilitating interactive experiences with 4th- through 12th- grade students during the convention. Students will employ the latest and greatest communication technologies, including blogs, text messages, wikis, podcasts and community journalism. The C21L is assisting in the 21st century learning design--learning that is authentic, active and meaningful to the learner, O'Neill-Jones says. “The students will be consumers and creators of knowledge. They will see history happen with a clear recognition of the importance of the event.
“This is big,” she adds. “This is an historical event that people will reflect back on. This is a big deal in Denver, but it is a big deal nationally and it’s a big deal historically. It’s an event. It is when history is happening. We as a community experiencing it should be experiencing it with all the ability that we have. All the ability to investigate the past, experience the present and archive all of this for the future.”
We should all have a voice
The DNA is spearheading another compelling element to the project through its YourHub.com publication, a citizen-journalism model of information exchange that includes a staunch online presence and a weekly print publication. A handful of young students are currently being trained as journalists and will be inside the convention where they will file stories and photos to YourHub.com and http://nextgen.yourhub.com/NextGen.
All Colorado students can research and file DNC stories to YourHub.com and become part of the historical record of the convention that will include the reports of thousands of traditional news gatherers in attendance. During the week of the convention, the print version of YourHub.com will contain all student-generated articles. “The good thing about community journalism is that it does let people have their voice,” says O’Neill-Jones. “It shouldn’t be that the only person who has a voice is the trained journalist. We should all have our voice.”
TPS-Colorado is offering workshops around the state to help teachers prepare to participate in WHH. A When History Happens conference is slated for July 30-Aug. 1 at Metro State for all Colorado educators. Day 1 will provide workshops on the different technology that will be used to create a virtual, real-time connection to not only the convention, but also the events that are happening in the periphery. Days 2 and 3 will focus on developing 21st century learning activities and other curricular material related to the convention.
O’Neill-Jones contends that the problem for today’s educator isn’t a lack of digital resources, but rather sifting through massive amounts of information and selecting the best or most appropriate materials to present to students.
“They know [the materials] are out there,” says O’Neill-Jones. “They don’t necessarily know how to access or download them and make them useful in the classroom.”
Ultimately, O’Neill-Jones says the experience will create a meaningful, engaging learning experience for the students.
“The most important thing … is the meaning that this will give kids,” says O’Neill-Jones. “It’s one thing to learn about politics and caucuses and primaries. It’s another thing when you’re part of it. Being part of it … makes it a 21st century learning experience.”
Editor’s Note: For more information about TPS-Colorado go to http://aamcolorado.mscd.edu/.
