The Digital Republic

I attended a SHEAR session this morning dedicated to the “Digital Republic.” The panelists discussed a number of different pedagogical tools to engage students in studying the Early Republic using new media technology. There was also quite a bit of conversation about the technological divide between what students are supposed to know and what they actually do know about modern computer technology.

I carried away two things from the session:

1. In response to my reference to the lack of Early Republic bloggers, someone mentioned Jeff Pasley’s blog. Pasley is a well-respected Early Republic historian who possesses a witty sense of humor. His blog doesn’t focus solely on Early Republic or history topics, but it’s worth a read. Unfortunately, he hasn’t posted since March.

2. There is a tool called “History Engine” that I had never heard of. I haven’t had a chance to look at the site extensively, but it has given me ideas for helping my students engage in the historical research process.