I’d like to argue that the digital tools on platforms like Teaching History and Wikipedia have much to offer as it concerns teaching audiences about the past. For platforms like Wikipedia, a helpful ally of middle-school Chance, teaching students about the limitations and gaps in the information posted can help manage expectations for how one engages with the “history” that is being presented. I feel like Wikipedia proves a point that is central to my final project: not all history is created equally. And until a student acknowledges that fact, it can make independent research less fruitful. Furthermore, familiarizing oneself with the source restrictions and policies on Wikipedia helps audiences understand how primary sources, despite their immense value, are excluded and how that contributes to further obfuscation of the past. On the other hand, the tools available on sites like Teaching History offer multiple perspectives and a variety of sources so that audiences are encouraged to expose themselves to a variety of materials and approaches to historical thinking.
Presenting the Past: Portfolio Post
