Promoting Historical Thinking: Lessons From Teachers' Use of the Smithsonian Learning Lab

• In Event: 34.079 - Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: 34.079-6 - Building Students' Historical Thinking and Reasoning Skills

Abstract

As historical information becomes increasingly digitized and accessible for teachers and students online, scholarly research on the content and use of these resources for teaching in history-social science classrooms is required. We seek to examine the ways that history teachers used a digital museum archive to teach historical content and methods in their middle school classrooms. These teachers engaged in a professional development program that trained teachers in the use and implementation of a new digital tool, the Smithsonian Learning Lab (SLL). Our research examines how they used this resource to teach history and develop historical inquiry skills in their classroom practice.

Authors

• Nicole Gilbertson, University of California - Irvine

• Doron Zinger, University of California - Irvine

• Kate Harris, Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access

• Linda Muller

• Mark Warschauer, University of California - Irvine