Digital History for a Digital
Generation
Author: William Ardern
Curriculum Coordinator
MacKillop Catholic College Warnervale NSW
“Do not confine children to your own learning,
for they were born in another time.”
- Chinese proverb
To put things into context
“Our children…are the latest model
of human being. Looking at the
world of children is not looking
backward at our own past – it’s
looking ahead. They are our
evolutionary future.”
- Rushkoff (1999) Playing the Future. p.4
Who are the children of the digital age?
MyPod Generation
N-Gen
e-Generation
Generation D
Generation V
Loli-boomers
Generation M
Millennials
“Recent research suggests that most variance in performance
between students is actually explained by differences between
classes, rather that schools. The suggestion is that it is teachers,
not schools, that make the difference in student learning.”
Dr. Wayne Sawyer. UWS Research on HSC Successes (2002)
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Generation Y
Role Models
Men of Character
What is
Character?
Men & Women of
Character
An effective classroom is based on the development of a positive relationship
between teacher and students.
As the majority of teachers are from a previous generation, it is essential that
they develop an awareness towards the values and aspirations of the generation
that they attempt to teach.
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Generation Y
Television
I love Lucy
Reality TV
Happy days
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Generation Y
Musical Icons
Elvis Presley
Eminem
Madonna
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Music Mediums
LP’s & singles
Generation Y
Cassettes & CD’s MP3’s
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Generation Y
Comedy
The Goodies
The Dudesons
The Young Ones
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Generation Y
Computer
Games
Pong
Grand theft auto
Pacman
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Generation Y
Money
Earn it
Give it to me
It is not
everything
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Generation Y
Loyalty to
employer
Work my way to
the top
Give me
Saturday night off
or I quit
Short cut to the
top
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Respecting your Automatic
elders
Is polite
Generation Y
Whatever
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Generation Y
Meeting new
friends
Pen Pals
MySpace
Classifieds
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Generation Y
Communication
Letters
SMS
Phone
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Generation Y
Change
Resist it
Want it
Accept it
Influence
Baby Boomers Generation X
Generation Y
Technology
Ignorant of it
Masters of it
Comfortable with it
Life’s essentials
Communication
Methodology & Pedagogy
When I was taught history at school in the
1970’s, emphasis was placed upon….
- Date
- Place
- Event
- Historical facts
- Test
teacher centred
wrote learning
Julius Caesar
invaded Britain
in 48 BC
disengagement
NCREL
www.ncrel.org
The North Central Regional
Educational Laboratory
(NCREL) is a nonprofit
organisation that is dedicated to
helping schools and the
students they serve reach their
full potential.
Our children live in a global, digital world
– a world transformed by technology and human ingenuity.
enGauge 21st Century Skills
provides a framework and
platform for educators do adapt
the curriculum to suite the
learning styles for the children
of the digital Age.
The enGauge 21st Century
Skills are a bridge to authentic
and intellectually challenging
work for students.
…”the ability to use
digital technology,
communications tools,
and networks to access
manage, integrate ,
evaluate and create
information in order to
function in a knowledge
society.”
Communication Technologies (ITC) Literacy
panel. (2002). Digital Transformations: A
framework for ICT Literacy. Princeton NJ
Source: Jeremy Nightingale
“In effect, because
technology makes the simple
tasks easier, it places a
greater burden on higherlevel skills.”
Communication Technologies (ITC) Literacy panel.
(2002). Digital Transformations: A framework for
ICT Literacy. Princeton NJ
Castle Reconnaissance
“Information & communications
technologies are raising the bar
on the competencies needed to
succeed in the 21st century.”
21st Century Literacy Summit. (2002,). 21st Century
literacy in a convergent media world. p.6
“We are living in a new economy
– powered by technology, fueled
by information, and driven by
knowledge.”
U.S. Department of Labor. (1999). Futurework: Trends
and challenges for work in the 21st Century. Washington,
DC. P.1
Digital History
A sample of topic areas
Digital History
NSW Board of Studies
Stage 4 History Syllabus
Norman conquest
activity
Structure of
feudal society –
knights, church,
peasant
Life of a peasant –
empathy task
e journal
activities
Life in a peasant
village video
Architecture
- castles
Personalities:
William I,
Braveheart