Slides from my NCPH 2010 presentation on digital curricula in public history.

1. Public History in the Digital Age
Theory and Praxis
Jeremy Boggs
Creative Lead
Center for History and New Media

2. Is it better to be pretty good at a lot of
things, or really good at one or two things?

3. Is it better to be pretty good at a lot of
things, or really good at one or two things?
Given a choice between hedgehog and fox,
I would go for the fox every time.

4. Isiah Berlin

5. Digital curricula in public
history should help create foxes

6. clioweb.org/courses/history697/spring09/

7. clioweb.org/courses/digitalhistory/spring10/

8. Theory

9. Intellectual Issues
‣ Developments in digital media.
‣ Familiarity with social media, and how it impacts
academic work and public history.
‣ Role of peer review in digital work
‣ New forms of narrative.
‣ New methods of research: Information trapping.

10. alistapart.com

11. Provide intellectual foundation for
using digital technology as historians.

12. Praxis

13. Practical Skills
‣ Create a basic HTML page from scratch, and style
that page with CSS.
‣ Working with a server. Use a File Transfer Protocol
(FTP) program.
‣ Create a database and install/modify web software
(such as WordPress, Omeka, or Mediawiki).
‣ Proficiency with Photoshop or another graphics
program.
‣ Project management/writing a grant.

14. Foundations for Additional Skills
‣ HTML → Other forms and applications of XML
‣ CSS → Graphic design concepts
‣ Web Software → PHP, other programming
‣ Photoshop → Video, photography, graphic design
‣ Writing grants → Writing more grants.

15. View the source!

16. Introduce possibilities these skills open
up, other avenues that can be explored
by learning them.

17. Project Manager
Information Manager
Creative Director
Outreach Coordinator

18. Final Thoughts

19. Don’t be afraid to expose students to
seemingly complicated technology.

20. “Uncomfortable, but not
paralyzed.”
Jeff McClurken

21. Instructors need to serve as tech
support, and as role models.

22. Embrace the opportunity we have now.

23. Thanks!
‣ ClioWeb – http://clioweb.org
‣ Twitter – http://twitter.com/clioweb
‣ Email: jeremy@clioweb.org
‣ Instant Messenger – jboggs22 (AIM); jeremyboggs (Yahoo!)
‣ GitHub - http://github.com/clioweb
‣ Zotero – http://zotero.org/clioweb
‣ SlideShare – http://slideshare.com/clioweb