Exploring social change, promoting social justice
Three very informative and busy weeks later, our Digital History class is coming to a close. To wrap up the class, we put together a research project with the goal of "Rethinking City Beautiful." After spending time reading an original source, newspaper articles, and illustrated texts about the City Beautiful Movement, it was time to … Continue reading Reflecting on the History of the Future
Digital History has a name that is really misrepresenting in a way. Digital History really has not been around that long so it really it does not have all that much history. But in fact, what history it does have is really interesting and quite different. Digital History provides a platform for unique and adaptable … Continue reading Digital History- A Review
I never had a history class where I produced so much original work, at a decent quality so quickly. Maybe it is the nature of digital history. Maybe it was the intensity of the class. More than likely it was a privilege of experiencing both factors at once. Digital History taught us how to use … Continue reading A Transformative Project
So many people have asked me why in the world I chose to study history. Usually I just take it in stride, tell them that everyone is different, and move on. It wasn't until I spent a month doing intense research, getting very little sleep, trying to understand the changes that occurred in turn of … Continue reading Looking Back on Digital History
During this class, I have grown exponentially in my digital skills and digital awareness. Regarding skills, I have learned how to use Microsoft Access, ArcGIS, Story Maps, Microsoft Excel, Zotero, WordPress, and Omeka. I have so many more opportunities on my hands now that I know how to use these programs. One of the programs … Continue reading A Review of Digital History
In Cal Newport’s blog post on Digital Minimalism, he emphasizes the importance of limiting the amount of time you use online. One of his hacks is to, “be wary of tools that solve a problem that didn’t exist before the tool.” He references GPS and Google as useful tools because they solve of the problems … Continue reading Projecting the Future of Digital History
As a student of history, I have heard the words "change" and "continuity" on numerous occasions. Whether it is a class on Modern American History, Premodern Civilizations of Asia, Ancient Rome, 16th century Germany, or Medieval Europe, these two terms have an inherent role in the semester-long courses. This understanding has shaped my perception of … Continue reading Change and Continuity in Harrisburg
GIS stands for Geographic Information System. Basically it is a technology that allows for information and data points to be placed on a map. While you may not recognize the name, you definitely have used it. In fact, most people use a version of it every day. Systems such as Google Maps and Map Quest … Continue reading GIS Technologies and Databases that Reveal Harrisburg’s History
This week we learned about and practiced using quantitative data in a historical study. We began by learning about Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and quantitative data that can be manipulated and interpreted. Originally a tool for scientists and architects to map numerical environmental and geographical data, it surprisingly found itself in the digital historian's toolkit. … Continue reading Constructing A Story With Quantitative Data
We have written on this blog in the past about the advantages of expanding into the digital side of history. The other students of Digital History and I have explored the benefits and hazards of this, along with the various methods of doing so. Often, the focus is on the “product”, so to speak. The … Continue reading History in the Spreadsheets
