Introducing the Beyond the Lecture ebook

The super secret and exciting project that Andrea Eidinger and I have been working is finally out there in the world! Today we launched Beyond the Lecture: Innovations in Teaching Canadian History, an open educational resource focused on innovative pedagogy in Canadian history. This is the first ebook in the new ActiveHistory.ca ebook series, with … Continue reading Introducing the Beyond the Lecture ebook

Reading that changed my thinking in 2017

Book open on table with a white mug, red background with white lights.

For my last post of 2017 I'm going to highlight some of the books, blog posts, and articles I read this year that have had an impact on my thinking and professional practice.  These items are not necessarily new publications but just works I have read (or re-read) this year. Silencing the Past by Michel-Rolph Trouillot … Continue reading Reading that changed my thinking in 2017

Graphic Art, Comics, and History

coloured pencils on left hand side of a grey background.

Some days it is really obvious why I love my job.  This week as part of doing lecture and class prep I spent some time revisiting my favourite history themed web-comics, graphic novels, and graphic arts projects. My drawing skills are pretty much nil. But I love the idea of using graphic arts as a … Continue reading Graphic Art, Comics, and History

Teaching: Select Topics in Community-Based Public History

This fall I'll be teaching HIST 3296: Select Topics in Community-Based Public History at AlgomaU. I'm thrilled to have this opportunity and excited to be able to share my love of public history with students. From the course calendar: The course will introduce students to the theory and practice of community-based public history, with reference … Continue reading Teaching: Select Topics in Community-Based Public History

Reading: Critical Archival Studies

The most recent issue of the Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies is a special issue focusing on critical archival studies.  The issue is edited by Michelle Caswell, Ricardo Punzalan, and T-Kay Sangwand and it is completely open access. The journal issue tackles the ways in which "records and archives serve as tools for … Continue reading Reading: Critical Archival Studies

Reading: Make Roanoke Queer Again

The latest issue of The Public Historian featured a number of great articles including "Make Roanoke Queer Again: Community History and Urban Change in a Southern City" by Gregory Rosethal. This article explores the specifics of interpreting queer history in Roanoke, Virgina but also focuses more broadly on queer community history projects, resistance through grassroots history, and … Continue reading Reading: Make Roanoke Queer Again

Reading: Interpreting LGBT History At Museums and Historic Sites

Months ago as part of a National Council on Public History annual conference workshop I received a copy of Susan Ferentinos book Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites.  I started reading the book months ago but somehow it managed to get lost in my to-read pile until fairly recently.  This book examines queer … Continue reading Reading: Interpreting LGBT History At Museums and Historic Sites

Reading: Unwritten Histories

A few months ago I stumbled across Andrea Eidinger's Unwritten Histories blog.  If you haven't already come across her site it's well worth a visit.  I've particularly enjoyed her Historian's Toolkit posts and her "What's in My Bag?" series which uses material culture as a lens to examine the past. Andrea has been wonderfully consistent … Continue reading Reading: Unwritten Histories