My latest post on Digital Accessibility of Canadian Heritage can be seen over at the Active History site. It focuses on the rise of online history resources designed for the general public, and the changing nature of the online presence of heritage institutions.
Interactive Learning at the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum
The most recent episode of This American Life on NPR focused on "Kid Politics." A portion of this show focused on children learning about various monumental moments in United States politics. Included in this discussion of historical politics was a look at students interacting with the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum.The Reagan Library has an … Continue reading Interactive Learning at the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum
Historical Fiction Not Fact
The CBC recently began broadcasting a miniseries based on the novel The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. The novel is one of my favourite historical fiction works and focuses on lives of peasants, monks, and British royalty during the 12th century.Despite my love for this book, I am slightly weary of how this … Continue reading Historical Fiction Not Fact
Spanish Residential School
During my trip down to Southern Ontario during the holidays I stopped at the former site of the Indian Residential School in Spanish, Ontario. This site was once home to St. Peter Claver's Residential School for Boys, St. Joseph's Girls Residential School. Eventually St. Peter Claver's was turned into the Garnier Residential School.The site is … Continue reading Spanish Residential School
Younge Street Built Heritage Loss
Yesterday, the heritage building once known as William Reynold's Block at Younge and Gould Streets in Toronto burnt to the ground. The building was built in 1888 and last year suffered major damage to its facade. A great concise history of the building was posted on BlogTO in May 2010.Following the collapse of a portion … Continue reading Younge Street Built Heritage Loss
Year end
The final #reverb10 prompt: Core story. What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.)The central story of my practice of public history is varied. … Continue reading Year end
Expansion in Heritage
December 28th's #reverb10 prompt was:Achieve. What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.Next year … Continue reading Expansion in Heritage
Photo Recall
December 25th's #reverb10 prompt: Photo - a present to yourself. Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, … Continue reading Photo Recall
Heritage Travel
The #reverb10 prompt for December 22nd was:Travel. How did you travel in 2010? How and or where would you like to travel next year?In 2011 I would like to visit Mackinac Island in Michigan. The island is rich in built heritage and is relatively close to my home. Mackinac Island has prohibited the use of … Continue reading Heritage Travel
Lessons learned
December 21st's #reverb10 prompt was:Future self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)The advice I would give myself for the year ahead is to be open to opportunities … Continue reading Lessons learned