History teachers rejoice! The new media—podcasting, moviemaking and student wikis—will change history teaching for the better. No longer do students have to rely just on the written word or a grainy film to learn about the past; they can work with historic artifacts and integrate them into their own audio and video documentaries. They learn to use all the skills of student historians, but in ways that inspire and excite their imaginations.

I have taught Grade 10, 11 and 12 history for several years at MacLachlan College and have integrated new media technologies into my classes.

In podcasting, students can use the GarageBand application in the iLife software package to create a radio show; the Windows’ equivalent is the Audacity program. The software allows students to record and edit a voice track, add sound effects and then export it as an mp3 or m4a file that then can be burned onto a CD or played on an iPod.

Podcasts are incredibly versatile. Grade 10 Canadian History classes create radio shows from the 1920s and later eras; Grade 11 classes create audio documentaries about the major events of the 20th century; and European History AP (Advanced Placement) classes create documentaries modelled after BBC or CBC radio documentaries.

To create a podcast, students do original research and write a full script, worth 50 percent of the project mark. The remainder of the mark comes from the students’ vocal performance and editing of the podcast.
Podcasts are also popular with parents, who can hear their children’s work. We are exploring Internet posting of student podcasts—with proper safety precautions—as a way to improve communication with parents.

Students begin with podcasting, then move into moviemaking with iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. Student preparation is equally important here and projects are marked the same way as podcast projects. However, filming takes longer and is more complex than audio recording. From preparation to completed movie, projects take at least six to eight 80-minute periods.

My students have been creating movies for several years. In 2005, I travelled with Grade 11 and 12 students to Second World War sites in Europe, including Dieppe, Vimy Ridge and Juno Beach. On our return, we created video documentaries about Canada’s role in the war and its significance today. Students also worked closely with a veteran of the Dieppe landings to create a video about his life and experiences.

I have begun to combine moviemaking with a third new medium, the student wiki. Most teachers are probably familiar with Wikipedia, a not-entirely-reliable online encyclopedia loved by students but viewed with ambivalence by teachers. Students can create their own wikis using online hosts such as wikispaces.com.

My students use student wikis in two ways. First, students can create combined notes about a particular subject for future reference in text form or as PowerPoint presentations. Second, a wiki can host podcasts or movies.

Last year, my Grade 10 classes created a wiki for their final unit. Working in groups, they put together a PowerPoint presentation, then used a SMART Board to share it with the class. The class presentation was filmed with a camcorder and then edited into final form. The students uploaded their text notes, PowerPoint presentation and video to their wikis (which are very much works-in-progress needing further study and development).

Students have responded well to the new media. They have found it challenging—as it always is when breaking new ground—but learned a tremendous amount from their experiences. They have strengthened their abilities to work with others, learned how important it is to set and meet goals and deadlines, and learned how effectively these tools can focus and shape the views of others. They carry these skills to other studies.

They have also learned much more about history. To recreate the past in a podcast or movie, they have learned to see events through the eyes of those alive at the time. In the best new media work, students imagine they are living in the era, role-playing or conveying a sense of how the people sound, think, respond to the world around them. Students really begin to understand how the past affects the present.

In 2005, my students screened their movies for the veteran we worked with and were amazed when he nearly broke into tears while thanking them for helping to preserve the memory of Canadian soldiers. They will remember him, and what he and his fellow soldiers did, for the rest of their lives.