Technology Initiatives - Interactive DVD
During the 2006- 2007school year, Dr. Barry Witten (C&I) designed and distributed From Jamestown to Gettysburg: Illinois Educators’ Journey. This interactive DVD, designed using the Adobe Flash authoring system, is a resource unit that encompasses a variety of tools, resources and activities to explore the region surrounding our nation’s capitol. This resource includes a series of primary sources, maps, teacher and student oriented web sites, assessment activities and special needs adaptations for diverse learners.
This interactive resource was created as part of a United States History Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education entitled, Exploring America: Teachers Bringing Traditional American History to Students. The rationale for Exploring America incorporates the development of citizenship and appreciation for our heritage with exposing common myths, legends, and half-truths promulgated through traditional American history instruction.
Thirty teachers from west central Illinois were chosen from twenty participating counties in Exploring America to investigate the greater Washington, D.C. region and to bring back both historical knowledge and teaching strategies to impact the American history instruction of their middle and high school students. In order to provide leadership for improving American history instruction in their region, the participating teachers were responsible for creating this resource unit and contributing teaching strategies on various topics, historic sites, and themes encountered during the study tour.
The study tour has visited San Francisco, Washington D.C. area and will visit New York and Boston in Summer '08. For more information about the project, contact Barry Witten at BL-Witten@wiu.edu.