DSU history professor delivers paper at national conference

Dakota State University history professor, Dr. Julie Smith recently presented a paper at "The American Association of History and Computing's 11th Annual Meeting-Bringing Clio into the New Millennium" in Indianapolis, Indiana. The meeting is a national conference about using computers to help teach history. Over 250 people from Russia to Australia were in attendance.

Dr. Smith’s paper “Moving from Producer to Consumer: Seeing the Emperor's New Clothes our Fascination with Technology,” focused on how to use computers to improve history teaching. “I believe that putting the Internet into the classroom is beneficial,” said Dr. Smith. “Whether it be an initial attempt with an email to something as daunting as creating a website or an online archive, I think we should try something.”

Many professionals at the conference were impressed to hear where Dakota State University and the state of South Dakota are doing in terms of technology and teaching. Dr. Smith says that several professionals at other schools cannot give students the same assignments Dakota State gives its students because the technology is not in place or the faculty does not know how to teach with the technology. “Many people said they have the computers but don’t know how to use them,” Dr. Smith said. “Here in South Dakota, we’re lucky to have a governor that pays faculty to be taught how to use computers.”

“There is still no internet in a lot of colleges,” said Laurie Macziewski, a Madison Public Schools history teacher who also attended the conference. “It’s hard to believe how much further ahead we are than a lot of other states.”

Some states haven’t heard what South Dakota is doing with computer education. “Being a low population state, we have a huge advantage over populous states,” said Dr. Smith.

Dr. Smith and Macziewski both agreed that the Internet is creating new ways to research history. “Students and teachers can respond and compose messages to people all over the state,” said Dr. Smith. “Computers are enabling us to analyze data and through the use of email we have ways for historians to talk to one another. We can get expert opinions. Going online is an ongoing historical exhibit. It permeates how we look at research.”

Using the Internet in the classroom doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to teach, in fact it makes it more difficult, but both Dr. Smith and Macziewski agree it makes learning better. “Students become more actively involved,” said Macziewski. “As a teacher you have to plan better, be more prepared. You have to direct where the students are going on the Internet.”

“I couldn’t teach without using technology,” Dr. Smith said. “It’s a challenge, but it’s not hard if you know what you want to do. You constantly see something new. Then you ask yourself, “How can I use that in class?” It’s a way to remain challenged on a regular basis.”

That challenge benefits both the student and the teacher. The teacher is forced to learn to keep up to date. That in turn helps the student learn more because the quality of education improves. “Learning is an ongoing, life-long process,” Dr. Smith added. “The computer makes it more fun. If you don’t know how to learn, you’re not doing anything.”