Welcomes, Lattes, & History

Hello and welcome! By now you’re probably wondering what this blog is about, right? Well, let’s talk about it!

But before we do, be sure to answer the Caffeine Question of the Day! What is your favorite – coffee or tea? Comment below!

Let’s get to it!

I am a recent graduate from the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts in History. I am currently back at USM working on a Master of Library and Information Science degree with a Graduate Certificate in Archives and Special Collections. With that being said, caffeine has become my best friend, and trying new coffees, lattes, and teas has been my new way of staying awake for my classes! During my time as an undergrad, I began to take classes relating to how history is perceived and taught in the digital age. These classes talked about the many different platforms that can be used to teach history in the classroom, that are educating and engaging. Along with these classes, I began to work within the digital history world as well. Specifically, I worked as a transcriber for the Civil War and Reconstruction Governors of Mississippi project through the history department at USM. These experiences allowed me to explore the different ways history can be accessed through the world wide web in many ways other than reading super long articles. In fact, many of these platforms were so helpful, they helped my own research and education while in undergrad! 

Now I know what you’re thinking, “Why would this be useful to me and my students?” 

Let’s look at this through eyes that see how the current state the world is in, Covid-19. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the majority of schools and universities changed their teaching strategies from in-person to online. As a result, many students and teachers became fatigued from countless hours of Zoom lectures, changes in lesson plans, “busy-work”, etc. By experiencing this change in format, an interest in history began to fall due to the lack of enthusiasm and engagement seen within the classroom. I for one was definitely struggling during quarantine when my classes changed from in-person lectures with engaging group discussions to online lectures with a required 800-word discussion post due by the end of the week. However, with the use of the many different platforms we have available to use on the internet, I was able to stay engaged within my classes while also continuing to learn. 

Now as schools begin to allow in-person classes and hybrid classes for the upcoming school year, continuing to keep students engaged is vital. Now, I’m not saying that you need to throw out the cute powerpoints for lectures or find another way to give the students a break other than letting them watch an episode of WWII in Color on Netflix, these platforms are still fun and engaging! However, there are many other platforms that can keep students engaged in the classroom and interested in history that are fun and easy to use. That being said, I hope you decide to stick around and find out more about not only yummy coffee recipes, but also how to incorporate these ideas within the classroom in a way that keeps students engaged and interested in the education of history.

Until next time!