“Spatial Approaches to the Past: Story Maps in the History Classroom” by Christopher Saladin and Shana Crosson

  • “Each student expressed that this project gave them new ways to analyze scholarship, draw conclusions, and present their arguments. (page 40)
    • Using visual representations is a much more powerful and impactful way to get your point across to the audience. It was a stronger visual representation of your story. Speaking to an audience will not always get your point across and use visuals to make a greater impact on the viewers. Each student has a diverse background, experience, and these backgrounds influence their perception of the presentation. However their perceptions may be influenced by their peers. The converging of these ideas into an organized project is essential to effectively educate the youth.
  • “Actively mapping the information they were reading led students to focus on different kinds of information in their sources. This spatial approach not familiarized them with Latin American geography, but also encouraged closer reading and a critical lens the geographic assumptions of scholarship.” (page 40)
    • This is an effective way to explain your class lesson using geographic based technology. Visual representations are an efficient way to present your story. The audience may not be influenced by traditional presentation and speech, but a VIsual story invites your audience to become a spectator of the story. Or, with an interactive, map, become a part of the story,
  • “Whereas they may never look at a paper again after turning it in, a story map felt like a finished product that could be shared to a wider audience. Recognizing this, they took care to ensure that their projects were not only sound in their arguments, but also aesthetically pleasing and employed visual media to the best of their ability. One student expressed that while it was a lot of work, in the end, they were proud of what they produced and wanted to share their work with others in a way they never would with a paper. (page 43)
    • Interactive maps are an excellent medium because they allow the students to get feedback from the public immediately. An interactive map  is an intervention to experience the creative work of another student. Students often don’t feel motivated to share an essay with another, but might choose to do so with an interactive map