It’s spring semester again already—whether it feels like it or not! Most of our staff members teach Public History courses in addition to their duties in Special Collections & Archives. Here’s what SC&A staff members are teaching this semester:
- John Armstrong: Advanced Archives (HST 7800);
- Toni Vanden Bos: Archival Preservation (HST 7850);
- Chris Wydman: Information Management (HST 7815); and
- Dawne Dewey: Dayton’s Aviation Heritage honors seminar (UH 4000).
On January 7, John Armstrong gave a tour for a group of junior high students from the Cleveland area. The students came to Dayton as part of Hawken School’s “Flights of Fancy” course and visited several aviation sites in Dayton over the course of a few days.
John Armstrong with Hawken School group, Jan. 7, 2015
John discussed the Hawthorn Hill exhibit on the first floor with the students, then took them to the second floor for a closer look at and discussion of the Wright Flyer replica that hangs in the Dunbar Library atrium. Upon reaching the fourth floor, he shared the significance of the Michelin trophy just outside the Archives reading room. Then, the students came into the Archives for a tour of original materials from the Wright Brothers Collection, beginning with the Brothers’ early life and family materials and then progressing chronologically through their lives as inventors and aviators.
John Armstrong with Hawken School group, Jan. 7, 2015. About this time, John referred to Wilbur as a “rock star.”
At one point, John referred to Wilbur as having achieved “rock star” status following his demonstration flights at Le Mans, France, in 1908—a choice of words that was enjoyed immensely by all.
John Armstrong with Hawken School group, Jan. 7, 2015
On January 17, Toni Vanden Bos and Digital Services’ Tanya Ellenburg-Kimmet led a Friends of the Libraries workshop entitled “Picture This!” The workshop was an introduction to digital camera basics, photo editing software, photo scanning and preservation.
On January 27, Gino Pasi and two of our Public History students, Nina Herzog and Shelby Dixon, led 5th grade Social Studies students (3 classes of 25 students each) from McKinley Elementary in Xenia in primary sources workshop.
McKinley School students creating their poster, Jan. 29, 2015
Each group created a mini-exhibit of reproduction primary source materials. Student were also given questions, the answers to which could be found in the images. They pasted the images, questions, and other info on poster board and presented to the class. Topics for the groups were: Dayton school desegregation, Dayton bussing, Thurgood Marshall, James H. McGee, and the 1963 March on Washington. The students’ posters have been on display at the Xenia Kroger for Black History Month.
McKinley students presenting their poster, Jan. 29, 2015
Dawne Dewey conducted class orientation tours to the Archives for her UH 4000 students (January 13) as well as Dr. Swanson’s HST 4900 Senior Research Seminar class (January 29). Dawne also gave a tour for representatives of Wright B Flyer, Inc. (January 29). Gino Pasi also presented a brief talk on oral history to Dr. Swanson’s class as well.