History Maker

Of course, a teacher (or coursebook) can tell students which are the most important events, persons or developments in an era of history. But wouldn't it be nice when students could decide for themselves what is of historical significance? Wouldn't it be ideal when students could make their own stories, illustrated with pictures and movies?

History Maker makes this all possible. Completely free of charge. History Maker is a digital instrument for students to create their history stories. They can - on their own or in small groups -create items of historical events, persons or developments, which they think are most important for an era.

Ten eras
For pedagogical reasons history is divided into ten eras, each with his own icon.

Some suggestions for using the instrument:

• students can create a local or regional canon of history
• students can create a canon of  world history
• in an international online exchange programm students can create a canon of the history of their own country and discuss this canon with students from an other country.

Collaboration

History Maker makes it possible for students to collaborate on the history stories. This collaboration will even be more intense when students are asked to write reactions on topics submitted by other students. Reactions in which they can make analytical remarks or ask critical questions. Such an assignment might look like this:

·         think of one or more questions on which the author of the story could give an answer to make his story more comprehensible or intelligible, or

·         advise the author on which part of his text that needs more elaboration to make it more comprehensible or intelligible

If you would like to join (completely free of charge), please fill in the registration form. After registration you will receive a username and a password for your own project.

See this article on the teaching of history in the Netherlands and the canon. See also the historical and cultural canon of the Netherlands.