Changing History

History Professor Makes Her Mark

Like many faculty members at Pittsburg State University, Kelly Woestman, History, is well known among colleagues nationally for the work she does both inside and outside the classroom. Woestman is passionate about improving the way teachers teach history and her enthusiasm is contagious.

Most recently, Woestman was the only historian chosen to serve on a national committee established this year to advise and make recommendations to Allen Weinstein, the archivist of the United States. Specifically, the Advisory Committee on the Electronic Records Archives (ACERA) will advise Weinstein on issues related to the development, implementation and use of the Electronic Records Archives (ERA) system.

In addition to Woestman, the committee is made up of well-known librarians, archivists and experts on archives digital technology. Woestman said one of the things she can bring to the committee is her perspective as a researcher and user of archival information.

At PSU, Woestman is a professor of history and is director of history education. She is the associate director of two major projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education designed to improve history education in Kansas.

Project Primary Sources is a $930,280 grant through the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center that serves 100 middle school and high school teachers in 37 area school districts. Participating teachers not only enhance their knowledge of American history and correlate lessons to state standards, but also agree to conduct workshops for other teachers.

Project eHIKES (Enhancing History Instruction for Kansas Educators and Students) is a $754,543 grant through the Parsons School District. Project eHIKES seeks to increase historical knowledge and skills of middle/high school teachers by providing them with an understanding of primary and secondary history sources, their context, and research-based instructional strategies. The program emphasizes two themes: evolution of American political democracy from colonial days to the present-Constitution, Civil War, slavery, emancipation, and civil rights; and the changing character of American society and culture-arts, letters, education, thought, religion and values.

At PSU, Woestman is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of modern technology in teaching history. A colleague in the American Historical Association recently noted that she is among the pioneers in the use of blogs as a tool for teaching history to students.

To contact Woestman, call 620-235-4316 or e-mail <woestman@pittstate.edu>. For more about the PSU Department of History, visit their Web site at <www.pittstate.edu/hist>.

---Pitt State--