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Trevor Getz
Candidate Statement
For many of us, H-Net represents first and foremost a scholarly lifeline to colleagues in similar fields but far-flung departments. But H-Net has also served since its inception as a major pedagogical tool. Through the lists, we find resources like textbooks and websites, discuss teaching techniques, and debate approaches and theories that pertain to teaching as well as research. Some lists like H-Afrteach (which I co-edit) are dedicated to teaching, but in fact a large portion of the posts on every list pertain to teaching issues.
As a member of the H-Net Council and of the H-Net Teaching Committee under two Vice-Presidents (Bob Cherny and Kelly Woestmann), I have worked on a variety of projects, including leading the development of a prototype Content Management System to organize and make searchable resources for use by scholars and teachers. But there is a further generation of technology available that can revolutionize our ability to teach through collaboration with each other in ways that augment list discussion. I have recently begun to experiment with this by building a community of teachers around a single set of resources, a newspaper called The African Times, and facilitating blogging, wiki-discussions, the posting of lectures and assignments all around this resource. I'd like to see H-Net get grants to facilitate collaboration through which list members build full, collaborative courses together using this kind of technology.
I have a number of additional goals as well. It is important that H-Net keep and build on the kind of links built by Kelly and Bob to other organizations, especially around the Teaching American History initiatives. Additionally, the idea of giving H-Net awards or seals of approval to certain website has been floated for a while, and I'd like to complete this process. Third, it is important that we put together a list of qualifications for the new category of Teaching Editors, created recently by the council.
Before any of this happens, the first step is to rebuild the Teaching Committee, whose membership has been flagging recently. That will be my first step, and probably the most important one. If I end up being elected as VP-Teaching, I hope many of you will consider working with me on this important committee.
