Today’s teachers have a rightful mandate to incorporate primary sources as well as the use (for teaching and documenting learning) of digital technologies into their instruction. Thanks to the opportunities created by these digital technologies, LAMs have increasingly sophisticated tools to fulfill teachers’ needs. But are the tools we normally use to share primary sources really serving teachers’ needs? Just as we wouldn’t run the same type of public program for academics as we would for K–12 teachers, should we expect teachers to use the same type of platform we create for academics and fellow museum professionals? This presentation, by three institutions that have created digital primary source platforms aimed specifically at K–12 teachers and their students, argues no. We will share research conducted with those users to show that we can’t use the same assumptions of teacher needs for resources. In particular, we will discuss one of the large contradictions raised by the research: Teachers indicated desire for both encyclopedic offerings (the Google approach) and bespoke collections (the more traditional approach) for finding primary sources to use in the classroom. The three projects took different approaches: One created a large collections search. One created a focused hub of themed primary sources. One is creating smaller primary source sets. All contain some elements of other styles, though. The presentation will also discuss important project planning issues such as the amount of time necessary to prepare primary sources for digital delivery (staff members have found themselves spending around two hours, if not more, per item, or much more when it comes to creating packaged offerings), amount of technology skill to provide a robust platform and the necessity to work across the organization to make these sites a reality. Presenters come from small, medium and large size organizations so represent different perspectives.

1. Primary Source Platforms Specifically for Teachers and Students?
PRIMARY SOURCE PLATFORMS
SPECIFICALLY FOR TEACHERS
AND STUDENTS?
Shana Crosson (@crossons), Minnesota Historical Society
David McKenzie (@dpmckenzie), Ford’s Theatre
Darren Milligan (@darrenmilligan), Smithsonian Learning Lab

2. Primary Source Platforms Specifically for Teachers and Students?
The Three Projects
Full chart

3. Primary Source Platforms Specifically for Teachers and Students?
MNHS Primary Source Sets

4. Primary Source Platforms Specifically for Teachers and Students?
Remembering Lincoln

5. Primary Source Platforms Specifically for Teachers and Students?
Smithsonian Learning Lab

6. Primary Source Platforms Specifically for Teachers and Students?
Big Idea
Online collections
vs.
Primary sources

7. Primary Source Platforms Specifically for Teachers and Students?
Two ways to search for Lincoln...

8. Primary Source Platforms Specifically for Teachers and Students?
Does this audience need something
different?

9. Primary Source Platforms Specifically for Teachers and Students?
How do we package primary sources?

10. Primary Source Platforms Specifically for Teachers and Students?
How do students connect with the
primary source?

11. Primary Source Platforms Specifically for Teachers and Students?
THANK YOU
MCN 2016 011