Connecting to the Past, Building the Future (25-Pack)

Using Edtech to Enrich History and Civics

By Karalee Wong Nakatsuka and Laurel Kirchhoff-Aguilar

ISBN: 9781564849786

Published: July 2022

Length: 6 pages

Listen to the authors on BAM Radio

This guide offers fun, practical resources and strategies to help teachers use edtech to enrich history and civics curricula, and build community inside and outside the classroom.

History and social studies educators are uniquely positioned to empower, inspire and motivate students to become engaged citizens who contribute to their communities. When students see themselves in history, they can recognize their importance in the world today. In this guide, two award-winning teachers show how to use edtech to help students engage more fully with history, then apply their learning in ways that promote civics and citizenship on a local, national and global level. 

The guide features:



• Four easy tips for getting started with edtech.
• A short list of widely used edtech apps and tools that are easy to learn and implement.
• An introduction to historical empathy, and edtech tools that can help cultivate it in students.
• Resources and techniques for building civic awareness in students.
• Activities to build community in and out of classrooms.
• #TryOneNewThingChallenge ideas that can easily be implemented for lasting impact on classrooms.

Edtech can offer an amazing range of possibilities – such as immersive experiences, interactive online activities and virtual field trips – and this guide explains how well-chosen edtech can expand lessons in a meaningful way so that they come alive for students.

(ISTE Jump Start Guide, 8.5" x 11", 3 laminated panels, 6 pages, 25-pack)

About the Authors

Karalee Wong Nakatsuka (@HistoryFrog) has taught middle school U.S History students since 1990. She’s passionate about using technology to engage students, focusing on building community in her classroom, and helping students to see themselves in the story of America as they develop into empathetic and informed critical thinkers and citizens who make a difference in the world.

Laurel Aguilar-Kirchhoff (@LucyKirchh) is a former U.S. history and science teacher who now serves as a digital learning specialist and professional development provider/coordinator. Her areas of expertise include digital citizenship, media literacy, educational technology and innovation. Aguilar-Kirchhoff seeks to educate, inspire and empower education professionals to create a culture of learning, no matter the learning environment.