Using Oral History in the classroom
Students learn so much when they embark on an oral history project, and not just how to conduct an interview, but also project planning, deep listening, archive preparation, and audio editing. How do teachers use oral history in their classrooms, and how do they make it work?
Pete Vermilyea has been using oral history in his Housatonic Valley Regional High School history classes for decades. What started with students interviewing relatives to gain insights into recent events, grew to be annual Oral History festivals, podcasts, and most recently learning online platforms to do remote interviews. The themes have grown and changed, and of course, every year, the students change, too. We have worked with Pete on some of these projects, and this year, he has agreed to tell others how he does it, the challenges and the pleasures of introducing oral history into his annual curriculum.
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This conversation is meant for anyone who wishes to teach using oral history:
Classroom teachers, museum educators, and others.
Date: April 22, 3:30-4:30, on Zoom
Register: Jmonachina@berkshirecc.edu to register. We will send a link one week before the event.
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For several years, the Oral History Center worked with Pete and with Career Advisor Mary O’Neill. During those years, Pete’s students interviewed alumni/ae from specific decades and one student who had applied for a Housatonic Heritage Oral History Center internship made a podcast using the interviews. The task was great! Students found themes and created podcasts using the interviews from the Oral History Festival.
Above, Abby Adam, the first intern, and Mary O’Neill, use audio editing.
A few years later, we were working with Pete (left) again, and another student intern, Valerie Lenis, to figure out the themes and discuss strategy from their annual Oral History Festival. Also in this photo is Dan Bolognani, Executive Director of Housatonic Heritage, and Judith Monachina.