NEW YORK CITY - A bilingual website for teachers focusing on the Latino experience in New York was introduced today by the New York State Archives, a program of the New York State Education Department, and the Archives Partnership Trust at Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños at Hunter College, part of the City University of New York. Time Warner supported this project.
La Escuela Electrónica/The Electronic Schoolhouse examines Latino history using historical records such as photographs, letters, flyers, broadsides and more dating from 1861 to the present. These records came from nine organizations in the state: the Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños, the New York City Department of Records and Information Services, Cornell University, Hofstra University, Hostos Community College, the Dominican Studies Institute at City College (CUNY), the Onondaga Historical Association, the Rochester Museum and Science Center - Latino Alliance Partnership, and the New York State Archives.
Two introductory videos, in Spanish and English, explain how teachers can use primary resources in their classrooms and the type of institutions that care for these one-of-a-kind materials. The records on the website bring a Latino perspective to events on the national, state, and local levels.
The web site is organized by topics such as immigration, civil rights, women, and education that connect to the New York State Education Department’s core curriculum and the learning standards and assessments for elementary, middle, and secondary education. Lessons researched and developed by New York State teachers accompany most documents. “Build Your Own Worksheet” is a unique feature of the site that allows teachers to customize the lessons to meet the needs of their classroom.
Merry H. Tisch, Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents praised the site: “In education today, we have learned that it is vital that we harness technology to engage the imaginations of our 21st century students. La Escuela Electrónica does that in a very creative fashion and, by its very design, underscores the importance of utilizing cultural treasures in helping to reinforce the lessons of the past.”
La Escuela Electrónica is just the latest educational website developed by the New York State Archives. It builds upon previous online resources - such as Erie Canal Time Machine, The Legacies Project, and Throughout the Ages - which also relied on significant input from classroom teachers to make sure that the online materials meet their needs.
“We are very excited to debut this unprecedented web program that places rightful attention on the transformational role that New York’s Hispanic population has had in our state and nation’s history,” stated New York State Archivist Christine W. Ward.
The New York State Archives preserves and makes accessible the essential recorded evidence - past and present - of New York’s governments, organizations, peoples, and events. At its Albany facility, the Archives cares for more than 200 million archival records of New York State government dating from the 1630s to the present. The State Archives also offers technical assistance, financial support, and other services to local governments and community organizations in every region of the state.
The Archives Partnership Trust was founded in 1992 to provide project support to enhance humanities programs, increase access to the New York State Archives treasures, and continue the preservation of New York’s historical records. It has supported the Research Residency Program, the Student Research Awards Program, history conferences, special exhibitions, public educational programs, book signings and lectures, publications, teacher training institutes, and preservation projects.