After reading the selections this week, I found a common link between most of them. One of the main elements of historical thinking that have remained at the heart of history teaching for decades is using textbooks in the classroom. In Lindamen, Dana, and Ward’s introduction to History Lessons, they state, “One of the few constants in history courses both in the U.S. and abroad is the use of textbooks to teach national history. These national histories are typically written by national authors with a national audience in mind, leading to a sort of insularity on any given historical topic.” Those textbooks are also seen as never-changing and contain set-in-stone facts, leading to problems with students retaining information or learning critical historical thinking skills. Ward in History in the Making states, “Young people . . . look at the subject of history as boring, mundane, and unnecessary. Part of the problem, I believe, is that many young people do not understand how history is researched and written about, nor do they see or understand the impact past decisions have on their lives today . . . All too often, I meet people who believe that history is written in stone and that it never changes.” Since textbooks are the primary tool used to teach history, students take what is said in those textbooks as set-in-stone facts. However, there are ways to change how these students think and learn about history, and this starts with the teachers themselves. Sam Wineburg, in his article Crazy for History,states, “Change will occur only by intervening at the policy level to ensure that those who teach history know it themselves.” Teachers cannot correctly teach history and historical thinking to their students because, according to Wineburg, “they lack adequate subject matter knowledge.” If the teachers have the proper knowledge and skills in historical thinking, their students will be able to build those skills for themselves. The digital realm has already provided opportunities for teachers to give their students those skills. Allison Robinson used digital tools to allow her students to develop and use their historical thinking skills. When redesigning her undergraduate course, she decided instead of a research paper to allow her students to work with digital tools and create a project using them. She “taught them to conduct original historical research using material culture with readings, class discussions, museum visits, object-handling experience, and office hour appointments. It was up to them to use primary and secondary source research to determine the historical significance of their objects.” The digital realm allowed these students to practice using historical thinking skills. Robinson believes the project helped her students develop and use their historical thinking skills. She states, “The class encouraged students to experiment with unfamiliar methodologies and new sources, challenging their historical thinking. They learned that critically engaging with their peers, historians, and the general public required creativity, careful research, and confidence in the final product.”