Emeritus Faculty, History
Email
Preferred: patricia.don@sjsu.edu
Alternate: patdon@email.sjsu.edu
Telephone
Preferred: (408) 924-5526
Office Hours
TR 9:30-10:30; R 4:15-6:00
Education
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Doctor of Philosophy, Univ Of Cal-Davis, 1974
Bio
My fields of inquiry are early modern Spanish history, colonial Mexico, and history
education. In April 2010, I published a book on colonial Mexico titled Bonfires of
Culture: Franciscans, Indigenous Leaders, and Inquisition in Early Mexico, 1524-1540.
The book deals with an early Inquisition of indigenous leaders in the late 1530s and
demonstrates how forced conversion of native communities to Christianity affected
both negatively and positively the ability of indigenous leaders to rule under the
Spanish colonial paradigm.
In history education, I completed in 2006-2009 a Teaching American History grant,
which trained 25 local teachers for master teacher status. I am currently working
with a local school district in San Jose to apply for another TAH grant. Also, my
new research project deals with a curriculum and assessment in history reading and
writing for middle and high school a well as community college teachers to prepare
students to complete a bachelor degree in any subject at the four-year university
or college.
Links