09.16.05
Teaching History
(Note: Originally written 18 Apr, 2005. With some editorial changes to make it more suitable for an history blog)
Sometimes, the world conspires to bring something to my attention and makes me believe that it’s important. Really important. Not just “remember to pay my bills” important, but “this has an affect on everyone” important.
This is the kind of stuff I really want to dig my teeth into: Authors Want Improved History Education and Re-writing History
The first story involves such great historians as Pulitzer Prize winner Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. lobbying congress to fix “No Child Left Behind” so history doesn’t get left behind. Studies are starting to show that studying history is the springboard to loads of other disciplines. It’s akin to what listening to Mozart can do for your study and retention skills. Is anybody out there listening?
The second story involves something I hadn’t heard about until today. The riots that happened in Beijing, China over the weekend by students because a new Japanese textbook whitewashes their involvement in World War II. This is tricky stuff going on here. It has more to do with politics than history. The discussion was absolutely fascinating. How do governments, educators and text book writers balance history? What gets left out (and what gets put in) because it’s advantageous to show a country in a certain light, that while it may be factual isn’t necessarily truthful.
Whose truth gets recorded and remembered? The saying used to be, “The winners write the history.” But is that true anymore? With the power of the internet and blogging available to so many, how does one go about sorting through the facts to get to the truth? Which truth is important and what will future generations have to say about that truth?
It’s a lot to chew on, folks. And let me just say one other thing, this country better get its educational priorities in line, because we are raising people who no longer have the tools to do the critical thinking required to be a participant in the democracy that America was built upon.
Mike said,
September 18, 2005 at 1:15 am
“And let me just say one other thing, this country better get its educational priorities in line, because we are raising people who no longer have the tools to do the critical thinking required to be a participant in the democracy that America was built upon.”
Boy, do I agree with that statement.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts during your educational journey. I am certain that I will learn much from reading them.
Mike said,
September 18, 2005 at 1:17 am
By the way, the book “The Language Police” by Diane Ravitch talks about how the desire to be politically correct has led to text books that are boring at best and inaccurate at worst. I heard the author on a talk show about two years ago and had to read the book. It was very discouraging, unfortunately.