This week's question is a difficult one to address since there are many positive ways to approach teaching history. In America pretty serious debates have occurred surrounding just this topic! Even the innocent sounding Social Justice approach has many opponents who fear we would be teaching children communism, by teaching them to make the world a more fair and equal place!
I'm drawn to a history curriculum that deals with conflict and controversy and doesn't try to pretend it never happened or that there is only one viewpoint that is correct. When I taught history I would tell my students it wasn't my job to teach them what to think, but how to think. By studying about other's conflicts we can hopefully learn the causes and solutions of our own. A solid history curriculum that allows students to grapple with difficult content can help to do just that. Students need to understand that often history isn't black and white and that there are multiple sides to each event. It is important for them to realize that world they live in is much the same way. That people do not act in isolation, but in response to the events that surround them. By introducing students to difficult and controversial content I believe that students can grapple with tough ideas in a safe environment and that the problem solving skills developed through inquiry and investigation can be transferred to their current experiences. But then I am and will always be a bit of an optimist!
I'm drawn to a history curriculum that deals with conflict and controversy and doesn't try to pretend it never happened or that there is only one viewpoint that is correct. When I taught history I would tell my students it wasn't my job to teach them what to think, but how to think. By studying about other's conflicts we can hopefully learn the causes and solutions of our own. A solid history curriculum that allows students to grapple with difficult content can help to do just that. Students need to understand that often history isn't black and white and that there are multiple sides to each event. It is important for them to realize that world they live in is much the same way. That people do not act in isolation, but in response to the events that surround them. By introducing students to difficult and controversial content I believe that students can grapple with tough ideas in a safe environment and that the problem solving skills developed through inquiry and investigation can be transferred to their current experiences. But then I am and will always be a bit of an optimist!
