The Future of History, One Governor at a Time

(Karla -- can't wait to you jump into this one)

While driving home this afternoon, I got into a little NPR groove.  Started tappin' my fingers as they began to do a little talk-search through the world of education.  And then I sorta found myself doing a double-listen.  Really, I thought.  With every learning step forward, I guess we gotta slide 2 steps back into 'the good ol' days' when the victors wrote the history books, one dead white guy at a time.  (added this stereotypical punchline just to boil the waters; it's a joke -- not worth the time if you're interested in the overall topic).  Let's go right to the 'sweet' spot of the topic:

“American history shall be viewed as factual, not constructed, shall be viewed as knowable, teachable, and testable, and shall be defined as the creation of a new nation based largely on the universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence.”

What are you reading?  Ah...

Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida added this tasty little educational directive in a 160-page K-12th grade education bill called the Florida Education Omnibus Bill (H.B. 7087e3).

I'm going to lob a softball over the net and see what the good world has to say about this. You might want to dive into the History News Network first, the site that helped me go from a radioshow reaction to actually finding a bit of blog/news linkage.  I'm definitely looking forward to future discussions/postings on this.  Too, too, too easy to begin spinning my reaction into a seemingly researched opinion, but truth be told this one is way too easy to tackle without really working at it...so I guess I'll leave my "future of learning" rants for later.

In the meantime, take a swing!  As my dad, Russ, says, "It's amazing what's buried in sausage" (or 160-page house bills).  Can't wait to hear the first reactions.  (Karla -- you got game? -- he smiles)

In the meantime, I'm going to start demanding that Congress get rid of Theoretical Physics (bad, bad, Einstein), the "new" math (bad, bad, Charlie Brown), and post-modern art (bad, bad Guggenheim) while we're at it.  It's slate and lunch pails and the 3R's for everyone only!

ture

Comments

[Diana]

So this is one of those moments that is just plain strange. I am in my classroom painting the seriously battered bulletin boards while streaming in NPR. I decide to take a short break and check out my blog feeds... and while I am listening to the story on the new Florida History directive I pulled up your posting on the very same topic. The great thing is that your reaciton in on par with mine. I just got done having my students an article on the proper attitude to with which to approach history. This 'proper attitide' is one that would clearly contradict the Florida law. One issue I would ask is the very basic question is about whose history we should tell. Am I really supposed to teach in a classroom with Navajo, Hopi and Apache students and claim that there is one right way to look at 'The Age of Exploration'. Do we celebrate that part of history and further distance the Naitve Americans from a sense of belonging in public education? Ineveitably each year there is a student at my school (not my classroom) that stands up and storms out of the classroom with the statement,"that's not my history". History bores the average student because it is often taught in a dry, memorization method. This development in Florida will distance students from a subject that already struggles to 'hook' students.

[Christian]

Diana,
Thank you for your comments and stopping by; I smiled at the serendipity of timing with your NPR/blog double-shot.

Like you, I also had the pleasure of working with Navajo/Hopi kids years ago while living at a BIA boarding school near the 4 Corners of New Mexico. I wonder if Jeb's history book matched the one their grandfathers taught them on the reservation before they were told that 'revisionist' history was bad state policy????

You were far more eloquent in your response to the Florida bill than I was; I only get minor credit for stirring the pot a bit. Your point about exactly 'whose' history we get to teach is spot-on. Yes, it is indeed one thing to argue (and legislate -- oy vey!) for 'facts', the good Governor needs to take 1 5 minute history class, raise his hand, and simply ask, "Ah, who writes the history books, professor? And are all the facts 100% correct?" Or, perhaps we can use 2 versions of history books: one with only subject-verb-object sentences that stops with the phrase "...1492"; another that actually includes adjectives and explanations, which might ironically include things such as "...founding father" (who's daddy might you be?) and "...hero" (fact or supposition?).

But beyond fact or semantics (minor cocktail arguments here), I think it comes down to the basic premise of whether or not we hold school to fill kids' brains with facts and keep them in a passive state purely so they can pass the SAT or work from bell to bell in the factory...or if we actually still hold a candle of hope up to the sky that education is about 'learning' (crazy premise, I know!) and more importantly that a history class is as much about analyzing facts as it is about memorizing facts. Show me 2 kids: 1 memorized all his founding facts and dates; another how to evaluate those facts and dates...and then ask me which I'd hire, which I'd befriend, which I'd read, which I'd respect, and frankly which will be more relevant in the future.

So bravo to you, Diana! Again, thanks for your prompt reply to the original post!

[Karla]

I love Diana's comment about "whose history" are we teaching! Since when was teaching only about the facts? Do the people that write legislation not remember that it was the teachers that told stories, helped students formulate ways to create personal opinions, encouraged thinking not regurgitation, excited and enlightened them that facts can be deceiving so you need to really make sense of them, etc. who were the greatest teachers they had! If all I was to do was to teach facts, you might as well replace me.

I am not a good teacher because I only teach facts; I am a great teacher because my kids learn to think, question facts, and write about what they discover.

[Christian]

Karla -- I figured you might have something tasty to toss back into the ring. Thank you, sweetheart!

Love the "might as well replace me" comment. Yes, while there might be a nice coffee table argument about the science vs. art of teaching, BOTH need someone at the healm who can bring the facts to life. You are as good as they get, and no matter how insanely myopic a view the Florida legislation might be (probably not about the teaching so much as a certain political spin on which 'facts' are fair game and which opinions are fair game, too), you'd still have a lifelong impact on each kid you see.

But it's not a guarantee for all who are expected to teach merely the 'facts'. If we don't teach the value of the facts, and if we don't teach the value of analyzing the facts, and if we don't teach the value of analyzing who constructed the facts we get to discuss and the opposite perspectives who did not 'win', we haven't taught a thing!