Going through school, we have always been taught to trust the text books we have been given, but also to hear both sides of a story before we make a judgment. When it comes to the history text books in Texas, it is almost unclear what those students should do. Should they trust the text book their educators have approved for them, or should they investigate all of history, including the parts the educators are taking out?
In my opinion, it should not matter so much what is in the text book itself, but the teachers should engage students in a more analytical discussion about events that happened in history. As one of the authors stated in the article, they should have students question why certain historical events took place, not just memorize what happened on what date.
It seems to me that the Texan educators mentioned are trying to give students an exceptional view of America. However, learning from the mistakes the United States has made in the past will keep the next generations of Americans from making the same mistakes. The entire point of learning about history is finding out what people did in a certain situation, and what they could have done differently to have a more positive outcome.
All in all, it is the job of the text book to present students with the facts about what happened in the past. Having an unbiased view of history will allow people to make their own judgments about what is right and wrong about the past, and how to change their future to make sure positive things happen again, and to make sure negative things do not re-occur. If the text book is not putting this opinion in, it is the teacher's job to make sure the students are engaging in the analytical thought that will lead them to their own conclusions.
Hey Alyssa! So I don't really know what to write because frankly I agree with you 100 percent deary! Besides it's soooo boring to just sit in class and memorize a bunch of cookie-cutter facts and then spit it right back out on a test! Class and school in general gets so much more interesting and fun if we're able to put our own opinions and thought processes involved! A totally good example is when we had the discussion circle last block, time in that class went by relatively fast. However today, when it was 90 percent lecture, the time spent in class went by soooo slow! So yeah I totally agree with what you're saying and think we need more interaction and critical thinking in the education system :)
ReplyDeleteHiya Alyssa! So I really like the fact that you brought up the teaching methods of history instead of the class just being based on what the textbook simply says. I know we talked about it in the socratic circle but I liked how you went a little more in depth. I also particularly enjoyed the point you made, that it seems like the Texas educators are trying to give the students an exceptional view of America, and then how you went on to say that we need to learn from our past mistakes. I completely agree with all of that. Furthermore, I enjoyed how you did not necessarily pick a side, in regards to that if the textbook should be more left or right based, and instead you left that up to the teachers to provide a wide base of knowledge and let the students figure out their opinions for themselves. On the whole I enjoyed your opinions on the subject and would like to say you did an amazing job! :)
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