Why should we study history? Why does the college where I teach require students to take a history course? I asked these questions to my students today. A few them mentioned the phrase “critical thinking” in their answers. As Georgia […]
education
Jerry Falwell Jr. Will Head Up A Trump Task Force on Higher Education
Here’s a taste of a piece from the Chronicle of Higher Education. I am sure there will be more to come here and elsewhere. Jerry L. Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, has been asked by President Trump to head up a […]
Alan Taylor Channels Gordon Wood
By now many of you have probably read a review of Alan Taylor‘s new synthesis of the American Revolution. (We will be featuring Taylor in an upcoming edition of the Author’s Corner. Stay tuned). Writing in The New York Times, […]
The Training of History Teachers: A Twitterstorm
If my colleagues in history profession care about good historical thinking in US culture they need to hang out more w/ teachers. #listen — John Fea (@JohnFea1) August 2, 2016 I wrote this tweet in the midst of a great […]
Quote of the Day
The purpose of college…is to turn adolescents into adults. You needn’t go to school for that, but if you’re going to be there anyway, then that’s the most important thing to get accomplished. That is the true education: accept no […]
History Teachers Who Did Not Study History in College
It has been said that most high school history teachers go by the first name “coach.” The idea behind this adage is that anyone can teach history. School districts demand that their music teachers have a college degree in music […]
What Can Low-Income, Minority, Urban 16-Year-Olds Learn From the Great Books?
Tamara Mann teaches in the “Freedom and Citizenship Program” at Columbia University. The program is directed by American Studies scholar Casey Blake and brings low-income high school students to the Columbia campus during the summer to read Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, […]
Sam Wineburg on Historical Thinking
I always need to remind myself of this quote by Wineburg. I have it on my office door. For the narcissist sees the world–both the past and the present–in his own image. Mature historical understanding teaches us to do the […]
“Education and Economics are Essentially Incompatible”
A 103-Year-Old Reflects on Education
During the final few years of my grandfather’s life my brother Chris (a plumber living in New Jersey) spent several days a week with him. Their regular meetings included eating meals (Chris liked to bring over a pizza on Sunday […]
Gettysburg College President Responds to Obama’s Rating System
Obama’s plan to rank colleges and universities has sent college administrators on the warpath. One of the more concise and effective responses has come from Gettysburg College president Janet Morgan Riggs. Here is her “appeal” to Obama: I share and […]
This Teacher Wore the Same Outfit for 40 Years
Or at least he did in his yearbook photo. Read all about it here.
Ph.Ds in the High School Classroom
Stanford University will pay for humanities graduate students who want to pursue careers as high school teachers. Here is a taste of an article at Inside Higher Ed: The plan consists of a new course offering that will expose graduate […]
Educators and Social Media
I just ran across Dana Allen-Greil‘s slides for her presentation, “Museum Studies + Social Media.” Whether you are a museum professional, public historian, graduate student, or teacher, this presentation is very helpful. Allen-Greil discusses the ways educators can use Twitter, […]
Teach!
Sharon Liao is a history major at Columbia University who is concerned that elite colleges and universities are discouraging graduates from pursuing careers as K-12 teachers. Here is a taste of her article at The Washington Post: Working at a […]
I Attended the 415th Best High School in America!
Three cheers for Montville Township (NJ) High School. See where your high school falls in the Newsweek/Daily Beast top 2000.
Introducing “Reckless Historians”
Whenever I teach The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin I spend some time talking about The Junto–Franklin’s club for mutual improvement. Here is how Franklin describes the Junto: I should have mentioned before, that, in the autumn of the preceding year, […]
Great Britain’s History Wars
When it comes to pundits and politicians decrying the lack of historical knowledge among young people, there is nothing new under the sun. Writing at The Times Literary Supplement, David Cannadine, author of the recent The Undivided Past: Humanity Beyond […]
“Let the Teachers Teach”
David Patten, an award-winning history teacher and writer, has a solution to the problems facing public school education in America. This is yet another sad story about the way testing is destroying the teaching of history. An approach to teaching […]
Are Evangelical Homeschoolers Embracing Evolution?
Florida homeschool convention According to David Wheeler, author of a recent post at The Atlantic, more and more evangelical homeschooling parents want their children exposed to evolution. At least one publisher–Christian Schools International out of Grand Rapids, Michigan–has responded with […]