BKiernan


 * "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

"Those who can't do....teach."**

There are common misconceptions in the world about many things. Listed above are two cliche phrases that sum up what I do. When asked what subject they dreaded in school, many will say history. That is because many students had teachers that resemble the monotone drone played by Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's day off. So how do you make history interesting? Simple...you throw the textbook out. Textbooks are full of statistics, dates, names, and places. Ever watch a war movie and laugh or jump up with excitement? We all have. There is a reason. War on television is not real. War in the movies is not real. History on both is certainly not real. If we can make history real, we can make it matter. That is my goal in education. Technology allows me to do that. Primary source documents, photos, film clips, and more are all available to my class because it is important for them to see it. Reading about 20 million casualties in World War I may as well be a cartoon to teenagers. Seeing bodies and destruction makes them understand and appreciate the devastation.

History needs to be taught by those with a passion for it. History matters because it not only discusses the past, it affects the present and the future. If students don't understand the world that they live in, then how are they expected to understand anything else?


 * __Useful sites for historical and current information:__**

www.cnn.com www.pbs.org www.regentsprep.org www.historychannel.com [|www.msnbc.com]

I always thought students dreaded the subject I teach, mathematics because it can be so abstract, although I did suprisingly have one of my students the other day ask me "why do we need to study history"? I think you are so right when you mention that it is important for your students to be presented the material in a fashion which not only describes history through a book of facts and names, but to feel the impact history has on our lives today in relation to our past. Technolgy can unequivocally provde the visceral experience necessary to appreciate the world we live in and our destiny as humans. History provides a sense of proportion for us as humans to realize that we are part of something greater than ourselves.
 * __Comment__**

Comment:

 * The average man cannot really conceptualize how events occurred, and why they occurred. To such a person 'living' history may elicit some type of ready response. Like the 'events of 911' these events were live and direct...live television as the events unfolded.What is needed for the digital age student is to transform our textbooks( not throw them out) into living formats such as video clips, interactive media, videocasts, media-cell phone downloads of historical events which will engage our digital age learners. ( Keith Burnett53)