Of the many challenges of our profession is thinking about history and mastering how to challenge your students, and sometimes your peers, to better understand history. As Sam Wineburg states,\u00a0 historical thinking is an “unnatural act,” as we must understand our biases and realize our shortcomings.\u00a0 Even someone studying history in graduate school for the past four years, there is always something new to be learned or examined. It is between the two principles of viewing the past as familiar and as strange. Also, the dichotomy of empathy versus distance, using the past and being transformed by it. This week’s readings highlight the importance and complex understanding of how to view and study history. History is about conceptualizing, cooperation, learning, and critical thinking; we should not be comfortable studying history.<\/p>\n
One of the first concepts to examine when studying or thinking historically is the concept offered in Sam Wineburg’s work on “Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts,” which explores the complex understanding and practice of historical thinking. Within his work, he emphasizes three perspectives: those of a high school student, an elementary school principal, and a historian. Having grown up the child of a principal, teaching college freshmen, and working in the historical field, I feel connected to each interviewee.\u00a0 Each had their unique understanding and analysis of what they saw as necessary, particularly as it connected to the subject they were evaluating. The high school student tried to apply his knowledge and empathize with the historical subject matter. With this, the concept raised that in historical thinking, “we must consider the possibility that they drew differently because they saw differently, and that there is something different about this way of seeing what is irrevocably lost.” (Wineburg 493). With the elementary school principal, Wineburg highlights the dependence that history has relied on textbooks to convey a single narrative. It has slowly crept back into our thinking, even when trying to turn away from this. Finally, the historian understood that perceived truth in a subject matter that may be well known to you will always be areas outside of your knowledge. The historian’s job is to view the past and not label it, but learn from it.<\/p>\n
Another factor closely tied to the Wineburg article is the article by Wineburg, Smith, and Breakstone. Again, this study felt very personal to me as I have worked directly with students in an introductory survey course and upper-level history students. I have seen some of the same trends in the lack of understanding and complexity of ideas within history classes. This connects closely to figuring it out versus finding out questions. When I try to offer my students questions that require figuring out, or those that require critical thinking, they struggle. However, they do far better when I give them simple questions about finding out.<\/p>\n
This discussion of the complex nature of studying and understanding historical thinking has created questions for me to examine throughout this class. It has also allowed me to understand better and challenge my undergraduate students.<\/p>\n
Questions<\/p>\n
Of the many challenges of our profession is thinking about history and mastering how to challenge your students, and sometimes your peers, to better understand history. As Sam Wineburg states,\u00a0 historical thinking is an “unnatural act,” as we must understand our biases and realize our shortcomings.\u00a0 Even someone studying history in graduate school for the … Continue reading Thinking about Historical Thinking Portfolio Post<\/span>