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History And Its Impact On History

Good Essays

In taking a peak at a current history lesson taught in a classroom, the common outsider will likely find nothing wrong with its content or presentation. They hear many famous names and key dates of the famous people and events of the past and do not bat an eyelash because they learned history in the same way. On the other hand, if a historian were to walk into that same classroom, they would be incredibly disappointed by the fact that students are not really learning how to practice history. Granted, they probably learned about history in the same way at one point or another during their educational careers, but that was in the past and this is the current day. As science, technology, and other subjects advance, why is the general public resolved to allow history to remain in the past? Is it not possible for history education to progress as well? The answer is yes, it is possible and it needs to be done. There is no doubt that students enter school with preconceived notions about history, which are often sustained by teachers as they present the subject in their classrooms, in direct contrast to how historians actually practice history; however, wrongs can be righted and historical analysis can be integrated into student learning. To begin with, students have many predetermined ideas about history. These notions are most commonly derived from what they hear at home, in the media, and from society in general. Sam Wineburg presents this idea in a number of his works.

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