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Why are you so concerned about bias? Do you assume that everything in history textbooks is biased? High school history textbooks are an overview of history. It is a starting point. Have you taught history or civics? I got certified in social studies as something to do in retirement. I've completed several long term subbing assignments and I think the latest teaching theory of the month has resulted in students who know less than previous generations. Education has turned into fill in worksheets and then regurgitate the study guide on a test.
I was recently reviewing a worksheet that I gave a U.S. History class. The students were supposed to read the section of the chapter and fill out the worksheet (know as a guided reading activity in education lingo. The topic as WWI and the students had to define the word, "stalemate," in regard to trench warfare in WWI. Many of the students Googled the word and wrote down the definition of stalemate in the game of chess. They refuse to read the book and then they (and their parents) don't understand why they score below 50% on the tests.
When I was in high school in the early 1970s, scoring below 50% on chapter tests would've resulted in an "F" grade on my report card. Today, teachers do things like have the students correct the questions they missed to get half credit for those questions. This would result in a 50% score ending up being a 75%. With credit for homework, turning in worksheets, group projects, etc., that student may end up with a B or possibly an "A" in the class. Since the student knows they will likely get no lower than a B in the class, what incentive is there to read the chapter or study for a test?
This existed 14 years ago when I was in high school. It had little to do with technology and more to do with standardized tests for the state i lived in. Not that the state i am an educator in currently isn't in the same boat...
Why are you so concerned about bias? Do you assume that everything in history textbooks is biased? High school history textbooks are an overview of history. It is a starting point. Have you taught history or civics? I got certified in social studies as something to do in retirement. I've completed several long term subbing assignments and I think the latest teaching theory of the month has resulted in students who know less than previous generations. Education has turned into fill in worksheets and then regurgitate the study guide on a test.
I was recently reviewing a worksheet that I gave a U.S. History class. The students were supposed to read the section of the chapter and fill out the worksheet (know as a guided reading activity in education lingo. The topic as WWI and the students had to define the word, "stalemate," in regard to trench warfare in WWI. Many of the students Googled the word and wrote down the definition of stalemate in the game of chess. They refuse to read the book and then they (and their parents) don't understand why they score below 50% on the tests.
When I was in high school in the early 1970s, scoring below 50% on chapter tests would've resulted in an "F" grade on my report card. Today, teachers do things like have the students correct the questions they missed to get half credit for those questions. This would result in a 50% score ending up being a 75%. With credit for homework, turning in worksheets, group projects, etc., that student may end up with a B or possibly an "A" in the class. Since the student knows they will likely get no lower than a B in the class, what incentive is there to read the chapter or study for a test?
You might have answered your own question. There are many types of bias and one is a bias toward methodology. Filling out work sheets is IMO a methodology and we rely too much on this methodology.
I was teaching a history class at a community college about 15 years ago. I was a full-time teacher and head of the small department which only meant I was doing the administrative work also. The dean and the head basketball coach informed me during finals week that a young man was going to take my final. He wasn't enrolled in my class an I had never seen him before.
So one morning a polite seven foot young man in a warm up meets me and takes my final exam. I hand him the book and a final work sheet and he makes an A on the test after being exposed to the subject for only two hours. That's how history is being taught, regurgitating names, dates and definitions.
Last edited by thriftylefty; 10-16-2017 at 07:17 AM..
This existed 14 years ago when I was in high school. It had little to do with technology and more to do with standardized tests for the state i lived in. Not that the state i am an educator in currently isn't in the same boat...
I'm not sure what you are referring to. If you're referring to my comment about students wanting to Google answers to worksheet questions instead of reading a textbook, I think it is the fact that many students try to avoid reading as much as possible. I don't see where it has anything to do with standardized tests.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thriftylefty
You might have answered your own question. There are many types of bias and one is a bias toward methodology. Filling out work sheets is IMO a methodology and we rely too much on this methodology.
I was teaching a history class at a community college about 15 years ago. I was a full-time teacher and head of the small department which only meant I was doing the administrative work also. The dean and the head basketball coach informed me during finals week that a young man was going to take my final. He wasn't enrolled in my class an I had never seen him before.
So one morning a polite seven foot young man in a warm up meets me and takes my final exam. I hand him the book and a final work sheet and he makes an A on the test after being exposed to the subject for only two hours. That's how history is being taught, regurgitating names, dates and definitions.
I'm confused. You were the history teacher so you are the one responsible for how history is taught in your classroom. I just covered the period from the Spanish-American War through World War I and told students they should have an understanding of the timeline of the events we were studying but there would be no dates on the test. I told them yesterday they would not have to know any of the names of battles in WWI on their test. We are focusing on why the war took place and the long range consequences of the war.
Was your test that easy or was the basketball player that knowledgeable about the history topic?
I'm not sure what you are referring to. If you're referring to my comment about students wanting to Google answers to worksheet questions instead of reading a textbook, I think it is the fact that many students try to avoid reading as much as possible. I don't see where it has anything to do with standardized tests.
I'm confused. You were the history teacher so you are the one responsible for how history is taught in your classroom. I just covered the period from the Spanish-American War through World War I and told students they should have an understanding of the timeline of the events we were studying but there would be no dates on the test. I told them yesterday they would not have to know any of the names of battles in WWI on their test. We are focusing on why the war took place and the long range consequences of the war.
Was your test that easy or was the basketball player that knowledgeable about the history topic?
It was an open book test. At this institution your dean tells you how you are going to teach, what books, handouts and test I was going to use. I was also told to only give out A's ,B's and C's at midterms and finals. Many small community colleges are a little like mills, hardly anybody pays to go ,but they get money based on student count.
I'm not sure what you are referring to. If you're referring to my comment about students wanting to Google answers to worksheet questions instead of reading a textbook, I think it is the fact that many students try to avoid reading as much as possible. I don't see where it has anything to do with standardized tests.
Before Google was big (which honestly was by the time I left high school) people would use Yahoo! or SparkNotes (especially in English). For history I usually did use the text to answer When I got into college, I would use a mix of both the overpriced text and Google.
The point I was replying to was that of teaching to a test and not for retention of information. This was the issue that I saw in high school amd again, college.
Quote:
Originally Posted by villageidiot1
I'm confused. You were the history teacher so you are the one responsible for how history is taught in your classroom. I just covered the period from the Spanish-American War through World War I and told students they should have an understanding of the timeline of the events we were studying but there would be no dates on the test. I told them yesterday they would not have to know any of the names of battles in WWI on their test. We are focusing on why the war took place and the long range consequences of the war.
Which I think is more important than the battles itself in all honesty. World War 2 had the same causes World War 1 had except you add (economic) depression and nationalist dictators as well as the failure of the League of Nations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by villageidiot1
Was your test that easy or was the basketball player that knowledgeable about the history topic?
I don't think it is the point in this issue. It is more the school telling a professor to test a student who wasn't even enrolled on their course load.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thriftylefty
It was an open book test. At this institution your dean tells you how you are going to teach, what books, handouts and test I was going to use. I was also told to only give out A's ,B's and C's at midterms and finals. Many small community colleges are a little like mills, hardly anybody pays to go ,but they get money based on student count.
I had open note tests or a formula sheet to base off in most college classes and only one professor that I had a true open book test with. Honestly it worked against the students in a number of cases when it came to open book. Why, you wouldn't really study because it should be "easy." I do notice that community college is typically mills designed to either pump out into state schools or be quick trade degrees.
Three years of history teaching (as someone indicated), and we're still getting the results we see today? Wow, you could cover a lot of ground in just one semester. Granted, it wouldn't cover ever conceivable topic, but you could easily cover the biggies (such as birth of the country, industrialization, Civil War, WW2, 9/11). Not sure what they're spinning their wheels on these days.
Three years of history teaching (as someone indicated), and we're still getting the results we see today? Wow, you could cover a lot of ground in just one semester. Granted, it wouldn't cover ever conceivable topic, but you could easily cover the biggies (such as birth of the country, industrialization, Civil War, WW2, 9/11). Not sure what they're spinning their wheels on these days.
Don't forget that part of the equation is not just how much you cover, but the depth in which you cover it.
Don't forget that part of the equation is not just how much you cover, but the depth in which you cover it.
Well, then maybe they should give an overview first, and make sure that sticks before moving on. It still sounds like they're wasting time with ineffective approaches and strategies.
Well, then maybe they should give an overview first, and make sure that sticks before moving on. It still sounds like they're wasting time with ineffective approaches and strategies.
Well, in a way that is what they do. The lower grades are that overview. Then the content is revisited twice in higher grades. For example, they return to Westward Expansion in middle school and then again in high school.
A greater concern should be that the "civics and history" that are being taught, are consistent with historical facts, than with political correctness. Seems like much of history (like today's news) is re-written or 'spun' to suit modern preferences and perspectives.
Oh yes, I completely agree. I recently found out a history teacher at a local school was talking about The Philadelphia Experiment, and was speculating it may have not even happened!
I remember when I had social studies/ history class in the early 90s, we were taught about this event and taught it DID happen, it was during lessons on Nikola Tesla. strange how they would try to debunk something like this with kids today.
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