HISTORY
Lessons from history
In this information-rich age
we live in, the teaching of
history has to encourage
students to unpick the
information available to
them and derive their own
conclusions
I
f history is about searching for the truth,
then the increased use of technology in
the teaching and learning can either be an
invaluable tool, or hugely misleading.
But just how much has the teaching of
history changed in recent years, and how
careful do teachers now have to be about
tackling important but sensitive issues,
particularly with technological advances in
the home and classroom?
Glen Alexander, deputy head of
Archbishop Ilsley Catholic Technology
College in Birmingham, and a history teacher
for the past 27 years, said: “The way we
teach history has changed just as teaching
has generally.
“It used to be far less structured than it is
now, with more choice given to the teacher
about what to teach and how.
“But the essence of teaching history is
really no different to before. It is still about a
good story, well told.
“There are many different ways of Wall to wall: Issues such as the barrier built by Israel in the West Bank (top
investigating that story, and we now have far picture) and the Berlin wall (bottom) and can be discussed in a historical context
more tools at our disposal with the growth of
the internet, and resources such as YouTube. said. “I don’t believe it was ever really information, they will spend a long time just
“But at the end of it, there must still be about dates and places, though those are searching.
a good tale to tell about people in the past, important in themselves, but finding out “So we try to give them a list of websites
because without that you won’t motivate different interpretations of the past. This that we think will be useful. For example,
pupils.” is more important now than ever before, I believe that a good grounding into 20th
OCR will offer two GCSEs in history because young people have access to, and are century events is important to understand
from September 2009. History A SHP is a bombarded with, so much information. where we are today. But if you were to key
development of the popular Schools History “So one of the things history must teach is Nazi Germany into a search engine you
Project approach, and will comprise three how to look at the evidence and derive one’s would get all sorts of websites, some of
units, one of which will allow students the own meaning and conclusions.” which might be inappropriate. They would
opportunity to investigate a local historical Contemporary issues such as the war probably turn up websites about neo-Nazi
site, encouraging them to put the subject into in Iraq can be traced back to the conflicts organisations in Germany and Eastern
context. during the Crusades and the relationship Europe.
History B: Modern World will offer the between Christianity and Islam. “We also show them how history can be
opportunity to study key events, people, Similarly, studying the Troubles in manipulated to make it mean something
changes and issues of the 20th century, Northern Ireland, you have to look at else, for example by cropping people out
changes in British history – including the the whole of Irish history, he said. When of photographs. We use ICT to make them
role of women and patterns of ethnicity covering a subject like AIDS, it is useful to understand how the past can be re-written.”
– and a view of history from national and look at other pandemics, such as the Black The old adage about the victor always
international perspectives. Students will study Death, for example. writing history is perhaps less true now than
in depth Mao’s China, the United States, and But how difficult is it to sort all of the it used to be, however.
British society. information that is now available, to find “We have access now to far more opinions,
Mr Alexander believes that history is the what is useful and meaningful. and information is far more readily available,
ideal way of teaching young people about At Archbishop Ilsley, pupils now do a so we get several sides to one story,” Mr
current affairs – though history in itself course called Learning to Learn, which helps Alexander added.
should not be considered a current event. them to unpick all the information available, “The fact that people can now record
“History is about searching for the truth, and to make sense of it. events using their own mobile phones is an
and the truth lies there somewhere in the Mr Alexander said: “We have to be quite amazing innovation and step forward, which
past, so it’s about exploring all those versions selective about the materials we use. If you allows us to see events from a perspective we
and drawing your own conclusions,” he allow pupils to go on the internet to find their haven’t been able to before.”
18 SecEd
DELIVERING INNOVATION IN QUALIFICATIONS
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