The goal of “Reading Like a Historian,” a high school curriculum designed at Stanford, is to improve literacy skills, foster a love of learning and of history, and increase critical thinking and reading comprehension. And it seems to work.
Related article: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/march/rethinking-history-education-030512.html
Stanford University:
http://www.stanford.edu/
Stanford News:
Stanford University Channel on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/stanford
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http://www.falibo.com
Another Great video to use in an ESL classroom. It gives a unique insight into British life and culture. It contains subtitles and is easy to understand for intermediate students. It goes together with worksheets and it’s easy to use for any language teacher.
Getting school students interested in history is easy when you have some fun activities to hand. Often, all that students need is to be able to visualize the past, to engage with it and to relate it to their own lives – and it will come alive for them. Different students have different learning styles (some learn through talking and interaction, for instance, whilst others prefer a more visual learning style), so make sure to use plenty of different activities so that all of the students in the class can learn. The more interested and engaged they are with the past, the more that they will feel they want to learn more about it!
You can find on this website details of some castles that would be perfect for a school outing. Most children are fascinated by castles, and often there is room to run around!
Few things get history into kids’ heads more than re-enacting it. Whether you want to put on a play depicting a scientific discovery or stage a debate about a major political event, the very act of getting involved with their bodies will help your class to stay switched on throughout the history lesson. Teaching them to research contextual details such as costumes, the chain of events that led up to the moment that they are re-enacting and the biographies of the main historical figures that they are looking at, will all add depth to their understanding.
Whether you pay a visit to a battlefield or head down to a museum to check out a mosaic, there is no denying that seeing is believing here. School students who found it hard to understand what chain mail was will find it much easier when they have touched some (even if that is a replica in a museum). If you do not have the resources or time to pay a visit out of the classroom, bringing in some historic photographs or paintings will serve a similar function.
A fully costumed historian can visit your school to present a history workshop on and period. The best presenters will bring along a variety of historical resources that can be handled by the students. One of the best is Medieval Days who will attend all schools and cover most periods of English History. They can even arrange a school history visit by an expert bringing hundreds of historical resources and activities.
Try researching and then cooking Tudor recipes, or listening to some Renaissance instruments playing traditional tunes on Youtube. Learn a dance from centuries ago, or teach your class to do embroidery in the way that it was done in the year 1900. Engaging all of the senses in creative ways really is a great teaching tool. When you combine activities like this with theoretical and factual knowledge about the time period (for instance, a mini Tudor feast could round off a lesson on English court hierarchy), you will have a class full of interested students who are willing and eager to learn more.
Thomas Ketchell, 25 years old, was born in St. Leonards-On-Sea (UK) but grew up in France and Belgium. After working in Australia for a year, he went on to clinch his BA in History & Chinese Studies. His desire to help the environment brought him to East Africa in 2010 where he built biogas systems. Biogas projects use cow dung to provide clean cooking gas in rural parts of Kenya, where forests are being cut down and wood for cooking is disappearing rapidly.
He went on to do a postgraduate in Business & Development, and ended up living and working in China. Whilst living in Beijing, he experienced the dreadful quality of the air on a daily basis. Wanting to alert people back home what it was like to breathe in this dirty air, he decided with his colleague Steven Chiu — to re-enact on social media the 1952 Great Smog of London. The success of this re-enactment led to worldwide coverage, which encouraged both Steven and Thomas to co-found Hstry, which relives historical events through a first-person perspective to bring history to life. Hstry is now providing interactive storylines of historical events for both elementary and secondary schools across the globe in line with their vision to become the leading digital learning platform for history.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
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Put A Playground On Your Christmas List
With winter now here, schools should start to plan ahead for the better weather of the New Year. A new playground can really put spring in the step of children at any school. Regrettably, many schools would like to purchase new playground equipment but are unable to generate the necessary funds. Many schools would like to apply for playground equipment funding but many don’t know where to start.
Leading outdoor playground equipment suppliers have worked with schools across the UK to help them make the most of the play spaces available. They design and install playground equipment for schools, Councils and local authorities to improve the play experience for children. Playground suppliers can also help schools to gain funding for playgrounds using their years of experience in the industry.
A variety of playground funding sources are available including School fundraising events, Lottery funding and The Playground Partnership. With Christmas rapidly approaching, schools should make the most of the Christmas spirit to raise funds for playground equipment.
“Christmas is a great time for giving. Schools can take advantage of this and raise funds for playground equipment by holding a range of events such as a cake sale, Carol Service, raffle or bring and buy. This is a win-win for the school as parents, people from the community and school children can all get involved to help raise money for a great cause” said a spokesperson for playground supplier Playforce.
Outdoor playground equipment suppliers are currently offering a free playground funding ideas factsheet for schools across the UK. “Many schools need to get help funding their playgrounds but many don’t know where to start. We’ve got years of experience working with schools and have condensed our knowledge into an easy to read factsheet”
The factsheet also gives advice on how to prioritise playground funding campaigns, how to develop a playground strategy and include all stakeholders in the development projects. The advice for playground funding applicants is that “It is important that schools take the time to make their playground funding applications specific to the awarding body. We have found that a lot of schools use the same applications again and again and fail to get the result they want. The single biggest factor in making applications successful is to do research. If schools put the time in with their applications, they are more likely to get their applications approved.”
The factsheet can be downloaded online from the Playforce website, this also provides further information about playground equipment. There is a listing of outdoor children’s playground equipment which can also be provided, as well as other resources which are available for schools. “For schools looking to improve their holistic approach to play, we now offer additional advice and supporting documents. Schools now have many things to consider when looking at how to improve play in the community such as inclusion, Disability Discrimination Act compliance and travel planning. We have put together publications, guides and teaching supports to help schools when thinking about play”
Do Certain Subjects Require Specific Hours Of Teaching For Homeschooling My Kid?
Homeschool parents benefit from technology to enhance and complement traditional ways of teaching on school campus. There are several educational software and teaching packages that can help develop a curriculum. The internet is a very useful means that is full of educational resources; online dictionaries, libraries, encyclopedias and museums.
Depending on your State’s homeschooling law, the following may apply:
1. School officials can inquire about the parents’ qualifications to instruct or teach their child; however instructing parents do not necessarily need to have a particular educational qualification. A high school graduate or less can instruct the child, provided that she has the capability and a sound mind.
2. Children in the elementary level should be taught the following: English, which includes reading, spelling and writing; math, geography, science, civics, history, physiology and health, music, physical education and art.
3. Children in the high school level, should be taught the following: English, which includes speech, language, literature and composition, science which will include chemistry and biology; social studies, geography, economics, history of the U.S.A, world history, mathematics which will include algebra, geometry and statistics; music, art, physiology and health, physical and safety education.
4. School officials can inquire regarding subjects that the child should study, demand the length of homeschool year, and allocate instruction hours for every subject.
While they can determine instruction hours for every subject, they should not control the method in which these subjects are to be taught.
This means that homeshooling parents can determine and evaluate instruction hours based on their method of homeschool, not necessarily to be able to imitate the public school, rather equal and match it according to efficiency and systematic approach.
In homeschooling, it is up to the parent to determine the child’s intellectual needs. Subjects to be taught do not require specific hours of teaching, although each subject needs an allotted time, in order for the child to absorb fully what is taught.
Moreover, schedule keeping is not a significant factor in homeschooling where usage and understanding of time are so much different.
5. School officials can recognize and classify instructional materials, only for the reason of determining the subject and the child’s grade or level. They should not utilize this right to demand the way or style of teaching, with which subjects are to be taught.
When the child is having difficulty in a certain subject, for instance in reading, then the parent should allow longer hours for reading allowing the child enough time to learn that particular subject.
On the subject that the child willingly and easily learns and grasps, the parent may shorten the time spent on that subject and allocate the extra hours for subjects which the child finds hard to comprehend, to subjects that the child poorly progresses on.
At homeschooling, the child can take the time to learn and explore each subject at his/her own speed, in his or her own capacity. And the parent can find creative ways to make learning and teaching fun.
A few efficient and helpful teaching materials that are not tangible, such as community service, travel, visits to parks and museums, etc., will definitely grant significant learning skills and knowledge aside from those learned from books.
6. Parents and school officials must reach an agreement on a system of evaluation or assessment for the child; either standardized testing, periodic reports on the child’s progress or dated samples of work.
Determine your child’s learning ability and style so that:
1. You’ll know what approach to use or be well equipped in teaching them. It is a wrong notion that some parents have, to presume that their kids learn the way they do. For example, when parents are visual learners, they also expect their children to be visual learners. Just remember that children are different individuals; usually having distinct learning styles compared to their parents and even their siblings. The sooner that you learn and comprehend each child’s learning style the sooner that you can effectively teach them.
2. You’ll be prepared to decide on a curriculum for homeschooling. If you are not familiar with your child’s learning styles, there is the possibility that you will select a curriculum that can not be an effective tool for your child’s learning.
3. You can better identify and understand your child’s educational needs. When children fail to effectively communicate, they, much like everyone else, get upset and discouraged. However, if you understand your child’s learning styles, you can be able to assist your child to understand themselves better, enabling them to interact and correspond better with their peers.
Understanding their learning styles and their capabilities will enable you to determine how many hours they need for each subject; homeschooling does not require strict hours of teaching your child in any subject. It all depends on how well your child progresses; if he can do his math in less time in regard to the curriculum set for him, then good. If you feel he needs to spend more time in reading, then he should.
Good Reasons to Teach
The teaching profession is a unique career field in a lot of ways. Because you are taking on the challenge of educating children or teenagers, along way you will become very much a part of their society with all the positive and negatives that go with that. Its for that reason that before you make even the first step toward making teaching your career, its good to examine your motivations to make sure you have good reasons to teach.
The downsides of teaching are well known. Teaching historically does not pay well, particularly if you teach at the public school level. You can find niche situations that pay well like working for a wealthy private school, tutoring or working for a “for profit” teaching operation. But by and large, you don’t go into teaching for the money.
That said it is also true that if you are a good teacher and your resume is strong, you can expect strong job security. There is always a need for good teachers. Unlike going into business, you do not have to make your employer profitable to be a success teaching. You are judged in lives and in the results of your teaching that is evidenced in the grades and strong academics of your students. If you can learn to teach young minds and bring them wisdom and knowledge, you will have a job for life.
Many people go into teaching because they love the academic environment. For those who grieved the closing of each school year and who never wanted to leave high school and then college, teaching lets you take up residence in that part of society that fits your personality so well. To those who have no idea how the calling to teach works, this seems insane because for many getting out of school a stronger motivation than continuing on in the academic world. So if you have an affinity for the social setting of a school system and the idea of taking up residence in a culture that the pursuit of knowledge is, at least in theory, the primary goal of the institution, teaching is for you.
Another motivation many have for going into teaching is love of your subject matter. If you have always been passionate about math, history, philosophy, art or physical education, one way to feel fulfillment of your passion is to pass along not only your knowledge about your field of expertise but your passion as well. This is particularly true of a field of study where there is no direct corollary in the business world such as history or philosophy. By making a career in academics teaching the field of knowledge you love and excel at, you keep the legitimacy of that area of knowledge alive by passing it along to the next generation.
If the core reason you love to teach is the love of your subject matter, you do have to be a realist especially if you find yourself teaching in the public schools. Don’t go into a classroom of 30 high schoolers and expect every one of them to be come a zealot about your field of expertise as you are. Yes, from time to time you will light a fire under a kindred spirit and see the light come on about the love of your subject area. That experience alone can make the sacrifices of teaching worth it. But be reconciled that if all you do is at least hold the attention of the students and broaden their knowledge and appreciation of your field of knowledge, for many that is all you can expect. But you are still an educator and you have done a good thing at even that very basic level.
Teaching is a calling no matter what your core reasons to teach is. A true teacher does not go into the field for the money or for a glamorous or exciting career. The excitement of teaching is seeing young minds come alive in class and to take youth people one step further along their path to becoming truly educated individuals. And if that is your passion and what gets you out of bed each mooring to go to that school and deal with the negatives of a teaching day, they you have found the right reasons to teach which means you will be successful, well liked and remembered by your students as a great teacher.
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Art History
A degree in art history is useful for someone who wishes to be a teacher or perhaps work in an art museum. Many people find it interesting to learn about the history of artistic pursuits and go to art school to get a degree in art history.
For those who wish to find a career in teaching art history, it is necessary to get an art degree. If you are planning on teaching grammar school children, you may do well with a bachelor degree of arts. If you are planning on teaching older children, such as high school students or even at the college level, you will most likely need a master degree in art history.
Art history is a most fascinating subject and most people enjoy learning about the old masters, the impressionists and the others who followed in their footsteps. Most school districts teach a bit of art history in middle school and add it as an elective during high school.
Other uses for an art history degree would be to work in an art museum. This can be quite a rewarding and lucrative career, particularly if you aspire to be a curator of a museum. Those who wish to have a career working in an art museum will most likely have to begin in an entry level job at the museum, in most cases, as a tour guide.
In order to obtain a teaching job, a person should also have a degree in education. Many people major in art history and minor in education when seeking a job as an art history teacher. It is also important to have the correct teaching certifications.
Someone with a master degree in art history will find many different avenues open to him or her, although this is not the most lucrative of careers in the art field. It can be very satisfying, however, for anyone who truly appreciates the history of art. Someone must preserve this history for future generations. This endeavor lies on shoulders of those who choose to teach art history, either in a classroom setting or in a museum.
Anyone who has a love of history as well as art appreciation should consider a career as an art teacher or art history teacher. In many schools, a teacher is supposed to know about many different types of art as well as different art techniques to teach students. Although a teacher may major in art history, they will also be required to teach students skills such as jewelry making, painting and drawing.
It is good to be well rounded in the field of art if you are planning a career as an art teacher. If, however, you seek to work in a museum as an art historian, you need only concentrate on art history. You should know your art history backwards and be able to ascertain which artist painted which type of painting by sight. Your knowledge will come in very handy to those who visit the museum where you work.
An art history degree can be used for many different purposes and can be very enjoyable for someone who wants to teach, work in a museum or even write books about the history of the fine arts. It is important that people continue to study art history so that the knowledge can continue to spread to future generations.
What do I love about my job? Well, there are so many aspects to it and I’m lucky enough to still be involved in rugby. And then there’s the fascinating new path I’ve started on too: education.
The main word that comes to mind when I think of education is ‘aspiration’. Education is the key to unlocking our aspirations, being the best possible version of ourselves and true to what we believe in and long for. I believe that with my life experience and sporting profile, I have a responsibility to help young people and in 2014 I partnered with Prospero Teaching to take my message about the importance of aspiration into schools.
Like a lot of young people, I experienced my share of bullying at school. Bullying can become a vicious circle with long term, harmful effects that impede confidence and aspiration. We also know that bullying is often the product of poor self-esteem and that victimising others enables the bully to deflect their own insecurities as well as escape the fear to aspire. So Prospero Teaching and I devised the ‘Balls to Bullying’ campaign which we take into primary and secondary schools, working with kids of every demographic, tailoring workshop style and content to support the needs of different groups.
I must admit, I love working with the younger kids; their enthusiasm and imagination is inspiring, and what can I say, I’m just a big kid myself after all! But working with the older kids feels like a massive honour and responsibility as well as a huge learning opportunity. I have delivered literacy sessions to a high school in Caerphilly, run a two-hour workshop for sixth-formers in North London, talked about anti bullying in Stoke and am now making return visits to schools following up long-standing goals we set together.
What value can I add to a kid’s education? I wasn’t exactly a star pupil myself, but I think that’s where my empathy with young people comes from, especially those who struggle through maths, watching the minutes tick by before PE, drama or music (or whatever makes them feel alive) starts; who are the victims of bullying, or don’t understand or control their own need to bully others. What do those kids need to embrace their education, stand aside from bullying, find the inner-strength to empower and support each other? Aspiration. The aspiration to be the best versions of themselves they can be.
To find out more about how Prospero Teaching and I work together in schools please visit http://www.prosperoteaching.com/balls-to-bullying/ and to see what can be achieved with these visits you could visit http://www.prosperoteaching.com/2015-04-29/prospero-teachings-gareth-thomas-visits-fortismere/ to see what happened with the pupils of Fortismere School in Muswell Hill, north London.
Rugby legend Gareth Thomas played at club & international level for 17 years & is currently ranked 12th among international try scorers. He took the step of becoming the first professional player to openly come out as gay & retired from professional rugby in 2011.
Prospero Teaching in partnership with Gareth go into schools where Gareth delivers a range of workshops to primary & secondary students. Each has specific learning objectives & are all borne out of Gareth’s own life experiences as well as his & Prospero’s passion for creating the happy healthy adults of tomorrow.
The workshops, developed by our in house teachers in collaboration with Gareth, encourage students to think about the kind of people they want to be & how rounded, responsible & conscientious individuals can define, set & achieve their own goals. The sessions focus on
– Raising aspirations
– Equality, diversity & engendering positive attitudes to LGBT
– Anti-bullying (also known as our Balls To Bullying campaign)
