tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7872819010848426693.post3166945675949280505..comments2024-03-28T02:46:03.227-04:00Comments on The Historical Society: "They say in the novel . . .": What Students Think about History Books and the Authors Who Write ThemRandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16755286304057000048noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7872819010848426693.post-10997975927303397352011-03-30T21:39:17.438-04:002011-03-30T21:39:17.438-04:00hcr and Jonathan: Thanks for those examples. Give...hcr and Jonathan: Thanks for those examples. Gives me a better idea of how to meet these challenges in the classroom.<br /><br />I agree that few students actually read much of anything outside the classroom. I also wonder how we can expect some students to develop as writers when they have no intrinsic interest in writing or reading.Randallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16755286304057000048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7872819010848426693.post-60937563267838563482011-03-30T21:10:15.679-04:002011-03-30T21:10:15.679-04:00I see both of these problems with my undergraduate...I see both of these problems with my undergraduates. <br /><br />In a way, the "novel" problem is the more interesting one. It suggests to me that our students just don't read much of anything. (That, of course, also explains some of the stranger mechanical irregularities I see in their papers.) There is only so much a history teacher can do about this problem in a given course. But the problem underscores just how important it is to keep the students reading.<br /><br />The perspective problem is a little easier to understand. It's been a lot longer since I didn't know what a novel is than it has been since I learned that writers argue. This problem, I think, reveals the importance of having our students read *multiple* things. <br /><br />I simply don't believe in giving my students a single perspective on anything. Undergraduates will only learn to look for an author's point if they actually see for themselves that different authors have different points.Jonathanhttp://youngnewyork.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7872819010848426693.post-59933904551700957692011-03-30T11:02:34.102-04:002011-03-30T11:02:34.102-04:00My most successful route into this issue is teachi...My most successful route into this issue is teaching Black Hawk's autobiography. The students can always tell me what he said, but when I ask why he dictated his memoirs in the first place, they're like deer in the headlights.<br /><br />It takes all class to get to the idea that he wanted to defend his actions when his rival Keokuk had been so much more successful at keeping his band alive, and that his motivation colored the way he recounted events. This is a revelation for the students, one they always mention in course evaluations.<br /><br />At my age, it seems painfully obvious that history is written from a particular perspective, but I do recall having a terrible time understanding the concept of historiography in college (although Professor Donald tried very hard to teach it to us). Perhaps the problem is related to maturity-- you need some time and experience under your belt before you begin to understand that the world is full of nuance (and that being in print is not a sign that something is automatically true).hcrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07334093881332383848noreply@blogger.com