I have a history degree, but am mostly a tech guy. Taught web design at a high school last year. Studied philosophy and history of science independently during college.
1. I believe it was the the Fatih who conquered Constantinople. Mehmed II
Let me know if I’m incorrect.
2. I was a sucky student a low level state school, so my experience with academic history may be different.
We didn’t learn any ideas. Just a bunch of irrelevant fact.
Teaching an applied discipline was a hoot. I taught bottom up skills that could immediately be applied to MySpace. My first assigned work was to open notepad and write a letter. Not to me, but to your best friend, or your dog, or the floor. Whatever YOU like.
History could be taught the same way. John Dewey could teach it that way.
Those questions are awesome! What was the first language? “Well, who do you think would have spoken the first langauge?” “Did you know that dogs understand humans better our closest cousins, the chimpanzees?” “Do you know it’s because dogs read our bodies, hands, and eyes?” “Can you guess what the first language might have been?” “Let’s look it up on the Internet!”
I think if I were teaching history, I would teach from present to past. Start with now, and work backwards. I would also want my students to discover their own history. Genealogy, interviews with grandparents, history of the city, of their house, any famous relatives? Any relatives fought in a war? In some cases you have to ask, which side?
But I’m no history teacher, though I’m sure you’re right, there are a million different ways to teach it.
