Comments on: IDEALS, ICONS AND INDEPENDENT THINKING

By: Betsy Wuebker

Betsy Wuebker — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:55:32 +0000

Hi Jannie – We’re History Channel regulars, too, and National Geographic. Last night we watched the one about George Washington, and lo and behold if there wasn’t a part about his house on this square, and his escaped slaves, which I read about on the archeological dig area. I felt so in the know! And you and Mr. Creary are right about INTERPRETATION. You should see the pamphlet I got at Valley Forge, downplaying the misery part and up-playing other stuff. Oops, I’m giving away a future post.

By: Jannie Funster

Jannie Funster — Sun, 17 May 2009 01:30:19 +0000

I want to devour history for breakfast, lunch and dinner of every day!!

I breathe in the History Channel.

Ours was Mr. Creary. He was a big fan of verbal surgery too.

The first day of class in Grade 11 he questioned us – no DRILLED us, for the entire class as to the definition of “history”‘ until finally 1 minute before the bell he let it slide that history is INTERPRETATION.

I’ve never forgotten it.

And never will.

Especially in these times. Interpretation.

God bless!

Jannie Funster´s last blog post..Folks, I couldn’t make these up if I tried! (and song video coming next post, I hope.)

By: Betsy Wuebker

Betsy Wuebker — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:43:09 +0000

Hi Cath – Great to see you! I’m wanting to catch up with what you’re doing these days, too! I did have a wonderful time in Philadelphia – and no, it wasn’t a long trip at all – not even two full days. I’ve been back for a couple of weeks, but had a bit of writer’s block and acclimating to some changes in my work life since. It’s all good.

We flew in to Philadelphia on a Friday, then drove to Atlantic City for some business training over the weekend, and then drove back to Philly to catch return flights. My next post is going to be about the special place we visited before we took off in our rental car for New Jersey. It was so meaningful, I went back there again after my Monday morning. I’m just hoping I’m doing it all justice. Thanks.

By: Cath Lawson

Cath Lawson — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:31:19 +0000

Hi Betsy – It’s great that Mr Damson’s classes have had such a strong impact on you. Even though we have a royal family over here, I’ve noticed that American’s are generally far more patriotic than we are.

And it sounds like you’re having a great time in Philadelphia. Are you on a long trip? Will you be going to other places?

By: Betsy Wuebker

Betsy Wuebker — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:46:29 +0000

Hi Kathy – I expect Mr. Damson would be horrified at a lot of what passes for curricula these days. Somehow I think our self esteem wasn’t at issue when he made his lesson plans. Funny thing about having to teach that – it’s sort of like having to ask the price when you can’t afford the item! We may have ruined an entire generation coddling their self-esteem to the exclusion of common sense in my opinion. There was no one who needed to worry less about his personal authenticity, either, than Mr. Damson and others like him. Thanks!

By: Kathy | Virtual Impax

Kathy | Virtual Impax — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:32:39 +0000

Betsy – what a beautiful and engaging tale – of a man who instilled a love of not only history but also a love of learning. I was recently reading another blog where the author was complaining that subjects such as “authenticity” and “self esteem” weren’t part of the traditional public school curriculum.

Oh – nay – nay!!! I say it’s a shame that there aren’t more Mr. Damsons and Mr. Bixlers out there – teaching children not only HOW to learn – but WHY!

I’m fairly certain Mr Damson expected you to learn the value of authenticity as a side “lesson” – and would be horrified to hear it proposed as a course.

Kathy | Virtual Impax´s last blog post..It’s called S-O-C-I-A-L media for a reason…

By: Betsy Wuebker

Betsy Wuebker — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:18:47 +0000

Hi Patricia – Thank you for the compliment, and thank you, too, for the Stumble! Isn’t it amazing the impact a strong teacher has? And isn’t it fun, as a history nerd, to finally have our day? My uncle carried a pocket Constitution, too. I wonder how many these days do that?

Hello Dearest – You did not have to share the fact that I find 7 tiles so limiting as to be completely paralyzing, right? It must have been fun to be in Miss Bartholet’s class. I’d hesitate even now to describe Mr. Damson’s class as fun in the traditional sense, but looking back, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

By: Pete

Pete — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:30:45 +0000

With the wide vocabulary in the above post, it’s hard to believe that I regularly trounce her in Scrabble such that I now have to play by myself.

A common intellectual curiousity and genuine love of history is one of the reasons I married her.

I, too, had a memorable history teacher in high school. She made the subject fun . . . Madonna Bartholet. I haven’t thought about her in many years. Perhaps unlike Mr. Damson, Miss Bartholet’s classes were difficult to get into. Once you took one of her classes, you always came back for more.

She had teaching methods that were certainly outside the box and effective. In Eurpoean Studies, I was once given the task of presenting the lecture on Napolean (Took two days) and our group report on Egypt was delivered Action News style.

But the most memorable history lesson I received was in African Studies. Miss Bartholet had several of these classes and they were all combined for a day in a school wide experiment on apartide South Africa style. We were each assigned a particular race and such things as bathrooms, water fountains and even lunch tables were restricted according to your skin color as indicated by your arm band. I was not white.

Those of us in African Studies were to act out our racially prescribed roles. But the interesting part was that as the rest of the school discovered our little experiment, they began to play along. As they had no arm band, they assigned themselves to the white race.

Not only was it a hands on lesson regarding racism (I doubt the white arm bands got as much out of it), but it also demonstrated that people will easily pick up norms of behavior no matter how unsavory so long as it only impacts “the other guy”.

Pete´s last blog post..BALD EAGLE FOR ALABAMA TEA PARTY PATRIOTS

By: Patricia

Patricia — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:57:10 +0000

Betsy,
Beautiful writing here this morning in your own right. Powerful and exacting.
I too had an 11th grade History Professor in a Midwestern High School that taught me how to learn and understand. Mr. Bixsler – I wonder if they were cut from the same mold? I could hardly wait to arrive in his class and take copious notes. He did not wish to be my friend or entertainer, rather he taught. I felt at home in his class and I could understand why my Father wanted to be in a place with religious freedom and some place that could handle his ideas on Education – thus he emigrated. We had framed copies of the US Constitution and the Canadian Bill of Rights on our walls. My Father carried a pocket constitution in his pocket.
It was Pennsylvania where he finally got his bill passed that stated “Every child deserves an individual education” and where he began working with the Kennedy family.
Two great teachers in the art of learning how to think – and now another.
Great Post. Thank you for sharing.

Patricia´s last blog post..Dawn and Release