Re: [DL] History Test (ot)

[Derek Carmichael <dcarmichael@apple.com>]

Well, it's definitely a sad state of affairs. (Hell.  I'd be happy if they
could read and write at a decent level.) <sigh>  Although I'm not too
convinced that "standardized" tests are very accurate.  Kind of like polls
and many statistics.  Just depends on whom you sample.  Regardless...

I got interested in history *because* of RPG's.  When I started with D&D in
my early teens, I'd wonder what such-and-such was like in the Middle Ages,
and so forth.  Then I'd find a book on the subject.  It was really cool.
Now I'm just interested in history because it's interesting to me.
(Although, I'd guess, like everyone, we have our favorite time periods.)

There are just so many issues with "the educational system".  The thing that
truly just pisses me off, is that so many people think: "Well, if we just
fix this one thing, everything will be great."  That's such B***sh*t!!  We
need to address so many issues.  Oops.  Were did that soapbox come from?
Sorry. :-)

Personally, I think a lot of people are turned off of history because of...
Well...  Boring presentations of the material.  Sure there will always be
someone who just fights it and refuses to participate.  And some just really
aren't interested.  However, I think more students would become interested
if: 1) they can participate (I know, like pulling teeth probably ;-) ; 2)
they see some relevance to themselves (maybe we should teach history with
more recent happenings and then move backward in time?; 3) they are taught
accurate history (let's not deify some folks out of history without telling
the whole truth and let's not ignore folks).

Another thing: teach them about local history.  I live in the San Francisco
Bay Area and while we weren't the first place invaded by Europeans, there's
still quite a bit of history.  (I only learned a couple of years ago, that
Alcatraz prison is built on top of a Civil War era fort.  'Course local
history has only recently become an area of interest to me.)

BTW: An interesting read: "Lies My Teacher Told Me" (can't remember the
author). Contrasts history vs. what the author calls, Feel Good history
taught in high school.  Quite surprising.  Another book that I found
interesting was "The Black West" (inspired by Deadlands of course!).  (And I
can't remember that author either!)

Anyway, I'm rambling on and on.  Hopefully, this makes some sense.

Derek

P.S. Almost more frightening to me is some of the stuff on Jaywalking (The
Tonight Show).  He often goes to college campuses and gets some people who
are about as dumb as a box of hair.  Sheesh!


> On 5/9/02 3:47 PM, "John M. Davis" <jmd111669@cox.net> wrote:

> That's shameful...in a U.S. government administered test, 57% of High School
> seniors could not score a BASIC level of knowledge of History.  I don't know
> about you but it was my love of History that got me into this great hobby.
> It's my love of History that caused me to major in Archeology in college (I
> minored in History as well)
> 
> Mr. McGlothlin, I know you have a thankless jobs as a History teacher, but
> let me take my hat off to you, most honorable sir.  I am sure your students
> all passed the test.
> 
> John Michael Davis
> 
> 
> 
> To unsubscribe, send a message to esquire@gamerz.net with
> unsubscribe deadlands@gamerz.net
> as the BODY of the message.  The SUBJECT is ignored.
> 
>