The History Teacher's Magazine, Vol. I, No. 5, January 1910 — John Shaqi
The History Teacher's Magazine, Vol. I, No. 5, January 1910Various
History
The History Teacher's Magazine, Vol. I, No. 5, January 1910
Various
History -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals
It is not necessary to make a choice of either of these for the history
work in the schools. Where the fact-hunter ends his work the historian
may begin his. More important than either fact or generalization is the
method of getting at each so that the pupil may become self-active. If
he learns these methods he can use the facts in finding other facts,
in explaining and interpreting other facts, or in understanding other
departments of life. He can use facts inductively and through a process
of analysis and classification reach generalization; or like Kepler,
Newton and Faraday he can work on the facts deductively. He can follow
lines of interest, threads of activity; he can view them from one view
point or from different view points. On the other hand he can learn and
use the method of working a fact after the Seignobosian “rules of the
game.” So even within the narrower and professional field there is the
practical value.
But the end is still in question. The pupil goes from the grades,
high school and college into life to take his part as a workman some
eight hours of the day and as a citizen all twenty-four; as an active,
creative worker through the prime of his life, and as a member of
society to his grave. The parents and the people out in life ask the
question of the practical value, and they answer it from the standpoint
of life and social efficiency. Does history stand the test?
From this point of view the specialist fails; the storehouse of facts
is static, efficiency is active; the method of facts results only in
another static fact. The culturine teacher fares somewhat better; he is
active, but unfortunately with empty symbols. He deals with answers and
not with problems, with his Bædecker and not with the thing itself.
It is the long stretch between the two that is wanting--the process,
the use. The history work must be adapted to the life needs of the
pupils as members of society: those facts, those generalizations, and
especially those processes of reaching from one to the other, that can
make him an efficient member of society. Isolated facts will be soon
forgotten, generalizations will perhaps stick longer, but methods of
generalization can be used throughout life on new facts to reach new
generalizations.
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