Trials, Racism, Fear and Division - What’s an Educator to Do?
If you have been watching your daily newsfeed in horror and thinking that you really want to do more to build better and healthier communication among Americans, when that retweet is just not enough… then maybe you want to learn more about teaching hard history. Our past is not perfect- we have so many influences on our students today. If you are a social studies educator, you know that we are living through a critical period in our American democracy.
We are concerned when we hear that books are being banned in schools after all these years, or that parents and communities are eliminating certain historical events and periods from their children’s education.. How do we learn from past mistakes if we aren’t allowed to be aware or discuss them? As an educator, is it important for you to now take a strong stand? I certainly think so. CVEDC reached out to Dr. Kathy Swan, the project director and lead writer of the C3 Framework that is Vermont’s adopted social studies curriculum guide. We are still the only state that has formally adopted the C3 Framework, although many are using it as a guide for developing Social Studies curriculum.
Dr. Swan came to Vermont twice over the past few years to support our work in learning the Inquiry Design Model for teaching history. As a dynamic presenter and strong proponent of adding student voice to the work, she seemed like the perfect person for the moment. As it turned out, Dr. Swan had just finished an article coming out in January on exactly this topic. As she said, “teaching ‘hard history’ is essential for understanding who we are, how we got here, and what hope lies ahead. Hard history confronts messy and uncomfortable ideas in order to work towards a more just future.”
Yes! we need to understand how better to look at ways that students can build a deeper understanding of a complex idea and work through it with questions, tasks and sources -the C'-3’s Inquiry Design Model. She co-authored a book after her last visit here: Blueprinting an Inquiry-Based Curriculum: Planning with the Inquiry Design Model. We see that as a critical resource for the work ahead.
CVEDC decided that Grades 6-12 teachers would want to work with her virtually this spring April 6th (with the book sent to you ahead of the event) and we are zooming her in for: Countering the Past of Least Resistance; Inquiry as a Tool for Teaching Hard History. This is a 3 hour virtual seminar that educators can take either 8:30 - 11:30 or 12:30 - 3:30. (Substitute sharing encouraged).
Then in the fall, October 11 and 12, she will actually fly up here and work with teachers in an in-depth 2 day workshop: Making Inquiry Possible: Using Inquiry-Based Teaching to Promote Justice & Combat Inequity. Dr. Swan strongly believes that teaching inquiry in social studies can’t just be a once or twice a year experience. Rather, teachers need to think about orienting their classrooms so that inquiry is a consistent drumbeat that students hear and experience regularly. She will be working with teachers and teams to develop a coherent and holistic approach to inquiry-based social studies. Through the IDM, Dr. Swan will show how teachers can pose expansive questions that promote justice and expose students to sources that demonstrate the ways in which history is framed by both oppression and resistance.
We all feel a little overwhelmed by the culture wars of today. As a teacher, helping tomorrow’s citizens make informed observations about difficult subjects is just part of what we do. Let Dr Swan give you tools that support a strong framework for students to dive into history and make sense of it. Registration is open. We look forward to the work!
