Re: Todays students knowledge
Zvonko Springer (zzspri@COSY.SBG.AC.AT)
Wed, 16 Apr 1997 22:56:54 +0200
At 13:39 09.04.97 CST, you wrote:
>Do you find that children today are not taught enough about WWII in
>the normal school curriculum?
Michael,
I cannot reply and express my opinion regarding your question. You refer
to US's normal school curriculum of which I have no knowledge or experience
at all. However, I gave several lectures to students visiting 'Salzburg
Campus' for a semester of studies on European History and Geography. All of
them were say in they late 20s.
My lectures were in connection with the developments in ex-Yugoslavia 1991
and 1992. My young listeners couldn't and didn't have any knowledge about
what was going on at that region. I wouldn't blame them for this -- instead
I have tried describing circumstances and conditions of living in that
region since my childhood cum schooling and WWII times which ended with my
imprisonment and the Death March in 1945. Of course, these lectures
couldn't have a rounded- up content and there wasn't any script prepared
for. My lectures were more about personal anecdotes describing certain
events only. Thus, I could achieve a better listeners' attention waking up
their interest for something absolutely strange and unknown for them too.
Remembering my lectures for Salzburg Campus I got the idea for writing my
MEMOSTORIES which mailing have started to MEMORIES listserv recently . The
impulse for writing them came thanks to Kees Vanderheyde. I wonder whether
you have read some of them?
IMHO I would like to add few thoughts about teaching of history. The
_Books of history_ are mainly concerned with past military and political
aspects and events in a particular state or nation. Of course, lecturing
concentrates there on regional and country's own history. It is also
subjected to variations and changes in many details and features depending
upon at times prevailing state's social-political _understanding of
national history_. There are many examples of such understanding of history
even in our present century. One should add to this a statement saying that
_a victor writes the history only_.
Teachers of history would be able to summarize and comment events which
have happened say +50 years ago only. This elapsed time is essential for
certain events to settle in _books on history_ . From these _Books_ start a
new generation of lectures would then start teaching the actual teachers.
Then the later ones would be able to convey their newly acquired knowledge
to the current students only. Therefore, there is always an interval of say
two generations (approx. 50 years) required to _master one's own history_.
[Recent examples: present Germany's time to master the Nazi's regime or in
Austria about the same.]
Tom is right about being more concerned regarding the _information
quality_. It's important to emphasize MEMORIES' aim to concentrate on the
effects of (any) WAR on lives of ordinary people. Mary E. Haas prompts
current students to start asking older people to tell about their
experiences. However, look how many Elders are available on MEMORIES' Panel
to answer students' questions. One should consider that these _ordinary
people_ who lived through WWII are ELDERS aged say 70. How many of them
would want or could use the means of todays e-communication? Number of
Elders in US may be promising but what about those at this side of Big
Waters?
Many civilians from other nations (particularly those from a WWII's loser
nation) had greater difficulties than did the vast majority of Americans.
How true it's it for me, that INTERNET has given me the opportunity to
offer my source of information to anybody interested. Although it is a
wonderful and exhilarating experience I do feel rather lonely in
Cyberspace. I miss somebody of my age participating as a _witness of times_
in Old Europe and particularly from my home country Croatia. Please keep in
touch with me and write to me in English or German or even in Croatian.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER! -- EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER!
CROATIAN SOLDIER (old now) alias Zvonko of the Oak Hill.