1. How might looking at the stories of the history of our city or community help you understand the present better?
- Gaining an awareness of history through stories helps us as teachers and students to gain perspective and better understand our communities in the present. Examining patterns (in the case of the video-migration patterns) students can better identify the complexity of the community they are in and how the current make up came to be. Personal stories provide real world examples and show up the reality of our community and what those before us faced to make life what we currently know of it. Narratives from multiple perspectives being studied over time increases understanding because it helps develop the skills of historians. It allows us to understand why things around us are done or are organized in a certain way. It helps us visualize how the past shaped the present and then lets us think of the best solutions. Narratives make history more relatable and more useful to students as well. It makes history have life and relevancy.
- Again, by studying “voices” or stories from the past, it helps us to also understand our future by putting a face to it. Timelining and studying our history from the personal stories and recollections of those who lived it make it real and give us a sense of ownership/responsibility to make sure the future unfolds in a positive direction. In the current world of such controversy over what students should be allowed to be taught/exposed to, we as educators need tp combat the deniers and reveal the realities. The good, the bad, and the ugly are all necessary to the future of communities all over the world. Without full exposure dangers of repeating past mistakes or taking a wrong turn are more likely. Studying history through narratives is imperative for the future in that it molds students into more informed and responsible citizens.