Blog 5

            I have always been a good student but I admit that I did not learn very much in high school. I learned what I needed to receive A’s in all of my classes but I do not remember half of it now. The concept of truly understanding is what chapter 4 discusses. The activity that the woman did with the students in the high school was amazing. I agree that the best way for students to learn is to get them emotionally involved in the topic. Students need to be able to relate and connect with a particular event especially in a history class.
            It is important to teach students how to critically think about the text and material that they are reading. They should be taught how to reread important sentences, instead of the entire chapter. It wasn’t until I was a college student that I began developing effective reading strategies. I will not make my students wait that long; I will teach them the strategies to remember what they are reading. It’s important that students learn to recognize and connect the new information with their schemata. Also, they need to be asking themselves questions while they are reading the text so that they can develop a deeper understanding of the text. When reading long chapters or passages, it is important that the students learn how to decipher what is important and what is not as important. Lastly, students need to try to make an emotion connection with the information. They need to use their imagination and their feelings. People think history is boring, and honestly, it can be if you study it incorrectly. That is why it is essential that students make connections between their own lives and the material being read.
            I agree that teachers should take more time in teaching certain concepts in class. Often times it feels like things are being taught so quickly and it is rushed. History can become very complicated if the students do not understand the concepts and cause and effect. Teachers should take their time in teaching these subjects so that students have the time to understand and to connect with the topic. Allow time for the students to walk in other historical figures’ shoes. It is very difficult to learn when you feel that time is running out. Teachers should also discover how the students learn and understand best so that students can practice those methods.