Brian,

Your survey reminds me of my brother (archeology and cartography teacher)
always has his students draw maps from memory their first day in class.  I
keep telling him he should get releases and publish a book one day.  Have
them draw the middle east or something exotic like the provinces of Canada
or the continents.

Best,

Leland

 

Leland R. S. Torrence

Leland Torrence Enterprises and the Guild

17 Vernon Court, Woodbridge, CT  06525

Office:  203-397-8505

Fax:  203-389-7516

Pager:  860-340-2174

Mobile:  203-981-4004

E-mail:  [log in to unmask]

www.LelandTorrenceEnterprises.com

 

  _____  

From: The Listserv that makes holes in Manhattan schist for free!
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brian Robinson
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 8:08 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [BP] Survey results

 

A couple of points about the survey. 

 

The course was an undergraduate Intro to HP class. The survey gave me the
opportunity to discuss the importance of having at least a basic
comprehension of history if one is to pursue HP as a career. I am not a big
supporter of undergraduate historic preservation degrees in the first place.
I think that it is far better for a student to get a more general liberal
arts based education as an UG and then look to narrow their focus in grad
school by concentrating on HP. A chemistry or science background is also
great for those interested in pursuing materials technology and conservation
on a graduate level. 

 

Another issue is that our high schools are graduating kids who are
completely illiterate in history. We seem more interested in preparing kids
for a living and not for a life. When a parent asks me "Can my kid get a job
in this HP thing?" I can't help but think that the entire point of higher
education is being forgotten.  How can we protect the foundations of our
republic is our citizens don't know anything about our past? Museums and
historic sites are seeing a significant decline in visitation. Is it any
wonder why? We are not educating our children in the history and values of
our past. It has no meaning to them. We might as well be discussing the
melting of the Martian ice cap. "So what, who cares...." 

 

For many kids, history is just a bunch of facts and dates. They don't have
any established context on which to hang their concept of historical study.
I try to encourage my students to explore their own family history in an
effort to enlighten them as to how historical events have impacted their
personal situation.  I had an uncle that was in the 82nd Airborne and was
killed on June 6, 1944 in Normandy. That makes WWII come alive for me. We
all have these types of family events we can discover.     

 

All this may seem like generational hand wringing, but I am telling you,
since the advent of public education in America we have not had a generation
that is less informed about our past. As preservationists this should scare
the crap out of us. If future generations don't value the past, why should
they protect our heritage resources from decay and development? If we don't
at least instill some basic regard for history by high school or, God
forbid, no later than college, when are the students going to develop this
understanding? 

 

It is all very frightening to me and leads me to think that our current
national educational path leads straight into the wilderness. We will need
more John the Baptist type preservationists out there to lead us out toward
the new shining city on the hill (Who is John the Baptist and what shining
city? Just shoot me!).

 

B                     

 

   

-- To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html 


--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://listserv.icors.org/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>