Teaching History News
History News is an official magazine of Association of American Schools of History (AASLH). It exists, basically, to promote an open public forum for dialogue of an open mind, critical scholarship, and serious research, pertaining to the field of local and state history. In other words, it aims to bring scholars from all over the country, under the one umbrella. By subscribing to a History News subscription, one is assured that one is reading materials on historical issues of national and local interest.
One of the common questions asked by many history teachers today is where and how to access such materials. There are many institutions that have made this information widely available, with the help of the Internet. It is worth mentioning, however, that not every teacher is comfortable with using the Internet as an avenue for gaining knowledge and information on their students. If that is the case, then there are other means of accessing the necessary knowledge on historical topics.
One of the most popular and convenient sources is the student who has been assigned reading material for his studies. Of course, he is entitled to use any mode of information that he deems convenient. In addition, most universities provide easy accessibility to student newspapers. Many of them offer online news as well. This allows students to read up-to-date news and other materials related to their courses, without having to go out of their rooms.
The best way of ensuring one’s students’ access to relevant materials, though, is to create an atmosphere that encourages and promotes inter-personal communication. For example, you can ensure that your classes encourage open discussions between classmates, for starters. This is possible through the creation of study groups, especially those that focus on a specific subject matter. Such study groups are known to create an environment of mutual concern for students and their teachers, as well as for themselves.
This, in turn, creates an atmosphere where students are encouraged to critically think about the information they have obtained from reading the history news. Through group discussions, students are able to determine the accuracy of what they have read thus far. This, in turn, gives them the ability to further explore certain topics that they have not yet considered. Through discussing various aspects of history, students are able to develop their critical thinking skills and become more knowledgeable in different fields and topics.
Finally, another way of ensuring your students’ access to the history news is to provide them with a history textbook that is based on the regular schedules of your classes. This will allow your students to learn about important dates and events as they are being covered. This will make them feel more confident when they are taking a quiz on a certain date, thereby allowing them to have a greater understanding of the passage of time. By providing them with this textbook, you give them a better understanding of history and what it is really all about.