Nick Dennis

I am shocked and deeply disturbed by this development. Richard has been very helpful in the past and I trained with a former student of his. She now teaches History and Politics and has nothing but praise for him. There appears to be no consideration for the well-being of the students nor for Richard as a professional.

Ah, that is a different story. Maybe they have been busy deciding what to do with coursework at AS/A2!

John, it has been 'up' for some time now. I remember using it last year (2005)!

Just in case you were interested, Apple Macs (which can also run Windows, by the way) have their own free editing package called iMovie, which in my opinion, is much more student friendly and powerful. You can already export the clips you make to the present video iPods.

Roy, I never said that you explicitly said that it was a new kind of pedagogy but the tenor of the comments in the following discussion, and in part your replies, suggested that it may be seen as such. Partly this stems from your defence of the techology but I wanted to make clear the point that I think you were getting at - it is an adjunct to good teaching. John and Andy's points that it reinforces traditional modes of teaching qualifies my statement. The implict assumption in their arguments is that using an IWB challenges the traditonal mode of teaching. I think that in your defence and willingness for them to see your position, you did not make your original point clear. Interactive learning/accelerated learning/critical thinking can take place without using the IWB. I would argue, as I think you would, that this technology allows us to pool resources in one tool rather than use a multiplicity of items (video player/tv/ohp and ohts etc) and make our job easier.

I can see what Andy and John are getting at. The board is interactive for the teacher, not really so for the students. I think there are two seperate issues here. Does the technology help to make it easier to teach/illustrate/reinforce concepts or does it mean a new kind of pedagogy? I would say it does make it easier to teach concepts/ideas as it allows me to access a whole range of material/resources very quickly. Importantly, it allows me to annotate and save notes on diagrams and pieces of text and bring them up of a series of weeks to show how far ideas/understanding have changed/remained the same. It also allows me to help the students structure their thinking in a clear and accessible way. This can be done without an IWB as a few have pointed out. I would have a major problem as I move around from class to class and remembering to bring all my materials would be nearly impossible. The crucial point (one backed up by many others) from this discussion is that using the IWB enhances good teaching, rather than creates good teaching. As Roy points out, after using the IWB his students then move to 'traditional' modes of learning.

After coming across his work in my PGCE, I eagerly watched a documentary on Reuven Feuerstein on Teacher's TV yesterday. I wondered if anybody has used his work in relation to history teaching? I know it has influenced the teaching of thinking skills, but do not know if it can be used to teach historical skills. Would such a move diminish the power of these techniques?

I must return to the point that the question is a non-starter as the state already does these things (and others). The only way to protect your religious/moral sensibility is to use the apparatus of the state to keep the encroachments in check. Government is also affected by groups and pressures from inside and outside the state. As for the idea of Enlightenment allowing us to blossom from our self incurred immaturity, there are two things I would add here. Kant, was coming from a christian perspective. Second, this is a process that has still to be realised. Finally, I turn to the questions of religion and liberalism that have cropped up. Many of the religions openly preach ideas of tolerance (and I use that word VERY carefully). Liberalism does so too, but its adherents (as much as the other religions) frequently regress into 'fundamentalist' ideas when it suits them. Pot and Kettle here? Andy is also forgetting here the western tradition's debt to Christianity - many of the concepts you want to invoke stem directly from that tradition.

Having come to this thread late... The question: Should governments pass legislation that might encourage behaviour that is contrary to religious teaching. For example, abortion, sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, etc. Governments do so already. The real issue is how to deal with such legislation on a personal level and use the other facets of the state to pursue/protect your rights/beliefs. As to questions about Enlightenment, I'll come back to that in detail, but I would say that the belief in Reason is as much a universal as the belief in God (whatever faith you have) is.

I really think this has got out of hand. No one is saying anyone is racist - my discussion, and Ed's reporting of it, was to link to the idea of racism(s) with PAST uses of the CSE. When I spoke, it was from personal experience without pointing the finger at anyone. It is unfortunate that this has really become a matter. Regarding my point about politics, I have always maintained that it is integral to the process of history teaching in ALL its forms. The Gramsci reference that I made to you before would make this very clear. We may disagree, but I'm certainly not trying to make enemies. I'm not really one for picking fights and I think you have misunderstood the points that I raised with you privately and publicly. That is all I have to say on the matter and if you would like to sort it out, I suggest you PM me.

Roy Huggins has reported the outcome of his meeting with Jerome Freeman here. Worthwhile reading.

Why would he want to post? It would mean that we would have evidence to pin him down with when the review goes against everything we suggest! Re: John's point about politics, I made a post earlier in the discussion (Ed picked up on that!) just in case people were not clear what was really involved...

Right - after having a chat with Dan I'm making a display based on Alan Llywd's book 'Black Wales: A History'. Any ideas for famous black people linked to Wales? I think I have Shirley Bassey covered!

I hope Arsenal do well this year but cannot help the sneaking feeling that the players as a squad do not have the quality to match Chelsea. I Wenger is able to buy: 1) a new 'keeper - Lehmann is good, but we need someone who is commanding 2) another striker to help Henry score the goals - and who would offer a threat in the air 3) A right back who can actually keep up with players - as much as I love Lauren, I wince everytime I see him skinned on the outside... With another (heading) striker, maybe we could actually put some more crosses in and mix up our fantastic passing game. That would make it even harder for teams to play against us as everyone knows that Henry is not the best header of the ball...

Is the simulation finished?

I think the point I'm trying to make here is that subjectivity is all around us. What is termed as objective is subjective and in that sense, it is protective, hence John's comments about what happens to people when they go against the orthodoxy. A concrete example of subjectivity in action is teaching in Wales where we are tasked with developing cultural awareness and national identity. Should it be avoided? Like many things, it depends on how it is delivered...

Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself" One person may be more than enough!

Sounds like a research thesis to me! I would agree with Ed here that all books provide a version of history and therefore they cannot be counted as objective. I use them selectively to put forward my own take on history - what the 'angle' of the lesson should be, what historical ideas and elements I am teaching and what feelings I'm trying to engage in the students. It sounds very political and it is, but it is also what makes History fun/interesting for my students. I might consciously leave out an aspect of the topic I'm teaching in order to create greater understanding with the limits I have (students, time, energy). For example, in Wales you have to teach elements of Welsh history. However, many textbooks that tell us about life in Medieval times focus exclusively on life in England. In teaching the Norman invasion, I emphasise the resistance of the northern Welsh and the fact that the terrible weather we are famed for played a part in stopping the Normans on certain occasions. The students always laugh at this, and they remember it. This is not in the textbooks we have (even those reported to be for Welsh history). Does it make them worthless? No, I know their limits and adjust my use of them to fit my purposes rather than the other way round. Do I use them to show the bias of these writers in relation to Wales? Yes. The books are useful, but not in the way that was intended. Agreeing with Ed again , textbooks should only serve as a starter or a place to focus on for a key topic. Taking them as objective pieces of history would be very worrying. Philosophically, I don't think you can get away from imposing a subjective structure when a textbook is produced. What particular point do you think has been missed and you want to emphasise in your book? What makes your book different to those already on the 'market'? What age group are you trying to reach? Etc. Good luck!

The project sounds good to me - I have an accelerated GCSE pilot running this year and it would prove really useful to them.

Andy, may I request that you reconsider your withdrawal from the forum? I do not always agree with what you or John write, but as others have said, discussions would be poorer without the both of you (and the Mr Men comment, although unjustified in my opinion, made me laugh out loud)!

Andy, I guess you have not met me. I'm too handsome to be criticised for posting here. Seriously, I think this situation has spiralled out of control somewhat. I'm sure (being an eternal optimist) that cooler heads will prevail sometime this week. Since joining the forum last year, I've come to respect the comments you have both contributed (even when I did disagree frequently!) and I met with John recently at the SHP con. I also have a huge respect for the Forum Mod team as they have been very helpful in sorting my 'situation' out this year. I also met some of them at the SHP con. From my point of view, it is like a child watching the parents go through a massive argument without understanding why it has happened. From that point of view, it is not pretty. I do hope this gets sorted out quickly.

I am a little puzzled by this whole episode. Not being party to the facts does not help matters. I've always enjoyed Andy's and John's postings because they were a) colourful(!) and b ) thought provoking. I hope this manages to sort itself out next week - maybe it is just a symptom of end-of-termitis?

After reading all of the above, I've decided to add some more detail! I’m currently an NQT and also a History co-ordinator in an 11-16 school in Swansea, Wales. Before this, I spent many years at University as a doctoral student in International Politics where my areas of research included post-colonial/multicultural societies. At the same time, I started working in the field of widening access to Higher Education. After gaining my degree, I went to work in a boarding school and realised I wanted to be teacher. Since then, historical significance as a pedagogical concept has been added to my list of interests. I use ICT all the time in class and think it is a fantastic teaching tool. I'm not as advanced as the other posters when it comes to creating content, but I am looking to improve!

I’m an NQT and also a History co-ordinator in an 11-16 school in Swansea, Wales. My areas of interest include post-colonial/multicultural societies, historical significance as a pedagogical concept and widening access to Higher Education.