Fundamental to my study plan is the belief which I hold emphatically; that we learn best through our experiences. The path I wish to pursue to further my own professional development reflects this inclination towards experiential education, and essentially takes it a step further, by asserting that the fact that one learns best through experience is as true for the teacher as it is for the student. Hence, my study plan largely consists of subjecting my self to experiences, and the attempt to target those experiences that will further my understanding of the concepts that I believe are the most pertinent to my students’ understanding of their world.
The study of history provides a unique obstacle to the practitioner of experiential education. Direct interaction with the past would seem impossible. We have all missed our opportunity to interact with the American Revolution for instance. So, I seek the next best thing - the present - but specifically the present where it is the product of the past that I desire to better understand.
The type of learning I propose to undertake can be understood if one considers the example of religion. A lot can be understood about a religion by pouring over its sacred texts, or reading secondary accounts of its practices and beliefs; but something different is gained when one goes among its believers and experiences how those beliefs are played out in their daily decision making processes, their idiosyncrasies and peculiarities, and in the things that only manifest from direct human interaction. For where is a religion really; in a book or in the way it exists in the minds of those who follow it? Or both?
For a truly complete picture of that which one seeks to understand historically, it is wisest not to ignore the potential exposure to the truth that interacting with the results of that history may hold. One must become versed in the work of the best scholarly discourse on a given topic and spend sleepless nights dissecting those primary sources that can be had, but best to do so in the shadow of the setting that was where those events had their day. This is precisely what I intend to do.
The locations for my fieldwork are the essence of my study plan and the route that I have selected is one that has been in the making for three years now. During that time I have been teaching world history to High School students. I have outlined a route that will provide insight into the subjects that I believe are the most vital within the world history curriculum. Prior to my departure I will gather materials that are relevant to these locations and the themes I wish to explore in my travels. For each location that I visit I will develop lessons and activities inspired by my experiences and the people that I encounter.
The main way in which I plan to capture these experiences and share them with my students is through film. My past experience shooting and editing digital video is enough for me to realize that I do not intend to create a single full length coherent documentary. Instead I intend to create short segments that can be integrated into my lessons throughout my World History curriculum. This footage along with other materials will be incorporated into my future lessons to enhance my students’ understanding. One purpose of the film segments that I plan to create during my travels is to simply capture the look and feel of the places I visit in order to give my students a sense of how other people live around the world. However, I would also like to conduct interviews with people who can provide unique perspectives on the themes I seek to explore.
Much like Howard Zinn’s, A People’s History of the United States, was unique in that it presented American history through the eyes of those outside of the political and economic establishment, I intend to seek out the voice of “ordinary” people, and to show how events in history have impacted them. How will Russians of different generations and different backgrounds characterize life in communist Russia verses life in Russia today? How will different people in China answer questions about state controlled media and censorship? How will Israelis and Palestinians differ in their accounts of incidents in their current and past conflicts? I hope to capture the answers to these questions and many others in a format that allows me share them with my students. I intend to develop new curriculum based on these interactions and the experiences I have in each country. The final product will be individual units each complete with reading materials, student activities, assignments, assessments, and accompanying video footage.
