Looking at the Past in an Effort to Engage the Future

When we take time to explore the past, there is a potential to learn valuable lessons about the future. This is what Theodore Michael Christou explores in his article, "Reflecting From the Margins of Education Faculties: Refiguring the Humanist, and Finding a Space for Story in History." Christou argues that there should be a place in the education of teachers for the history of education. He believes that history is no longer a priority in preservice education faculties. His suggestion is to teach it through story, or through historical fiction. His argument is a comment on innovation, teaching, learning and creativity:

Teaching:

"History‘s fundamental purpose rests not with the memorization and recall of facts, figures, and dates; no matter the potential of common cultural memory for social cohesion or citizenship, memorizing materials documented in foundations textbooks is very far from humanistic study of the purposes and contexts of our educational past" (pg. 53). He is arguing for a less instructive model, toward a humanistic model that would involve studying the history of educational in a contextual manner. In essence, a facilitation of learning history in context, which fits well with my definition of teaching.

Learning:

"Historian Herbert Kliebard (1995) explained this reflection by arguing that educational history‘s purpose pertains less to the curriculum design, lesson planning, and classroom administration as it does to the habit of deliberative and critical reflective inquiry into educational contexts: It is the habit of holding up the taken-for-granted world to critical scrutiny, something that usually can be accomplished more easily in a historical context than in a contemporary one. Ideas and practices that seem so normal and natural in a contemporary setting often take on a certain strangeness when viewed in a historical setting, and that strangeness often permits us to see those ideas and practices in a different light (Kliebard, 1995, p. 195)" (pg. 52). This fits well with my definition of learning as transformative, it is based on the combination of retrieving previous experience and relating it to newly acquired knowledge. It involves making meaning out of the complexities that are present in life.

Innovation:

Christou's take on innovation is consistent with the theory that society, education and people change. We can learn from this change through reflecting on the past, and through teaching the history of this change, we can drive innovation in the future. “how things are—with respect to the structure, governance, administration, and aims of education–is certainly not how they always were, nor are things necessarily as they ought to be” (pg. 51). This aligns with my definition of innovation as it includes identifying a problem that requires transformation. This is not possible without examining the effects of history.

Creativity:

Christou's comment on creativity seems pretty simple. Not including an examination of history in the education of teachers lacks creativity. He specifically comments on the Ontario College of teachers and their certification process, "in the certification and regulation of education faculties in an emphasis upon standardization and control of what subjects teacher candidates will study. Not only do the mandatory courses teacher education programs must include crowd out the traditional foundations subjects, including history, they leave less room for the study of historical parallels and narratives that challenge contemporary educational practices as well as any sense of their inevitability and permanency" (pg. 52). Essentially this would be moving away from the humanist approach that Christou's approach supports to a standardized, uncreative form of teaching preservice educators.

Though Christou does address this in his article to a degree, my question would be, is there a measure of caution that needs to be exercised when we use 'storytelling' to teach the 'facts' of history. Perception plays a role in storytelling, does this have the potential to distort the story? If we lay an importance on including history as storytelling, will the story change?

Christou, T.M. (2010). Reflecting from the margins of education faculties: Refiguring the humanist, and finding a space for story in history. Brock Education, 20(1), 49–63.