"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" (Santayana, 1905-06)
Many trainee primary teachers and non-specialist practitioners have not studied history since they were in Year 9 (approximately 14 years old). Moreover, most teacher training courses do not emphasise the teaching of history in an already overcrowded curriculum. Yet developing your knowledge and expertise in this subject is vital to providing you and your pupils with the critical thinking needed in our digital age; a host of transferable skills relevant throughout the curriculum and later life; and a crucial role in promoting diversity in the classroom. This course will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the history curriculum and its role within the whole school context. You will be introduced to and explore innovative ways to engage children and their historical imagination, banishing notions of a ‘dead’ curriculum.
Taught through a combination of reflective blogging, forum discussions and collaborative tasks, you will be encouraged to focus on methods and materials relevant to your own practice and setting. Additionally, you will have opportunities to connect and form digital communities with course participants and other history and teaching professionals. Importantly, we hope to ignite your passion for learning about the past and its relevance to our futures.
- Teacher: Talia Kelly