2_2000_Bain_Intothebreach (1)

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1

For years 1 lived like Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent, with separate yet con-

nected dual-identities,

By

day 1 was

a

high school history teacher, and at

night

1

was

a

graduare student pursuing advanced degrees in history. The

diftercncc was greater than merely day and night, greater than simply

shifting roles from teacher to student. 1 switched worlds. · .

During the evenings, 1 interacted with others who defined historical

study as a way of thinking, a manner of conducting research, and a style

of writing. W e

partíc

pated in a professional community to improve the

quality of our historical work. History at the universitywas a discipline, a

unique way of knowing the world that professionals shared. In the high

school, history was a subject students took and teachers taught, differing

from other subjects only in the facts covered. Students claimed that they

<lid

in history exactly what they did in other courses-used tests, memo-

rized facts, did homework, and took tests. In the minds of adolescents,

thcre

is

little unique about history.

Early in my teaching career,

it

became clear that making these two

worlds less dichotomous would be valuable for my students and for me.

Actually, my rcsearch goals and teaching goals were not so different. ~a

historian, 1 tricd to dcvelop and use my critica intelligence to build an

understanding of the past; as

a

teacher, 1 wanted to help others develop

thcir critica faculties and deepen their understanding of the world. The

discipline of history, filled with lively debate and thoughtful interactions,

held grcat promse for my high school students. With an analytical stance

dccply cmbeddcd in the discipline, history did not want for higher leve

B

Into

the

Breach

Bain, Robert B . Into the Breach

Using Research and Theory to Shape

History Instruction" In Knowing, Teaching & Learning

History

National

and Intemational Persoectives, edited by P. Steams, P. Seixas

,

and S .

Wineburg

331-53 New York

New York University Press

2000.

Bain, Robert B. "Into the Breach: Using Research and Theory to Shape

History Instruction." In Knowing. Teaching & Learning History: National

and International Persoectives, edited by P. Stearns, P. Seixas, and S.

Wineburg, 331-53. New York: New York University Press, 2000.

Chapter 17

Into the Breach

Using Research and Theory to Shape Hi sto ry Instr uc tio n

Ro be rt B. Ba in

For years (lived like Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent, with separate yet con-

nectcd dual-identities. By day I was a high school history teacher, and at

night I was 1 I grilduate student pursuing advanced degrees in history. Thediffercncc was greater than mercly day and night, greater than simply

shifting roles from teacher to student. I switched worlds ...

During the evenings, I interacted with others who defined historical

study as a way of thinking, a manner of conducting resear~, and a style

of writing. We participated in a professional community to improve the

quality of our historical work. History at the university was a discipline. a

unique way of knowing the world that professionals shared. In the high

school, history was a subject students took and teachers taught, differing

from other subjects only in the facts covered. Students claimed that they

did in history exactly what they did in other courses-used texts, memo-

rizcd facts, did homework, and took tests. In the minds of adolescents,

there is little unique about history.Early in my teaching career, it became clear that making these two

worlds less dichotomous would be valuable for my students and for me.

Actually, my research goals and teaching goals were not so different. ~ a

historian. I tricd to dcvelop and use my critical intelligence to build an

understanding of the past; as a teacher, I wanted to help others develop

their critical faculties and deepen their understanding of the world. The

discipline of history, filled with livcly debate and thoughtful interactions.

held great promise for my high school students. With an analytical stance

dceply embcdded in thc discipline. history did not want for higher level



;;¡ooo

l DITBD

BY

Knowing, Teaching, and

Learning His tory

27. Por examplcs of thc way tcchnology might be cmploycd to support stu-

dcnts' use o sophisticated stratcgics to read historical Jocumcnts, see Rohcrt

U

.

Uain, "EmbcJJing thc Structurc

of

thc Discipline in

thc

'

Icchuology,

papcr pre·

sented at thc American Assodation ofHistory and Computing, Cincinnat Ohio

April 1998, and

M .

Annc Brilt et al .

,

"Thc Sourccr's Apprcnticc:

'

lool for Docu-

ment-Supported History lnstruction," tbis volumc.

28. Cole,

29. The most obvious cxamplc

of

such ncw inslructional dcsign can be sccn

in the Web sitc and electronic conferenccs crcated to tcach world history dur-

ing thc 1997-1998 school year. Scc Uain, "l mbcdJing the Structurc of thc D is -

cipline in the Technology," or visit the World History Projcct Web sitc at

http://www.beachwood kl2oh.us.

352 1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

352 R OB B R T B , P A I N

27. For examples of the way technology might be eJllployed to sllpport stu-dents' use of sophisticated strategies 10 read historkal docllJllents, see Robert n .

Uain. "Embedding the Structure of the Discipline in the 'Ii:chnology," paper pre-

sented at the American Association of History and Computing. Cincinnati. Ohio.

April 1998. and M. Anne Brill et al.•"The Sourcer's Apprentke: A 'Ibol {or Docu-

ment-Supported History Instruction,"this volume,

28. Cole. Cu'tur,d Psyc1 l o ' og y .29. The most obvious example of such new instructional design can be seen

in the Web site and electronic conferences I created to teach world history dur-

ing the 1997-1998 school year. See Uain, "Embedding the Struclure of Ihe Dis-

cipline in the Technology," or visit the World History Project Web site at

http://www.beachwood.kI2.oh.us.

~

I(nowing, Teaching, and

Learning History

National and International Perspectives

l l1 1t TI lD B Y

P eter N. Stearns , P e ter Seixas ,

a n d S a m W i n eb u r g

1 1 1 Ne w Yo rk Un ive rsit y Pre ss

HHW Y ORK A NU ~ ON UOH

dOOO

http://www.beachwood.ki2.oh.us./

http://www.beachwood.ki2.oh.us./

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