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Given the frantic attempts by numerous prominent politicians and media hacks to censor the use of these standards as a basis for class preparation by teachers, I suppose that I am about to present one of the most Politically Incorrect documents ever to appear in the history of U.S. education. Yet upon reading the National Standards for World History, what one finds are standards that can only benefit the quality of instruction at all levels.
The World History Standards as goals are every bit as ambitious as the ones for U.S. History, even challenging the most capable students so often bored in current school settings, and it would be great to have something like this document adopted in a state where ambitious goals are currently only set for football teams. Moreover, the obvious criteria for establishing standards would be that they focus clearly on the major developments that marked the lives of people in the eras when they occurred and that those developments picked had broad significance for subsequent generations, and these do as good a job of meeting these criteria as any standards we are likely to get. Also, it pleases me to see a concern for promoting thought processes that neuro-scientific research is increasingly demonstrating are essential for enhancing brain function, which we now know does not cease to develop at some early age.
Like the U.S. History Standards, the ones for World History are divided into chronological eras, starting with "The Beginnings of Human Society" and concluding with "The 20th Century." For each Era, there is a general introduction about its importance and the standards for its understanding. These standards are clearly divided into those that are Core standards and those that are Related to help teachers better plan their use of that always scarce resource: time. Within each of these Core and Related standards, it is explained what students at different grade levels should be able to do, and --what is apparently the most popular feature among working teachers-- there are examples of what students might do, which come from the experienced school teachers and curriculum directors who were part of the drafting team. These standards will also be a big help for those teachers and curriculum specialists who write grants to get additional money to enrich the educational environment of their schools. The World History Standards are designed for a program of three years of instruction between the 5th and 12th grades, which would greatly enhance learning as students would return several times as they mature to evidence evaluation, analysis, and interpretation. To really appreciate what is involved, it is necessary to spend time going over the complete text, which is available free on the Internet or at cost (and with illustrations) from the National Center for History in the Schools.
These Standards are properly not a history text, and it is therefore unreasonable to expect to find here exciting narrative, fascinating individual examples, or complex analysis. Teachers are expected to think as well as students and use their personal flare and interests to bring to their courses the reading material and projects that will enable students to increase their understanding of the major aspects of global history and develop intellectually in ways that will enhance cognitive growth, build character, and increase moral perception.
Do I see problems in the World History Standards? Of course I do. The document is a consensus product of individuals and groups associated with everything from Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim educational organizations to those interested in more material aspects like economics education. As a middle-of-the-road committee project, the authors did not do all I would have done if writing the thing myself, but the mandate from the funding agencies was to create a process by which standards would emerge through consensus, which inevitably means that some of my individual concerns and interests got left out.
Curiously after all the public comment on the subject, patriotism is one thing that is not left out, unless one means more by that term than a stress on the importance as a historical factor of loyalty and service to a political community and a commitment to enhancing one's own intellect and socially-valuable skills.
Should Idaho adopt these World History Standards? It should in some form, but that won't happen. Idaho's students will continue to meet ill-prepared their futures in an increasingly interconnected world and a global marketplace. However, I am happy that individual teachers will have these standards as sources for what they might do to enrich their students' educations. I would love to find in my university classroom students who had previously received only half the training outlined here.
All contents copyright (C) 1995. J. B. Owens All rights reserved.Revised: 17 April 1995
http://www.isu.edu/~owenjack/publications/wldhstst.html