The essence of my curriculum

Hello! My name is Shaban Roman Petrovich. After graduating from the Faculty of History in 2013, I decided not to stop there, but to continue self-education. And I realized that the topics that are in the educational program - can be taught completely "new".

Unfortunately, many people consider History to be a boring subject. But give me a chance - and I will prove you wrong.

Of course, history is "not entertainment." First of all, its study pursues more important goals.

The purpose of education in general, in my opinion, is to develop the natural abilities of the student, and the formation of his competence as a whole.

And what is "competence"? Translated from Latin, "competentia" means - a range of issues in which a person is well aware, has knowledge and experience.

However, competence is not just knowledge. This is a kind of "dynamic combination" of knowledge, practical skills and qualities - necessary for further "socialization" of the student. It should help the young person in the conscious choice of further life path and self-realization; in educating a responsible and sensitive attitude to others, as well as to the environment.

It is impossible to completely separate one subject from another. You will probably agree that all of them together form the worldview of a young person.

Therefore, "key competencies" must be formed immediately by means of all subjects. And not only, competence…

As noted in the previous article, perhaps the most important problem of the new information culture is the question of its "moral principles", because the technological world is by nature devoid of moral and ethical criteria and assessments. That is why today there is an urgent need for guiding principles and values.

What you or your children value depends on what you consider good, important, and truly valuable. Life can be equated with an arrow, and values ​​can be equated with what gives direction to that arrow. So, proper values ​​will help you wisely set your life priorities and make the best use of your time - hour by hour, day by day.

Therefore, in the curriculum, I think it is appropriate to highlight certain "cross-cutting lines". Cross-cutting lines are socially significant cross-curricular topics that help students form ideas about the world and society as a whole.

Including:

- Forming a student as a morally full-fledged person who knows the generally accepted rules of conduct, follows them in school and out of school, is not indifferent to their neglect and, if necessary, responds accordingly.

- Formation of students' environmental awareness and willingness to participate in addressing environmental issues for future generations.

- Formation of a responsible citizen. The meaning is to be aimed at educating decency, diligence and honesty.

- Becoming a student as an emotionally stable member of society, able to lead a healthy lifestyle and form a safe living environment.

- Ability to operate successfully in a rapidly changing environment, planning their own economic activities and drawing up a family budget, the formation of an economical attitude to natural resources.

Cross-cutting content lines should not only be cross-curricular (relating to different school or university subjects), but also "intra-subject" that run through the entire curriculum, such as History or Law - "Topic by topic".

The purpose of civic and historical education is to develop the student's personality through understanding the past and present, as well as the links between them; interactions between global and local processes; and respect for human rights.

The implementation of historical education by the teacher, in my opinion, should be based on such values ​​as:

- Creating conditions to ensure the harmonious intellectual and mental development of the student.

- Creating an educational environment in which an atmosphere of trust is provided.

- Affirmation of human dignity, honesty, justice, empathy, and constructive interaction.

I want to emphasize the phrase "harmonious intellectual and mental development." Why stop there. The fact is that history, like no other science, affects the formation of personal views (later) of an adult. And the task of the History teacher is to pass on to the student the knowledge of the past, in such a way that it is to the latter "for the benefit, not for the harm"! What do I mean? You will probably agree that almost all political parties appeal to History in their programs and slogans. Extreme political forces such as the Nazis and the Communists also appealed to her. And their "leaders" associated themselves with their "idol predecessors", whom they found in history. This phenomenon is not something new.

"Napoleon envied Caesar, Caesar envied Alexander [the Great], and Alexander envied Hercules, who did not even exist," wrote the English philosopher Bertrand Russell.

Sounds ironic, but it's true!

The key competencies that a young person studying History should acquire include:

- Logical competence, ie the ability to ask questions and look for answers.

- Information and communication competence, which involves confident and responsible use of digital technologies.

- Axiological competence - the ability to formulate an assessment of historical events through the prism of the values ​​of a particular historical period.

- As well as civic and social competencies. This includes the ability to act in conflict situations (such as those involving various forms of discrimination). Understanding the rules of behavior and communication that are common in different communities and environments. Ability to act in conditions of uncertainty and multitasking.

The most important in all key competencies in the study of History is the ability to think critically and systematically, which is manifested in the definition of relationships and the ability to analyze; take into account opposing views and counter-arguments; recognize attempts to manipulate data.

What does it mean to think critically? First of all, I want to emphasize - what it does not mean. To think critically does not mean to think skeptically. No, we are not talking about a skeptic who always doubts everything. Or a "mocker" who mocks at any reasonable argument.

No! Critical thinking (from the ancient Greek κριτική τέχνη - "the art of analyzing, judging") - is scientific thinking, the essence of which is to make carefully considered decisions and it is characterized by such a property as "awareness".

In addition, we mentioned the ability to "think systematically." (When talking about cross-cutting skills in all key competencies in the study of history). How to think systematically?

With your permission, I will give an example. There are many people who are interested in history. But not all of them have the necessary training. I do not mean that "without higher education" it is impossible to understand history. No! But the fact is that there are many "arrogant dilettantes." (Dilettante - from the Latin "delecto" - "enjoy, delight, amuse" - engaging in any activity, such as science - without proper knowledge and training.)

The definition of a systems approach can be as follows… This is an approach in which any historical phenomenon, or period, is considered as a set of smaller "components", and which is part of a more complex system. For example, it is not enough to simply say that the First World War broke out in 1914. - It is necessary to explain its causes and consequences, as well as what "episodes" it consisted of. In addition, the systems approach involves a connection with other sciences. So, to establish an exact historical date, you may need the help of astronomy, which can calculate the solar eclipse that just took place at one time or another.

While studying at school, the student actually learns to think systematically - because he studies many subjects, among which is actually History. And the task of subject teachers is to show these "interdisciplinary connections."

Continuing our topic, I also want to single out a concept such as "Basic Knowledge" from History. This is the main body of information that a student must obtain. And here we have 5 vectors, or directions from History, - such as: "Man and nature", "Man and the world of material things", "Man and society", "Man and state power", and also "Man and the world of ideas". ».

So,

1. Man and nature. The student in the process of learning must acquire the following knowledge - the emergence and settlement of man; human development and transformation of nature in the past and present; development of new spaces.

2. Man and the world of material things: production and consumption in different historical epochs; materials and technologies; tools and household items; scientific and technical inventions; living and working conditions in the city and village; urbanization; material culture of agrarian, industrial and post-industrial societies.

3. Man and society: society and communities: families, classes, nations, religious, ethnic and other groups; human interaction, interests and values, human dignity; civilization; information and media; conflicts and their resolution.

4. Man and authority: the political organization of society; political regimes; Human Rights; citizenship; international relations.

5. Man and the world of ideas: worldview and values, religion, science and art; history of ideas and their impact on man and society.

Summing up, we can conclude that historical science is a very important subject that directly affects the formation of values ​​in the student and his future worldview. And, as noted in the previous article, the history teacher has a great responsibility. - Not just to pass knowledge about the past, but to educate a person!

At the beginning of this article, I said that, unfortunately, many people consider History to be a boring subject. But why so?

You will probably agree that most children have a vivid imagination, and it is easy for them to imagine fictional scenes and characters. However, once they go to school, new teaching methods often leave children's fantasies outside the realm of learning. Moreover, these little minds are overloaded with difficult tasks, leaving almost no time for deeper reflection and imagination.

No! I do not mean that the student "flew in the clouds." I'm just a supporter of "visualization" during training. Visualization is the use of images or videos to convey knowledge.

However, when I talk about "Visualization" in this article, I mean something else. Thus, in school textbooks, in principle, there is an element of visualization - with the help of illustrations and various tables. But, to be honest, more emphasis has always been placed on "printed text". In addition, the quantity and quality of illustrations leaves much to be desired.

Therefore, speaking of visualization, I speak of the "predominant role" of learning through what the child (or adult) sees with the eyes. It is known that about 90% of information we perceive is due to the visual organs. Why not use this method, for example, in the study of history.

The thing is, for example, that the same Egyptian pyramids can be simply told (or "read a lecture"), and they can be - "SHOW" - with the help of bright illustrations and videos. ("Traveling" directly to Egypt). Today's level of science and technology allows you to do it!

That's why I'm working to make my lessons - "Virtual Tours" in the Past.

I don't think there is any need to explain that a student who understands the material well will be more successful and "competitive" than one who simply "memorizes" dates or definitions. (For example, such knowledge may be required when passing the external evaluation).

Interestingly, my program is not just for students. Many people like to learn in old age. And in today's circumstances of the coronavirus, when you need to stay at home - this is a great opportunity!