Threading Ideas

One of the most difficult processes in the study of history may well be the process of "threading" ideas. I first learned about "threading" again, through my training of AP U.S. History and the concept intrigued me. How do we get students to understand how concepts in history are related to one another despite not obviously detectable connection. Students in my APUSH class have begun to do this rather effectively. As part of their final project for the quarter, students had to identify issues pertaining to the Progressive Era and link them to other eras in history. They did so rather effectively. If one doesn't understand the connections between events, people, themes, ideas, economic, etc. in history, one is less likely to understand how it affects them now. That is probably the main reason why, although difficult, threading should be practiced more frequently in the classroom.

Why Conflict Can be Good

People want to be happy. Generally, people want to stay comfortable. Why is it then, that we manage to progress as a society? Conflict. James Smith, one of my many mentors mentioned that he read once that "history is a conflict of ideas." I now repeat this to my students almost day after day. Is conflict always good? No, not necessarily. Especially not when one of the parties in the middle of the conflict refuses to learn from the other or concede any issues. The Gilded Age was a time period full of conflict, Gold Standard vs. Silver Standard, Big Business vs. Workers, Social Darwinists vs. Religious Leadership, Rural vs. Urban, Immigrants vs. Nativists, Native Americans vs. Expansionist Government, and Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B. Dubois. As all these conflicts grew, it became apparent that the only way of surviving as a nation was to come together in some form; enter the Progressive Era. Not all issues have been resolved. Heck, in many ways most of these issues will never be fully resolved. Still, there is a sense that we've made progress. Through conflict, we have managed to find a common ground, some form of consensus that helps us grow as human beings, interest groups, and maybe even as a nation. Conflict can be good.

Accidents will happen, let's make the best of them

As I look at the privileges and rights that we now have as workers in our American society, I can't help but think about the fact that it wasn't always so. The Progressive Era brought about intense change in our society where people's actions coupled with Teddy Roosevelt's leadership helped influence the rights we now perceive children, women, African Americans, and workers to have. Let's not forget though, that Teddy Roosevelt's presidency was somewhat of an accident. He was a rough rider, rough around the edges, kinda loud, and put into the Vice-Presidency only as a means of getting him out of New York (where he was disturbing Platt's agenda for Big Business). He became president only after McKinley was shot by an anarchist who had been in economic troubles since the Panic of 1893. So here's the lesson: sometimes some of the greatest strides forward can be made after some of the most tragic accidents. Let's not bet on it because it's never fun to learn things the hard way, but let's think about it in our toughest times.

An Intent at Making a Difference

With the focus on TAKS throughout the past few years, the standards become whatever the test expects us to be successful in. While I find value in how tests like TAKS might raise the standard for some, I can't help but feel that it doesn't raise the standard enough for most others. My work in AP U.S. History this year has shown me that if the academic standards are raised for students while the support is provided to those students, there is very little students can't accomplish. Will we get to where we want to be in the short time allotted by our school schedule? I don't know. We will surely continue to try. Again, the intent here is to show that if provided with the right tools, our Socorro High School students can accomplish many things beyond what is expected from them on standardized tests like TAKS.