What makes
history fun to learn? Why do many students dislike Social Studies so much?
Could it be the primitive teaching from text books? The attempt to teach mundane
and repetitive chronology of fact after fact?
We all know students love field
trips. They thrive on new experiences, learning through interaction with others
and hands-on experiences. When they get socially and physically involved their
brains sprout connections and lunge at the breadcrumbs amassed from the
experiences before them.
Organizations such as the Iowa
Museum Association build on improving the educational experience with measures
such as their conferences. The opportunity to network with like-minded
professionals allows us to build upon what we know in the hopes of a bigger and
brighter future for the education of history. Isn’t this what museums are all
about? To create an atmosphere where children can thrive in the presence of
knowledge and we can admire the excitement and spark we see in the children’s
eyes?