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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Police Reports Education Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Teacher's Tips: Who gets to teach history? Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Cars We Remember: The original Candymatic Ramchargers Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Tot owners buy Playwright, hire Amuse chef Politics and elections Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Mark L. Hopkins: Looking for a political straight shooter State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Norman Christlieb Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Sports Latest Stories Guthrie kicks off fundraising drive Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizz bats heat up in Bend Kansas City Royals star pitcher Jeremy Guthrie visits Ashland to kickoff fundraising campaign Ducks enjoy the challenge High school Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Fredrickson leads Grizzlies to season-opening romp Grizz alpine skiers finish strong at state Southern Oregon University Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Oregon State women come up short in second-round loss to Gonzaga Raiders roughed up at Corban Voices Latest Stories Granlund cartoon: Kraft and Heinz merger Landgren cartoon: Muddy baseball fields Our View: How it should work Letters to the Editor, March 25 Rick Holmes: What addicts say about getting high and getting better Editorial Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules Letters Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Letters to the Editor, March 18 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Guest Opinion: Ashland schools failed to protect my son from bullying Columns Council Corner: Getting to yes or no — or maybe Chris Honoré: 'Like a ghastly rapid river, through the pale door, a hideous throng rush out ...' Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Herb Rothschild: Donating with care Matthew T. Mangino: When is a confession not a confession? Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright 4 Things To Do This Week Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Best bets for entertainment around Ashland, March 19 Theater Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Ticket Availability The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Ticket Availability Camelot Theatre in Talent: This 'Sunset' is not as dark Music Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center The Farr Side: Madonna — ever the trendsetter Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 More wonderful wrinkles at 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' 8 must-see spring films Movie review: ‘Wrecking Crew’ is a look at the people who really put the bomp Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Almond cookies pass the test Page Onorato: Cranky old winter may finally come to an end Garden Cameos: Welcome spring to the garden Page Onorato: Come grow old along with me, someday Tammy Kelly: Lighten up traditional Easter desserts Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 ... Ticket Availability ... Have you filed your tax return yet? ... Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 ... Ticket Availability ... Have you filed your tax return yet? ... TEACHER'S TIPS Teacher's Tips: Who gets to teach history? Comment By Paul Huard DailyTidings.com By Paul Huard Posted Mar. 23, 2015 at 11:19 AM By Paul Huard Posted Mar. 23, 2015 at 11:19 AM » Social News Who gets to teach history? It’s a simple question and most people would say the answer is simple: “The history teacher.” Unfortunately, teaching history — particularly American history — is far more complicated than telling a class to open their textbook to a certain page and begin reading. I’ve taught American history courses on the high school and college level for more than 20 years. Very early on I learned that many parties, including school boards and various interest groups of all stripes, all believe they have the unique answer to the thorny problems of teaching history in a way that is relevant, thought-provoking and intellectually rigorous. Recent events, both national and local, highlight this educational conundrum. The College Board’s 2014 update of the Advanced Placement United States History curriculum prompted professional historians to throw roses in print, praising the changes for bringing the scope and content of AP U.S. History more in line with current college-level instruction. But some state legislators and education traditionalists across the nation blew raspberries, saying all the changes did was emphasize the negative aspects of American history while omitting many of the important contributions of the Founding Fathers. Some states even considered dropping the AP U.S. History curriculum in favor of their own approach to teaching advanced U.S. history. In Medford last week, school board Chairman Jeff Thomas and board member Kim Wallan criticized The American Pageant, a widely used AP U.S. textbook, for “egregious” editorializing through marginal notes used to explain the Constitution and Bill of Rights to students using the book. “There’s no way I can support it and not because I agree with the author or don’t,” Thomas said during the school board meeting where members considered adopting the book for the Medford School District. “It’s just that that should not be taught to sophomores who are still forming how to think critically.” When it comes to the College Board’s changes to the AP U.S. curriculum, I am no fan, but for different reasons. Their roll-out of the changes was nothing short of disastrous for teachers in the trenches trying to make sense of the board’s contradictory mandates and onerous demands. Also, their tardy release of supporting materials to provide some kind of direction for classroom teaching made me feel like I needed to add mind reading to the skills needed to prepare my students for the AP exam. And when it comes to concerns about The American Pageant, I have a piece of advice for Mr. Thomas and Ms. Wallan: If you want to see a book that egregiously editorializes about American history, you need to review a copy of the late Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States. (Let’s just say that Zinn always provided an alternative point of view.) Liberals and conservatives, Christians and atheists, gays and straights, politicians and ordinary citizens — everybody thinks there is The Way to teach history. I can’t claim to possess the definitive answer. But I believe I know what not to do. History is full of ironies and inconsistencies. Moral hand-wringing or blind celebration is not particularly useful when it comes to understanding the past. Claiming the United States is either exceptionally bad or exceptionally good does little to advance understanding of the nation’s past. Exposing students to primary documents, teaching them the tools of historical analysis, and teaching them that history — really good history — is a written craft that explains the past from a perspective that tries to understand those ironies and inconsistencies is a better strategy. That’s not as sexy as the politics of curriculum changes or textbook squabbles. But it is an approach that teaches kids to think like historians — or at least think in a way makes them use their brains. A former reporter who covered politics and government for newspapers in California and Oregon, Paul R. Huard teaches social studies and English courses at Ashland High School. The opinions he expresses are his own. By Paul Huard DailyTidings.com By Paul Huard Posted Mar. 23, 2015 at 11:19 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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