Why England and artifacts?


The Schoen Teacher Travelship will afford me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to nurture my curiosity about scientific and historical inquiry and deepen my understanding of object-based teaching. This month-long trip to England will make it possible for me to uncover, research, and collect artifacts -- central to object-based teaching -- and visit important historical sites in a country where they are unearthed almost daily. Treasure hunting in Britain has virtually become a national pastime, on par with football and cricket! The experiences gained from this adventure will support many professional and personal goals.

While touring the Concord Museum's "The Object of History: Colonial Treasures from the Massachusetts Historical Society" this weekend, I stumbled upon one of the best descriptions of the power of artifacts I've encountered. The opening exhibit placard read: "Objects have the ability to communicate. They give us glimpses of people and places in the past and allow us to think about ourselves in new ways in the present. An object's meaning may change over time. The object takes on new significance as each generation encounters it." -- Concord Museum (MA)

No comments:

Post a Comment