Humanities

Back in the 1970s a journalist asked Chinese leader Zhou Enlai what he considered as the significance of the French Revolution. His reply? “Too soon to tell.” Students at De La, even in a VCE “Revs” class, sometimes ask the purpose of a topic studied. “How will this be useful? Will it get me a job?” In 2011 the most notable changes in the Humanities involved the use of new technology. In Years 7, 9 and 10 the introduction of personal netbooks has begun to transform how we teach and learn and assess. The use of ebooks, together with the increasing use of Moodle as a “platform” for curriculum delivery, has potential to involve and empower students. In Year 9 Geography, for example, we found faster and easier access to accurate research data, we accessed quizzes and received instant feedback, we viewed evidence on screen, we uploaded assignments and activity responses, and downloaded replacements for what we lost. On reflection, the skills and values and core knowledge associated with Geography and History seem even more valuable in this environment. We need to know some basics to make sense of what we access. We need to be able to skim read and read for deeper meaning, to reflect and think, to empathise and discern, and express our responses. All this, whether in studying natural disasters or Nazi Germany, requires more interaction with other people, not just more screen time. What’s the most useful thing your son learnt in Humanities in 2011? “Way too soon to tell.”

Mr Christopher Fleming SOSE Coordinator