The Importance of Learning the History of Our Schooling System

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On the first day of class we were presented with the history of our schooling system. I have never been one to truly appreciate history and I remember sitting there that day with an overwhelming amount of information I knew I would not remember a week later. I was trying to be optimistic because I am going into education and it is only wise to be knowledgeable about the history of my career. Looking back on that first day and where I stand now, I have so much more appreciation for history. We speak of something I am passionate about and I am open to a whole new understanding of why history will forever be a part of not only the present but the future as well.

Two Spanish translations for the word “know” were also given to us on the first day of class. “Conocer” is a thick, intimate way of knowing something. “Saber” is a thin and trivial way of knowing something. To be able to say I “conocer” something I would have to know it on a deep level and experience it firsthand so it becomes intimate to me. Again I reflect on the first day of class, and can say I do not know (conocer) anything that was presented and this seems to defeat the purpose of taking a class. Although, it is acceptable to say I do not intimately know the Athens and Spartans or was tutored by a Pedagogue. This information that I now know (saber) set the foundation for what was to come throughout the quarter. It also allowed me to explore my views on education and connect them to my life experiences to be able to say what I now know (conocer).

The most I can say I know (conocer) of something is life. Throughout life I have learned from my mistakes, grown as an individual and have experienced opportunities that have forever changed me. I am the woman I am today because of my past and people in my past that have greatly impacted my life. My past is history, which left not only an imprint on me at that time but has affected my future. Connecting my past to our school systems past has given me a greater appreciation for history because I am aware of how it determines the future. We cannot change what has happened in the past but the most we can do for our society is learn from the mistakes that have been made and try to make the world a better place.

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