Wednesday, July 20, 2011

What Facing History Meant To Me.

You are in for a real treat.  Below are the addresses for the blogs the students created at the end of each semester for the 2010-2011 academic year.  Their assignment was simple.  The students were to write an introduction to their blog eplaining what the course was about, the reasons they took Facing History, and any information they wanted to share about themselves.  Their  essay was to answer the question, "In what ways did the course benefit you as a student and/or as a person?”

It is clear from the students' essays that they all achieved “civic agency.” This term applies when a student has made an intellectual, moral and emotional connection to the content of the course. Bottom line, as the kids would say, "I got it!"

With “civic agency”, I am able to put the students on the streets of Berlin in 1939 and they understand exactly how and why most of the people living in Nazi Germany are able to treat Jewish people and other “undesirables” of the Third Reich as they would vermin. In many classrooms across the United States, you hear the endless question, “How was someone like Hitler able to come to power and do what he did?” Facing History students learn it is a dangerous question, because it means that person has no memory of how and why the holocaust was allowed to happen.

What am I teaching to the students who take Facing History and Ourselves? The students themselves best answer that question and they have done so in the “blogs” they created.  In these blogs, you will find that every student mentions the same words repeatedly. Words like, “bully”, “victim”, “bystander”, “rescuer” and “respect.” They talk a lot about respect. These words are the lexicon of Facing History and Ourselves.

There is not a doubt in my mind, after reading all of the students' essays, that Facing History and Ourselves should be a required course in every high school in the United States.  In the blogs you are about to read, you will better understand the power of the course and the reason many students end up saying, “This course changed my life!”

Mr. Gallagher
Social Studies Department
Westborough High School



STUDENT BLOGS FOR 2010 -2011


Gabe Stahl
http://gabestahlblog.blogspot.com/

Meredith Geller
http://meredithgellersblog.blogspot.com/

Trevor Laham
http://trevorsfacinghistoryblog.blogspot.com/

Shane Ruffing
http://shaneruffing.blogspot.com/

Robbie Tanner
http://robbietannerblog.blogspot.com/

Patrick Bryant
http://patrickbryantfho.blogspot.com/

Michael Ceruolo
http://ceruolo.blogspot.com/

Sam Plummer
http://samplummersblog.blogspot.com/

Andrew Whamond
http://andrewwhamond.blogspot.com/

Anna Deg
http://annadeg.blogspot.com/

Andrew Grant
http://andrewgrantsblog.blogspot.com/

Nick Judd
http://nickjuddsblog.blogspot.com/

Zack Michaels
http://zachmichaelsblog.blogspot.com/

Sam Nichols
http://www.samnicholsblog.blogspot.com/

Corinne White
http://corinnewhitesblog.blogspot.com/

Shady Mostafa
http://mofasa6.blogspot.com/

Nick Cibelli
http://nickcibellisblog.blogspot.com/

Allison Arpante
http://alliearpantesblog.blogspot.com/

Chiristine Hillier
http://christinehillier.blogspot.com/

Matt Hally
http://matthallysblog.blogspot.com/

Sean Nolan
http://seannolan92.blogspot.com/

Pat Hession
http://pathessionblog.blogspot.com/

Annie Meaney
http://www.anniemeaney.blogspot.com/

Conor Gibbs
http://connorgibbsblog.blogspot.com/

Ryan Blackney
http://ryanblackneysblog.blogspot.com/

Michael Doran
http://michaeldoransblog.blogspot.com/

Brian Goodliffe
http://goodliffesblog.blogspot.com/

Celina Morais
http://celinamoraisblog.blogspot.com/

Sarah Hart
http://sarahhartsblog.blogspot.com/

Mike Klimavich
http://mike-klimavichs-blog.blogspot.com/

Alyssa Noble
http://alyssa-noblesblog.blogspot.com/

Joe Vendetti
http://joevendittisblog.blogspot.com/

Tucker McKinnon
http://tuckermckinnon.blogspot.com/

Matt Oriel
http://moriolblog.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html

Sam Klefstad
http://samklefstadsblog.blogspot.com/

Zack Howe
http://howesa.blogspot.com/

Tom Houle
http://tomhoules.blogspot.com/

jillian bleakney
http://jillbleakneysblog.blogspot.com/

ryan iasiello
http://ryaniasiellos.blogspot.com/

brian orlando
http://brianorlandosblog.blogspot.com/

Jack Tragakis
http://jacktragakis.blogspot.com/

Andrew Lipke
http://www.resistance-safehouse.blogspot.com

Chris Fernandez
http://chrisisfacinghistory.blogspot.com/

Tony Silva
http://tonysilvas.blogspot.com/

Brenton Croteau
http://brentonwc.blogspot.com

Jenn Bracey
http://jenbracey.blogspot.com/

Berit Bancroft
http://www.beritbancroftsblog.blogspot.com/

Natalie Donabedian
http://www.nataliedonabedian.blogspot.com/

Andy Tabb
http://andytabbsblog.blogspot.com/

Ricky Packer
http://rickypacker.blogspot.com/

Steph Debs
http://stephdebsblog.blogspot.com/

Nicky Simard
http://nickysimardsblog.blogspot.com/

Gabrielle King
http://gabriellekingsblog.blogspot.com/

Clark Masterson
http://clarkmastersonsblog.blogspot.com/

Amanda Borglund
www.facinghistoryborglund.blogspot.com

Megan Burke
http://myexperiencesinmrgallaghersfho.blogspot.com/

Megan Sullivan
http://megansullivansblog.blogspot.com/

Jake Phillips
http://phillbone.blogspot.com/

Emily Hite
http://emilyhitesblog.blogspot.com/

Nick Farrar
http://nickfarrar.blogspot.com/

Matt Rouleau
http://mattrouleau.blogspot.com/

Amanda Hutchinson
http://amandahutchinsonblog.blogspot.com/

Kevin Ruhl
http://ruhlsblog.blogspot.com/

Kelsey Beron
http://kelseyberonblog.blogspot.com/

Matt Cullen
http://mattcullensblog.blogspot.com/

Sarah Van
http://sarahvanblog.blogspot.com/

Steve Geller
http://stephengellerblog.blogspot.com/

Emily Faherty
http://emilyfaherty.blogspot.com/

William Lariviere
http://facinghistory2011.blogspot.com/

James Seatter
http://seatter.blogspot.com/

Rachel Bridge
http://howfacinghistorychangedme.blogspot.com/

Kim Jones
http://kimjones92.blogspot.com/

Michael Graham
http://lifechanger255.blogspot.com/

Daniel Arnold
http://darnolds.blogspot.com/

Will Kenyon
http://willkenyonsblog.blogspot.com/

Antony Macario
http://antonymacario.blogspot.com/

Fernando Silva's
http://fernandotheblogger.blogspot.com/

Rachael King
http://rachaelking24.blogspot.com/

Isaiah Mutesasira
http://bogoboy.blogspot.com/

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