To All On the List,
 
Mr. Burchard pointed out my lack of diligence in the use of the enter
key when I posted my message concerning history education in high
school. I went back through my message and had a hard time reading it
myself.  My only explanation is that I was in a hurry and wrote my
message in a stream of consciousness, without regard for proper writing
technique--it won't happen again.
 
My message, in short, is that we should not limit the teaching of
history in high school to chronology alone.  Kids in high school are
capable of abstract and analytical thought.  The only way to sharpen
those skills is to give students the opportunity to use them, which
is what I did in my student teaching experience.  Instead, many adults
choose to write off adolescents, and we are now seeing the effect of
that ignorance in society today.  Based on my experience in teaching,
academic historians need to be worried about those students who are
entering their ivy covered halls.  Many of these students won't even
be able to handle the chronological teaching of history, much less
analytical teaching styles.
 
 
I hope this clears up my rather crowded message from Jan. 27.  Yes,
my composition teacher from high school would be apalled.  For the
record, my high school trained me well, which was not evident in my
message's structure.  Always remember "To err is human, To forgive is
divine"
 
Bryan Kimmet
1st Year Graduate Student, Public History
Wright State University
e-mail address: [log in to unmask]