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In A Primer for Teaching African History: Ten Design Principles, Trevor Getz proposes using Africa as a
template for historical skill development and as a lens for a student's
personal maturation. African history may be unfamiliar to many
instructors at both the secondary and post-secondary levels. Getz urges a readjustment of one's purview to
a less Eurocentric model to one in which students are empowered and provided
with the space to examine and challenge the development of their own identity. The book is comprised of ten chapters. The first six chapters pertain to course development, student background
knowledge, and give considerations on how to encapsulate an entire continent
into one course. In chapters seven
through ten, Getz offers a rich array of potential resources and activities.
These last three chapters also provide a brief but solid overview of current
pedagogical trends, juxtaposing classroom practicality against the theoretical
constructs at the beginning of the book.
A vital first
step when teaching a new course is its design and conceptualization. This
book presents points to give all history instructors pause as they examine the
potential unintentional messages within the design of their syllabus. Regardless of one's area of scholarly focus, Getz sees course design as
an opportunity to examine the preconceived notions and historical omissions
that all too often accompany instruction on Africa. Various options for
organization are presented, including ways to thematically or geographically
organize African history. Getz clearly presents how Africa is replete with
examples of topics ranging from human-environment interaction to governmental
power, various linguistic boundaries, and mineral wealth
existing in the continent, along with many others. The author dives into
the deep-seated presence of racial tensions
throughout the continent. With the
reader, he ponders how the African diaspora should be cataloged in a course,
all while cautioning against the discriminatory power of victimizing Africans
and remaining vigilant against having similar storylines creep into one's
course. Decisions of how to categorize, for example, the often-isolated
histories of Egypt and Ethiopia, must be made prior to instruction on the
continent. Reasons for the delineations regarding these ancient societies
are worth investigating in themselves. Getz, while exploring numerous ways to periodize African history,
encourages exploration of Africa's economic future, tying in current
events. By engaging students in the
human aspect of history and exploring the constructs of race, ethnicity, and
gender as they have impacted students' own identity, Getz believes that
students will examine their own mechanisms for developing historical
narratives, thus reinforcing his premise of using the African continent as a
template for both academic skill and personal development.
A Primer for Teaching African History is user-friendly. Getz has amassed a collection of resources
for the reader to investigate for their own course needs. During his
extensive monologue on periodizing and bridging, Getz
gives notable references to sources for use in class, along with textbook
recommendations. This attention to detail will certainly prove helpful to the
educator who finds African history on their semester schedule. Additionally, Getz presents ideas for student paper topics and other
assignments. He offers potential
readings and supplements to texts. Interesting asides were his leaps into
ethical thinking in chapter seven and the existing digital divide regarding
localized digital content and limited historical archives in Africa, detailed
in chapter nine. These discussions could merit their own books. Getz does not
prescribe sources for African history, but merely points the reader toward
appropriate and suitable items. For the instructor who has a desire to
supplement their curriculum but comes up short, this book is likely to provide
the assistance needed.
Getz's expertise in African
history is clear. What he shares pedagogically shows his experience as an
educator. His wisdom is valuable for all who work with students. From the
beginning, Getz stresses the importance of student connection and the community
of the classroom. Regardless of one's
setting, he taps into ancient African oral traditions and reinforces the power
of voice, language, and even word choice to enhance community. He speaks on
framing behavioral expectations, a sometimes-overlooked aspect of course design
in the post-secondary world. From an instructional design standpoint,
Getz reflects on setting measurable, student-centered goals while coping with
the tension of whether to focus on historical narrative, course content, or
critical thinking.
Any history instructor
could benefit from A Primer for Teaching
African History: Ten Design Principles. For the one who is new to teaching, Getz provides insights into
assessment. His discussions of "flipped classrooms" and "UbD" (Understanding by Design) may be helpful to those
unfamiliar with current educational trends. Regarding those new to
teaching Africa, specifically, there is much to glean from his array of
classroom-proven resources and strategies. Veteran educators will discover new articles to provide fresh
perspectives on content and new student project ideas to stoke creative fires. This will all culminate with a desire to investigate and refresh one's
syllabus as needed. Getz's frequent use
of the word "trope", at times, muddled his message and became a trope in
itself. Getz presented what has worked
for him as a history professor. Sharing
his varied classroom approaches to the continent, Getz is a role model for
constant professional growth. He is humble in his writing, well organized, and
thought-provoking. Student experience remains in the forefront of this book. Our roles as educators are not so much about being experts in our
particular field, but about designing meaningful, impactful learning
experiences which challenge student mindsets and preconceived notions. Shouldn't that be the goal for any history
classroom?
Holly E. Marcolina, MSEd,
CAS, is currently serving as a Dean of Students at Middletown High School in
Middletown, NY. She previously was a high school social studies teacher
for thirteen years. Ms. Marcolina has
also worked as a visiting instructor at Peking University in China. She can be
reached at laoshiholly@gmail.com. |
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