After reading the selections and watching the videos, I realized that how I conducted historical research and analysis is the core of studying history. However, while it is a core part of history, it is not an easy concept to grasp. In his article, “Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts,” Sam Wineburg states, “Historical thinking, in its deepest forms, is neither a natural process nor something that springs automatically from psychological development . . . This is one of the reasons why it is much easier to learn names, dates, and stories than it is to change the fundamental structures that we use to grasp the meaning of the past.” This quote made me realize how important it is to teach historical thinking. It is not something that is innate. It is something that takes practice and skill to use critical thinking, analysis, and how to use and read historical sources. This realization made me wonder how I could apply these concepts to exhibits and resources for visitors. My thought process led me to three questions that I hope the future readings and assignments help me answer.
How can I effectively transfer the concepts and ideas from classroom teaching to the context of museum exhibits?
The readings and videos mainly focused on classroom settings rather than other areas, so I wonder how to apply and adapt those concepts in ways that would benefit museum visitors. I think that there would be a way to take lessons that can be used in a classroom setting and apply those to the exhibits that I would create, though I am not sure how to go about it. Based on the readings, I feel like there is not that much difference between the two settings. In the History Classrooms article from Sam Wineburg, studies on different classroom settings did not show much difference in students’ struggles in historical thinking. This makes me think there would be no difference when translated to museum settings and the ideas that I will learn in future readings will work in exhibits.
Can museum visitors gain historical thinking skills from exhibits alone?
From what I gathered from the readings and videos, historical thinking is something that is taught and learned. I wonder if this learning would be possible in a museum setting. How will visitors analyze, question, and interpret historical material in exhibits? I cannot assume every visitor already has those skills when walking into an exhibit. Based on the readings and videos, I believe the exhibit would have to apply the necessary materials to help visitors gain or increase those skills. Maybe it involves the labels included, different visual markers, interactive components, or a combination of all three.
How can museum visitors critically analyze historical information present in an exhibit?
Similar to the last question, I am not sure if visitors would necessarily be able to critically analyze historical information by just being told facts. Again, I feel that extra material, like interactive components, has to be provided to help spur that skill so visitors have an impactful visit.