World History: Global Exchange*

Dr. Berry's Approach to Teaching and Goals for Learning for World History!

Dear Students:

I teach a little diffferently than most. I do not assume to know everything about history or even everything about that which we are learning on any given day. I assume you all know a LOT about a LOT of stuff I know nothing about. Thus, our learning enterprise is one of cooperation and mutual respect. This also means that we share the work load. I will not spout to you and have your regurgitate "the" answer on formal tests. Instead we will seek understanding together and will assess our understanding through projects and papers. I WILL expect you to engage valiantly in the content of our study, ask good questions, be curious about the world around you and our topics of study, and bring enthusiasm (it really is as important as your computer, your books, and your notebooks)) everyday to class. YOU will more often than not be the teachers in this class, and I hope you will grab ahold of that opportunity with gusto.

I also try to innovate routinely in the classroom. Sometimes my brilliant ideas work brilliantly and sometimes they don't. The most important thing for all of us to continually strive for as we learn (and teaching is a form of learning) is to try, to be okay if we fail, and then to try again. My promise to you is that I will give you my very best every day, and I will expect the same in return. I will be patient when things don't go just right for you, and I expect the same from you. I expect to have a lot of fun this year, and I expect the same from you.

When the year is over I hope we have all learned a little bit about the essential essence of human existence, the fundamental shifts in the course of human experience over the long run, the impact of technology and movement on people and the environment, and the fascinating ways in which different cultures have defined meaning in their own lives.

But most importantly, I hope we learn a lot about who we are as people, citizens of the United States, and members of the global village. In the process, I hope that we nurture our most creative, thoughtful, and empathetic selves. If I manage to help you think with a global perpsective about your own life, facilitate your respect for difference, and spark an interest in you to keep learning and thinking about history, then my year will have been a success. I will be asking in the first days of class what a successful year in World History will look like for you -- be ready to share your goals for the year in class!

Here's to a fantastic year,

Dr. Berry

* Source and Idea Acknowledgement: I am grateful to the World History For Us All project at San Diego State University. I followed Professor Dunn's work when I was in graduate school and appreciate all he has done for secondary teaching. This is my first year teaching World History, and while I wanted to teach thematically, as I do in my US History course (the field in which I have my doctorate), I was struggling mightily with how to organize the beast of World History around themes and still have some breadth of coverage. Professor Dunn and all those working on the project gave me just enough food for thought to get me going! I have borrowed liberally from their material (including our class mascot Wallie -- see above), but I have also changed many of their ideas considerably to suit my needs.