1. Oral History as a Teaching Approach.
- Author
-
National Education Association, Washington, DC. and Neuenschwander, John A.
- Abstract
The book presents information on the use of oral history as a classroom device. The first chapter discusses the evolution of oral history from a practice intended to preserve information on noted Americans to a way of preserving recollections of older Americans about the past. The second chapter explains why interviewing members of their own communities can make children more interested in the subjects they study. The "Foxfire Book," a popular anthology on Appalachia, originating from a social studies class, is used as an example of stimulating, innovative project. The third chapter offers suggestions on preparing the student as an interviewer, such as how to be a good listener, ask good questions, and put the interviewee at ease. Methods of using tapes are compared in chapter 4. It is recommended that segments of the tape be indexed rather than transcribing all the tapes, which is time-consuming and costly. Chapter 5 discusses the development of an oral history project and provides examples, including a sample release form, which gives a project the subject's permission to use the interview, and a sample interview. The author states that the establishment of an oral history association, the increasing use of oral history in schools and colleges, and the enthusiasm usually associated with its use indicate that oral history is likely to be a major adjunct to classroom instruction in the 1970's. (CD)
- Published
- 1976