I don't know about all of you,? but when I was in world history class I could have gave a crap about all that stuff that happened so long ago. But I can tell you one thing after all these years of collecting coins and researching them I've learned so much about history it's crazy. I look back now and think what if a teacher would have brought a new coin in every time we went over something in the passed and had us research about that time and country it came from, I think I would have learned alot more that way and on a plus side I would have started collecting coins alot sooner. But thats just me when I look at coins along with the love of collecting them I also think to myself I know a little about that time and country, and if not I can't wait to get online and find out. Does anyone else think about this stuff or is it just me? Thanks Bob
True for you who love coins, untrue for another who would be bored with them (sure they exist somewhere) For me, I'm on your side of course Q
Let me echo what Cucumbor wrote - no, it's certainly not just you. But it sure is "just us". We find coins interesting, and for many or most of us that also means we find the (hi)story behind a coin interesting. Somebody else may say that a sculpture or painting, or some kind of written document, makes learning about history attractive. Whatever it is, however, it should be something that has been around for a long time. A row of coins can represent, and teach about, an enormous time span. Try that with, say, telephones. Christian
I remember classes in Public Education (I can remember back that far but I doubt Doug can) and rarely did I have a teacher that made learning fun, which is what you're talking about. We all know that time passes when you're having fun but for some reason the Public Education system hasn't figured out that turning learning into a fun experience is how to get kids to want to learn but maybe someday they'll figure it out. :whistle: Ribbit
When I had a multi-year teaching assignment with the same group of kids I used anything that I could think of to make classwork fun. I did use coins on a number of lessons and it helped, especially for the students who had some interest. I used cents from 1980 and 1984 to teach the kids how to make a balance to determine relative weights. I also took my students to another science teacher's class when he soaked Lincoln cents in acid to remove the zinc producing a shell of thin copper with the Lincoln design prefectly preserved.
I think I remember in grade school some guest coming in to talk about coins. I got bored really quick. Guess it's all how it's presented. I think you have to have an interest in something before a lecture using them as props becomes interesting.
You are so right I can't believe how much history I have learned over and well above what was taught thru 12th grade. And I thought I was pretty good.... Having just as many World Coins as US has been quite the learning experience. Going thru this old collection has stirred quite a bit of interest in the 'back' story. I need to know about these things. These forums are a great learning experience too. Mike
Yes, coins have made me much more appreciative of history. Each coin is a small surviving relic of the past and has a story to tell -- although we don't always know the entire story -- about why it was made, about how people lived at the time, how they used the coins, and how important it was to them. I have a few examples of shipwreck coins for which I know when and where it was minted, where and when is was going when the ship wrecked, what ship it was on, why it was on the ship, the significance of the loss, how and when it was found, and how it got to my hands. That's very cool.
In college I had a history teacher who used this technique to make learning fun instead of the droning of a three hour lecture. Granted, there were over 300 people in this class, but he made himself and the items he brought in every day available to everyone. He brought in items relating to the day's lecture. Real pieces of history that we could see and touch and appreciate, and not just hear about. He never brought in any coins that I remember, but the idea is the same. History can be alive, not just read about, and that makes it a lot more interested, even if you don't collect anything. Guy~
My thoughts exactly. Here's another way to think about it. One of my biggest interests ever since I was a young child was space exploration. When we spent a little time covering that in my history classes growing up I was thrilled to death and I paid more attention in those lectures than any others I attended...but none of my classmates felt the same way. I'd imagine the same is true for the coins. The coin collecting students would be thrilled...but the rest wouldn't care.
The door to learning locks from the inside. I enjoyed this topic. Thanks to all for sharing. I think that we agree that having the teacher or professor engaged is the key. We call it "making learning fun" but I resent that. It is either fun or it is not and yes we can find pleasure in hard work, but, really, fun is not what this is about. We are not frivolous, laughing, giddy. We enjoy this. We call that fun. Read here what Ayn Rand said about stamp collecting as an intellectual pursuit. The problem is that the teachers are not having fun -- if you want to call it that. They get paid the same whether you learn anything or not. What other service works like that. Go to the drive thru, place and order and the bag might be empty? Tough luck... In a market scenario, teachers would rent their spaces and schools would be education malls. Then it would be interesting. I have done a bit of teaching as a substitute in middle schools and in adult education in college. I use coins and other artifacts whenever I can, to bring the subject to life, to give it reality, to engage the learner. I have a graduate class coming up this semester in History of Detroit. Everyone is focused race relations and the auto industry. Me, I'm primed with Spanish Coins on American Banknotes from the Mayor Aldermen of Detroit. (See here.) I have other examples, of course, from the times and places, and yes, automotive materials: tool checks, for instance. Know what those are? Exonumia: when you borrowed a tool from the shop crib, they put your ID number in its place, a brass tag with your Employee Number, so they knew who had the tool. I have Union pins. You got them when you paid your dues and each cycle was a different color, so you knew who was current. But, heck, Rome, Greece, ... railroad stock certificates .. .the middle ages... in fact, speaking of the Space Race... I have a medallion given out to workers at Kennedy Space Center made from a Saturn booster stage. IN fact, ahead of hte new semeser, I just refilled my Astronaut Pen with an Astronaut Ink Cartridge: writes in zero-G. I have tons of the stuff, badges, pins, photographs I took, John Glenn's autograph... ... meteorites... ... but I digress... The point is that regardless of whether or not every student or client learner would be thrilled by looking at a Large Cent, the instructor should be motivated enough to provide the opportunity. And they don't. Incentives are always internalized. Good teachers are still out there.
I go to the same local watering hole every wednesday night. since i have taken up the hobby i aggrevate them greatly with my stories of the coin world every week. So to make matters worse each week I take a different coin with me that we can talk about. though they won't admit it they look forward to it. If I walk in and say nothing 2 or 3 of them ask, so what is this weeks coin. I have my own little coin club without them even knowing it!!!:eat::eat:
You might be interested to know that there is a group dedicated to using ancient coins in education. Most teachers that participate teach Latin (which is generally taught with a lot of history as well as language training) but there are World history teachers that make use of the program. In addition to making common ancient coins available to students, the group runs contests (essay, art etc.) for both students and teachers with prizes of whatever gets donated from supporters (a couple years ago they had some savings bond support but the most recent prizes have been nicer coins and books). You can learn more at their website: http://ancientcoinsforeducation.org/content/view/142/133/ I have participated in their programs by visiting local high schools where I was invited by a participating teacher to assist kids in the ID of the coins they received through the program and to show other coins they might find of interest. This only works where there is a school and a ACE volunteer in the same area so the group would welcome more collectors willing to adopt a school. Of course they are happy to have cash with which to pay the bills, too. Since the program began in 2001, both the price of low end Roman coins and participating schools have increased considerably. ACE is not exactly what you described because they concentrate on ancient history/coins with some movement into medieval. I suspect if you donated 1000 coins of Ferdinand and Isabella, they might distribute them but that is out of their focus area. Perhaps modern world coin collectors might consider starting a similar operation to distribute modern coins of educational value (useful to history and geography classes).
