Reflection 1

         My learning foundation is based on a number of different scholars. First of all, Howard Zinn's work is a great influence on my understanding of history.  I first read A People's History of the United States as a sophomore in high school and it was revelatory to me then in the totally different way it presented history's events.  The perspective was not from the oppressors but rather from the oppressed.  It showed how history looked from the points of view of minorities and women.  Its impact today can be seen in the book sequels, graphic novels, and movies that have followed.

         A second influence on my passion for learning would be the library. Libraries are very useful to students and teachers.  As a kid, I would love going with my mom to the library so that I could take out an endless amount of books just by giving a nice lady a card.  As I grew up, it was a great, quiet place to get my homework done.  It was a perfect place to meet for group projects with classmates.  It was the only place I could get a long list of books that would ensure me a personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut. 

Libraries are an invaluable resource to both teachers and students, even now in our Internet age.  They are a powerful public resource that shouldn't be taken for granted.  As lifelong learners, we should promote the importance of libraries to our students. 

         Finally, another influence is the work of David McCullough.  He is but one historian but a perfect example of how history is the story of people.  He has written books on a number of U.S. Presidents but has managed to make them into stories of real human beings who were admirable yet had their faults as well.