• School Seal

     
     
    Ms. Nicola Minchillo
    World History 10
    AT Western Civilization
     
    Contact Information for Parents:
     
    Quick Reference for Students:
    nminchillo@scarsdaleschools.org
    classroom 303
    office 394 (3rd Floor Bridge)
      
     
    PLEASE NOTE:
    This page is to provide an introduction and contact information.
    All class handouts and assignments will be posted on Google Classroom.
    All essay assignments and papers will be submitted via Turnitin.com or Google Classroom.
     
     Welcome to History HQ!
     
    HQBanner  
     
    "In the mountains of truth you will never climb in vain:
    either you will get up higher today or
    you will exercise your strength so as to be able to
    get up higher tomorrow."
    -Friedrich Nietzche, in Human, All to Human
     

    Welcome, young grasshoppers!
    Hola a los nuevos estudiantes!
    Bienvenue, jeunes étudiants!

     
         Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, the pace of social, cultural and economic change, as well as the spread of knowledge, has rapidly increased. Global population and the number of sovereign nation states have increased, and transportation and communication technologies have made the world increasingly more interconnected. In the most recent decades, new archaeological, anthropological, and scientific discoveries have continued to shape and shift our understanding of civilizations, societies and cultures of the past and present, and influence our future paths. As global citizens in the digital age, access to this knowledge, as well as all the theories and opinions about it, is immediately at our fingertips. This information helps to shape individual, national, and regional identities, and can help us better understand and connect with each other. 
     
         And yet history is not just about the past. Events of the present can and do rapidly change course, and when they do, knowledge of the past is critical to understanding the current state of the world and how peoples and national governments act as they seek to direct their futures. Even the questions we ask of ourselves and of history seem to be adjusting and changing as we work our way through the overwhelming story of the human experience in a complex, global, competitive world.

             Having said this, I invite you to shed the antiquated view that history is about memorizing facts. Being receptacles of knowledge is neither realistic nor pragmatic, especially since the digital age has transformed our relationship with information. What is most important is how we use that technology to find, receive and even create information not only shapes and defines who we are, but also shapes and defines our collective future. So, I would like to ask you to approach our journey together as more of an exploration and training process, than of a series of fact acquisitions for assessments and grades. 

         Yes, your grade is important and is a reflection of your individual hard work and talent. However, finding your personal footing in this complex world and strengthening your critical thinking skills are what will carry you through life. History and philosophy, innately are subjects that focus on developing both of these. Through independent and collaborative research and abstract problem solving, discussion and analysis of multiple perspectives, reflection on ideas and experiences, and encounters with different cultures and human beings, wisdom is acquired. 

         I say all this to emphasis my philosophy as a teacher. I believe that we have a responsibility to those who came before us to become knowledgeable about the past and evaluate both the inspiring strides and painful missteps of the human race. I also believe that both older and younger generations have a responsibility to work together to harness our collective wisdom, knowledge, creativity and skills to ensure a just, cooperative, and peaceful future for all. I see this as my responsibility as a teacher and as a citizen--a citizen on the local, national and global level. For me, history and philosophy reflects the record of the human experience, and when understood and critically evaluated they are the best tools to help us choose how to improve upon the legacy that we have inherited from generations past. Be it the sacrifice of service, the valor of an open mind, the responsibility of ethical scientific progress, or the humility of empathy and compassion, we all contribute to the progress of the human race.

        I welcome you to my classroom and look forward to an exciting and fruitful year! чеж

     

    Auguri,

    Ms. Minchillo