Recording our history

Earlier tonight, I was listening to the Moving at the Speed of Creativity a podcast run by Wesley Fryer. (http://www.wesfryer.com). This particular podcast was an interview with a Library of Congress employee at FETC. The interview was great and it gives me a desire to look at the web site more closely. Having said all that, I don’t want to write about LOC. Not yet anyway.

One of the items spoke of was American Memories. From what I understand, this is audio recording of Americans in history or discussing a historical event. Again, I need to review the web site. This reminded me of a story on NPR where children were recording interviews with their Grandparents about their lives. This is where I want to start…

I had an opportunity to interview my Grandfather when I was an eighth grade student. At the time, my class was engaged in decade reports. My group had the 40’s. My Grandpa had served in the Marine Corps during WWII. More specifically the invasion of Iwo Jima. The discussion was fascinating and quite freighting to listen to. I am however, grateful I had that opportunity to talk with him. (He lived in Illinois, I lived in Arizona, and opportunities to talk didn’t happen often.)

Today I look at my aging parents and recall the stories of their childhoods (Even the stories were my father walked to school in the snow uphill. Both Ways ) and I would like my children to have those memories if their Grandparents. Given the current technology, it would be terrible not to record a conversation between my daughters and their Grandparents. What a great way to capture living history. (I see a recording session in the Wheeler family future.)

Being an educator, I have to imagine what a library of community history would sound like. Consider all the children that attend our schools. All the history their parents and grandparents possess. What a great way to teach our children that history is a part of us and it is all around us.