HTA State Conference 2015

Last week I attended the History Teachers' Association State Conference at the University of Sydney.

I have never been to one of these conferences before, though I have been to an ETA Conference. Comparing the two seems barely relevant; the HTA Conference had a much higher focus on academia. That's not a bad thing, it's just different. I can quite easily have an appreciation for both approaches!

The highlight was a special appearance from historian-superstar Sir Richard Evans (follow the link to see his website, complete with photograph of Evans in a quintessential historian pose). If it were possible, I would have his babies. His ability to speak history as if it were a language unto itself, whilst simultaneously allowing universal access to difficult historiographical concepts in the informal and clear way that he communicates, makes his lectures into a veritable honey that pours itself the ears and coats the brain.

His keynote speech summed up 50+ years of historiography into the space of about fifty minutes, complete with humour and original insight. I then stuck around to hear him speak about the Weimar Republic period of German history - not because I teach it to Year 12 (I don't, I teach the Russian stuff) but because he's one of the most eminent scholars in the field and it would be sheer unadulterated madness to pass up the opportunity.

I missed out on his Q and A session as it felt wrong to ignore all the other ideas on offer from other scholars and teachers. I kind of wish (hope) that the HTA filmed Sir Richard's lectures and that they will be available somewhere, but the realist in me knows that this probably isn't the case. A shame, as they would be an invaluable resource for teaching HSC Extension History.

Other highlights of the conference include a session on Big History by Jonathan Dallimore, an idea that I only had the most cursory familiarity with, and a keynote address from Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson, who seemed perturbed by the idea that his Magna Carta video may have been inherently and (benefit of the doubt here) unintentionally sexist. That said, it's still worth checking out the aforementioned Magna Carta video as it would be a useful resource for teaching the Year 10 Rights and Freedom unit currently being taught as part of the NSW History Syllabus.

While conferencing I also popped my head into the University of Sydney's Nicholson Museum, so here are two photos I took from this little pocket of historical goodness. A Lego Pompeii and a mummified head...