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David McCullough's heroes of history

November 11, 2012 1:09 PM

From Paris to the Brooklyn Bridge, author David McCullough shows how hard work and creativity shaped America's cultural landscape. Morley Safer reports.

David McCullough's heroes of history

60 Minutes OverTimeWashington's daring escape from Brooklyn

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by teacherdoc February 14, 2013 8:28 PM EST
I disagree with David's comment that teachers should not take methods classes. There are many people that are experts in their fields but cannot
teach. I have been in classes where the professor had multiple books on a subject and was so boring and dull in class that I learned very little.
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by bjzeitz November 18, 2012 5:42 PM EST
Emily Robeling, considered to be the civil engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge was not cited by David McCullough in his historic comments. John Robeling died before the construction began and Washington Robeling, suffering from decompression disease, was deaf, partially paralyzed, unable to speak and confined to bed roughly a mile a way from the construction site where Emily oversaw the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. A plaque on the Bridge honors her as such. Please correct this history as documented in Chapter 27 in my book, A Thesaurus of Women From Cherry Blossoms to Cell Phones, where Emily is a hero of history. Thank you. Barbara Joan Zeitz, MA. Thank you.
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by pjpayton23 November 13, 2012 4:10 PM EST
I really enjoyed the two segments you broadcast featuring Mr McCullough. More please.
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by redwells November 13, 2012 11:01 AM EST
I to enjoy American history. What I didn't like, was this piece was called Heroes of History. White people had their heroes of history and achieved Independs from Great Britain. The Blacks had their heroes and slavery was ended. In that entire pace nothing was mention about American Indians Hero's, oh that's right we have none. Well here is some History you can teach your kids. In 1830 President Andrew Jackson past the Indian removal Act, there is a lot more to it but basically made it legal to kill an Indian. Also tell you kids how you wiped out entire Indian tribes that have been here for 1000's of years and are now gone, you tell them that is called genocide.

I am an American Indian and a Veteran my farther and his farther both fought in wars so we can keep this land we call home.

White people have no honor and should be ashamed of your selves.
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by Teecha9891 November 12, 2012 5:50 PM EST
As far as teachers majoring in a particulur area - in RI, that is done for anyone graduating with a middle school or high school degree. Elementary school teachers receive training in all content areas as they teach all content areas.
It is very sad that our students are "illiterate in history." I have worked in education for 20 years. The are many, many great social studies/ History teachers out there. However, the social studies curriculum has been watered down because it is not tested in our world of high stakes testing. Focus in my district is on writing and math. Students are pulled out of social studies in my middle school to receive extra support in reading and writing (makes no sense!). In addition to this, social studies teachers have no flexibility in their curriculum. It is frowned upon to teach current events (ie the recent election).
We all need to take a close look at what is being taught in our schools!
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by wanderfire November 12, 2012 12:06 PM EST
We get this email that advertises the 60 Minutes segments. We see one we like and spot see the CBS invitation to "Watch it now." We click through. . . . and find NO VIDEO TO WATCH AT ALL. We call that an erosion of credibility and a waste of time. Lesson learned. Just don't click through at all.
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by botzaris November 12, 2012 7:49 AM EST
What a very wonderful tribute to Paris and what we all owe it indeed regardless of nationality. As a Swede living in Paris I cannot pass
the Notre Dame cathedral without remembering that its foremost builder and his genial coworkers (illiterates all of them)travelled and by kind permission of the French king to Sweden (Uppsala)at the request of the then Swedish king to build as gorgeous a cathedral there. 850 years ago mind you and do not ask me how they travelled but off they went on their way meeting students off to studies at the Sorbonne.
The cathedral of Uppsala does not much look like Notre Dame as matters turned out. So what.
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by ThomasJ1234 November 11, 2012 10:32 PM EST
That teachers should not major in education but should learn one field very well makes sense to me. Who do I call or write to get it done?
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by MakingKodakFilm November 11, 2012 10:30 PM EST
The history story with David McCullough on Samuel Morse going to France showed Louis Daguerre but then showed an image made by Henry Fox Talbot at Lacock Abbey in England in 1853. The photo used was not appropriate for this topic.
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by Jo56336 November 11, 2012 9:03 PM EST
David McCullough hit it PERFECTLY when he said that teachers should not major in "EDUCATION" rather they should learn ONE field VERY WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, in MOST colleges and universities in the USA this is NOT allowed because of the "GENERAL EDUCATION" rule...My daughter was NOT allowed to take more than a certain number of credits TOWARD HER MAJOR! She could NOT graduate with her class because she had taken more credits than allowed - in her major field. Thus, she had to take 2, irrelevant classes at a community college to fulfill her graduation requirements. We were SHOCKED that she was NOT allowed to LEARN ALL THAT SHE COULD ABOUT HER MAJOR AREA OF STUDY at a SUNY school.
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