Oral History Pedagogy in Situations of Conflict: Experiences from Colombia, 1996–2014

Abstract

This chapter describes the experiences of three teachers in Colombia who were faced with the effects of extreme conflict, state violence, and poverty in their rural school settings. The teachers used innovative approaches based on oral history and traditional storytelling to help their students and communities deal with experiences of violence, forced displacement, and discrimination. Asking students to learn from the environment and to document their communities’ histories allowed students to imagine a future beyond guerrilla warfare, army and paramilitary violence, and narco-trafficking. The teachers developed student-centered, experiential learning through storytelling, dance, drama, quilting, and recording oral traditions and traditional knowledge.