Educación patrimonial en canarias. Desarrollo de una propuesta didáctica para el conocimiento y apreciación del patrimonio construido de san cristóbal de la laguna

Abstract

ABSTRACT Education of heritage should be considered an area of study and a heritage management tool. This doctoral thesis aims to show society that valuing and preserving heritage, citizens are creating their own identity as members of a state. Heritage is a dynamic concept because it is the response of society to a place or specific space; thus, heritage cannot be regarded as simple vestiges that time has left. Heritage resources should not be understood as a static and eternal work of art. Considering didactics’ point of reference and its scopes of application, heritage has become a powerful instrument that allows working educational syllabus transversally. It is also relevant to contemplate a discussion about how heritage must be added in society. This work implies a reflection about how necessary is to reinforce this topic in education. It aims to generate synergies between heritage resources and society. This bond’s advantages have been demonstrated since its sensibility and value, in our case architectural heritage, increase when they are taught at every academic level. Only through learning, heritage will be preserved and will acquire its meaning. As a consequence of the introduction of heritage in the academic world, society will ameliorate its present and will comprehend adequately the past and the future. This investigation establishes a model of action to raise awareness and highlight the importance of the architectural heritage of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, city declared World Heritage Site. This model aims to produce an awakening in people’s manner of appreciating the heritage, every citizen should demonstrate interest regarding how it was created, its influence and how it was preserved from its creation to the current days. To achieve this aim, several areas of formal education have been analysed, working transversally their contents. It has become an opportunity to design, develop, establish, and evaluate a tool useful to take advantage of heritage entirely and to show its value. Procedures for transmitting heritage to younger students will be set. The fact of approaching heritage to children in their early ages will assure the survival, respect, and proper identification of heritage resources, emphasizing how they have influenced or have been created because of historical events, creating, therefore, new models of society. Through these mechanisms, their influence and their presence in current society, this thesis has as a goal the elaboration and creation of heritage educational strategies. KEY WORDS Cultural heritage, historic cities, cultural property, collective memory, education, teaching methods, didactics, socialization.