Postcards Collecting, A Hobby for Social Studies Teacher
by:Dr. Rodrigo P. de Vera Jr.
Postcrossing Ambassador Filipino History Teacher  and Collector of Postcards, Stamps, Banknotes/Coins, Phone Cards, Fossils, Etc.
Have you been abroad? Have you traveled around the world? If not, would you like to have a one-stop world tour for free? Today, you can travel around the world anytime and anywhere you want to be. You don't need to have a passport and a visa or to be on board an airplane, ship or a train just to travel from one country to the other, from one continent to another, or even travel back in the past without using a time machine.

You can visit the majestic and breathtaking sights of a 2,000 year-old Banaue Rice Terraces in the Philippines, the Taj Majal in India, the Grand Canyon of Arizona in the U.S.A., the Ayers Rock in Australia, the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, the Roman Forum in Italy, and many other beautiful places in the world in just a few minutes.

How is this possible? Definitely, you can be anywhere in the world in seven continents by means of postcards collecting.

Postcards offer a wide range of topics featuring different lands, people, flora and fauna, and the different cultures of the world-from the tiny atolls in the Pacific Ocean, to the Himalayan Region, to the rain forests of South America to the scorching wilderness of the Sahara Desert, or even beyond our Solar System.

What makes postcard collecting relevant to Social Studies teachers? Here are some of the values that we can get from deltiology, the technical term for postcard collecting: 

The Benefits of Collecting Postcards
1. It is educational. Postcards present the various cultures of the different countries in the world. Your knowledge in geography and history is enhanced. Postcard collecting is a "field trip" or "world tour" itself.

2. It has therapeutic effect. Looking at the panoramic views on postcards such as beautiful beaches, virgin forests, trees, swamps, rivers, waterfalls, our world's exotic marine bio-diversity and wildlife in their natural habitat will certainly provide the viewer a great sigh of relief from stress. This makes us even closer to nature.

3. It promotes friendship. This hobby provides an avenue of acquaintance among collectors. Sharing a common interest is the beginning of a new friendship between local and foreign collectors regardless of their religious and cultural backgrounds.

4. It enhances one's communication skills. People who look at your collection will not just be contented of just looking at your collections. They usually ask you many questions about your collections. 

5. It keeps you away from vices. Spend your vacant time productively with your hobby or hobbies. In this way, you keep yourself busy and away from detrimental habits such as drug using. Remember: an idle mind is the best workplace of the devil.

6. It is ideal for teaching materials. Teachers, like myself, can utilize postcards as their visual aids in almost all subjects. They could have their postcards framed for their classroom decorations.

7. It is a form of investment. The joy of postcard collecting brings to the collector is priceless. Keeping one's collection is a form of investment. 

Postcards serve as teaching materials in History Subjects:

1. It enhances your knowledge on geography. You can search the country of origin where the card came from. Postcards do feature world maps, country map, and all types of maps.

2. It provides visual effects. Your lessons can be enhanced through the presentation of cards featuring different themes, like UNESCO sites, historical sites, etc.

3. It features the rich historical, cultural and religious practices, Postcards do feature the different practices of  indigenous practices, cultural and religious practices from the different parts of the world..

So, come and join the fascinating world of postcards collecting through POSTCROSSING!

You can write me in this address:

DR. RODRIGO P. DE VERA JR.
#380 ROSARIO, POZORRUBIO, PANGASINAN
PHILIPPINES 2435