Project eHIKES: A Kansas TAH Project US Department of Education TAH Project Directors Meeting September 2006

Master of Arts in History: Successes Challenges

Successes

Challenges

Initial Planning Parsons USD #503 – grantee district http://www.vikingnet.net Assistant Superintendent Responsible for curriculum Planning Meeting with Teachers Meeting Dates for 2004-2006 Fall and Spring Colloquia 2-week Summer Institutes

Parsons USD #503 – grantee district

http://www.vikingnet.net

Assistant Superintendent

Responsible for curriculum

Planning Meeting with Teachers

Meeting Dates for 2004-2006

Fall and Spring Colloquia

2-week Summer Institutes

Southeast Kansas Education Service Center-Greenbush Role: Project Leadership Infrastructure Logistics Paperwork

Role:

Project Leadership

Infrastructure

Logistics

Paperwork

No Child Left Behind “Highly Qualified Teachers” Defined by the States Kansas change of definition non-EDU courses “content-related” courses

“Highly Qualified Teachers”

Defined by the States

Kansas change of definition

non-EDU courses

“content-related” courses

PSU Department of History Discussions of degree tracks Thesis 3-seminars and comprehensive exams MA Candidates who had not completed program was an issue

Discussions of degree tracks

Thesis

3-seminars and comprehensive exams

MA Candidates who had not completed program was an issue

Proposed Solution Explore 3 rd option – final project to replace comps 3 seminars still required Initial teacher to finish this track not part of grant

Explore 3 rd option – final project to replace comps

3 seminars still required

Initial teacher to finish this track not part of grant

University Collaboration Department of History College of Arts & Sciences College of Education Office of Continuing & Graduate Studies Challenges of Thinking Outside the Box

Department of History

College of Arts & Sciences

College of Education

Office of Continuing & Graduate Studies

Challenges of Thinking Outside the Box

Rethinking Admission Standards More than half of the teachers had earned a social studies teaching degree at PSU Elementary and middle school teachers more likely to have elementary certification Possibility of only one history course

More than half of the teachers had earned a social studies teaching degree at PSU

Elementary and middle school teachers more likely to have elementary certification

Possibility of only one history course

Admission Standards for Non-Majors Earn As & Bs in first 9 hours Earn A or B in required Historical Research and Historiography Course

Earn As & Bs in first 9 hours

Earn A or B in required Historical Research and Historiography Course

Faculty Roles PSU Faculty Guest Historians

PSU Faculty

Guest Historians

Teacher Leadership Team Role of Teacher Leadership Team Their Backgrounds Leadership Throughout Grant

Role of Teacher Leadership Team

Their Backgrounds

Leadership Throughout Grant

Yearly Themes Introduction to Primary Sources Legal and Constitutional History Social History

Introduction to Primary Sources

Legal and Constitutional History

Social History

February 2004 Introduction to Grant Guest Historian Federalist Papers Contact Hours counted as part of summer hours

Introduction to Grant

Guest Historian

Federalist Papers

Contact Hours

counted as part of summer hours

July 2004 Agricultural History Local History Populism Kansas William Jennings Bryan Documentary Photography Included Hands-on

Agricultural History

Local History

Populism

Kansas

William Jennings Bryan

Documentary Photography

Included Hands-on

July 2004 Introduction to Primary Sources Teacher Blogs Article Review Assignments Lesson Plan Assignments Teacher Presentations

Introduction to Primary Sources

Teacher Blogs

Article Review Assignments

Lesson Plan Assignments

Teacher Presentations

Fall 2004 Online Course Historical Research & Historiography Required research course Taught by graduate director

Historical Research & Historiography

Required research course

Taught by graduate director

Attrition 3 teachers left before end of first fall semester Technology challenging for some Online courses Regular email reading/responding

3 teachers left before end of first fall semester

Technology challenging for some

Online courses

Regular email reading/responding

Changes in Professional Development Expectations Transition from sit-and-get professional development to teacher active involvement throughout.

Transition from sit-and-get professional development to teacher active involvement throughout.

November 2004 In-person hands-on archival research National Archives and Records Administration Central Plains Region-Kansas City (session tomorrow) Major success given the challenge of any of our MA candidates conducting primary research.

In-person hands-on archival research

National Archives and Records Administration Central Plains Region-Kansas City (session tomorrow)

Major success given the challenge of any of our MA candidates conducting primary research.

Professional Meetings – 2004/2005 Memberships in OAH, NCSS, NCHE NCSS – Baltimore 3 teachers OAH – San Jose 3 teachers

Memberships in OAH, NCSS, NCHE

NCSS – Baltimore

3 teachers

OAH – San Jose

3 teachers

Treating Teachers as Fellow Professionals Professional Memberships Professional Meetings & Conferences

Treating Teachers as Fellow Professionals

Professional Memberships

Professional Meetings & Conferences

Spring 2005 Online Course Historical Cognition Laid foundation for future offerings Inclusion in pre-service methods class Wineburg, Historical Thinking And Other Unnatural Acts Teacher Inclusion of Historical Cognition Units and/or incorporated throughout teaching and learning

Historical Cognition

Laid foundation for future offerings

Inclusion in pre-service methods class

Wineburg, Historical Thinking And Other Unnatural Acts

Teacher Inclusion of Historical Cognition Units and/or incorporated throughout teaching and learning

February 2005 Introduction to Legal & Constitutional History Also began work on summer individual research topics at National Archives with archivists Voted on summer presentation topics

Introduction to Legal & Constitutional History

Also began work on summer individual research topics at National Archives with archivists

Voted on summer presentation topics

July 2005 Legal & Constitutional History Supreme Court Cases John Brown Kansas

Legal & Constitutional History

Supreme Court Cases

John Brown

Kansas

July 2005 African-American History Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes Birth of a Nation Discussion of movies as teaching tools

African-American History

Harlem Renaissance

Langston Hughes

Birth of a Nation

Discussion of movies as teaching tools

July 2005 Research sessions at NARA-KC Tours Liberty Memorial Nation’s only museum dedicated to WWI 18 th & Vine District – KC MO Jazz Museum Negro Leagues Baseball Museum NARA Connection

Research sessions at NARA-KC

Tours

Liberty Memorial

Nation’s only museum dedicated to WWI

18 th & Vine District – KC MO

Jazz Museum

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

NARA Connection

Summer 2005 Assignments Article Reviews Continued to use J-STOR Online journal databases Lesson Plans Teacher Presentations Teacher Blogs

Article Reviews

Continued to use J-STOR

Online journal databases

Lesson Plans

Teacher Presentations

Teacher Blogs

Fall 2005 Online Course Kansas History Seminar class Most teachers not required to take course to earn state licensure but most beginning teachers required to teach it.

Kansas History

Seminar class

Most teachers not required to take course to earn state licensure but most beginning teachers required to teach it.

November 2005 Oral History Oral History as a Primary Source

Oral History

Oral History as a Primary Source

Professional Meetings – 2005/2006 NCSS – Kansas City More than half attended 3 presented their work with primary sources OAH – Washington, DC 3 attended 2 returnees, 1 new

NCSS – Kansas City

More than half attended

3 presented their work with primary sources

OAH – Washington, DC

3 attended

2 returnees, 1 new

Spring 2006 Online Course 20 th Century America Built on Historical Cognition Class

20 th Century America

Built on Historical Cognition Class

February 2006 Film as History OAH Distinguished Lectureship Bureau

Film as History

OAH Distinguished Lectureship Bureau

July 2006 West Women Little House on the Prairie 9/11 Middle East 60s Music Hands-On

West

Women

Little House on the Prairie

9/11

Middle East

60s Music

Hands-On

Project Orientation of Year 3 3D Exhibits PowerPoints Teacher Blogs

3D Exhibits

PowerPoints

Teacher Blogs

Conclusions Laid foundation for more teacher-friendly MA in History Intense Involvement with teachers – multi-faceted/multi-directional learning Better relationships with student teacher placements

Laid foundation for more teacher-friendly MA in History

Intense Involvement with teachers – multi-faceted/multi-directional learning

Better relationships with student teacher placements

Benefits for Teachers All considered “Highly Qualified Teachers” by the State of Kansas MA is biggest move on pay scale Integrate primary sources throughout their teaching Excited & engaged about American history

All considered “Highly Qualified Teachers” by the State of Kansas

MA is biggest move on pay scale

Integrate primary sources throughout their teaching

Excited & engaged about American history

Importance of Individuality Traditional MA programs usually don’t fit all teachers Academic rigor does not have to be sacrificed for program flexibility Time (Particularly teacher time) Outside the semester paradigm

Traditional MA programs usually don’t fit all teachers

Academic rigor does not have to be sacrificed for program flexibility

Time (Particularly teacher time)

Outside the semester paradigm

Our Most Important Success