Foothills American History Institute @ Hudson Falls 2009-2010

 An Interactive Workshop for History Teachers based on Authentic Professional Development                                                In collaboration with WSWHE BOCES and the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center

Title: How the Conservatives Took Over (And Understanding Why They Seem to be Fighting for Their Lives):          Historical Perspective of the Rise of the New Right (1964-Present Influences)

Location: Hudson Falls High School, Hudson Falls, NY

Date: 12/18/09, Friday

Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

How can our students understand current politics without knowing the difference between Conservative and Liberal beliefs?  Join this gathering of History teachers from regional schools to share and create interactive lessons that will have immediate applicability.  This is the goal of the first annual Foothills American History Institute @ Hudson Falls.  During this authentic professional development, teachers will have the opportunity to learn about a topic that is driving the politics of today, and the last 40 years, from a leading political scholar. 

Educated at Harvard and Columbia Universities, Professor Michael Flamm teaches modern U.S. History at Ohio Wesleyan University. He is author of Law and Order: Street Crime, Civil Unrest, and the Crisis of Liberalism in the 1960s (2005) and coauthor of Debating the 1960s (2007), Debating the Reagan Presidency, and the Chicago Handbook of Teaching (1999). In 2006, he was named a Fulbright Senior Specialist and is currently also a Gilder Lehrman Institute Faculty-Instructor.  As a former history teacher at Scarsdale High School, Professor Flamm brings knowledge of the New York State curriculum and Regents requirements to the table.

Professor Flamm has planned an interactive forum that will encourage teacher participation as they gain an understanding of how Conservatives and Liberals have battled politically and culturally (think, Fox News v. MSNBC), while providing materials for classroom use.  After participating in the lectures, to emphasize the power of direct modeling by classroom teachers as the key to high-impact professional learning, teachers will work in groups with their peers to create lessons based on brain-based, differentiated instruction.   Group presentations will serve as the culminating activity for this important professional development opportunity.  Teachers will leave with a portfolio of ready-to-use materials, including Power Point presentations, video clips, bell ringers, brainstorms, worksheets, vocabulary charts, classification matrices, etc.  As part of the conference expectation is an assignment to complete a self-directed post-session implementation of the knowledge and materials developed during the workshop.  All guidelines for participation and the follow-through implementation will be provided. 

Registration Options:

1.     Workshop Only: $90 (Includes buffet lunch, lectures, lesson creation, and ready-to-use materials.)                   $180 for districts that are not members of the Professional Development Coser 6211 – 7 PD Hours

2.     Workshop + Post-Workshop Implementation: $45 (Includes full-workshop, support during implementation, 2 books by author with primary sources upon completion of implementation, access to all lessons and the post-workshop implemented-lessons online depository, workshop and implementation process organized to qualify for use in National Board Certification Entry 4. )    $90 for districts that are not members of the Professional Development Coser 6211 - 7 PD Hours + 15 In-Service hours/1 In-Service Credit  [Underwritten by the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center]

            Requirements for Post-Workshop Implementation:

1.     Create lesson from materials and information developed at workshop.

2.     Submit lesson to Workshop Support-Coordinator for support prior to teaching.

3.     Organize peer-observation of lesson being taught.

4.     Submit Pre-observation form to Support-Coordinator.

5.     Conduct lesson (observed by peer).

6.     Conduct lesson reflection and redesign working with peer-observer.

7.     Submit forms on reflection and redesign to Support-Coordinator.

That’s right, no more one-day professional development that stays on the shelf and never gets used.  Every aspect of the workshop experience is designed according to scientifically researched-based instruction.  This is the type of professional development teachers wish they always had time for, with compensation. 

Registration Packet - Foothills American History Institute 2009_2010 (doc file - 3,088kb)
This is the complete registration packet including description, agenda, speaker bio, and registration form.

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