Cal State Long Beach Hosting History Project Institute
Education Desk
June 24, 2009
Some 30 teachers from Los Angeles County and Orange County school districts will attend an institute focusing on the teaching of world history at the sixth-, seventh- and 10th-grade levels June 22-26 in the Karl Anatol Center at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB).
Co-sponsored by the UC Irvine History Project, the institute is part of the California History Social Science Project (CHSSP), a K-16 collaborative dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in history and social science education. Part of the larger network of discipline-specific sites known as the California Subject Matter Projects, the CHSSP sites are housed in departments of history and geography at universities throughout California.
"We´ll be offering (attendees) integrated training with three components," said David Neumann, a lecturer in the CSULB History Department and organizer of the institute. "First, they will listen to presentations by world historians like CSULB´s Ken Curtis and Tim Keirn. But these presentations aim to provide more than content knowledge. Our idea is that history teachers need to have their subject framed by some of the larger concepts and themes that define the field.
"Second, this also is a chance for teachers to explore history-specific pedagogy with the help of teacher leaders," he continued. "The third component is the chance for teachers to work on developing classroom materials with colleagues based on the institute presentations."
Reaching out to K-12 teachers underlines the importance of teaching world history to Neumann. "Teachers today may have backgrounds in social studies or American history, but fewer have much course work in world history," he pointed out. "They may be prepared to discuss the structure of American government but less so to topics such as the history of China or sub-Saharan Africa. Institutes like these can help to remedy that."
The History Project is committed to improving the teaching and learning of history-social science through partnerships between K-12 teachers and university faculty that strengthen disciplinary content knowledge for all students as outlined in the California History-Social Science Content Standards.
"This institute shows that the History Project represents the growing recognition that the key to school reform and to successful student learning is well-prepared teachers," Neumann noted. "Effective teachers need deep content knowledge and the discipline-specific strategies to teach it effectively. The collaboration between K-12 teachers and university faculty reflects the seamlessness of their connection and benefits both groups. While K-12 teachers become more effective in the classroom, university faculty also become more reflective about their discipline by having to articulate key concepts more explicitly."
The CSULB-UC Irvine connection is a synergistic one, Neumann explained. "We have different experiences and so bring different strengths to the subject. Our two systems bring different strategies and ways of thinking to the subject of education. Plus, project staff members just enjoy working together."
Neumann is excited about the opportunities represented by the conference. "This is an opportunity," he said, "for educators at all levels of instruction to be challenged intellectually and to work with colleagues in the development of classroom materials that will go a long way toward improving student instruction."
Rick Manly
Co-sponsored by the UC Irvine History Project, the institute is part of the California History Social Science Project (CHSSP), a K-16 collaborative dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in history and social science education. Part of the larger network of discipline-specific sites known as the California Subject Matter Projects, the CHSSP sites are housed in departments of history and geography at universities throughout California.
"We´ll be offering (attendees) integrated training with three components," said David Neumann, a lecturer in the CSULB History Department and organizer of the institute. "First, they will listen to presentations by world historians like CSULB´s Ken Curtis and Tim Keirn. But these presentations aim to provide more than content knowledge. Our idea is that history teachers need to have their subject framed by some of the larger concepts and themes that define the field.
"Second, this also is a chance for teachers to explore history-specific pedagogy with the help of teacher leaders," he continued. "The third component is the chance for teachers to work on developing classroom materials with colleagues based on the institute presentations."
Reaching out to K-12 teachers underlines the importance of teaching world history to Neumann. "Teachers today may have backgrounds in social studies or American history, but fewer have much course work in world history," he pointed out. "They may be prepared to discuss the structure of American government but less so to topics such as the history of China or sub-Saharan Africa. Institutes like these can help to remedy that."
The History Project is committed to improving the teaching and learning of history-social science through partnerships between K-12 teachers and university faculty that strengthen disciplinary content knowledge for all students as outlined in the California History-Social Science Content Standards.
"This institute shows that the History Project represents the growing recognition that the key to school reform and to successful student learning is well-prepared teachers," Neumann noted. "Effective teachers need deep content knowledge and the discipline-specific strategies to teach it effectively. The collaboration between K-12 teachers and university faculty reflects the seamlessness of their connection and benefits both groups. While K-12 teachers become more effective in the classroom, university faculty also become more reflective about their discipline by having to articulate key concepts more explicitly."
The CSULB-UC Irvine connection is a synergistic one, Neumann explained. "We have different experiences and so bring different strengths to the subject. Our two systems bring different strategies and ways of thinking to the subject of education. Plus, project staff members just enjoy working together."
Neumann is excited about the opportunities represented by the conference. "This is an opportunity," he said, "for educators at all levels of instruction to be challenged intellectually and to work with colleagues in the development of classroom materials that will go a long way toward improving student instruction."
Rick Manly
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