31 Oct 2002
Almost One Million Dollars Awarded To Help Teachers Bring History Alive For Students
DALLAS—The Dallas Independent School District has been awarded almost one million dollars in federal funds to better train teachers with the skills and information needed to make U.S. history classes more invigorating for students in grades five, eight and 11, the district and Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson announced Thursday.
The $996,893 Teaching American History Grant from the Department of Education makes DISD one of 114 winners out of 469 applicants from throughout the nation. The funds were awarded to help schools improve the quality of instruction and provide professional development for history teachers.
"As a former history teacher, I know the importance of being able to walk into a classroom with adequate training and resources so that you can bring relevance to historical events to help students connect their past to their present and to their future," said DISD Superintendent Mike Moses, who accepted the grant from Congresswoman Johnson.
Moses said the grant will provide the district the opportunity to put in place a comprehensive professional development initiative for all of its American history teachers. The History as Inquiry project is a three-year initiative designed to improve teaching strategies for about 450 American history teachers.
A component of the initiative requires the district to partner with the University of Texas at Dallas. During the summer, teachers will be able to attend four-day seminars designed by the university. The summer institute will be offered for three years, focusing on one major historical event each year. The seminar topics include the American Revolution, the Civil Rights Movement and the Cold War.
"The seminars will ensure that teachers have more in-depth content and knowledge about their subject so they can present lessons that excite students and help the young learners think historically," said Larry Harmon, executive director—Social Studies Department.
Another component of the initiative involves using an American history supplement designed by the Teacher Curriculum Institute. With the American Alive curriculum, teachers will learn innovative methods to teaching. The curriculum allows students to reenact in the classroom major historical events. For example, in one activity, students receive the same information that President John F. Kennedy had during the Cuban Missile Crises. They will have the same slides, aerial photos and military advice to reenact this historic event.
"This curriculum engages students in a higher level of decision making and thinking," Harmon said. "Students will learn perspective and point of view. They also will learn how to make decisions based on previous historical events."
A third component of the initiative utilizes the Internet by providing online training modules and lessons for teaching and learning American history. All American history teachers will receive training and services through Learners Online modules, instructional guides and student web-based lessons.
Over the next three years, DISD American history teachers will receive up to 21 hours of staff development and training. The History as Inquiry initiative is aligned with one of the district's goals of nurturing and training all employees.