Humanities Texas Summer PD Offerings
FREE HUMANITIES TEXAS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBINARS (SUMMER 2021)
Beginning in June, Humanities Texas will hold FREE online professional development programs for social studies and ELA teachers in Texas schools.
The programs will take place online via Zoom. Participants will receive CPE credit and a wealth of curricular materials.
Teachers can register to attend on the Humanities Texas website.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Teaching with Documents from the National Archives
June 28–July 2, 2021 and July 19–23, 2021 • 9:00–11:30 am CT
Humanities Texas will partner with the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives and Records Administration to hold two online professional development institutes for Texas teachers that immerse participants in using primary source-based educational resources designed to engage students in active, hands-on learning about important topics in civics and history. Unlike our other online institutes, attendance will be capped for each of these programs due to the interactive nature of the sessions. Teachers selected to attend will be notified in advanced and required to confirm their participation. Teachers will be expected to attend each webinar in the week-long institute.
American Society During the Early American Republic
July 5–July 9, 2021 • 10:00 am–12:00 pm CT
This online institute will address critical topics in the eighth-grade social studies curriculum, exploring diverse perspectives on American life during the years immediately following the American Revolution.
July 12–July 16, 2021 • 10:00 am–12:00 pm CT
This online institute will offer teachers new windows into the Texas Revolution and a collection of curriculum materials geared toward bringing innovative perspectives into the classroom. Team-taught by a historian and two master teachers, the institute will focus on tying the "Big Picture" of the Texas Revolution to the unique experiences of Tejanos, women, and African Americans. Teachers attending this institute will walk away with both new insights into the era and curated primary source lessons that are classroom-ready.
Civic Online Reasoning: Sorting Fact from Fiction on the Internet
July 29–July 30, 2021 • 1:00–3:00 pm CT
Humanities Texas will partner with the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) to hold a two-part teacher professional development webinar for Texas teachers on using SHEG's Civic Online Reasoning curriculum. The curriculum, based on research conducted with professional fact checkers and tested in classrooms across the country, teaches students to effectively evaluate online content. During this interactive workshop, participants will consider the research behind the curriculum, review curricular materials, and discuss how these resources can be integrated into their own classrooms.
2021 Candy Brown Holocaust and Human Rights Educator Conference - July 26-30, 2021
On July 26-30, 2021, the Museum will hold its annual Candy Brown Holocaust and Human Rights Educator Conference. This Conference is a full immersive program geared toward not only social studies but ELAR teachers and librarians. This year’s Conference themes will be Sports, Race, and Human Rights – The Nazi Olympics to Tokyo 2021 (July 26-28, 2021) and Antisemitism and Hate Speech – From the Holocaust to Today (July 28-30, 2021). The Conference will be virtual with in-person at the Museum options.
The Conference includes:
- Break out sessions with leading educational and human rights organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, Echoes and Reflections, USC Shoah Foundation, Special Olympics Texas, International Rescue Committee, and Genocide Watch.
- Survivor Speakers Keynote Panel with Texas of the Year and Holocaust Survivor Max Glauben, Cambodia Genocide Survivor Thear Suzuki, and Rwanda Genocide Against the Tutsis Survivor Yvonne Umugwaneza
- Keynote speakers on the Conference’s themes, including best-selling author Andrew Maraniss, Centre for Sports and Human Rights, and Dr. Robert Williams from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
- Access to exclusive digital resource drive
- CPE credit
- Continental breakfast
Registration deadline: July 12, 2021
Registration link: https://dhhrm.formstack.com/forms/2021_hhrec
Registration fee: $25.00
See the attached flyer and tentative schedule for more information, or go to: https://www.dhhrm.org/educators/educator-professional-development/
New Item Types on STAAR Assessment
One of the components of HB 3906 requires that by the 2022–23 school year no more than 75% of any STAAR test be presented in a multiple-choice format. To meet this requirement, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has engaged the Educator Advisory Committee, established by HB 3906, to provide the agency with guidance from experts in curriculum and instruction, higher education, and school leadership, as well as from individuals with experience supporting special populations. In addition, the agency also has been working with teachers to identify potential new item types by subject for use on STAAR tests. Sample new item types have been posted. All educators are encouraged to review the proposed new item types and provide their feedback using this survey link. Feedback may include, but is not limited to, suggestions on how to make the directions for an item type clearer, at which grade levels each item type would be appropriate, any concerns or difficulty interacting with an item type, or other comments.
Educator input and feedback is an important component in developing an effective summative assessment that serves all Texas students equitably. TEA continues to seek interested teachers, instructional coaches, campus and district content specialists, and campus administrators to serve on a variety of assessment-related committees and participate in focus groups. To apply for participation in these committees, educators should complete the Educator Committee Application Form.
KELLY BELLAR - Region 10 K-12 Social Studies Consultant - Teaching & Learning
Email: kelly.bellar@region10.org
Website: https://www.region10.org/programs/social-studies/service-offerings/
Location: Richardson, TX, USA
Phone: 972-348-1432
Twitter: @Region10SS
