 |
 |
LAST WEEK TO APPLY! CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: CONGRESS IN THE CLASSROOM 2012 * Deadline: April 15, 2012 * Congress in the Classroom is a national, award-winning education program now in its 21st year. Developed and sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional Center, the workshop is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information on teaching about Congress. Congress in the Classroom is designed for high school or middle school teachers who teach U.S. history, government, civics, political science, or social studies. Forty teachers will be selected to take part in the program. All online applications must be received by no later than April 15, 2012. We will notify individuals of our decisions by April 30, 2012. Although the workshop will feature a variety of sessions related to Congress, the 2012 program will also include presentations about the 2012 presidential election and the workshop blends two kinds of sessions. Some emphasize ideas and resources that teachers can use almost immediately in their classrooms- sessions about primary sources and Best Practices are good examples. Other sessions deal with more abstract topics. Think of them as resembling graduate-level courses, stronger on content than on classroom applications. If you are looking for a program that features one or the other exclusively, Congress in the ClassroomŪ is probably not right for you. Throughout the program, you will work with subject matter experts as well as colleagues from across the nation. This combination of firsthand knowledge and peer-to-peer interaction will give you new ideas, materials, and a professionally enriching experience. "Until now so much of what I did in my class on Congress was straight theory-this is what the Constitution says, "noted one of our teachers." Now I can use these activities and illustrations to help get my students involved in the class and at the very least their community but hopefully in the federal government. This workshop has given me a way to help them see how relevant my class is and what they can do to help make changes in society." The 2011 workshop will begin Monday afternoon, July 23, and end at noon on Thursday, July 26. All sessions will take place at the headquarters hotel, Embassy Suites, East Peoria, Illinois. The program is certified by the Illinois State Board of Education for up to 22 Continuing Education Units. The program also is endorsed by the National Council for the Social Studies. Participants are responsible for (1) a non-refundable $125 registration fee (required to confirm acceptance after notice of selection) and (2) transportation to and from Peoria, Illinois. Many school districts will pay all or a portion of these costs. The Center pays for three nights lodging at the headquarters hotel (providing a single room for each participant), workshop materials, local transportation, all but three meals, and presenter honoraria and expenses. The Center spends between $35,000 and $40,000 to host the program each year. What follows are the sessions planned for the 2012 edition of Congress in the Classroom. Please re-visit the site for changes as the program develops. Session Titles, 2012: In addition to the sessions below, additional sessions will be listed as speakers are confirmed. * "New Approaches to Teaching about Congress" Paul C. Milazzo, Department of History, Ohio University * "Six Promising Approaches to Civic Education" Shawn P. Healy, Chair, Illinois Civic Mission Coalition and Resident Scholar and Director of Professional Development, McCormick Foundation Civics Program * "Why Do People Vote the Way They Do?" Andrew Civettini, Department of Political Science, Knox College * "Using Fantasy Congress to Engage Your Students" Jennifer Hora, Department of Political Science, Valparaiso University * "Congress at Work: Going to the Source Documents" Christine Blackerby, Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration * "Finding Humor in Congress" Frank Mackaman, The Dirksen Congressional Center * "A View of Congress from the White House: What the Presidential Tapes Reveal" KC Johnson, Department of History, Brooklyn College * "What Accounts for a Successful Presidential Administration?" Frank Mackaman, The Dirksen Congressional Center * "A Journalist's Take on Congress" David Lightman, Congressional Correspondent, McClatchy News Service * "Teaching with Primary Sources" Cindy Rich, Project Director, Teaching with Primary Sources, Eastern Illinois University * "Campaigning for Congress 2012" Peter Wielhouwer, Department of Political Science, Western Michigan University * "The Youth Leadership Initiative and E-Congress" Meg Heubeck, Director of Instruction, YLI * "I Know Who Will Win the Presidential Election in 2012!" Frank Mackaman, The Dirksen Congressional Center * "Listen Up Legislators: How to Get Your Point Across" Stephanie Vance, the Advocacy Guru, Washington DC Take a look at The Dirksen Center Web site -- http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm -- to see what participants say about the program. * REGISTRATION * If you are interested in learning more about the sessions and registering for the Congress in the Classroom 2012 workshop, you can complete an online registration form found at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/programs_CiCapplication.htm Cindy Koeppel The Dirksen Congressional Center 2815 Broadway Pekin, IL 61554 309.347.7113 309.347.6432 Fax Email: [log in to unmask] Web site: http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DirksenCenter Twitter: http://twitter.com/dirksencenter