The Third Annual TAH  Symposium

Kelly A.  Woestman

Carol Berkin, Presidential Professor of History at Baruch College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, is the keynote speaker for the 3rd Annual Teaching American History (TAH) Grant Symposium. The Symposium will be held on March 30 and 31, 2008 in New York City and is cosponsored by H-Net's H-TAH and OAH. Berkin, a veteran TAH presenter throughout the country, is a prolific scholar of early American and women's history as well as the author of secondary and college American history textbooks. Her keynote will be, "Things Your Teachers Taught Me: How TAH Grants Educates Professors." For more information about Berkin, visit <http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/wsas/ departments/history/faculty/berkin.html>.

During the last two years, nearly three hundred teachers, historians, project directors, history educators, curriculum specialists, evaluators, and other stakeholders in the Teaching American History Grant program have analyzed the short-term and long-term impacts of the more than $700 million dollars earmarked for history education. This year's symposium will continue the discussion and respond to the lessons learned from previous groups. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 30, and events will continue throughout the day with optional activities on Monday, March 31. Breakfast will be included each day and allow for informal networking opportunities. A new feature this year, a TAH Symposium Exhibit Area will include an overview of the new TAH Clearinghouse Project, a TAH project showcases, and vendor products of interest to TAH grantees.

Following introductions and an overview at 9:00 a.m. Sunday, the first audience-centered discussion, "Voices Outside the Tower: History Expertise from K-12 and Public History Institutions, " will examine the larger impact of TAH grants on the historical profession. Because they often speak to different audiences, public historians working in museums, historical societies, and diverse historic sites around the nation offer unique expertise in expanding traditional views of how history is taught in the nation's classrooms. Furthermore, master teachers involved in TAH projects offer not only subject- and standards-based expertise but often hold the keys that ensure teachers have the opportunity to explore effective implementations of their enhanced knowledge of American history. Will Mallatt of Riverton (KS) High School will discuss his experiences serving as a member of the Teacher Leadership Team of four TAH grants. Also sharing their experiences will be Adrienne Kupper, Director of Education at the New-York Historical Society, and Charles C. Calhoun from the Maine Council for the Humanities.

The first afternoon panel will explore "Lasting Ties that Bind: Forging Sustainable Partnerships. " A continuing issue for everyone involved in TAH grants is extending their impact on history and history education long after funding ends. TAH coeditor Thomas Thurston will chair this session featuring Gary B. Nash of UCLA and the National Center for History in the Schools, Margaret Smith Crocco of Teachers College, Kimberly L. Ibach of the Natrona County (WY) School District and member of the OAH Executive Board, and Steve Mintz of Columbia University and chair of the OAH Committee on Teaching.

"Evaluation Inside and Outside: Documenting and Assessing the Development of Historical Thinking Skills " will be the focus of the third panel chaired by H-TAH coeditor Rachel Ragland. Panelists discussing diverse assessment issues faced by TAH grantees include Alex Stein, TAH team leader at the U.S. Department of Education, Elise Fillpot of Bringing History Home in Iowa, and David Gerwin of Queens College, City University of New York. These experts will share their views of what we can learn about content-specific evaluation through TAH grants that might be applicable beyond these vital history grant programs. They will then turn the discussion over to the audience for further exploration.

At the conclusion of the focused panel discussions, small-group discussion and networking opportunities will be available before the day's conclusion and wrap-up session chaired by H-Net's Executive Director Peter B. Knupfer and H-Net President-Elect Kelly A. Woestman. Before the evening's Dine Around, participants who have signed up for onsite visits to schools and historical sites on Monday morning will have an organizational meeting.

H-TAH is open to anyone interested in Teaching American History grants and is not restricted to project directors. Further TAH Symposium 2008 details, including required advance sign-ups to participate in the Monday activities, will be made available on the discussion list that is available by subscription or by searching its logs at <http://www.h-net.org/~tah>.

Registration for the TAH Symposium is separate from the OAH Annual Meeting and combined registered is offered at a reduced rate. We invite anyone interested in the future of TAH grants and their impact on our profession to join us. For more information on registration, please visit: <http://www.oah.org/meetings/2008/>.