Introduction

First, an apology: The name NEH Workshop Info. is a misnomer. This name was selected because our first emphasis was to make this web log a site for information regarding NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) workshops, and of course that emphasis remains.

However, it is also important that anyone who has an interest in education at any level (teachers and support staff and parents) feel free to view the material in this log, and also contribute ideas for the benefit of anybody else who checks it out.

Also, please excuse the possible confusion of the dates that are indicated for each posting. You may see a date way into the future, because that is the only way I know to keep the postings in a specific order.

Please scroll through this web log to get a feel for what it is all about. Also, check back on occasion because I will be changing it as often as I can.

This just in! - The amount of the stipend for attendance at National Endowment for the Humanities Landmarks of American History and Culture workshops has been increased to $1200 for the summer of 2010. That may or may not be an inducement to get you to apply for one, but it may remove a financial barrier to travelling and being away from home for a week this summer. It has possibly been changed because the sponsoring organizations that put on the workshops with NEH assistance are tired of the hassle of figuring out travel and lodging expenses. This means that a person living 15 minutes away from a workshop will get the same amount of cash as someone who lives 1,500 miles away. That may seem unfair, but it's still a great experience and, when you consider a significant amount of your expenses are really taken care of in the stipend, it might be the educational event of a lifetime.

Why Us

We compared notes and discovered that the three of us have had the opportunity to attend a lot of the NEH workshops. In fact, I have been so fortunate that my wife Linda and I have been selected to attend nine of these thus far, and Dwayne and Mack have attended at least ten between the two of them. We thought that it's got to start somewhere, and it might as well be us.

If you know of someone else who is writing a web log on essentially the same topic, please let us know, and maybe we can collaborate.

Applying to Attend a Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop

http://neh.gov/projects/landmarks-school.html is the web site which contains information about the workshops to be offered, and the procedures to follow to apply to the workshop(s) of your choice. This is the url of the offerings for this summer, 2010. The NEH selects the workshops to support every year.

New this year: The application deadline is March 2, 2010 (postmark), two weeks earlier than in previous years.

Please don't assume that you (or a friend or colleague) will not qualify because of status as a substitute teacher; I have been a substitute teacher for eight years, and have been selected to attend nine of these workshops since the summer of 2004.

A serious benefit for any teacher attending an NEH workshop (over and above the obvious knowledge and experience gained) is the additional entry that can then be placed on your résumé when you apply for another position.

Why We are Doing This

When we (Dwayne and Mac and I) all arrived at the NEH Workshop at Travellers Rest near Nashville on June 21, we got to talking about the value of this experience and that it would be good to keep up some communication regarding this event. We also heard that someone who had attended the NEH Workshop at Mt. Vernon shortly before this one, said that some attendees at that experience also were talking about the same. So, we are looking for input from anyone (and everyone) who has attended a workshop put on by NEH or any other organization, or would like to.

Opportunity for "Early Career" Teachers of Social Studies

Click on http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/news/ for information regarding a new program, not part of the National Endowment for the Humanities, but rather presented by the Bill of Rights Institute, which has held great workshops at Mt. Vernon, Virginia, and will presumably do so again in the next few years.

Not only does this provide an opportunity for new teachers of social studies to attend a world-class event, but will also provide additional interest in your applications for new positions. The Founders Fellowship Program was made possible by a generous grant from Drs. Jack and Pina Templeton. If memory serves me correctly, Dr. John Templeton and his family were responsible for providing our workshop group with an incredible reception on the back portico at Mt. Vernon in 2008. If you do attend this event, or if you have attended a Mt. Vernon workshop under the auspices of the Bill of Rights Institute and the National Endowment for the Humanities, you might want to drop a line to the Templeton family and thank them for their generosity.

All application materials must be submitted by 5:00 PM EST on March 24, 2010.

Abraham Lincoln and the Forging of Modern America

I am pleased to pass on this announcement of an opportunity for K-12 teachers, administrators and librarians:

Click on http://www.siue.edu/education/neh for the description and application process for this National Endowment for the Humanities Workshop for School teachers Summer 2010.

The workshops will be held June 21-25 or July12-16, 2010, for one week.

Hard to get into!

Regarding the Bill of Rights - Did you Know -

that "Only 17 amendments have been ratified since the adoption of the Bill of Rights?"

Click on

http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/teach/freeResources/EducationalResources/?action=showCat&catId=15

to learn more about great teaching resources from the Bill of Rights Institute, the organization that sponsored, along with the National Endowment for the Humanities, the NEH workshops at Mt. Vernon, Virginia.

2004 - The NEH Workshop at The Hermitage - Update

We were really pleased to learn that Jan Leone and Marcia Mullin will be putting on this workshop again this summer (2010). It was such a great experience that we would sign up to attend the workshop again, six years later. It was that great!

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Review of 2004 Workshop:

Although the Hermitage Workshop took its toll on us in terms of terribly hot and humid weather and a lot of follow-up work, it was a great educational experience. We were always provided with plenty of cold water whenever we were outside, and the classes were held in beautiful surroundings at the Hermitage and at Middle Tennessee State University. One aspect of the experience that could be viewed as positive or negative, depending on a person's point of view, was the trip every day to and from the Hermitage; a 50 minute-ride every day to and from the Hermitage was nice in that it allowed us to get to know our fellow participants a little better, but it is something to take into account. If this presents a problem for you, you may want to check with MTSU if they schedule another Hermitage workshop, and find out if that is still the case; I heard through the rumor mill that they made rooms in a local motel (that is, local to The Hermitage) available the last time they held this workshop.

As I already stated, everything else was great. We even got to do some excavating in the area where the slave quarters were located! All of the people who put on the workshop, including Rebecca Conard, Jan Leone and Marcia Mullin, and the master teachers (Chad McGee and Tony Brown) put themselves out all the time to make us feel welcome. Chad even asked all of us at the Sunday evening welcome dinner if any of us wanted to go to a movie that evening, and he also escorted a group of people to Grand Old Opry one evening! Not my thing, but it was representative of how we were treated the whole week. One of the highlights of the week was the opportunity we had to tour behind the scenes in the Hermitage. Not to be missed!

You might also visit http://www.thehermitage.com/; it contains a great deal of information about Andrew Jackson and his times. Even though he was a contrary cuss, you might find some information of use to you as a teacher. You may want to spend some time viewing the entire site for its historical significance.

Using a Web Log for Communications with Your Students and Their Parents

There are many ways to communicate with your students and their parents, and most of them are probably a lot more sophisticated and high-tech than a web log such as the one I use; click on the link www.team81ah.blogspot.com to view it.

However, it is pretty effective, and does put more responsibility on the students to be aware of what is going on. Also, I like avoiding the use of facebook or twitter, since students seem to use both too much.

There are several other concerns regarding such use:

1. Not all students have access to the internet from home, and, even if they do, their parents may have objections to their children accessing the internet.
2. While your students may be able to access your web log from school, in computer labs or media centers, you have to make sure that your school system's technology department allows students to access your web log; many schools choose to limit student access to sites such as www.blogger.com, which hosts my web log.

http://www.mtsu.edu/lahmtsu/photos.shtml

Under Construction.

Become a Teacher-Ranger-Teacher in Maine!

Our good friend Sheila Kirschbaum, director of the NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture workshop Inventing America: Lowell and the Industrial Revolution at Lowell, Massachusetts, has let all of us former attendees know of possible employment opportunities for outdoor types as Teacher-Ranger-Teachers; click on http://www.nps.gov/acad/forteachers/teacher-ranger-teacher.htm for specific information.

2010 - A New Summer Institute at Salem State

We were pleased to hear that Patricia Johnston of Salem State College is offering a summer, 2010 Institute; click on http://archive.salemstate.edu/picturing_america/index.html for more information.

If the experience we had in 2005 is any indication, this event will undoubtedly have a major impact on the teaching capability of anyone fortunate enough to be selected to attend. The length of the Institute is four weeks, making it difficult for many educators to schedule into their increasingly-hectic summers.

There is a stipend of $3,300 per attendee.

A Repeat of a Classic - NEH Workshop at Lowell, MA

Our good friend Sheila Kirschbaum, director of the NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture workshop Inventing America: Lowell and the Industrial Revolution at Lowell, Massachusetts, has let all of us former attendees know that this workshop is being offered for the summer of 2010.

This was a great workshop in every respect, not least because of the gracious hospitality of Sheila and Ellen and everybody else involved. This workshop covered all of the topics that you can read out about by clicking on http://www.uml.edu/tsongas/NEH/. It also touched on all the human aspects of this period in American history: the waves of immigration that came to Lowell, the eventual closing of the mills and the end of a way of life that many more people are having to become used to in present-day America.

We also had the pleasure of visiting Old Sturbridge Village and learning a lot more about old-fashioned ways of preparing a meal than we ever wanted to know! Hard work indeed.

Got Any Good High School Writers?

Among the nine NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) workshops we have intended, one of the most memorable for us was held at Mt. Vernon in Virginia. It was presented under the auspices of The Bill of Rights Institute.

As we completed this workshop in the summer of 2008, we were informed about an essay contest that provides students with the experience of competing at a high level, and also provides some potentially significant financial rewards as well.

This essay contest was offered again this year. The deadline for entries was December 1, 2009. Please check it out - http://www.beinganamerican.org/. You may want to check back next fall to get your high school students involved then.

Great Sources for History Teachers

• http://teachinghistory.org/nhec-blog

• The National Council for the Social Studies has created a new era-searchable web resource called the U.S.History Collection, searchable by historical period and academic level and can be found at: http://www.socialstudies.org/teacherslibrary.

• Ever wondered whose Founding Fathers personality is most like your own? Check it out at www.constitutioncenter.org/FoundersQuiz

• ProCon.org recently posted three new timelines: The History of Legal and Illegal Immigration in the United States, History of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports, and, History of Alternative Energy and Fossil Fuels.

• C-Span is once again sponsoring a national competition (cash prizes) for middle and high school students to produce a 5-8 minute video on one of the following topics: One of the Country's Greatest Strengths or, A Challenge The Country is Facing. Details at http://www.studentcam.org/

Personal Info. (SJG)

Since the summer of 2004, my wife Linda and I have been fortunate to be selected to attend nine Landmarks of American History workshops; they are now called Landmarks of American History and Culture workshops, and this change may be more than change for change's sake; it may be an indication of a wider perspective than "just" history, and may encourage teachers other than history teachers to apply.

The purpose of this blog is to communicate to any of you who are teachers but may not be aware of the incredible opportunities available to you! Every one of the workshops we attended was underwritten by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and provided attendees with a stipend of $500 plus a payment to assist with travel expenses (although the amount of reimbursement varied widely from workshop to workshop). The workshop we attended this summer provided a stipend of $750.

We are aware that Gilder-Lehrman workshops are also highly regarded.

The fact that we were able to attend so many of these workshops is a matter of some good fortune ("serendipity" seems like too pretentious a word for me to use). My wife is a teacher in a middle school and noticed the pamphlet on NEH workshops in January of 2004. She immediately suggested that we apply for several of these workshops, but I did not think I would ever be accepted, as I serve mainly as a substitute teacher; it seemed logical that every workshop director would select full-time teachers, as they would be most likely to impact the largest number of students. Anyway, we did apply in 2004 and every year since, and have attended the following summer workshops:
2004 -

• “The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson, and America 1801-1861" Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
• Plymouth, MA - “Encounters and Change: Expanding Perspectives on Natives and Colonists in 17th Century Plymouth"
  

2005 -

• "Becoming American: Trade, Culture, and Reform in Salem, Massachusetts, 1801-1861"
• Lockport, IL - "America's Last Great Canal: How the I&M Canal United 19th Century America
  

2006 -

• Lowell, MA - "Inventing America: Lowell and the Industrial Revolution"

2007 -

• Kalamazoo, MI - "The American Farm in U.S. History

• Dearborn, MI (Greenfield Village) - "America's Industrial Revolution"

2008 -

• "A View from Mount Vernon: Shaping the Constitution 1783-1789"

2009 -

• War of Invasion—War of Liberation: Occupied Nashville and the Civil War and Emancipation in the Upper South

2005 - "Becoming American: Trade, Culture, and Reform in Salem, Massachusetts, 1801-1861"

We were very fortunate to be selected to attend this workshop. It was the second year that we were able to visit New England for a workshop sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and we enjoyed our experience immensely. In addition, the hospitality of Salem and, particularly, the educators and staff presenting this workshop provided us with a great historical experience and wonderful accommodations.

We both learned a great deal about incorporating art into our teaching about American History. This included literature as well.

I will be writing more soon.

2009 - War of Invasion—War of Liberation: Occupied Nashville and the Civil War and Emancipation in the Upper South

This workshop was sponsored by Middle Tennessee State University. The way that we came to be selected for this workshop is important for you to be aware of, because it suggests a lot about Dr. Bob Hunt, the Director of this workshop, and Jan Leone and Rebecca Conard, the Directors of the workshop we attended at the Hermitage in 2004.

We had applied to attend two workshops, but we were not selected to attend either one. It was reasonable that we were not selected, I guess, because we had already attended eight workshops in previous years, and it does make sense to "spread the wealth around." However, we contacted several directors of workshops we had attended previously; fortunately for us, Jan Leone and Rebecca Conard saw our email on a Sunday evening, and they talked with Dr. Robert Hunt. By the following Tuesday morning, we were officially selected to attend the workshop. We mention this because it demonstrates how "real" these three people are; they could have ignored this request on our part. We have all the respect in the world for these friends of ours. Of course we did not get into the workshop and cause two other candidates to be excluded; Dr. Hunt would not have allowed that. We were just lucky that two slots were available.

We feel that every aspect of the workshop was worthwhile and will change the way that we teach about the Civil War. While the South took a path we cannot condone, it is easier to have compassion for the Southerners, especially the civilians, and to realize that the aftermath of the War did not bring to former slaves the freedom that was envisioned by many abolitionists.

The sites were all very valuable and steeped in the culture that we were studying. Travellers Rest was especially appropriate, what with its beautiful setting and lush magnolia trees, because it continually reminded me of the reasons we were here. Maybe the most valuable insight we gained was during "down time" one evening when Dr. Hunt was gracious enough to accompany any workshop attendees who wanted to visit Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the site of Middle Tennessee State University. While there, we toured the town square and viewed the Confederate Memorial; its prominent place in the community does impart a feeling for the importance the people in the community place on "the lost cause."

The three military sites we visited all served the purpose of making it clear that the Civil War was deplorable in the devastation it caused to Americans of every region and background. The cemeteries especially were poignant, because in many cases the graves represent people who not only made the ultimate sacrifice for their beliefs, but also are unidentified, and so their loved ones eventually died not knowing what had happened to them.

It was evident that Dr. Hunt, while gracious and very approachable, was also very passionate and informed about the entire topic. The visiting scholars, including the presenters from the Tennessee State Archives, were all very knowledgeable and professional, as were the rangers at Stones River and Chickamauga battle fields. The visit to Murfreesboro one evening was very special also, because I saw the town square and the prominence of the Civil War monument, and that helped us understand the central role of the Civil War in today's southern culture, and the role women played in assuring that their legacy would not be forgotten.

While the housing arrangements never take precedence over the workshop itself, the motel was very convenient in that many restaurants and shops were within walking distance. The groups we were put into for lecture and study sessions worked out well. There was never anyone who seemed disruptive or condescending, and that made the workshop experience very enjoyable in and of itself.

Lesson Plan Material - War of Invasion—War of Liberation: Occupied Nashville and the Civil War and Emancipation in the Upper South

When we visited Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, on the last day of our workshop, we had the privilege of touring the very ground where so many soldiers died.

We were able to purchase t-shirts with the likenesses of the opposing commanding generals - Confederate General Braxton Bragg and Union General William Stark Rosecrans. Under their likenesses were the words "Men of Valor! Men of Honor!" It would be interesting to have students read primary source documents and come to conclusions about whether it is valid to suggest that the opposing soldiers, as well as the civilians in the area of the fighting, would ever consider that the "enemy" soldiers were honorable, even after 146 years.

After I had posted this, I sent a note to the director of this workshop; he was gracious enough (as always) to send a reply regarding his own thoughts on this matter:

Viz. the item about valor. Genuine soldiers on both sides were generally willing to credit their opponents with valor, or courage on the battlefield. Nineteenth-century war had moved to a point where it was considered an element of the civilizing process, if a dark one. In order to ensure that war became part of the larger nation-building process, it became part of the culture that prisoners of war were to be captured rather than killed or enslaved (as previously), and it became part of the process to limit killing to the "sporting chance." As part of this, one was almost required "to respect" uniformed soldiers on the other side, along with enemy female civilians if you were the army in enemy territory.

And, truth be told, the balance of the evidence is that uniformed soldiers on both sides held to this standard during the war and after. It was simply obligatory--as a measure of your OWN moral worthiness--that you always referred to your uniformed foe in proper terms of honorable respect. Now, the enemy's cause as a whole you could denegrate with all the vehemence of an evangelical Protestant. Moreover, various other unworthy people could be readily ridiculed and attacked. Confederates, for example, never accepted the legitimacy of the USCT (United States Colored Troops), during the war or after. Union soldiers, for their part, openly referred to the fact that they had executed enemy guerilla fighters on the spot.

Southern/Northern civilians didn't have to abide by the same code, by the way. The famous Lost Cause that emerged after the war (as a defense of the Southern war effort) in the 1880s and '90s was a broad-based Southern cultural movement promoted by everyone from women's groups to ministers. According to the promoters of the Cause, Sherman and his men were mere vandals, unworthy of the name soldier. Moreover, during the conflict, the women of both sides were intense in their denunciation of their respective opponents. Item: after the war, Northern women were heavily behind the effort to create the national cemeteries--like Stone's River--because they could not stomach the thought that the bodies of their sons, husbands, or fathers were being left in Southern soil to be desecrated by morally degenerate former Confederates.

Feelings didn't die easy here. r.

2008 - "A View from Mount Vernon: Shaping the Constitution 1783-1789"

Although we have enjoyed every workshop we have attended, we were most enthusiastic about this one, since we visited Mt. Vernon every day. It was very exciting to tour a lot of places where George Washington and his guests actually spent time discussing serious matters of state.

We were given the privilege of listening to world-class scholars discuss the issues and challenges which plagued our early American leaders.

It was also quite a sight to see families visiting Mt. Vernon on days that were extremely hot and humid, to the point of making it difficult to even imagine exerting myself. It's inspiring to consider that families decided to spend what was honestly a very uncomfortable day walking around Mt. Vernon, rather than going to a water park or visiting someplace with air conditioning.

The facilities at Mt. Vernon were great for our historical research, and included a visit to the archives area, where we were allowed to handle (under close scrutiny, of course) historical documents.

One aspect of this workshop that was really inspiring, was an evening reception on the piazza overlooking the Potomac River, with the estate directly behind us. It was a bonus that we had not expected when we started our workshop, and we learned that a benefactor has donated the funds to make this evening possible.

Lesson Plan Material - “Encounters and Change: Expanding Perspectives on Natives and Colonists in 17th Century Plymouth"

Maybe this is helpful; maybe it is not. It's just anecdotal, so take it for what it's worth:

In 2004, we attended the workshop listed in the title above. We were listening to a lecture from a renowned Pilgrim scholar, when someone asked why the pilgrims always wrote such wonderful accounts of spring and summer, but never about fall. When the scholar indicated that he did not know, a fellow attendee suggested that maybe the pilgrims viewed spring and summer as seasons of hope, but fall was a reminder that they had better put up as much food for the winter as possible or face a grim season of starvation.

Maybe this would be valuable to have high school students think about.