Strengthening Civic Education: Professional devlopment for teachers April 10-12
LOUISVILLE—School District will have a chance to attend a two day professional development workshop entitled “Strengthening Civic Education in Colorado Schools.” This unique initiative, funded by the Colorado Department of Education will help to enhance student learning in Colorado‘s Civic Content Standards. The project is offering regional conferences in civic education, designed to update teachers’ substantive and pedagogical knowledge about best practices in civic education and provide resources to implement a practice or program that will meet the needs of their students.
The event will be held at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, 363 Centennial Parkway, Louisville, CO.
This two-day conference for elementary, middle, and high school educators in Boulder Valley Schools and St. Vrain Valley Schools is open to social studies teachers in grades 4-12.
Topics of interest include:
• Learn about best practices in civic education.
• Explore links between literacy and civic education.
• Receive materials and professional development in programs and practices that address the Colorado Civics Standards.
• Qualify for an implementation grant of up to $500 per teacher.
• Receive a $125 stipend for attendance outside contracted school day.
• Receive recertification credit.
Educators from the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley Schools and the Center for Education in Law and Democracy worked together to plan and deliver the content for this workshop.
Boulder and St. Vrain Regional Conference:
Up to 50 teachers from the Boulder Valley Schools and St. Vrain Valley Schools (25 teachers per district) will receive support to participate in this initiative.
One day of the training will provide exposure to an array of programs and materials available to help teachers meet the Colorado Civics Standards. The second day will provide more intensive professional development in a specific program or practice participants plan to implement in their classroom in the second semester. Sessions for elementary and middle school teachers will be designed to pay particular attention to links between civic education and literacy development.
Expectations and Support:
Each participating school is eligible for a grant of up to $500 per teacher to support implementation of civic education practices or programs selected by the participating teachers. Evidence that the teachers used new materials or strategies learned at the conference for two weeks or enhanced an existing two-week unit with materials or strategies learned at the conference must be provided to receive the implementation grant. Ongoing support will be provided to teachers/schools to implement the program(s) or practice(s) they select.
For more information about initial work of the Strengthening Civic Education initiative, including teacher reflections and samples of student work, see CDE’s Strengthening Civic Education website at http://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradosocstudies/civics.htm.
Tentative Agenda
Thursday, April 10
7:30 a.m. Registration
8 a.m. Opening Session:
This session will focus on critical questions that will provide the grounding for our two days of professional development: Why is civic education important, K-12? What does high quality civic education look like? How are civics and literacy related? What are we doing across grade levels to help our students become effective citizens?
9:15 a.m. Breakout Sessions:
• Elementary: Sponge Bob Round Pants: Mock Trials for Younger Students
• Middle and High School: Hate Crime Mock Trial
• High School: Please Vote for Me: Windows into Democracy in China
10:45 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions
• Elementary and Middle School: The ABCs of Citizenship: Using Children’s Literature to Develop Civic Understandings
• Middle and High School: The Economy and the Environment
• High School: Facing History: Prejudice and Discrimination in History and Today
12:30 p.m. Lunch: Remarks from Thomas Jefferson
1:45 p.m. Breakout Sessions
• Elementary and Middle School: Strategies for Substantive Lessons on Constitution Day
• Middle and High School: Teaching about the U.S. Supreme Court with PBS Videos
• High School: Choices: Searching for Solutions in Iraq
3:15 p.m. Meeting of the Minds: Elementary, Middle, and High School Teachers Share Ideas about Articulation in Civic Education
3:30 p.m. Adjourn
Saturday, April 12
8 a.m. Continental Breakfast: Perspectives of a Colorado Policy-Maker
8:30 a.m. Intensive Training.
11:30 a.m. Lunch and Keynote: Local Officials on Closing the Democracy Divide
12:30 p.m. Intensive Training Continued
2:15 p.m. School Team Meetings: Planning for Implementation
3:30 p.m. Adjourn