"What a lasting memory!" said one American Memory Fellow at the conclusion of a weeklong visit to the Library of Congress.
American Memory fellows Martha Battle and Mike Larson examine original documents on a tour of the Geography and Map Division. - Elizabeth L. Brown
"If America's children can see the value in history and the items that teach us that history, maybe we can create a better America," concluded another. "I wish every teacher in America could have this experience."
Funded by generous foundation support, this flagship outreach project of the American Memory Fellows Program is now in its fifth and final year. This year's participants were equally as enthusiastic as those who preceded them. The Class of 2001 joins a fellowship of 250 K-12 educators who are working in their communities to strengthen education through engaging students with primary sources. While the "institute" will not continue in its present form, the experience will be shared electronically in the years ahead through the Library's Learning Page (www.loc.gov/learn).
This year's Fellows were challenged by Randy Bass, an educator and scholar from Georgetown University, to think creatively about teaching and learning. Why do we learn? How do we learn? How do we apply what we know from our own experiences to reach new understanding? How do we both listen to others' ideas and think about our own views? What does this Socratic dialog have to do with K-12 teachers and the Library of Congress American Memory collections?
Participants and instructors in the American Memory Fellows Institute for Week 1 (elementary and middle school teachers and media specialists) - Elizabeth L. Brown
The notion that using primary sources (such as the digitized materials available from American Memory at www.loc.gov) personalizes history and makes it more engaging is at the heart of these questions.
For example, once a student is hooked on a first-person account, he or she is often inspired to learn more about that person and event.
Said one American Memory Fellow, "Primary sources are not the lesson. They are additional tools to capture the attention of students to stimulate the desire to learn." Primary sources in themselves are incomplete and fragmentary, often raising more questions than they answer. They may reflect bias. They may reflect a point of view fashionable at the time. Discovering these facts and researching the context provides learning with real understanding. Increasingly, teachers are required to use primary sources and, in so doing, are tackling difficult subjects through this inquiry and research process. During the month of July, 50 teachers and school librarians came to the Library of Congress to learn about primary sources and how to integrate them into their curriculum.
Laura Campbell, associate librarian for strategic initiatives, addresses the American Memory Fellows during the closing banquet of Week 2. - Elizabeth L. Brown
Since 1997, the Library of Congress has offered the American Memory Fellows Institute, which brings 50 educators to the Library each summer. This year, participants gathered in the National Digital Library Learning Center and worked with the American Memory historical collections to create exemplary teaching units that draw upon these materials. During the school year that follows the institute, the Fellows complete their project, testing it with their own students and colleagues. An additional responsibility includes teaching other colleagues about primary sources and the digital resources from the Library of Congress in a wide range of venues—from presentations in schools to district, state and national events.
Since its inception, this has been a highly competitive and popular program, which now reaches nearly all 50 states. This year, participants were selected from a pool of 300 applicants, all of whom were required to have Internet access, experience with primary sources and professional leadership skills. Participants must apply as one of a two-person team who will work together to develop their project.
Heather Klamrzynski and Ken Smith work on the draft of their digital lesson plan. - Elizabeth L. Brown
The Class of 2001 represented 21 states. Members were almost equally divided among elementary, middle and high schools. This year, the group was divided into two weeklong sessions. Session one, July 15-20, comprised elementary and middle school teachers and school library specialists. Session two, July 22-27, was largely middle and high school educators. During an intensive week of hands-on workshops, small-group discussions and visits to various divisions, American Memory Fellows were given an intensive introduction to the Library's primary source collections. Workshops were offered by Library staff, returning American Memory Fellows and visiting museum and archival scholars.
These collaborative team-building activities also build a spirit of camaraderie among participants. Said one departing Fellow, "This has been an incredible week. I leave with sadness in my heart only because I truly feel like we have become a family." The Class of 2001 joins the online network of American Memory Fellows and will continue its work in schools and communities nationwide. Many Fellows return to their schools with a new sense of themselves as educators and mentors. Said one, "I feel that I am going home with a wealth of knowledge to be shared with my colleagues, and I take very seriously the responsibility to do so."
