May 4, 1999 50 Educators to Participate in Library of Congress American Memory Fellows Program

The National Digital Library Program of the Library of Congress has announced the selection of 50 educators to participate in the 1999 American Memory Fellows Program. The program is an opportunity for teams of outstanding middle and high school humanities teachers and library/media specialists to improve the teaching of American history and culture in their schools by using digitized primary sources from the Library.

"The American Memory Fellows Program is a chance for the Library to partner with educators across the nation in exploring the uses of electronic primary sources," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "The 50 teachers who will come here this summer will be instrumental in helping us spread the word about our National Digital Library Program's importance to education."

The American Memory Fellows will gather in Washington, D.C., for a National Digital Library Educators Institute, July 18-23. Fellows will learn about the Library of Congress's digitized American Memory collections of photographs, documents, manuscripts, maps, sound recordings and motion pictures available at www.loc.gov. During the Educators Institute, the Fellows will share in a professional development experience that will shape the way the Library's unique American Memory collections are used in schools across the country.

The 1999 Fellows join 100 graduates of the 1997 and 1998 Educators Institutes. Like their predecessors, the 1999 Fellows will create teaching units based on the nearly 2 million American Memory materials now on-line. Then, in school year 1999-2000, Fellows will test their teaching units in the classroom and will revise them for eventual dissemination to the education community through both the Library's World Wide Web site and at professional education forums nationwide. Interactive teaching unit ideas proposed by the selected American Memory Fellows have included projects on Latino immigration, the life and times of Frederick Douglass, the "electrification" of America, historical and literary components of storytelling and American history through music.

The Educators Institute "has been the most stimulating experience of my professional life," said Jane Garvin, of St. Joseph's Academy in St. Louis, Mo.

Liz Horn, Boise High School in Boise, Idaho, said, "I am an important link that will bring this material to students. ... The digital collections will open opportunities to students who have not had access to this type of material before."

Twenty-five, two-person American Memory Fellows teams, selected by an independent review panel from 151 teams of applicants, comprise teachers, librarians, curriculum coordinators, media specialists and other educational professionals from across the nation. The American Memory Fellows are frequent users of technology in the classroom, and they are experienced using primary sources to motivate students, promote critical thinking, and help students connect history to their own lives. Each Fellow is an active leader in the field of education and has the ability to disseminate his or her expertise to educators in their region.

American Memory Fellows will also cooperate throughout the school year in an on-line National Digital Library Teacher Network. Through this forum, they will exchange ideas and learn from each other through organized on-line discussion groups.

The American Memory Fellows Program is part of the National Digital Library Program, which aims to make available 5 million American history items from the collections of the Library of Congress and other repositories by 2000, the Bicentennial of the Library (www.loc.gov/bicentennial). The National Digital Library Program is one of the Library's birthday "gifts to the nation." The 1999 National Digital Library Educators Institute is made possible by a grant from an anonymous donor, who is helping the Library reach out to the education community.

1999 AMERICAN MEMORY FELLOWS

NORTHEAST
Team 1
Ann Cohen, Teacher
Morse High School
Bath, ME 04530

Dawn Lee, Media Specialist
Morse High School
Bath, ME 04530

MID-ATLANTIC
Team 2
Lisa Von Drasek, Media Specialist
Bank Street College of Education
School for Children
New York, NY 10025

Alexandra Weisman, Teacher
Bank Street College of Education
School for Children
New York, NY 10025

Team 3
Shelley Terry, Teacher
Bowie High School
Bowie, MD 20715

Sophia Mallett, Teacher
Bowie High School
Bowie, MD 20715

Team 4
Kathleen Ellis, Media Specialist
Berkeley Carroll School
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Kenneth Corfield, Teacher
Berkeley Carroll School
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Team 5
Barbara Markham, Teacher
Padua Academy
Wilmington, DE 19806

Robert Gabrick, Teacher
White Bear Lake High School
White Bear Lake, MN 55110

Team 6
Kathleen Isaacs, Teacher
Edmund Burke School
Washington, DC 20003

Ginger Attarian, Teacher
Edmund Burke School
Washington, DC 20003

SOUTHEAST
Team 7
Char Fairey, Teacher
Glasgow Middle School
Alexandria, VA 22312

Tina Pounds, Media Specialist
Glasgow Middle School
Alexandria, VA 22312

Team 8
Rena Nisbet, Media Specialist
Henderson Middle School
Hendersonville, NC 28791

Jan King, Teacher
Hendersonville Middle School
Hendersonville, NC 28791

Team 9
Cathy Bonneville Hix, Teacher
Swanson Middle School
Arlington, VA 22205

Patricia Baron Carlson, Teacher
Swanson Middle School
Arlington, VA 22205

SOUTH
Team 10
Lynette Hayes Davis, Media Specialist
Booker T. Washington High School
Memphis, TN 38126

Ruth Woodfork, Teacher
Booker T. Washington High School
Memphis, TN 38126

MIDWEST
Team 11
Janet Tilley, Teacher
David H. Hickman High School
Columbia, MO 65203

Kathleen Wells-Morgan, Teacher
David H. Hickman High School
Columbia, MO 65203

Team 12
Amy McElroy, Teacher
Willowbrook High School
Villa Park, IL 60181

Christopher Pietsch, Teacher
Willowbrook High School
Villa Park, IL 60181

Team 13
Mary Alice Anderson, Media Specialist
Winona Middle School
Winona, MN 55987

Kim Penrod, Teacher
Winona Middle School
Winona, MN 55987

Team 14
Jan Wood, Teacher
Garnavillo High School
Garnavillo, IA 52049

Norma Thiese, Media Specialist
Keystone Area Education Agency
Elkader, IA 52043

Team 15
Mary Quish, Teacher
St. Athanasius School
Evanston, IL 60201

Deborah Johnson, Teacher
St. Athanasius School
Evanston, IL 60201

Team 16
Susan Cassata, Teacher
Southeast High School
Lincoln, NE 68506

Mary Reiman, Media Specialist
Southeast High School
Lincoln, NE 68506

WEST
Team 17
Mary Ritter, Teacher
Foulks Ranch Elementary School
Elk Grove, CA 95758

Gail Desler, Teacher
Barbara Comstock Morse Elementary School
Sacramento, CA 95823

Team 18
Steve Olguin, Teacher
Apollo Middle School
Tucson, AZ 85706

Margaret Tobias, Media Specialist
Apollo Middle School
Tucson, AZ 85706

Team 19
Mary Aragon Ruddy, Media Specialist
Highland High School
Albuquerque, NM 87108

Nanci Douglas, Teacher
Highland High School
Albuquerque, NM 87108

Team 20
Nancy Barrett, Asst. Principal
Holy Names High School
Oakland, CA 94618

Sister Margaret Kennedy, Teacher
Holy Names High School
Oakland, CA 94618

Team 21
Eliza Hamrick, Teacher
Overland High School
Aurora, CO 80012

Donna Levene, Media Specialist
Overland High School
Aurora, CO 80012

Team 22
Colette Richardson, Teacher
Menlo School
Atherton, CA 94027

Steve Davidson, Media Specialist
Menlo School
Atherton, CA 94027

NORTHWEST
Team 23
David Barber, Teacher
Skyview High School
Vancouver, WA 98685

Margaret Habecker Bates, Teacher
Skyview High School
Vancouver, WA 98685

Team 24
Paul Gregorio, Teacher
Portland State University
Graduate School of Education
Portland, OR 97207

Micki Caskey, Teacher
Portland State University
Graduate Teacher Education Program
Portland, OR 97207

Team 25
Dawn Jaeger, Teacher
Deuel High School
Clear Lake, SD 57226

Marla Johnson, Media Specialist
Deuel School District 19-4
Clear Lake, SD 57226