News
There is still time to apply for fall in-person and online professional development programs for social studies and English language arts teachers. Upcoming in-person workshops include "Teaching Media Literacy" in Houston (October 16) and "Teaching Latino Poetry" in San Antonio (November 12). Webinars include "Analyzing Change Over Time with Documentary Photography" (October 21), "Teaching Native American Literature" (November 12 and 19), and "Teaching Shakespeare with The Bard in the Borderlands: Part III" (November 20).
All programs will emphasize close interaction with scholars, the examination of primary sources and texts, and the development of effective pedagogical strategies and engaging assignments and activities.
"Teaching Media Literacy" will take place in Houston on October 16. The workshop will expand participants' understanding of journalism in the U.S. and provide resources and strategies to help middle and high school students become informed citizens and critical consumers of news in multiple media. Workshop faculty includes Gwynne Ash (Texas State University), Lisa Gray (Houston Chronicle), Kirsten Ostherr (Rice University), and Ford Risley (Penn State University).
"Analyzing Change Over Time with Documentary Photography" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:30 pm CT on October 21. Led by museum education professionals, this interactive session will demonstrate how photography can help students develop visual literacy, historical thinking, and analysis skills in the humanities classroom. Teachers will explore historical photographs of local communities, make connections and comparisons to our present, and come away with practical teaching strategies and ideas for lesson extensions. Phoebe Hillemann and Abbie Hitzemann of the Smithsonian American Art Museum will lead the webinar.
"Teaching Latino Poetry" will take place in San Antonio on November 12. The workshop will explore possible classroom uses of Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology by secondary-level English language arts teachers. The anthology includes the work of 180 poets from the seventeenth to twenty-first centuries and presents English translations of poems originally written in Spanish. Workshop faculty includes John Morán González (The University of Texas at Austin), Emmy Pérez (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), and Natalia Treviño (Northwest Vista College).
"Teaching Native American Literature" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:15 p.m. CT on November 12 and 19. This webinar series will focus broadly on the history of Native American literature and narrowly on the most influential and frequently taught works. Strategies and content will align with the secondary-level English language arts TEKS. Both webinars will highlight the most important takeaways for middle and high school students. James H. Cox of The University of Texas at Austin will lead the webinars.
"Teaching Shakespeare with The Bard in the Borderlands: Part III" will take place on Zoom from 5:00–6:30 p.m. CT on November 20. In partnership with the Borderlands Shakespeare Colectiva, this webinar will feature Shakespeare's works from Borderlands perspectives. The webinar will draw on Volume 2 of the open-access anthology The Bard in the Borderlands: An Anthology of Shakespeare Appropriations en La Frontera. The webinar will be team-taught by the cofounders of the Borderlands Shakespeare Colectiva: Katherine Gillen and Adrianna M. Santos of Texas A&M University–San Antonio and Kathryn Vomero Santos of Trinity University.
These workshops and webinars are open to all middle and high school social studies, language arts, and humanities teachers but will focus on topics and skills central to the state's secondary-level U.S. history, Texas history, and English language arts curricula. Priority consideration will be given to early-career teachers in low-performing schools and districts.
More information about each program is available in the Education section of the Humanities Texas website. Teachers interested in attending should submit an online application as soon as possible, as admissions are rolling and space is limited.
Participants will receive CPE credit and a wealth of curricular materials. CPE hours will be based on attendance and adjusted if a participant misses any portion of the program.
Please note that due to space limitations, you must be a registered participant to attend any of the in-person workshops.
These programs are made possible with major funding from the State of Texas with ongoing support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.