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In the coming weeks, Humanities Texas will offer one-day online teacher professional development programs on teaching short fiction (July 6), teaching nonfiction (July 10), using oral history in the classroom (July 19), and teaching film (July 24). 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 Short Fiction (Webinar)

"Teaching Short Fiction" will take place over Zoom from 9:00–11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 6. The webinar will provide multiple approaches for generating student interest in and understanding of short fiction. Strategies and content will align with the secondary-level English language arts TEKS. James H. Cox (The University of Texas at Austin) will lead the webinar.

Teaching Nonfiction (Webinar)

"Teaching Nonfiction" will take place over Zoom from 9:00–11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 10. The first half of the webinar will offer suggestions for teaching students to read and analyze personal writing, focusing on classic personal essays such as James Baldwin’s "Notes of a Native Son" and Joan Didion’s "Goodbye to All That." The second half of the webinar will shift to teaching students to produce this kind of writing, including an overview of useful and assessable strategies for having students write in this genre. The webinar will conclude with a two-part activity in which participants will engage in the writing activities that they might use in their classes. Strategies and content will be aligned with the secondary-level English language arts TEKS. Greg Barnhisel (Duquesne University) will lead the webinar.

Using Oral History in the Classroom (Webinar)

"Using Oral History in the Classroom" will take place over Zoom from 1:00–4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19. This online workshop will provide an introduction to oral history for educators hoping to use it in the secondary-level classroom. The webinar will cover oral history best practices, available technologies, and suggestions for project design. This program will focus on student-centered pedagogy to promote the integration of oral history into classroom instruction. J. Todd Moye (University of North Texas) will lead the webinar.

Teaching Film (Webinar)

"Teaching Film" will take place over Zoom from 9:00–11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 24. The workshop will offer specific strategies for incorporating a variety of fiction and documentary films into lessons across a range of middle and high school courses. The program will feature TEKS-centered content and focus on the basics of teaching film literacy. Using a range of film clips, the webinar will cover the various strategies involved in “reading” a film. Author and film historian Alison Macor will lead the webinar.

The one-day 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 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.

These programs are made possible with major funding from the State of Texas with ongoing support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

James H. Cox, professor of English at The University of Texas at Austin, discusses landmark works of short fiction in an afternoon seminar at the 2018 "American Literature of the 1920s" teacher workshop in Dallas.
Cover of Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin.
Alison Macor, author and film historian, leads a seminar on the portrayal of Texas in film during the 2022 "Texas in the Twentieth Century" summer teacher institute in Lubbock.