Kelly in Kansas

We had the 4th annual TAH Symposium co-sponsored by H-Net/H-TAH and the OAH in conjunction with the OAH annual meeting in Seattle last week. It went really well. Lots of audience interaction and Sam Wineburg gave a thought-provoking keynote address about how we have to prove to the federal government that we are not a failing program if we want the funding to continue.

We had teachers and curriculum directors talk about what teachers get AND what they contribute. We also had 3 faculty members talk about how the TAH grants have impacted what they are doing. We called that session "The Better Angels of our Nature" and tried to tackle the concept of continuing this interaction even after funding ends. Then, we had 3 people who did not begin life as evaluators talk about how central evaluation is to designing and implementing grants.

Amy at OAH again organized a great Dine Around and all that participated had a great time and great food!

Labels: H-Net, H-TAH, OAH, Seattle, TAH Symposium, Wineburg

I just returned from the SSHA meeting in Miami where we also had our H-Net Council Meeting. We're actually making progress moving H-Net toward Web 2.0. It's been a long and frustrating process.

David and I did a session with Gene Provenzo. We had never met him, but Sherman Dorn suggested we do our session on TAH grants with him. While we were a first sesson slot presentation, we didn't really have an audience but had quite an engaging conversation with Professor Provenzo - truly a Renaissance man - truly a refreshing find in today's world. It was also fun to talk to Sherm a bit more at the opening reception.

It's a busy week since the next two weeks are meetings in DC and Houston. And then it will be Thanksgiving before we know it.

We're at the point in the semester where the methods class is more the responsibility of the students and I am primarily providing guidance as they demonstrate acceptable performance levels to be recommended for student teaching.

This week also brings my reviewing student schedules to advise them for the summer semester.

Labels: conferences, Dorn, Gerwin, H-Net, meetings, Miami, Provenzo, SSHA

For some reason, I'm less stressed than starting other school years. I think I have more confidence and a renewed outlook to enjoy the students. The main thing I seem to have more in the front of my brain is that there is only so much I can do as the instructor and the rest is up to the students. The old you can lead a horse to water but can't make them drink argument.

The mentoring meetings were interesting. I'm starting my 15th year at my institution and it was insightful to see what new faculty are being told about what to expect. The main thing I came away with is how department-specific all-around success can be. My new colleague possesses numerous types of experiences prior to his arrival and I have no doubt he will do well. That will be quite a change from the previous occupants of his position.

Our opening meeting was the most fun as always - getting to see people you may only see once a year. For my part, however, I noticed that I am no longer one of the young pups and have quite a long tenure here at 15 years. Our department meeting went quite quickly thanks to our chair and then we had lunch together.

Enrollment day was quite typical - no one came in but I did answer an email at 6:30 am (at home) and a phone call. My assumption is that online enrollment has decreased the numbers showing up in person for help.

The graduate class for grant teachers has their first assignment due this week so that they can finish by Thanksgiving. The short interval between Thanksgiving and Christmas is so hectic for teachers that it works out best for everyone that way - especially since they have already been in school for a couple of weeks.

I"m going to take a more relaxed approach to the teaching methods course and go through some more modeling experiences for them. The basic assignments will be the same but we will do some more collaboration and peer review - especially before turning in assignments. What I have planned will lead to ensuring they are even better prepared and my not killing myself with the such intense grading duties normally associated with this course. We'll see how it works.

We're also utilizing the newly available features in our version of ANGEL - the blogging and wiki functions. It will make it much easier for me to keep track of individual blog entries since they will be collected in one place. I also have a plan to stay on top of grading a bit better and not get buried too quickly - esp. if I'm spending more time grading an assignment than a student does in preparing it (as in the past).

I hope I am not getting old and cranky but just more realistic about the parameters within which I work. I need to focus more energy on the tasks that I can bethttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifter control the outcome - ie research and publishing.

I have a book project trip and a state conference in September and then in October I'm off to New Orleans and Miami for conferences/H-Net meetings and then Houston for a conference in November. I'll probably also have a meeting in November or early December. That will be plenty with having to be in New York for over a week in early January.

Labels: back to school, classes, conferences, H-Net, NARA, students

The AHA was an engaging experience all the way around this year. I met with a colleague from Baltimore and we spend some much needed time catching up like you can only do face to face. The book exhibits were full of their usual intrigue and scholarly interactivity. Talking to the folks at Inside Higher Ed was also insightful.

Dinner with my major professor on Thursday and dinner with two colleagues on Friday meant great food at 1789 and Nora's. I don't know whether or not Nora's claim to being the first certified organic restaurant in the nation is true but the food is innovatively prepared and always worth a return visit.

Mornings came too early but meeting with colleagues and publishers made it worthwhile.

The H-Net reception meant ADM and I were able to touch base and discuss mutual interests. Congrats on your most recent accomplishments!

Sessions - especially those with an emphasis on teaching - were well-attended.

Other highlights included the great group at the Purdue University reception and dinner with big name Latin Americanist along with important book editor.

Next year's meeting in New York only promises to be more fun and engaging!

Labels: ADM, AHA, conferences, H-Net, professional meetings, receptions

Am in Chicago for the SSHA. This meeting has been on the list for several years (esp. since department colleagues went to the meeting when it was in New Orleans) and now it finally made it. Not only Chicago but also the H-Net presence planned for the meeting.

I had dinner with a colleague I've wanted to talk with in greater detail than in previous meetings. He's doing some great work intersecting teaching and practice and research - but how can we do more? We're hoping for good attendance at tomorrow's session despite the still palpable disengagements between teaching and scholarship as if they were separate entities instead of either side even considering the idea that there is the possibility that good teaching and good scholarship are innertwined. At least with good research, there are definite implementable rules but will people as an ever-changing factor, teaching can be a quite different challenge and, yet, no less "un"-scholarly.

Labels: chicago, H-Net, research, scholarship, SSHA, teaching

Here's my reply to a discussion over at Edwired by Dan Cohen.

Ditto to many of Sage comments in support of your analysis. We’re often missing the broad strokes and then wonder why our own students cannot put history into its broader context. I think one of the SUNY schools has developed a “broad-field” doctoral program that teaches future historians how to not over-specialize so that no one else understands you except for a few, select fellow specialists in your particular field.

There are so many topics and connects to explore in history and wiping away the broad themes as being only in support of the dead, white males is just ridiculous.

Carol Berkin at Baruch is one of the “traditionally” trained historians who "broke out" to write for popular audiences and has been criticized for same. Yet, thousands of people will know more about women in the American Revolution thanks largely to her book, Revolutionary Mothers. It’s a manageable work for those people who don’t get paid to read for a living and tells some great stories. Who could ask for more from anything they read?

Despite some of its challenges dealing with where to go next in technology, H-Net is one of the best examples of organizations who allow a broader membership within its larger context. While some individual communities believe gatekeeping is important to what they are doing, others explore areas traditionally ignored by the “authorities” in the profession. H-Net used to meet in conjunction with the AHA and this year is moving it’s more official meeting space to the Social Science History Association - a community that is more interested in technology and is more diverse in its active membership.

Blogs like yours, H-Net, and other social networking approaches in person and online make our profession much more rich and diverse.

Labels: AHA, Berkin, Cohen, Edwired, H-Net, historians, history, Revolutionary Mothers