The Kansas Council for History Education (KCHE) is hosting its annual state conference at Newman University Oct. 20-21.
Emily Williams, Newman alumna and adjunct history professor who serves as the KCHE president, and Cheryl Golden, professor of history and KCHE board member, have both been involved in planning the event.
Wichita serves as a central location for Kansas teachers and Newman’s Dugan-Gorges Conference Center is large enough to host the estimated 150 attendees.
Williams said, “The primary goal of the state social studies conference is to promote best practices in social studies education.
“This year, our theme is ‘Authentic Learning’ in keeping with the redesign of the state social studies assessment, which will be a more authentic, classroom-based experience for students.”
The conference material is primarily geared toward social studies educators but others in supporting fields of education may find use in the event as well.
Cameron Carlson, dean of the School of Education and Social Work, has worked with the KCHE to provide one hour of graduate credit for conference participants.
Keynote speaker, John Fea, Ph. D., will discuss the importance of history and how it helps us to control our actions and reactions in the present.
Fea is a professor of American history at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. In 2013, he published a book titled, “Why Study History?” in which he examines how reflecting on contemporary life from a historical perspective helps us better understand ourselves and the world around us.
Williams said, “We hope that attendees will enjoy both the rich content provided by the professional development sessions at the conference as well as the opportunity to network and collaborate among colleagues and friends.
“There will be opportunities to speak with vendors who are developing curriculum materials, promoting teacher institutes and supporting continuing education opportunities for social studies teachers.”
