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== = Summer Seminar July 6-10, 2009 See pages at left for details on Professors, Resources and Reading = Hi Paul,  I wanted to forward you the email I sent to our assistant superintendent just to let you know how much I truly enjoyed this experience!  Thanks again for everything! Nikki  From: Walker, Nicole Sent: Sat 7/11/2009 5:47 PM To: Danquah (Gyetua-Danquah), Anthony Subject: Teaching American History Seminar

Mr. Danquah,  I wanted to send a quick note thanking you for allowing me to attend the Teaching American History seminar at the National Warplane Museum this past week, as well as share with you some of the exciting things that I had the opportunity to take part in during this time. I don't think that you will find another teacher that will attend any professional development opportunity this summer that has been so incredibly impacted, learned so much content and application and extended their circle of professional colleagues in the way that I have. For example, among the six speakers we had attending the seminar, all being professors, authors of well-written books, as well as journal articles, and some of our country's leading scholars in different areas of America's history and foreign policy, one stood out from the rest and his name is Peter Feaver. He is a political science professor at Duke University, but is more well-known as an advisor for strategic planning on the National Security Council under President Bush. He was also one of the strategic planners of the "Surge" in Iraq. His first-hand knowledge of this pivotal moment in American History is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. Another key speaker was Robert Brigham, a professor at Vassar college and the co-author of a few books with Robert McNamara. His relationship with McNamara (who ironically passed away this week) gave all of those attending the seminar, a different look into the Vietnam war from the perspective of one of the key players during that time. His presentation also gave insight into the Cold War and the roles of China, the U.S., and Russia as well as North and South Vietnam. His information and knowledge was very powerful.

Beyond some of these amazing speakers I was introduced to new technology that I will be able to use in the classroom regularly. A website that cuts the creation of web quest time in half, a website on making your own interactive videos, and how following certain educators on twitter of all places can improve my teaching skills. I also learned how to implement the things that I have learned this week in my classroom, how to create a critical thinking dialogue with my students and at the same time how to encourage them to defend their positions on various topics. Also, I've learned how to make history more relevant for the 10th grade student that always asks, "Why do we have to know this?" by connecting history in such a way that they understand how we got where we are today....because of the connection to the past- that history from 100 years ago __is__ the present.

Needless to say this seminar was wonderful. On top of all of the things I have mentioned, I was also provided with tons of free materials including books, primary sources, and strategies that I cannot wait to use in my classroom next year. I saw in The Leader that our district was one of a handful awarded with TAH Grant money and I am excited to see what we and others do with it. This was by far, one of the best experiences I have had! Thank you! I am providing you with a link to the website and the wiki page if you would like to look at some of the other information presented.  http://tahforeignpolicy09.wikispaces.com/ http://www.tdhah.com  

Thanks again,  Nikki <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Geneva; msobidifontfamily: Geneva; msospacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Geneva; msobidifontfamily: Geneva;">Nicole T. Walker Global Studies East High School 201 Cantigny Street Corning, New York 14830 <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Geneva; msobidifontfamily: Geneva;">Telephone (607) 936-3746

"[|United States Foreign Policy and International Relations] " **Wings of Eagles Discovery Center at Horseheads, NY** ="Anatomy of the Surge" by Dr. Peter Feaver=
 * 2009 Teaching American History Seminar **

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/anatomy-of-the-surge-11265 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
 * __Day starts with breakfast at 8:15 AM, and we start at 9:00. Noon lunch and end the day at 4:00 PM.__**

http://tdhahwiki.wikispaces.com/ AND [] Downloadable Schedule Here: Understanding how the United States has interacted with other nations before and after the formation of the country is critical to understanding our place in world affairs. This Summer's Seminar will present a study of relevant historical periods where the relations between the United States and the rest of the world played a significant part in the country’s development. The neutrality of early presidents, American Imperialism, World Wars I and II, the Cold War, including Korea and Vietnam, and global interventions and the fight against terrorism from Jimmy Carter through Barack Obama will be topics for exploration.

= __On Thursday the 9th Peter D. Feaver, Alexander F. Hexameter Professor at Duke University will be joining Drs. Suri, Rotter and Brigham for a panel discussion on Thursday the 9th on Foreign Policy.__ = = Dr. Feaver is a professor of [|political science] at [|Duke University] and director of the Triangle Institute for Security Studies. He recently returned from a sabbatical in the Bush Administration, as a special advisor for strategic planning and institutional reform on the [|National Security Council]. He also was one of the chief architects of the Bush Adminstration's "Surge" in Iraq. = = = = Dr. Feaver earned his Ph.D. in Government from [|Harvard University] and his undergraduate degree from [|Lehigh University]. Feaver also served as Director for Defense Policy and Arms Control at the [|National Security Council] during the [|Clinton administration]. He is also a [|lieutenant commander] in the [|U.S. Naval Reserve]. =


 * Schedule: ** Mornings begin with a continental breakfast served at 8:15. We encourage discussion and resource sharing during this period. At 9:00 we begin with announcements and then the introduction of the day's speaker. There is a break at roughly 10:30, lunch at noon and an afternoon break at 2:30. The latter part of the afternoon on all days but Thursday will be dedicated to discussion and the sharing of TAH projects with the group. The day ends at 4:00 PM.

__Remember to sign in at the beginning of the day and out at the end of the day.__


 * ** Monday ** || ** Tuesday ** || ** Wednesday ** || ** Thursday ** || ** Friday ** ||
 * ** 6 ** || ** 7 ** || ** 8 ** || ** 9 ** || ** 10 ** ||
 * ** Opening on the Foundations for Independence and the Early Republic ** || ** Civil War through the Gilded Age ** || ** Expansionism: WWI to 1950 ** || AM**: Cold War Through 1990**

PM Panel Discussion on **Current Trends in Foreign Policy** with Dr. Peter Feaver and Drs. Brigham, Rotter, & Suri || ** End of Cold War through Present Day ** || Univ. of Wisconsin at Madison ||
 * [|Dr. Alan Gibson] University of California at Chico || [|Dr. Paul Finkelman] Albany Law School || [|Dr. Andrew Rotter] Colgate University   || [|Dr. Robert K. Brigham] Vassar College || [|Dr. Jeremi Suri]
 * ** Lunch ** || ** Lunch ** || ** Lunch ** || ** Lunch ** || ** Lunch ** ||
 * Lecture & Discussion on Curriculum Applications || Lecture & Discussion on Curriculum Applications || Lecture & Discussion on Curriculum Applications || Lecture & Discussion on Curriculum Applications || Lecture & Discussion on Curriculum Applications ||
 * Wings of Eagles Discovery Center || Wings of Eagles Discovery Center || Wings of Eagles Discovery Center || Wings of Eagles Discovery Center || Wings of Eagles Discovery Center ||