American history educators visit nation’s capital

August 15, 2006

TAH teachers & staff stand in front of the gates of the
Smithsonian Institution Building, popularly known as
the Castle.

Visiting Washington, D.C. these days can be a memorable experience, the museums, landmarks and other historical attractions notwithstanding.

In fact, it can be downright eye-popping at times.

In addition to the dealing with the ongoing threat of terrorism, America’s capital city was in the midst of a crime wave when history teachers from the Hamilton City School District accompanied their Miami University Hamilton counterparts on a recent visit there.

The trip was the culminating event of the first Teaching American History (TAH) grant awarded to Miami’s regional campus by the U.S. Department of Education.
It was a memorable and meaningful experience for the entourage, especially for those who hadn’t been there after Sept. 11, 2001.

While on bus tours of the city, the local group witnessed police officers cutting off motorists driving the wrong way on one-way streets, and questioning pedestrians on the sidewalks. Officers in patrol cars, on bicycles and on foot were highly visible throughout the city.

Many tour stops

Tour stops included the home of George and Martha Washington at Mount Vernon overlooking the scenic Potomac River, the National Museum of American History, National Archives Museum, Vietnam and Korean War Memorials and the new World War II Memorial.

The group was led by Dr. Michael Carrafiello, Miami Hamilton Assistant Dean and Associate Professor of History. Carrafiello and his colleagues in the history department administered the $731,631 grant, entitled “America’s Journey: The Quest for Freedom, 1492-1836.” In partnership with Hamilton city schools, Miami Hamilton provided three years of seminars and five-day institutes each summer for history instructors who teach grades 4, 5, 8 and 10.

More local schools to participate in TAH Program with Miami Hamilton

The regional campus has received three TAH grants in the last three years. The second grant expanded the project into Fairfield and Northwest school districts. The third one, awarded earlier this year, will partner MUH with Hamilton, Middletown and Mason city school districts.

The grants are designed to improve the quality of American history education by increasing teachers’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of traditional American history through professional development initiatives. The goal is to continually improve high school standardized test scores and, ultimately, student knowledge of American history.

Trip reinforces what teachers have learned

Corbin Moore, who serves as the conduit between the Hamilton City School District Board of Education and Miami Hamilton, said this summer’s program was relaxing, engaging and fun for the teachers.

“We reinforced things we embarked upon over the past three years, in ways we can introduce American history content in the classroom. Our goal is to show teachers how to take college-level material and break it down into meaningful chunks for the classroom in an age-appropriate way,” Moore said.

From a professional development standpoint, Carrafiello said the information exchange has been very useful for both educational institutions.

“An excellent foundation has been poured for the next grant. The TAH program has been good for both Miami University and area high schools. It’s a great way to bring collegiate and high school institutions together in our communities in a collaborative learning environment that’s meaningful for all of us,” he said.

Liz Miller, TAH Instructor and Webmaster for Miami Hamilton, said it has been inspiring to work with such a dedicated and talented group of teachers from Hamilton City Schools.

“Lane Public Library also has been a tremendous partner in this venture,” Miller said. “The real winners are the students.”