James Schul

James Schul

James Schul, Education, has received a Teaching with Primary Sources Midwest Region grant to fund the “Fostering Historical Thinking and Imagination through Primary Source Instruction” project beginning in the summer of 2015.

“Fostering Historical Thinking and Imagination through Primary Source Instruction” project was developed to encouraged student inquiry in the social studies classroom by exploring issues and events of the past as a means to better understand the socio-political context of the contemporary era. It will not only help nurture historical thinking and imagination amongst middle and secondary history students, it will also help improve their analytical and critical thinking skills.

The project will consist of six workshops designed to instruct teachers on how to navigate the Library of Congress website and how to teach historical inquiry through written documents, political cartoons, audio clips and desktop documentary making. The program also will facilitate the design of lesson plans and provide teachers with a web-based resource. Participants from across the area will also benefit from the opportunity to network with one another and share best practices in the history teaching field.

For more information, contact James Schul.

Winona State University College of Education

As the first teacher preparation school west of the Mississippi River and the first home of the National Education Association, the Winona State University College of Education has a long and storied history of innovation and leadership. The college enrollment, including all teacher education programs university-wide, is approximately 1,262 undergraduate students and 270 graduate students, supported by 40 full-time professors. With campuses in both Winona and Rochester, the College of Education is divided into seven departments and three centers, ranging from Early Childhood & Elementary Education to Counselor Education and Education Leadership. The college offers 22 Undergraduate Teacher Licensure programs, one Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure program, 12 master’s programs, and three additional licensure and certificate programs. Initial licensure and advanced programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Minnesota Board of Teaching (BOT) and meet all standards accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) and are recognized for state licensure in both school and community counseling. Educational Leadership is accredited by the Minnesota Board of School Administrators (BOSA). The WSU Children’s Center is accredited by the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

As the educational needs of communities throughout Minnesota continue to change, the College of Education will continue to respond. The Teach21 initiative, launched in 2009 and funded through a $4 million grant from the Bush Foundation, aims to transform WSU’s teacher preparation programs through a combined approach of targeted recruitment, effective training, specialized placement, and ongoing support. WSU’s Education Village initiative, which received initial funding during the 2013-14 Minnesota legislative session, is a bold, responsive plan to renovate existing campus facilities to offer integrated, flexible, state-of-the-art learning and teaching spaces, and provide future teachers with the preparation, support and inspiration they need to be successful in the 21st century classroom.

To learn more about the WSU College of Education visit:http://www.winona.edu/education/.