Press contact: John Sayers, Office of Communications (202) 707-9216 Public contact: Meg Steele, Educational Outreach (202) 707-4661

May 29, 2013

Local Teachers Selected to Participate in National Educational Program

Several educators from around the country have been selected from a pool of more than 500 applicants to participate in a series of Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Summer Teacher Institutes to take place from May to August.

Each year, the Library of Congress provides the opportunity for a carefully chosen group of K-12 educators to attend one of its five teacher institutes in Washington, D.C.

During the five-day program, participants work with Library education specialists and subject-matter experts to learn effective practices for using primary sources in the classroom, while exploring some of the millions of digitized historical artifacts and documents available on the Library’s website.

Educators attending the teacher institutes develop primary-source-based teaching strategies that they can take back to their school districts, apply in the classroom and pass along to colleagues. Teaching with primary sources is a powerful way to help students ask engaged, probing questions, develop critical-thinking skills, and construct knowledge. All educators can access classroom materials, teaching tools and strategies for teaching with primary sources from the Library’s site for teachers at www.loc.gov/teachers.

Applicants to the Teaching with Primary Sources Summer Teacher Institutes reflect the diversity of the world of K-12 education. Participants in a teacher institute session typically include school library media specialists and school administrators, in addition to classroom teachers. Those selected come from many different states, representing large metropolitan school districts and smaller, rural school districts. The expertise provided by the Library of Congress during the institutes can benefit every level of K-12 education.

Primary sources are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects that were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts or interpretations of events created by someone without firsthand experience. Students working with primary sources become engaged learners while building critical-thinking skills and constructing new knowledge. Teachers working in the Library's collections will explore the largest online collection of historical artifacts with access to millions of unique primary sources for use in instruction.

The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, is the world’s preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled integrated resources to Congress and the American people. The Library serves the public, scholars, Members of Congress and their staffs—all of whom seek information, understanding and inspiration. Many of the Library’s resources and treasures may also be accessed through the Library’s website at www.loc.gov.

Participants in the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Summer Teacher Institutes (May-August 2013)

New participants will be added with each Institute.
  • Aruna Arjunan, Central High School, Philadelphia
  • Emily Cagle, Meadowlark Elementary School, Winston-Salem, N.C.
  • Robin Carlson, Farmington (Minn.) High School
  • Marianne Chang, Lockeford (Calif.) School
  • Larry Dexter, Canyon Valley School, Mesa, Ariz.
  • Laura Fank, Pella (Iowa) Community High School
  • Claire Hanaee, Montgomery College, Rockville, Md.
  • Crystal Heyland, Walnut Cove (N.C.) and London Elementary Schools
  • Wendy Larson, Farmington (Minn.) High School
  • Hilary Loftus, Stafford County (Va.) Public Schools
  • Karen Lundberg, Crest Academy, Salida, Colo.
  • Karen Mackley, Isaac Fesler Junior High School, Santa Maria, Calif.
  • Desiree McCullough,Warden (Wash.) Middle School
  • Brandon Otte, Maplewood (Minn.) Middle School
  • Yolanda Pato, Frazier School District, Perryopolis, Pa.
  • Brian Pletsch, University of Chicago Charter School, Carter G. Woodson Middle School Campus
  • Peggy Rinkenberger, Morris (Minn.) Area High School
  • Shelby Salley, Tomahawk Creek Middle School, Midlothian, Va.
  • Tara Ulmer, Southwood Junior-Senior High School, Wabash, Ind.
  • Beth Valentine, Hapeville (Ga.) Elementary School
  • Tanya Wassink, Kelly Walsh High School, Casper, Wyo.
  • Kate Wells, Tunstall Middle School, Dry Fork, Va.

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PR 13-112 05/29/13 ISSN 0731-3527

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