2018 Texas Conference Final Program

2018 Texas Conference on Introductory History Courses (PDF)

Friday, September 28, 9:00 AM-4:05 PM
Saturday, September 29, 9:00 AM-3:15 PM

What is distinctive about studying history at the college level? What are the purposes of introductory history courses? What kinds of formats, teaching, and assignments can help students learn? What might a signature pedagogy for the history discipline look like? How do we build a community of practice for history instructors?

Friday, September 28

8:15-9:00 AM - Check-in, Registration (Kristie Flannery, Christina Villarreal, UT graduate-student volunteers). All plenary sessions are in the auditorium, rm. 2.302.

9:00-9:15 AM - Welcome, Jacqueline Jones, UT Austin; James Grossman, AHA. Issues and Goals, Trinidad Gonzales, South Texas Coll.

9:15-10:30 AM - Anne F. Hyde (Univ. of Oklahoma), keynote address. “Plagued By Doubt: Uncertainty as History’s Pedagogy”

10:30-10:40 AM - Break

10:40-11:10 AM - Overview of the Academic Course Guide Manual and Q&A. Learning outcomes for history courses and their role in core objectives for general education in Texas colleges and universities, statistics on dual credit history. Rebecca Leslie, program director in the Academic Quality and Workforce division, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

11:15 AM-12:05 PM - Break-out 1: “My Goals, Their Goals, Our Goals.” Facilitated discussion of learning outcomes for introductory-level college history in different institutional settings, drawing on AHA Tuning and SSRC Measuring College Learning statements of history competencies and other conference readings. Your assigned group number is on your name badge.

  • Group 1: Stay in 2.302. Brad Cartwright
  • Group 2: 2.402. Penne Restad
  • Group 3: 2.404.B. Tomiko Meeks
  • Group 4: 2.444. Erik Anderson
  • Group 5: 3.116. Laura McEnaney
  • Group 6: 3.336. Kent McGaughy
  • Group 7: 5.116. Gene Preuss

12:10-1:00 PM - Lunch, sponsored by Milestone Documents

1:00-1:40 PM - Emilio Zamora, UT Austin, and first president, Texas State Historical Association: “Lessons in Mexican American History.”

1:45-2:45 PM - Break-out 2 by course titles/topics:

  • Are we teaching marketable skills? Jonathan Lee. 404B
  • African-American History Courses. Shawna Williams, Tomiko Meeks. 2.444
  • Texas History Courses. Emilio Zamora. 3.336
  • Dual Credit Best Practices, Alignment with High School Standards. Trinidad Gonzales. 3.1116
  • US History Courses, Anne Hyde and Steven Mintz. 2.302

2:45-3:05 PM - Coffee Break

3:05-4:05 PM - Break-out 3 by course titles/topics:

  • Teaching Students to Use Primary and Secondary Sources. Gene Preuss (Univ. of Houston Downtown), Erik Anderson (San Antonio College). 2.402
  • Mexican-American Courses. Emilio Zamora, Trinidad Gonzales. 2.404B
  • Western Civilization Courses. Kent McGaughy. 2.444
  • World Civilizations Courses. Jonathan Lee. 3.116
  • US History Courses, Anne Hyde and Steven Mintz. 2.302

Saturday, September 29

9:00-9:10 AM - Recap, instructions for the day, Julia Brookins. 2.302

9:10-9:30 AM - James Grossman, Executive Director of the AHA, Reflections on the future of introductory history courses, Q&A

9:30-10:20 AM - Raymund Paredes, Texas Commissioner of Higher Education, THECB, What policy issues affect college history education in the state? Trinidad Gonzales, facilitator. (Topics to include: what to watch in the upcoming legislative session, the new history field of study for transfer from two-year colleges, the assessment of learning outcomes and marketable skills, and ensuring quality learning in dual credit courses).

10:20-10:30 AM - Break

10:30 AM-12:40 PM - Assignment Charrette

Group 1, Room 2.402. Facilitator: Penne Restad

Presenters:

  • Chad Lower, Brazosport College
  • Peter Myers, Palo Alto College
  • Jensen Branscombe, Tarleton State University
  • Daniel Watkins, Baylor University

Group 2, Room 2404B. Facilitator: Trinidad Gonzales

Presenters:

  • David Caraway, Keystone School
  • Sean Duffy, San Antonio College
  • Jack Andersen, Collin College
  • Whitney Snow, Midwestern State University
  • Erik Anderson, San Antonio College

Group 3, Room 2.444. Facilitator: Gene Preuss

Presenters:

  • Andrew Baker, TAMU-Commerce
  • Bao Bui, Stephen F. Austin State University
  • Suraya Khan, San Antonio College (Alamo Colleges)
  • Christina Wilbur, Lamar State College - Port Arthur
  • Shannon Duffy, Texas State University

[Alternate programming in the main auditorium, 2.302]

10:30-10:50 AM - Whitney Snow, Midwestern State Univ., “Hosting a Conference on Teaching History in the 21st Century: Approaches, Grants, Advertisements, and Possibilities for Collaboration across Institutions”

10:50-11:15 AM - Erika Bsumek, UT Austin, “Why I developed ClioVis Timeline Software”

11:15-11:40 AM - Brad Cartwright, University of Texas at El Paso, “Gamification in the History Survey Course.”

11:40 AM-12:10 PM - Steven Mintz, UT Austin, assignments and assessments

12:10-12:40 PM - Assignment Discussion: describe one assignment you use in an introductory course, and how it works/doesn’t work.]

12:40-1:20 PM - Lunch, sponsored by Milestone Documents (hand in conference feedback forms)

1:20-1:40 PM - Conference Feedback/Book Raffle

1:40-1:55 PM - Report from the assignment charrette

1:55-2:15 PM - Humanities Texas Resources, Eric Lupfer

2:15-2:45 PM - Interactive discussion: what constrains us from teaching the way we want to?/next steps to build a community of practice/ideal professional development/unanswered questions. Attendees will discuss ways to generate our own agenda for improving student learning and success.

2:45-3:15 PM - Farewell coffee, networking, mini cupcakes, and free books. (Kazushi Minami, UT graduate-student volunteer.)

Conference Readings

Conference Location:

Avaya Auditorium, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Building (POB)
University of Texas at Austin, 201 E 24th St, Austin, TX 78712

The AHA thanks the University of Texas at Austin History Department for hosting this conference and Milestone Documents for sponsoring lunch.

Questions? Julia Brookins, jbrookins@historians.org
Conference social media hashtag: #TXtuning18