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Helping Colorado Educators and Students Discover the Treasures
of the Library of Congress

AAM-Colorado Newsletter • Edition 6 • March 2006

Included in This Issue:

Spring 2006 Workshops
are in Progress!
Register Now — FREE Online Workshop for Colorado K-12 Educators Begins March 13

Metro State's Second Librarian Days a Great Success
On Friday, February 10 and Saturday, February 11, 2006, An Adventure of the American Mind – Colorado hosted its second Librarian Days in conjunction with the Auraria Library and Post-News Educational Services. This two-day event brought together educators from across Colorado to learn about the American Memory Web site, the latest efforts in digitization, and the applications for using digital resources in classroom teaching and curriculum.

Librarians throughout Colorado were invited to attend free of charge on Friday, February 10 with a teacher of their choice. Librarian Days participants learned about the AAM-Colorado program and digital primary sources from the Library of Congress and other collections, including local initiatives such as the Denver Public Library's Blair Caldwell Library and Western History/Genealogy Department, and the Collaborative Digitization Program. Friday's Librarian Day was held in the Tivoli Turnhalle on downtown Denver’s Auraria Campus.

In addition to Friday’s Librarian Day for teams of librarians and teachers, all Colorado educators were welcome to sign up for All-Day Sessions on Saturday, February 11. Saturday All-Day Sessions were free of charge and took place on the Auraria Campus.

Photos of Librarian Days can be found at http://aamcolorado.mscd.edu/libday2006.htm.

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Redeeming Digital Resource Certificates: Taylor Kendal
Participants who complete AAM-Colorado workshops receive up to $450 in Digital Resource Certificates redeemable for digital primary source materials for use in their schools and classrooms. Certificates are redeemable at the AAM-Colorado Digital Primary Resource Center (DPRC) on Metro State's Auraria campus.

Digital Resource Certificates enable participants to order American Memory materials from AAM-Colorado, such as professional-quality color or black and white printouts of primary sources on a variety of paper types or as transparencies, laminated posters, photos, large-format maps, and discs containing the primary sources as requested by the participant.

AAM-Colorado workshop participants may redeem their Digital Resource Certificates to order Learning Activities Development project lesson resources, with topics such as Analyzing World War I and II Propaganda and Uncovering the Evolution of the Rights of African Americans Using American Memory. Certificates may also be redeemed to order Thematic Express Adventure Modules (TEAM) Packets, with collections that include primary sources such as printouts of the check for the purchase of Alaska in the Milestone Documents packet, and Alexander Graham Bell's design sketch of the early telephone in the Great Inventions packet.

Photo of Taylor KendalThe DPRC Price List (PDF, 219KB) is available on the AAM-Colorado Web site. Use the online Digital Resource order form to redeem your Digital Resource Certificates, or download the Primary Source order form in Word (752KB) or PDF (113KB) format.

AAM-Colorado Digital Preservationist Taylor Kendal is the contact person for redeeming certificates for primary source materials. If you have questions about placing a Digital Resource order, Taylor can be reached at 303-352-4428 or kendal@mscd.edu.

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Pike's Peak District 20 Joins AAM-Colorado
Eighteen educators from Pike's Peak District 20 in Colorado Springs completed AAM-Colorado Workshop Series I, II, and III in February 2006.

Susan Adams, Library Media Specialist at Pine Creek High School, wrote that the District 20 educators were "thrilled that the instructors were willing to come here for the workshop."

Susan was impressed that educators were willing to give up Saturdays to learn about the American Memory program and primary sources. She added that the search strategies the participants learned were proving to be time savers, and that the educators were excited to learn more about incorporating media elements into their projects. She also received comments that workshop participants felt they had improved their skills in analyzing primary sources.

The district is planning to incorporate AAM-Colorado workshops into its Summer Institute. AAM-Colorado welcomes District 20 to the American Memory program.

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Spring, Summer 2006 Workshop Schedules Available Online
AAM-Colorado spring workshops are in progress, with Saturday and Online workshops scheduled throughout the semester, and On-Location workshop groups to be scheduled as needed. The AAM-Colorado spring and summer workshop schedules are available at:

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Are You Training Others in Your District to Use Primary Sources?
As Colorado educators complete AAM-Colorado workshops and return to their schools and districts to share their knowledge, they begin local initiatives to familiarize their colleagues with the American Memory program and digitized primary source material. Are you an educator who has completed AAM-Colorado workshops, and now share your experience with other educators in your school or district? AAM-Colorado asks that those who undertake these local initiatives let us know, so that we may include them in our reports, and share with the AAM community the progress we are making in Colorado.

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AAM-Colorado Mentors Directory
AAM-Colorado introduces its Mentors Directory, a listing of Colorado educators who have participated in AAM-Colorado workshops and would like to help promote the program in their schools and districts. The Mentors Directory Web page will be available online. Colorado educators who would like to be listed on the Mentors Directory page may contact AAM-Colorado Online Communication Developer Lisa Bradshaw at bradshaw@mscd.edu or 303-352-4989.

John Kuglin and Chris Jennings to Offer Google Earth / Geocaching Workshops in April
AAM-Colorado Google Earth / Geocaching Workshops are planned for spring and summer 2006. On Wednesday, April 5, technology expert John Kuglin will demonstrate how to use Google Earth in the classroom, using such examples as overlaying modern digital images of landscapes over historic battlefield maps and other primary sources. AAM-Colorado Assistant Director Chris Jennings will host a second workshop Thursday, April 6.

Geocaching allows the coordinates of historic locations to be plotted into a GPS device, in preparation for a tour of the sites. Geocaching can be used in conjunction with Google Earth. Beyond the classroom (or computer lab), students examine primary source photos from the past with their position "waypoints" and an activity listed on the back of each primary source. Students enter the waypoints into a GPS device, and when they arrive at the location, compare and contrast what they see with the old photo. Activities can relate to math, science, and history, while teaching about the past and the present.

Google Earth / Geocaching workshops on Wednesday, April 5 and Thursday, April 6 will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., in Central (CN) 101 on Metro State's Auraria campus. Click the link for a campus map. To register, e-mail aamcolorado@mscd.edu or call 303-352-4945.

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Proposals Now Being Accepted for Summer 2006 Learning Activities Development
Learning Activities Development (LAD) brings teams of content experts together to create learning activities using a template, and incorporating primary sources and other educational elements to accomplish stated learning outcomes. Learning Activities Development projects will:

  • Follow a specified template.
  • Be centered around a topic (unit or lesson) using American Memory primary sources.
  • Propose and answer essential questions about the topic.
  • Address specific state learning standards.

Learning Activities Development will begin with an introductory Professional Development Day on Monday, June 12 to explain project goals and expectations. A Progress Meeting will be held Friday, June 30 to update the group, brainstorm, share ideas, and generate feedback.

During the weeks of June 12 - 30, participants may work on Learning Activities Development projects in AAM-Colorado's Digital Primary Resource Center (DPRC), in CN 101 on the Auraria Campus, or in a location of their choice. Teams will have until Friday, July 14 to complete their Learning Activities Development projects. Dissemination reports for each team will be due Monday, July 16, 2007.

Teams of 2 to 4 Colorado educators are invited to submit proposals for Learning Activities Development. AAM-Colorado requires that teams of 3 or 4 include at least one librarian, media or technology specialist. A stipend of $400 will be paid to each team member upon submission of the team's completed project.

Dissemination of content developed in the Learning Activities Development project is a key element of this professional development opportunity. After a report describing and documenting how the project was disseminated to the team's peers is submitted to AAM-Colorado, each team member will receive an additional $200 stipend. Teams will have until Monday, July 16, 2007 to complete their dissemination reports.

A selection of completed Learning Activities Development projects will be made available to the educational community through links on the AAM-Colorado Web site.

To see the prerequisites and planned schedule for Learning Activities Development, and to find out how to submit a proposal, visit the AAM-Colorado LAD page at http://aamcolorado.mscd.edu/learnactSchedule0606.htm.

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AAM-Colorado at Upcoming Conferences
AAM-Colorado plans to present at several upcoming conferences. Educators attending any of the conferences below are invited to look for AAM-Colorado's presentation:

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American Memory Workshops Across Colorado
Although AAM-Colorado is based in Denver, its purpose is to serve the state of Colorado. AAM-Colorado workshops have reached outside the Denver metropolitan area and across the state, taking place in Grand Junction, Alamosa, Durango, Cañon City, and Colorado Springs, with upcoming workshops planned for Longmont and Greeley.

AAM-Colorado workshops may be scheduled on-location with a minimum of 15 participants. To find out how your school or district can participate in AAM-Colorado workshops, contact us at aamcolorado@mscd.edu or 303-352-4945.

Metro State Pre-Service Teachers Learn About American Memory
American Memory curriculum is not just for the benefit of in-service educators. Over 600 Teacher Education students at Metro State complete EDT 3610, Educational Technology, each year. The course incorporates much of the material covered in the AAM-Colorado Series I, II, and III workshops. EDU 4100, Integrated Methods of Teaching Language Arts and the Social Studies, integrates NEED MORE HERE.

Have contacted Lupe Martinez; waiting to hear back. Questions for Lupe and Sue.
How many students take EDU 4100 each year? 3610?
How do you incorporate American Memory and primary sources into EDU 4100?
What are some examples of primary source material that your students have used to create lesson plans?
Can you think of examples of lessons based around primary sources that graduates of the Teacher Education program use in their classrooms?

These educators enter their field prepared to use digital primary sources in their classroom technology, and to share their knowledge with other educators.

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Workshop Reminder — FREE Online Workshop for Colorado K-12 Educators Begins March 13
A new AAM-Colorado Online Workshop Series begins soon. Workshops are offered at no charge to any Colorado K-12 educator. This workshop series will take place completely online:

  • Monday, March 13 – Saturday, May 13

Participants may take the online workshop series for a total of 24 contact hours (21 workshop hours and 3 hours homework). This format entitles participating educators who complete Series I, II, and III to receive the American Memory Certification, possible licensing renewal credit, up to $240 in Digital Resource Certificates, an American Memory USB Flash Drive complete with AAM-Colorado Workshop materials and digital primary sources, and the eligibility to apply for a $1,500 Technology Acquisition for their school.

Workshop participants who seek three graduate credit hours earn 45 contact hours (21 workshop hours, remainder online), the American Memory Certification, possible licensing renewal credit, up to $450 in Digital Resource Certificates, an American Memory USB Flash Drive complete with AAM-Colorado Workshop materials and digital primary sources, and the eligibility to apply for a $1,500 Technology Acquisition for their school. Graduate credit is awarded through University of Colorado at Denver or Adams State College. There is a tuition charge of $210.00 ($70.00 per credit hour) for graduate credit.

For more information, see the AAM-Colorado spring/summer workshop schedule at: http://aamcolorado.mscd.edu/schedulespring2006.htm.

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AAM-Colorado Spring 2006 Workshops are in Progress!
Contact AAM-Colorado at 303-352-4945 or aamcolorado@mscd.edu
for details about enrolling in AAM-Colorado Workshops.

Please do not respond to this e-mail. Instead, use the contact information below.

An Adventure of the American Mind – Colorado
Metropolitan State College of Denver
PO Box 173362, Campus Box 35
Denver, CO 80217

Phone 303-352-4945 • Fax 303-352-4987
E-mail aamcolorado@mscd.edu • Web http://aamcolorado.mscd.edu/
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