Moving the Needle: NMB Teacher Professional Development

Overview

Knowing, understanding and appreciating our history and heritage enables us to navigate the present, shape our identity, and strengthen our purpose in the world. National Museum of Bermuda (NMB) is pleased to offer a year-long four-module programme to better support teachers’ incorporation of local history into the classroom. This is open to ALL teachers.

Local educators will be given the opportunity to explore, refine and unpack their understanding of Bermuda’s diverse past and experiment with multi-disciplinary approaches to history to help respond to the needs of modern students.

This programme will link primary, middle and high school social studies/Bermuda studies curricula with current research; make history relevant and accessible using inquiry-based lectures and interactive workshops; and result in a deeper sense of historical knowledge and pride of place. Post-programme, teachers will receive user-friendly teacher unit plans and resources created by NMB to help bring history to life in the classroom.

Programme Dates

Module 1: The Early Atlantic Age (1250–1609): Why and how did we get here?

Thursday March 12, 2020 (Lecture)

Saturday March 14, 2020 (Workshop)

Module 2: Building a Maritime Community & Maritime State: Early Settlement & Economic Growth (1609–1800): What are the critical relationships and adaptations that shaped Bermuda?

Thursday July 23, 2020 (Lecture)

Friday July 24, 2020 (Workshop)

Module 3: Pushing the Boundaries of Freedom: How did free people of colour and enslaved individuals in Bermuda navigate local and international power structures in their fight for freedom?

Wednesday, November 18, 2020 (Lecture)

Saturday, November 21, 2020 (Workshop) REGISTER NOW

Module 4:

TBC

Programme details:

Each module will include:

1. An evening lecture conducted by a Bermudian scholar/professor
2. A morning teacher workshop facilitated by Lisa Howie, NMB Director of Learning & Engagement
3. A history resource package and a journal for reflective practice

Module 1: The Early Atlantic Age (1250–1609): Why and how did we get here?

Module 2: Building a Maritime Community & Maritime State: Early Settlement & Economic Growth (1609–1800): What are the critical relationships and adaptations that shaped Bermuda?

Module 3: Pushing the Boundaries of Freedom: How did free people of colour and enslaved individuals in Bermuda navigate local and international power structures in their fight for freedom?

Module 4: Modern Bermuda (1945–today): What can we learn from the past to shape a better future?

Programme aims:

— To introduce the concept of and encourage the teaching of Bermuda history in the context of Atlantic World History—the study of relationships and interactions between the peoples of the Americas, Africa and Europe

— To present current historical research and explore teaching strategies to promote critical thinking and support teachers in responding to the needs of 21st-century students

— To challenge established patterns and practices of historiography, meaning-making and interpretation by presenting and workshopping new and emerging perspectives

— To help teachers make meaningful connections with peers, the National Museum of Bermuda, and the historical content

Programme objectives:

1. Teachers will gain current and accurate historical research on Bermuda framed in the context of Atlantic World History
2. Teachers will interact with multi-disciplinary approaches to teaching history
3. Teachers will self-evaluate if the new approaches have the potential to lead to a deeper connection with the historical content
4. Teachers will be provided with user-friendly, well designed classroom resources, including unit/lesson plans and short videos made available online

Teaching methods:

LECTURE: This will be structured as a “problem-based” presentation with an audience participation exercise and a professor-led lecture followed by a moderated Q&A. This method encourages a greater sense of understanding and engagement with the content.

WORKSHOP: Participants will revisit and examine the lecture content by discussing their reflections, reactions and queries with the lecturer followed by facilitated interactive exercises that demonstrate a multi-disciplinary approach to teaching history. The methods will then be discussed and evaluated by the teachers. What transpires in the workshop will lead to NMB-produced resources that respond to the needs of teachers and students.

Certification:

• NMB Course Certificate
• Credit for Teacher Professional Development Hours issued by BEC
• Programme endorsed by Department of Education

Lecturers:

Dr. Clarence Maxwell, Assistant Professor of History, Millersville University

Dr. Theodore Francis, Assistant Professor of History, Huston-Tillotson University

Dr. Kristy Warren, University of Leicester, School of History, Politics and International Relations, Post-Doctorate 

How to Register:

Click HERE to register for the Module 3 Workshop.

Courses run by Lisa Howie, Director of Learning and Engagement, education@nmb.bm