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What is a math teacher's role when integrating technology? What level of writing proficiency should a social studies teacher require from high school students? What impact can technology tools have on writing instruction?
To answer these and many other questions from the world of real classrooms, SAS inSchool curriculum specialists host annual education forums in conjunction with the national conferences in their subject fields. Former teachers themselves, these subject-area specialists are responsible for the pedagogy and content in Curriculum Pathways.
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SAS inSchool® Education Forums bring together public and private school teachers, district and state curriculum directors, and university faculty for round table discussions. These often have a primary focus, such as writing in the social studies classroom.
Over the past three years SAS inSchool has sponsored ten education forums, meeting with English, math, science, social studies, and Spanish teachers from Atlanta to San Francisco. Each forum gives curriculum specialists the chance to engage in a broad discussion of the trends, technologies, and challenges faced by real-world educators across the nation.
"I liked the relaxed format," said Mark Dubbs, a history teacher from Clarksville, Maryland. He attended a social studies forum in Baltimore held in conjunction with the National Council for the Social Studies annual conference in November 2004.
Dr. Sally Humble, curriculum specialist in English, finds that the education forums keep her in touch with the latest classroom issues. "We knew that the new SAT test structure was on the minds of English teachers," she said. "The forum gave us the opportunity to discuss it at length with the educators responsible for preparing students for the test."
Education forums also provide the opportunity to discuss upcoming projects with teachers, gauging interest and getting fresh ideas. These exchanges sometimes lead directly to new student activities in Curriculum Pathways.
"In Chicago several years ago we were discussing ideas for student activities in civics and economics," recalled social studies curriculum specialist Molly Farrow. "One economics teacher had a great idea for an activity related to the tenth anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement. We made his idea a reality, and the latest release of Curriculum Pathways included an InterActivity exploring NAFTA through video and primary source documents."
Prior to a recent education forum in Anaheim, California, forum participants had reviewed the latest SAS inSchool online algebra tools, even using them in the classroom. Participants noted that their students enjoyed the variety of lessons.
"The forum feedback was invaluable," said math curriculum specialist Dr. Cheryl Keeton. "It validated what we knew were valuable resources for teachers and students."
Education forums provide SAS inSchool curriculum specialists with an important opportunity to reconnect with the realities that classroom teachers face every day.
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