I'm involved in a three-year grant-supported project for teachers of American history and literature. We're learning how to incorporate primary and secondary sources of Minnesota history in our teaching. We're also learning teaching techniques and activities to engage our students in their studies of the material.
I don't know if it sounds even remotely interesting the way I've described it, but it really is. I'm learning things I never knew about Minnesota history (I grew up in North Dakota) and the region where I now live and work. I'm naturally curious and find it fascinating to learn about the Native Americans and European explorers, traders, and settlers who interacted in this area. If I can pass even a portion of my enthusiasm on to my students, this three-year project will have been a success.
One of our guests at today's session was Dr. Anton Treuer, a trilingual professor of Ojibwa language and culture at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, MN. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable, but he is also very personable. He has an engaging public speaking manner that easily kept our attention as he told us about the history of Native Americans and public education, as well as the current status of Native languages. Our time with him was too short.
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