The Council for American Studies Education (CASE) Conference -- "Hope, Renewal and Resurgence: America in the Face of Hard Times" -- is coming soon: Friday, February 26, 2010 at the Art Institute of Chicago at 111 S. Michigan Ave.
For more information on this year's theme, see below. We are presently accepting proposals for break-out sessions related to the theme or to American Studies in general. Submit your own proposal.
Besides hearing a dynamic keynote speaker and a variety of panels and presentations, conference participants will be able to explore various exhibitions at the Art Institute, with a particular focus on our rich local history of social and educational reform.
We will soon be accepting registration online (pay by credit card or check). The early conference registration fee is $75.
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No one can deny that the United States is in the midst of one of the most difficult financial crises with which this nation has had to cope—and certainly one of, if not the, most troubled economies in our own lifetimes.
Even the insular world of public education has been feeling the effects. From staff reductions, salary negotiations, loss of funding for supplies and curricular materials, to a change in our own lifestyles and those of our students, we have seen the impact of these economic difficulties in our classrooms in ways many of us never have before.
In addition to economic troubles we are also fighting two concurrent wars and are in the midst of an ongoing struggle against extreme ideologies.
Yet, despite all of these concerns, we are also seeing many positive and encouraging signs. We are witnessing people re-prioritizing what’s important in their lives; we have seen people helping others to a degree unusual in our sometimes selfish society; and we have begun the process of reevaluating what is truly necessary in our pursuit of happiness and the American Dream.
As we read and hear news of how the economy is stabilizing, and may finally be on its ponderous way to righting itself, we as teachers of American Studies have an historic opportunity to address such questions as:
- How are these times are affecting us, both in and out of the classroom?
- How can we incorporate the changes people are making in their own lives into relevant, teachable moments for our students?
- How have similar times affected those who have lived though them?
- What lessons can our students learn from their own experiences?
Fremd will be attending the CASE Conf. We will register online by this Friday, however, due to the slowness of our district office, the check will not arrive until after Jan 17, are we ok with senind you our info via the registration and the check will arrive later? Kevin Palmer
Posted by: Kevin Palmer | January 05, 2010 at 03:46 PM