DPLA Joins Teaching with Primary Sources Unconference at SAA
We are pleased to announce that DPLA will be participating in the second annual Teaching with Primary Sources Unconference and Workshops, which will be held on Wednesday, August 3 in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library system ahead of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) Annual Meeting. The event will be free of charge and open to the public by registration, which begins on June 13.
An “unconference” is a collaborative, non-hierarchical program in which all participants actively inhabit the roles of teacher-learner-conference planner. The Teaching with Primary Sources Unconference organizers seek to create a forum of exchange and foster participation from the wider community of individuals who employ primary sources in teaching and learning activities. Educators, librarians, museum professionals, public historians, artists and designers, scientists, and archivists are encouraged to attend. Individuals employed in or volunteering with K-12, higher education, and community-based programs are all welcome. The unconference is a full day of activities, but participants may come and go as they please depending on their schedules, needs, and interests. While workshops will be organized in advance, unconference sessions will be spontaneous.
We are excited to have the opportunity to lead one of the workshop discussions on “Building Primary Source Sets for Students and Teachers,” sharing some of the the ideas, goals, questions, and challenges behind the Digital Public Library of America’s Primary Source Sets. We are excited to have this unconference opportunity to explore key questions raised during the research and development of this project with colleagues from the fields of education, libraries and archives, museums, and more!
In addition to our workshop, we look forward to participating in what promises to be a rich and engaging program of discussion and collaboration. At the inaugural Teaching with Primary Sources Unconference in 2015, participants chose from a selection of workshops on such topics as creating effective exhibitions, teaching with visual materials (artwork, photographs and other non-textual formats), and learning assessment, followed by an afternoon dedicated to sixteen sessions selected and facilitated by participants. A sample of topics discussed include racial and social justice theory, National History Day, materials handling, pedagogy, and using primary sources to teach subjects beyond the humanities.
Keep up with the latest Teaching with Primary Sources Unconference developments by checking the following URL, which will provide the most current source of information about the unconference: bitly.com/SAA16TPS. Registration opens on June 13.
ABOUT THE TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES COMMITTEE
The Teaching with Primary Sources Unconference Team is comprised of members of the Teaching with/about Primary Sources (TPS) Committee of the Society of American Archivists’ Reference, Access and Outreach Section. The purpose of the TPS Committee is to advocate for the active and interactive use of primary sources in teaching and learning as a core component of archival work. The TPS Committee seeks collaborative partnerships with all types of institutions (academic, cultural heritage, etc.) and all levels of learners: K-12, college and university, and lifelong learners. After a year of planning, the TPS Committee co-sponsored the first Teaching with Primary Sources Unconference in 2015 with the support of the Cleveland Public Library and plans to hold future unconferences in different regions of the United States. For more information, contact TeachWithStuff@gmail.com and follow the conversation online using #SAATPS16.
Please do not contact the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History regarding this press release.