Partner Feature - National Museum of American History

October 12, 2016

Center for Inspired Teaching is delighted to feature the National Museum of American History, an internship site for our Real World History program. Public and public charter high school students enrolled in Real World History build their skills as historians through this model, competency-based course that combines classes with internship experiences at historic sites and museums across Washington, DC.

The National Museum of American History has hosted several Real World History students as interns. Students have conducted research, explored the archives, and even designed and directed teenage-friendly tours of the museum. This spring, students will help with the design and implementation of the National Youth Summit, which brings middle and high school students together with scholars, teachers, policy experts and activists in a national conversation about important events in America’s past that have relevance to the nation’s present and future.

Naomi Coquillon, Manager of Youth and Teacher Programs at the National Museum of American History, says: “The approach of Real World History, to teach students the skills of historians and to provide them opportunities to practice the work of history, dovetails with our emphasis on ‘doing history’ and teaching history as inquiry-based and active. It is a natural partnership; we are pleased to deepen our relationship this year and provide the students with greater access to the museum’s staff and collections.”

Max Matthews, a junior at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, leads fellow Real World History students and Smithsonian employees on a tour of the museum.

The goal of the National Museum of American History is to help people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future. “Social studies as a subject,” Naomi elaborates, “helps students understand how people interact with each other and the world… in the past, today, and in the future.” We share in the Smithsonian’s efforts to provide learning opportunities that connect academic subjects like history to the issues of the present and to the reality of students’ lives.

The Museum’s Education and Outreach team sees the study of American history as an active pursuit that should engage students. Like Inspired Teaching, they’re focused on ensuring that every student has an education that empowers him or her to thrive and contribute to our world. Naomi explains, “When students and teachers ‘do history’ together they practice the type of critical thinking, problem solving, and communication and collaboration skills that prepare them to be active, informed citizens, equipped to help shape a more humane future.”

Learn more about the National Museum of American History on their website. To access their educational resources, visit the Smithsonian’s History Explorer website. On our website, you can learn more about Real World History and view some of the projects students developed in concert with their internships.

Micaiah Anderson

Community Outreach Specialist

As a Community Outreach Specialist, Micaiah is responsible for program promotion and outreach support for Inspired Teaching events and workshops. Micaiah has a passion for collaborating with community members to build-power and connect. She is an educator with a heart for youth and has experience supporting students fight injustices within their schools and communities. She has a BA in Political Science from, the real HU, Hampton University & anticipates graduating in May 2024 with a Masters of Arts degree in Educational Policy Transformation from Georgetown University.

AUTONOMY

"I want to have a say in what happens to me."

Autonomy is the need for independence; the ability to make choices, to create, to explore, and to express oneself freely; to have sufficient space, to move around, and to feel unrestricted with opportunities to exercise free will.

Brady Maiden

Outreach Coordinator

As the Outreach Coordinator, Brady helps maintain Inspired Teaching’s social media presence and supports the organization’s mission to connect with DC community leaders, educators, and parents. Brady has her Master’s in Public Policy from George Mason University and her BS in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. She is passionate about community, equity, and coalition building recognizing that learning and growing with the community at large is how we continue to be impactful.

What brings you joy in life?

I find joy in spending time with my friends and family and meeting new people. I like going to concerts and festivals, and finding new books to read.

The Learner’s Cycle, Wonder-Experiment-Learn, and the Teacher’s Cycle, Observe-Plan-Instigate, comprise Inspired Teaching’s approach to engaging students in inquiry-based learning.

When they are engaged in the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, students are immersed in learning. They take the lead in designing authentic learning experiences around their own interests and their school’s standards of learning. Each discovery leads to a new question which in turn leads to more wondering and more learning. In the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, Learn is not a destination or an endpoint; it is a deeper understanding, leading to a deeper wondering and new possibilities that create new entry points to further exploration. The cycle continues because what students have learned generates more wonderings that require more experiments that foster more learning – and on and on.

The Observe-Plan-Instigate Cycle is the work of an Inspired Teacher. While a student is expected to follow the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, the teacher joins them on the learning journey while following their own cycle of Observe-Plan-Instigate. This cycle ultimately serves to ensure an inquiry-based atmosphere is at play in the classroom.

Jaqueta Abbey

Teaching and Learning Specialist

Jaqueta is the Teaching and Learning Specialist for Inspired Teaching. In addition to her current role with Inspired Teaching, Jaqueta is a first-grade teaching assistant. Her background features a variety of traditional and non-traditional experiences in the field of education, including working as an adjunct professor, teaching summer reading programs to children and adults, and tutoring children in the foster care system. Jaqueta earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

What brings you joy in life?

Creative self-expression! In addition to my passion for storytelling, I love dancing of all kinds. I've studied belly dance, bachata, and Brazilian Zouk among other styles. I also enjoy glass fusing, crocheting, photography, and cross stitching. These art forms allow me to express myself and build connections with other people at the same time. I think life would be a lot less vibrant without artists and storytellers!

Michelle Welk

Communication & Marketing Specialist

As Communications and Marketing Specialist, Michelle is responsible for finding and creating new ways to highlight Inspired Teaching and promote its programs in order to expand and deepen the organization's impact. Michelle has worked in communications in an array of settings, from creative agencies to state politics to national nonprofits. She has a BA in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and is passionate about education, access, and equity.

What brings you joy in life?

My son, the beach, making a persuasive argument and good food!

Max Peterson

Real World History Assistant Teacher

Max received his Bachelor’s degree in History and African American Studies from Boston University in May 2016. He has worked in museum curation at the Museum of the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Max has worked with young people of varying ages from young children to young adults transitioning to college.

Feedback and Accountability

We grow through feedback and an understanding that the quality of our work is a reflection of what we are learning, but the shift to remote learning this spring disrupted a lot of the tools teachers were used to using to evaluate student growth. How might we do things differently this fall? Participants in this workshop will explore ways to bring meaningful assessment into the virtual and/or socially-distanced classroom and approaches to student feedback that strengthen motivation, and build relationships and achievement.