In March I had the good fortune to participate in this year’s American Association of Colleges & Universities Conference (AACU) on Diversity, Equity, and Student Success in Philadelphia, PA. Preparing for my roundtable discussion on “Diversifying the US History Survey” prodded me to think about what I’m currently doing in my courses, and encouraged some dialogue with students about what is/not working from their perspectives.   Often we as teachers are not the best judges of what our students require to be successful because we subconsciously lean on our own educational experiences when we develop expectations of our students’ needs. Thinking about diversity and inclusion in the college history classroom, therefore, requires us to reflect on our biases and open ourselves up to learning about topics that we might not have studied in graduate school to encourage our own growth, and our students'. In the United States history survey courses, inclusion demands that we expand the narrative beyond electoral wins and losses and look more deeply into how decision-making by leaders (local, state, and national) has impacted the diverse communities that together create our nation. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in history education necessitates consideration not just of race and gender, but also economics and social class, particularly the way in which those in political power often utilize their advantages to the detriment of others.    After hearing from colleagues in states with anti-DEI legislation either passed or pending it struck me that at the heart of the movement is fear of the unknown – of people and ideologies that are different from those who for so long have had political and economic control. Historically there is nothing new about this kind of resistance. While I feel fortunate to teach in a so-called “blue state,” the angry sentiments of DEI resistance exist in every community, though their voices and the power they wield are stronger in some than others. As I listened to presentations at the AACU conference it was reaffirmed for me that what my students need most is a broad knowledge of our national past so they can better understand the current debates about DEI and place those debates within historical context. In other words, a student who knows nothing about the movement for civil rights in the United States will fail to understand the detrimental impact of anti-DEI legislation.    Yesterday students in my US History since 1877 class watched a segment of the classic documentary “Eyes on the Prize” as part of a larger discussion of school desegregation efforts in the 1950s/1960s. The community college where I teach has approximately 11% students who identify as black and/or African American, and is a federally- designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Many of my students did not realize that segregated schools were a part of our national history. Having these conversations about the history of civil rights reminds us all that the playing field has never been equal and that there is considerable danger in political movements that seek to silence the very efforts that have moved us towards a more integrated society (with much work still left to do).   I would love to hear from Macmillan Community members about the challenges they are facing in their communities related to DEI. What kinds of resources are you as educators relying on to help students understand the centrality of diversity to our national history? And, what kinds of resources would be helpful as we navigate these challenging educational waters?    Please share by commenting here or emailing me at suzannekmccormack@gmail.com ... View more

Tagging on to my Macmillan Community colleague’s post “Recommendations for Black History Month” I’d like to share two web sites that I find particularly pertinent for educators in all disciplines as we continue to watch state legislatures and local school boards mercilessly target history education. No matter our politics, as educators we have a responsibility to our students to encourage critical thinking about both current events and historical topics. Here are two additional links for those who are seeking ideas, discussion, and resources. Both of these sites go beyond the scope of Black History Month to maintain up to date information year round:   Teaching History with Integrity – part of the American Historical Association’s multi-faceted efforts to counter-balance efforts against teaching all aspects of our national history. The site includes videos featuring historians describing the challenges educators are currently facing and why we as a society need to be honest with students even when the narrative is uncomfortable.   The Zinn Education Project provides lesson plans on topics not commonly found in textbooks, including this month’s focus on environmental racism. If you’re looking for resources to supplement discussions on race, gender, climate justice, imperialism and many other areas, this website is regularly updated and full of ideas for expanding conversation in your classrooms.   Other suggestions, please share!  ... View more

Last summer I instituted open-notebook exams in my introductory-level history courses. Previously I had relied on traditional practices: a mix of essays and objective questions for which students had to be well-versed in a half-semester’s worth of material. I was, however, increasingly concerned about the low grades that students, especially those in their first-year, were earning on exams that required memorization. The fact that many of our current first-year students had at least some period of remote learning during COVID, during which it's possible they were not required to prepare for closed book/notes exams further encouraged me to try some alternative practices aimed at improving student outcomes.   My goal was to focus my students’ attention on note taking with the idea that this skill is one that can and is used in virtually every professional career. As I was writing this blog, for example, I unscientifically polled friends – a banker, a sales professional, and two personal trainers – all of whom confirmed that they take notes every day while they work. Sometimes on paper, but more often using cell phones or even napkins. As professionals they have learned that there are key stats/terms/ideas that they need to be able to reference at a later time and they acknowledge that their memory is often flawed. Notes trigger memory and, in the case of my students, I hope that their notes connect them to the discussions we had in class days/weeks after, which would enable more success on exams. [FYI: For more on the topic of linking professional skills to open-note exams, see Carol E. Holstead’s piece “In Praise of Open-Note Exams” in The Chronicle of Higher Education (5 September 2023)]   I’m now in my second full semester of open notebook exams with my US History I and II students. Each week I distribute a handout to guide student note-taking: key terms, images/maps from lecture, and sometimes definitions or references to place in the textbook that I think are particularly helpful. I also invite a professional from our college Tutoring Center to meet with the class during the first two weeks to offer support for note-taking skills/guidance.    Admittedly I have not yet done any statistical analysis of students’ test results, though I have witnessed first hand the reduction in stress level as we get closer to exams. I have also discovered that the open-notebook exams policy created an avenue for me to regularly address the importance of taking notes in class. This past week, for example, during a particularly complicated discussion about politics in the Progressive Era I noticed several students not taking notes. I took a few moments at the end of class to discuss with the class what specific information they felt was important from my lecture and what they had written down. I pointed out some details that I hoped they had recorded, and suggested that they share their notes with a classmate after our meeting to ensure that they were not missing any key information. Several students stayed after class to ask me questions and to clarify their notes.    This change from memory-based to notes-based exams has been small but so far meaningful. The greatest challenge for me, however, has been determining what kinds of questions work best for open-note exams. Doing some basic internet searches on open-notes exams has shown me that, like everything else in the field of education, there is no consensus on what works best with students. I would love to hear from colleagues in the Macmillan Community about what kinds of questions have worked best in open-notes exams.    Please share! ... View more

Recently a Catholic school in Massachusetts found itself immersed in controversy over their decision to serve a fried chicken lunch as part of Black History Month. The public attention and discourse surrounding the incident reminded me how far we still need to move as a society in terms of understanding our national history and integrating non-white perspectives. While I’m certain that as a society we will never be in complete agreement over what constitutes the “truth” about American history, I do believe that as teachers and historians we must guide our students towards a more comprehensive view of our nation’s diverse past.   For me, the “fried chicken” controversy speaks to the general problem of “Black History Month” – a mere month to turn the public’s short attention span to the history of a people that is far more complex and important than can be covered by snippets over the course of twenty-eight days. Those of us who teach black history recognize that it is filled with both triumphs and tragedies – too many to squeeze into a singular four-week period. I worry, for example, that years from now students will remember the fried chicken controversy but will have gained no lasting, concrete knowledge or understanding of the lives of black Americans.   Here, however, are two web-based resources that I have recently recommended to students and teachers to help integrate black history into every day, not just the days in February:    Joel Christian Gill is an illustrator and historian whose Instagram posts showcase his efforts to bring black history to a wider audience through comic books and graphic novels. Students love his illustrations and are inspired to research the subjects about which he publishes. Gill’s posts also include his sometimes funny, often painful, observations as a professor of color, which can offer prompts for honest conversations about race in the classroom.   The Zinn Education Project is valuable to teachers but useful to students of history as well. Of particular interest currently is the site’s publication of the National Report on the Teaching of Reconstruction (January 2022), which includes a state-by-state analysis of what K-12 students are learning about the topic. For those teaching US history at the college level the report provides valuable information about what public school students are taught prior to high school graduation based on state guidelines and standards. The information is both enlightening and alarming. While I’m often surprised at my students’ lack of knowledge of Reconstruction, I was shocked to learn that in my state public schools are not required to teach any Reconstruction history. This new insight will certainly inform my planning for future curriculum.   What black history-focused resources that should not be relegated to February have you encountered recently? Please share!    This article was originally published on 2.10.22  ... View more

Over the past year many publications have explored the COVID 19 pandemic-related “gaps” that educators are seeing in elementary school-aged children who missed out on important opportunities for social and emotional growth as part of in-person classes. As we move forward in the post-COVID era, here are some (unscientific) observations of what I have witnessed with my students during 2023. I’m sharing my experiences in hopes of inspiring us all to think about what we can do with future classes to close the social/emotional gaps among the 18+ year-olds that we teach at America’s colleges:   Students feel overwhelmed. Many students feel alone in their educational journeys in spite of available safety nets and support systems.   Example: my students can meet with an advisor in person or complete the advising process on their own by following carefully written directions and utilizing a virtual assistant. After the enrollment period for 2024 opened I asked one of my classes if anyone was taking the second half of the US history survey with me during the spring semester. Silence. Then I asked if anyone had met with their advisor or utilized the advising app. Fewer than a handful of hands were raised in a class of 20-plus students. When I expressed concern about how many were unprepared for the course selection process a student shared that she was completely overwhelmed by the process. Several students nodded in agreement. Later that day a student from the class stopped by my office to discuss her concern that she is in the wrong major.   Students are isolating themselves from their peers. On any given day, walk into a college-level lecture and the majority of students will be scrolling their social feeds or texting with people who are not in the same room. Especially at commuter-colleges but no doubt also at places with active dorm cultures, students often make little to no effort to get to know their classmates unless we engage them in that practice.    It has been reaffirmed for me this year numerous times that student resistance to even general conversation with peers in an academic setting is evidence of how much they need that interaction. Case in point: my US history students in a medium-size lecture hall. After splitting them randomly into groups to begin discussion, many sat with their backs to their group members until I told them to face one another for their discussion.   Students are in desperate need of all kinds of support. No doubt there is nothing surprising to anyone about this observation, and the reality is that college-aged students have historically struggled with stress, anxiety and depression in addition to academic challenges. The COVID-19 Pandemic only exacerbated a problem that already existed. Encouraging students to take advantage of on-campus counseling support is critical, but I would further suggest that bringing academic support measures into the classroom from the first day of school can help alleviate some of the stress before it builds to a breaking point. I’m excited to be part of a pilot program at my college in which we will embed a peer tutor into my US history classes. I look forward to writing more about this experience in future blogs.   What challenges are you anticipating as we begin a new calendar year? How can we, the Macmillan Community, best support our colleagues through these and other challenges? Please share by commenting below or email me at suzannekmccormack@gmail.com   Happy New Year!    ... View more

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a Macmillan webinar titled “Working with Divided Student Attention: Engaging Learners in A World Full of Distractions.” Professor Christin Monroe (Landmark College) and I shared some of our experiences working with diverse student populations in our respective fields, chemistry and history. We heard from lots of faculty participants from all over the country during the webinar who asked questions and shared experiences from their own classrooms. Most helpful for me was our discussion of what it means to be “distracted” and how to tell if a student truly is not paying attention. As we seek a better understanding of how the brain works and how much information we can process at one time, these kinds of conversations are critical for faculty seeking to make the most of the in-person time they have with students.    I’m happy to share a recording of the webinar below and welcome the opportunity to continue this conversation in a future blog. Comments are welcome through the comment box below or to me via email at suzannekmccormack@gmail.com   Working With Divided Student Attention: Engaging Learners In A World Full of Distractions (macmillanlearning.com) ... View more

As Professor Scribner notes, it's not always easy to have historians explore new digital features! However, LearningCurve adaptive quizzing provides improved results for students without extra stress. Listen as he discusses the most popular digital asset combination to get students to come to class prepared and having done the reading: Learning Curve adaptive quizzing + eBook within Achieve! ... View more

The community college at which I teach is designated a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), which means that at least 25% of our students are Hispanic. Many of our students are first-generation college students making it imperative that we provide a curriculum that affords them an opportunity to explore their cultures as well as examples of people from their communities who have been successful in their professional pursuits. Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 to October 15th, is a great time to review our courses and extracurricular offerings to ensure that we are meeting the needs of these valued members of our academic communities.   This past summer our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council reached out to the Rhode Island Latino Arts (RILA), a statewide cultural institution, to connect with a Dominican-American filmmaker. Alberto Genao grew up only five miles from our campus in one of the communities from which many of our students graduate high school. He visited campus last week to share his work in documentary and narrative filmmaking, as well as his efforts to document the Dominican and Colombian communities in our state.   Students had an overwhelmingly positive response to Genao’s visit and his message encouraging them to network in both their home communities and the collegiate environment. Having a professional filmmaker show students music videos he has made with performers in the Caribbean was motivating and inspiring, allowing them to see the possibilities that exist beyond the boundaries of their neighborhoods and the success of a man with a shared socio-economic background. Many of the students in the room during Genao’s talk could identify directly with his upbringing and the familial and cultural challenges he faced as he pursued a non-traditional career path.    Anyone in the Macmillan Community looking for an engaging speaker to connect with students during Hispanic Heritage Month, is encouraged to reach out to state cultural organizations such as RILA who can introduce students to speakers with whom they can directly identify. Just as we want students to see themselves reflected in a diverse teaching faculty, community members’ participation on our college campuses can present valuable role models for our students as they navigate the challenges of higher education. ... View more

Historian and professor Vaughn Scribner explains Achieve in his own words and why it's changed his classroom for the better. ... View more

We’ve had the good fortune this calendar year of welcoming two new faculty to our department, both of whom are newly-minted PhDs. Having fresh f aces to interact with has added energy to our department while also making us all a bit more aware of how important it is to “check in” on one another.    As we met in our opening-day department meeting I reflected on my first faculty meeting as an assistant professor on the tenure track in 2007. Diversity in hiring has been a priority of my community college for some time now. On that day in 2007, however, I was one of only two female faculty in a department of 15. Sixteen years later our department of 18 full-time faculty includes seven women and six people of color. We are the most diverse department on campus and our students notice. Increasingly they see themselves reflected in their teachers and that is meaningful. So many of our students are first-generation college students and seeing a diverse faculty provides them with examples of who they could become. They look to us as examples for their professional careers and to share with us the challenges they are facing as students and human beings.    I sent texts to our new faculty members a few days into the school year just to “check in”: how is it so far? What challenges are you facing? One commented that they were having trouble asking for assistance from our wonderfully helpful administrative assistant because in their head they were “still a graduate student.” We chatted about this transition from student to faculty, which gave me an opportunity to think about my own experiences so many years ago.   As we start this new semester, check in on your colleagues – young and old, new and seasoned. Yesterday one of our younger faculty members stopped by my office to ask how my semester is going. The “ask” gave me an opportunity to vent about a frustrating interaction with a student and I felt noticeably lighter when the conversation ended.    So this year, as always, whether it’s online in the Macmillan Community or in our brick and mortar offices, we as faculty can be amazing allies and support for each other. Keep your doors open and remember to keep checking in. ... View more

This week I had the opportunity to participate in New Student Welcome Day at my college. Beyond helping them to learn the ins and outs of the campus, the students were introduced to the college’s Pathways program and had the opportunity to eat lunch with a faculty member who teaches within their chosen academic path.    Participation in such a program by faculty is always voluntary at my community college. For me, New Student Days are an important way to help forge a personal connection to the physical space of the college while also being introduced to the intellectual shift that needs to take place as they become college students. While the idea behind the lunch was to provide students an opportunity to talk about possible career paths available to them with specific majors, the best part of the experience for me was listening to the general concerns that the student expressed.    I participated in this week’s event as a “history professor” but in reality what the students needed was a safe space in which to ask what they deemed “stupid questions.” This realization occurred about five minutes into my lunch group’s discussion when a student interrupted my talk about academic majors to ask what the difference is between calling an instructor “Professor” versus “Mr. or Mrs.” What followed was a series of “This is a dumb question but ….”    I was reminded during that one-hour discussion that many of my students are first-generation college attendees. Unlike myself, they did not grow up hearing their parents tell stories about college experiences. They likely do not keep one of their father’s college textbooks on their bookshelves like I do – a relic of my father’s life as a young man but also evidence of my family’s history of higher education. I don’t remember ever wondering why college-level teachers are called “professors” … but I do have memories of my father describing a particularly difficult professor at the institution we both attended.    As much as I tried to talk about career paths, what the students wanted was to discuss the basics: schedule, calendar, textbooks, bookstore, and general interaction with faculty. In other words, they could not yet envision career paths because they need to get over this first hurdle of experiencing the environment of college.   As we prepare for the first days of the new semester, let's try to hold some extra space and empathy in our hearts for those young people who are very likely to soar academically, but only after they stumble the first few weeks in an environment that is entirely foreign to them. Recognize that what feels so natural to those of us who teach, may feel cumbersome and riddled with anxiety to a person who has no previous connection to higher education. In other words, while our expertise may lie in an academic area, many young people need us more simply to be their bridge to that space that is unknown and uncomfortable. Best wishes for the new academic year!  ... View more

Even after teaching college students for twenty-plus years, I'm still searching every summer for tips and tricks to make the upcoming year's courses more meaningful for both myself and my students. This summer I was fortunate to participate in an assessment workshop at my college to evaluate our student learning outcomes (SLOs). Faculty from nearly every academic department worked in small mixed-discipline groups to consider necessary changes to our SLOs and discuss implementation of changes during the upcoming academic year. At the conclusion of the workshop each group shared observations for their assigned SLO in a seminar-wide discussion.    The strongest take-away for me from this workshop was the importance of helping students to understand the “why” in my assignments. From the simple (“why are we reading these textbook chapters?”) to the more complex (“why can’t we use unvetted web sites in our history research projects?”) it was demonstrated to me time and again as I listened to the challenges colleagues face in their classrooms that we as faculty need our students to buy-in to our assignments. They must see the value in completing the work as a component of their personal success rather than simply checking a box.    I’ve blogged before about the challenge of convincing students to engage with  assigned readings. Reality is that if students believe they can complete a course without reading the text, they will do so. My students are assigned various types of quizzes (Summative Chapter or Learning Curve) available with Achieve to prepare for class. While I can’t be certain that they have read every word of the chapter, I can generally see from their quiz grade whether the student has engaged even minimally with the material before coming to class. Having those quizzes combine to equal one exam grade gives some weight to the reading as well and undoubtedly increased the quality of class participation and discussion.   While many Macmillan Community members may already be familiar with the so-called TILT framework for creating course assignments, I am sharing the link this week because until this summer’s faculty seminar, TILT was a foreign concept to me. A research project originally begun at the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, TILT provides a framework for transparency in student assignments. The web site linked in this blog provides an explanation of the framework as well as opportunities for faculty to participate in on-going research studies of student assignments. In our faculty seminar we shared assignments from previous semesters and made suggestions to each other, using the TILT concepts, for how our goals for SLOs could be better conveyed to students through our instructions. The experience was incredibly valuable! As you prepare for the semester ahead, TILT is just one more resource to consider adding to your academic tool box.   Tips for the new school year? Please share!   ... View more

If you’re anything like me and love summer movies, you might be excited for the upcoming release of “Barbie” (Warner Bros). And while I’m not going to claim there is any historical value in seeing the film, I do think that the mere existence of the film is a great opportunity for conversations with students about a variety of topics: the history of children’s toys, the history of childhood, as well as personal reflection and even nostalgia.   The character “Barbie” is no doubt iconic in American life. Since the 1950s millions of children worldwide have dressed their dolls, imagined life in their “Dream Houses,” and zoomed their Barbies in pink cars on playroom floors. The public debate about the image projected by Barbie has also been ever-present: a blonde haired, blue-eyed woman sculpted with an unrealistically “ideal” body. Over the years, Mattel has sought to mitigate Barbie’s image problem by creating new Barbies that are more diverse and seek to inspire girls, in particular, to believe that any dream is a possibility.    I’ve been reflecting on Barbie, and toys in general, as a potential topic for US history classes this week as marketing ramps up for the film’s release. As crazy as this claim may sound, I do not remember ever owning a Barbie. My mother assures me that this was not the case and that for a time as a child I was just as immersed in Barbie’s imaginary world as the rest of my cohort of 1970s-born American girls.   While I certainly don’t expect to remember everything from my personal history, I do have strong memories of my favorite childhood possession: a two-sided chalkboard. For a time as a child I remember my father writing very short stories (two or three sentences) on the board after I went to sleep at night so I could read them in the morning. My father was a history teacher then and I remember visiting his classroom and him letting me write on the board at the front of the room. I also vividly recall that later I lined up my stuffed animals in a classroom formation on my bedroom floor to teach them “lessons.”    My own children are grown (enough) that I can make connections between their professional goals and their childhood passions. My oldest, who was never without a colored pencil and a drawing pad, is now an illustrator. My youngest, who wrote stories for us that he “bound” with multiple rows of staples, is studying film and writing. When I reflect on these memories with my children and share the historical evidence of their youthful work, I’m reminded of how often our college students forget subjects/areas of interest that they were passionate about once they arrive in college. The focus on career/income goals often completely takes over any discussion of their actual interests.   So, back to “Barbie” … what if we ask our students to think about the toys that brought them joy as children and imagine a way in which they could find that same joy as they pursue career choices? An in-class assignment might include students conducting research on their favorite childhood toys – they might, like me, have to ask the adults who raised them for some insight. A student who loved Barbies or GI Joes, or Matchbox Cars, for example, could engage in the history of their chosen product, its controversies and evolution over time. Ultimately, however, we as teachers could ask them to think about how that toy provoked joy and what they are/could be doing in their lives today to find that same spark. Questions will be raised about their personal childhood histories while also considering some of the popular culture of the eras in which they were raised.   As a graduate student I took a seminar called “History of Childhood.” This experience was the first time I had ever considered the extent to which young people’s lives have changed dramatically over the course of history. The topic made me more conscious about including children’s experiences in my general US History classes – and recognizing those experiences as historically valid and meaningful.   So let's toy (sorry) with this question: has anyone out there in the Macmillan Community included a study of toys/childhood in their survey history courses? Please share. ... View more

My summer term students were taking their final exam for US History I today when the Supreme Court announced the ruling that effectively ends affirmative action in college admissions. I can’t help but wonder about the long-term impact of the decision for community college students like mine, many of whom come from disadvantaged school districts where most residents are non-white. The two years of free community college provided to new high school graduates by the state in which I teach is only a small step towards closing the enormous economic gaps that exist in our socio-economic hierarchy. The reality is that nearly all well-paying jobs require a four-year degree nowadays. Every May as I watch students walk across the stage in jubilation as they receive their hard-earned associates degrees, I can’t help but think about all the academic and economic challenges that still lie ahead.   How, then, do we talk about the SCOTUS decision to our students of color? I long ago embraced the ideology of “teaching the truth.” Students in my classes reckon with the horrible realities of our history and the ways in which racial discrimination and notions of white supremacy have shaped all of our national institutions. I emphasize to my students that we study subjects like chattel slavery, the destruction of indigenous communities, and the internment of Japanese-Americans so that we can remind ourselves that the so-called “playing field” of American life has never been even. People of color in the United States have historically struggled against discrimination and oppression, and many have achieved incredible successes in spite of historically-present roadblocks. Rather than feeling defeated by those struggles, my students are often buoyed by the resilience of individuals and groups. These stories provide the students with a foundation from which to better understand the nation in which they live and, I hope, to recognize our nation is still a work in progress.   Now, however, my students face a new obstacle as they seek to transfer to four-year colleges. Race can no longer be considered in admissions, in spite of the fact that it is truly a factor in every aspect of American life and has been since the beginning of settlement in Jamestown, New Amsterdam, and Plymouth. I’m struggling with how to talk to students about this monumental decision. Many wonder how it will impact them individually. Will colleges that today are vowing to continue to strive for diverse student bodies be able to legally achieve their goals? Or will the hands of admissions committees be tied by the ruling? Anyone who has worked in a community college understands that it is simply impossible to ignore the harsh realities of growing up in non-white communities in America today, where educational opportunities for even our youngest children are not equal to those available in predominantly white neighborhoods. How do we keep students from being deterred by this ruling from pursuing their academic dreams? I feel fortunate to have two months to mull over the implications of this monumental decision before my students return to the classroom.   Conversation welcome. ... View more