Many teachers now understand that video games (and other technology) can help encourage high levels of learning. Attendees at this workshop will find out what Steven Johnson, John Beck, Marc Prensky, and James Paul Gee are saying about the use of video games as teaching and learning tools. There are plenty of resources to help educators begin to integrate PlayStation, XBox, GameCube, PC games, and other types of video games into the classroom.

Students often struggle to understand the increasingly complex content and vocabulary presented in social studies. Frustrated teachers often feel that it is easier to just cover the information presented instead of working to help students make meaningful connections. Effective strategies increase students learning and build scores on standardized social studies reading and writing tests. This workshop will share successful strategies that target the unique features and constructions of social studies texts as well as other forms of nonfiction and fiction. Handouts and materials provided can be used immediately to modify social studies instruction.

From the beginning to the expert teacher, using technology as part of social studies instruction in the 21st century is essential. K–12 students use cell phones, the internet, video games, and many other forms of technology. To maintain relevance in the lives of those students, classroom instruction needs to include not only social studies content but 21st-century tools and skills. This workshop will showcase content-specific websites and technology examples that educators can use right away.

This workshop guides educators through a curriculum planning process—pre-, during, and post-visit—designed to maximize interdisciplinary learning experiences for students using the art museum/gallery field trip as a resource. Participants will discuss and develop effective motivational- and critical-thinking teaching techniques to prepare students for a unique learning experience with original works of art. The program seeks to provide a useful framework for designing interdisciplinary art lessons linked to viewing original works of art in a gallery/museum setting.

Google Earth lets users see the world around them in brand new ways. Users can travel to the Great Pyramids, analyze live earthquake data, compare before and after images of deforestation, or integrate literature and social studies. But how best can educators use it to improve learning? In this workshop, participants will spend the day learning how to use the Google Earth interface, exploring its capabilities, adapting existing Google Earth tours, and creating a few of their own.

The Florida Holocaust Museum hosts an evening for teachers, with special guest speakers, tours, and educational materials.

This cross-curricular program helps teachers incorporate economic reasoning into their high school American history courses. Program instructors provide economic explanations of pivotal historical events. Participants learn interactive teaching strategies that incorporate the actual circumstances of historical periods of study.

This professional development opportunity will bring Texas teachers together with leading scholars to explore important constitutional issues in our nation's history. The program offers teachers the opportunity to work with leading scholars of U.S. history, political science, and law and share strategies for teaching with primary sources.

Participants celebrate Women's History Month at the National Museum of Women in the Arts by discovering ways its collection can be a resource for integrating the arts—and women artists—into the classroom. Through interactive gallery discussions and activities, participants will explore techniques for discussing and interpreting art with their students.