Wish to Present? Deadline Extended to April 1st

BECOME A PRESENTER!!!!                         

8th Annual Country School Association of America Conference

for Museum Staff, Preservationists, Students, Teachers, Professors, and Country School "Buffs”

June 16-18, 2008 at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

If you are interested you are cordially invited to participate in and/or lead panel discussions, individual papers, symposia, workshops, and demonstrations on country schooling. Decide which of the following subjects most interests you and submit a brief proposal. The deadline for proposals has been extended to April 1, 2008.

Preservation of Country Schoolhouse: For all those who have experience in restoring or reconstructing a one-room or multi-room country school or are interested in doing so. Sample topics: Envisioning the project, raising money, recruiting and managing volunteers, promoting the project, collecting artifacts. Programs for Country Schools: For museum curators, classroom teachers, reenactors, and others interested in sharing program activities. Presenters may want to tell stories, sing, play an instrument, or engage the audience in a dramatic reenactment. Videotapes and other resources are welcome. Scholarship: For professors, graduate students, and independent scholars inquiring into the history, material culture, and current practices of country schools in the U.S. and Canada. Sample topics: Amish parochial one-room schools, technology in one-room schools, relationships of teachers with rural communities, the architectural significance of one room schools; African-American one-room schooling, supervising one-room schools, teacher training for one-room schoolteachers. Memories and Artifacts from Country Schools: For all those who attended, taught in, or collected artifacts/histories of country schools and the communities in which they are or were located. Come and share your memories, photographs, artifacts, books, and historical knowledge.

Proposal Formats

Proposals are due April 1, 2008 They should not exceed three double-spaced, printed pages. In addition, add a cover sheet with title of the proposal, type of proposal (demonstration, symposium, panel, or paper), name(s) and affiliation(s) of participant(s), and the address(es), email address(es), and phone number(s) of participant(s).

Demonstration. Prepare a proposal indicating the title of the activity you plan to do or lead, how many presenters are involved, how long a session lasts, and how large an audience you can accommodate. Include the name(s) of presenters, full address(es), telephone number(s), and email address(es). A demonstration should be 30 minutes.

Panel Discussion. A panel discusses a topic as a group. Panel proposals should indicate the topic, its significance, the panelists’ backgrounds (no names, please) and the way in which the material will be discussed. Keep in mind time constraints (60 minutes) in planning the session. Time for audience participation should be included.

Symposium. A symposium is composed of participants who deliver brief presentations, based on prepared papers or essays, on a common theme. Proposals for symposia should discuss the topic of the symposium, its significance, backgrounds of the presenters (no names, please), and the perspectives employed by presenters in their presentations. Keep in mind time constraints (90 minutes). Time should be allowed for audience participation.

Paper. This kind of proposal is for those wishing to submit individual or joint scholarship. Briefly indicate the topic and the way it will be treated, address the significance of the topic and discuss the background of the presenter (no name, please). Papers accepted for presentation will have to "fit" with other papers into a cohesive session at the conference. Keep in mind time constraints (30 minutes). This means that, if the paper is read, it should be no longer than 10-12 pp. Power Point and other visuals are encouraged.

We encourage single or group presentations. E-mail your cover sheet and proposal to CSAA Conference Committee at blackwell@niu.edu by April 1, 2008

Or send 3 copies of proposals and two self-addressed, stamped envelopes to: CSAA Conference Committee, Blackwell History of Education Museum, Learning Center, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115. Phone: 815-753-1236;