South Dakota Council for the Social Studies State Conference:
Treasure the Sources
June 2-4, 2008
Spearfish, South Dakota
Conference Sponsors:
Program
Sponsors
We are very fortunate to have recognized national leaders of social studies education joining us as keynote speakers. Each has an expertise which will expand the knowledge, understanding, and skills of social studies education for attendees.

Michael Fischer

 

Michael Fischer is the Director of Project Citizen for the Center for Civic Education in Calabasas, California.

Prior joining the CCE staff, Mr. Fischer was the Acting Chief of the Bureau of Social Studies Education for the New York State Education Department. He also has experience as a classroom teacher in grades 6-12 and as a social studies department supervisor. He holds a B.S. and a M.Ed. in Social Studies Education from the State University of New York.

In over 35 years as a social studies educator, Mr. Fischer has conducted hundreds of in-service and professional development institutes and conference workshops on a broad range of pedagogical and social science content-related topics.

 

Anthony Napoli

 

Anthony Napoli is the Director of Education at the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.   He has held positions as a high school Classroom Teacher, Principal, Superintendent, and Adjunct Professor of Education. As a member of the Gilder Lehrman Institute he possesses the abilities of accomplished history scholar and engaging speaker.

Anthony has received numerous awards and fellowships including: Outstanding Educational Leader by the Council of Administrators and Supervisors; recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for contribution to minority education; the William Robertson Coe Fellowship in American History; the National Humanities Faculty Fellowship; and four Gilder Lehrman Fellowships in American History.

Lee Ann Potter

 

Lee Ann Potter is the Head of Education and Volunteer Programs for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, D.C.   Her job is to help connect U.S. teachers and students with the historical documents that define our national experience.   Working with educators across the United States, she develops lesson plans, curriculum units, and teaching activities that enable students to study historical documents first-hand as a complement to the learning they obtain from secondary sources.

Prior to joining the National Archives in 1996, Lee Ann was a high school U.S. History and World Geography teacher and a member of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).

Dr. Gayle Thieman

 

Gayle Thieman is Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Portland State University, specializing in curriculum and instruction and social studies methods.  She teaches and supervises pre-service teachers in a year-long teacher licensure program and provides professional development for teachers through a Teaching American History grant.   Her special interests are social studies methods and instruction and technology.

Currently Gayle is the President of the National Council for Social Studies, and past president of the Oregon and Alaska Councils for Social Studies.   Before joining the faculty at Portland State, she worked as a high school administrator, and a middle school and high school social studies teacher in Illinois, Colorado, Alaska, and Washington.

Gayle is an avid downhill skier and enjoys gardening, reading, gourmet cooking, sea kayaking, and backpacking.

John J. Barse

Jack Barse is the president and CEO of Kids Voting USA. He joined Kids Voting in September of 2007 after 25 years of service in the telecommunications and computer industry.   Mr. Barse has founded a telecommunications firm, BCG Wireless, and directed business strategies for BellSouth Mobile Data in North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

His interest in golf has contributed to work with youth development organizations such as The First Tee of Washington, DC.   As an accomplished golfer he is vice president and member of the Board of Directors of the Maryland State Golf Association as well as a volunteer rules official at local and regional amateur and junior golf tournaments.