St. Maryโs County Board of Education members and the school systemโs administrators and teachers are enthusiastic about a new program of Virtual Field Trips from Colonial Williamsburg. And the infant program, which was piloted in October in the countyโs middle schools, was given a shot in the arm Tuesday with a $10,000 donation from county businessman Chuck Bryson.
The monthly programs, which costs each school $250, provides live, interactive lessons that explore such topics as the Bill of Rights, the three branches of government, 18th century trades and the Continental Army, the complicated relationships between slaves and their masters, Civil War ironclads, and the War of 1812. The program features Emmy-Award winning live internet events and television broadcasts for grades 4-8.
The program included a professional development webinar for teachers on October 3rd which provided an overview of: how to integrate the Virtual Field Trip into daily instruction; how to gain access to the instructional resources; and literacy activities with primary sources
At Tuesdayโs regular school board meeting, Leonardtown Middle School Social Studies teacher Tamara Payne enthralled the audience with how the first program on the Bill of Rights engaged her students, not only on the day it was presented (October 10th) but in subsequent lessons. Payne reported one of her students told her: โMrs. Payne, I thought this was going to be boring but it was really fun!โ
School Board Student member Peter Widmayer, a former Leonardtown Middle School student, said, โโThis is learning. Our students come to school and learn and they remember it.โ Her added, โWhen it is interesting, we remember.โ
School Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano explained how important teaching history was to the success of the systemโs students: โWe look to the past to explain the future in real-life terms,โ he said.
Bryson, who is a member of Colonial Williamsburgโs donor society called the Burgesses, brought the program to the attention of Board of Education Chairman Dr. Sal Raspa, who in turn told Dr. Martirano about it. The superintendent was not familiar with the program but made himself so and was impressed with it.
The programโs cost, $250 for each middle school, was made available for this year for the monthly programs from Williamsburg. But there was concern expressed by Payne about it continuing, although she said she was so impressed with it that she would pay for it herself for her school out of her own pocket. That became unnecessary when Bryson surprised th
