At this year’s MASA Distinguished Administrators’ Luncheon, 13 new MASA members were inducted into the Winners’ Circle. These members were honored by the Membership Services Committee for initiating a unique, successful program or implementing an innovative idea that has had a significant, positive impact on their school districts that can be used by other districts across the state. This year’s inductees include:

Donald Spencer, Monroe County ISD, Region 8

Local History via Virtual Field Trips

The Local History via Virtual Field Trips Program Local History Via Virtual Field Trips is an innovative partnership between the Monroe County I.S.D., local school districts, and Monroe County Historical Museum offering students the chance to "live" Monroe County 's history via technology. Supporting materials such as lesson plans, assessment tools, and classroom artifact kits add depth to the interactive experience made possible through the cooperative IVN (interactive video network). Students travel back in time to the earliest days of recorded history in Monroe County to experience battlefield raids, hand-to-hand combat, and heroic rescues along the River Raisin. Dressed in period garb, students learn key democratic ideas about local involvement in the War of 1812. History comes alive!

As a result, more than 2,000 students in 4th-8th grades participated in the initial schedule of virtual history field trips focused on local events of the War of 1812. Monroe County is the site of significant battles of that era. As the region moves toward bicentennial observances of the War of 1812 and the Massacres of the River Raisin, local students and educators will have many opportunities to engage in learning about specific parts of those events. Many projects have evolved from this first round of virtual field trips. Students have moved beyond the classroom activities to volunteering at the Museum, signing up to participate in upcoming special events, and pursuing local history resources available through the Museum and the Monroe County Library System. A "backyard history" club at a local school district has gained members. The summer archeology camp presented by the M.C.I.S.D. will be offered again by popular demand. The students are embracing these opportunities to learn more about their extended community and its history. Developed during a Summer Institute for social studies teachers, all lessons are aligned with the Michigan Merit Curriculum and grade level content expectations.

Contact Donald Spencer at 734.242.5799, ext. 1000 or spencer@misd.k12.mi.us.