NW Missouri Times

Northwest Missouri State University undergraduate students and a faculty member recently attended social studies conferences in Missouri and Kansas. Megan Trussell, a junior elementary education major from St. Joseph, Missouri, and Alyssa Wright, a junior elementary education major from Kansas City, Missouri, presented at the Missouri Council for the Social Studies conference in Springfield. Jenna Stallo, a senior elementary education major from Kansas City, Missouri, presented at the Kansas Council for the Social Studies at Wichita State University.

Dr. Tina Ellsworth, an assistant professor of professional education at Northwest, emphasized the importance of these conferences for teacher candidates. She stated, "By presenting at these conferences, teacher candidates are developing leadership skills by designing high-quality instructional materials to a teacher audience. It’s my hope that they are inspired to elevate their own practice and see themselves as contributors and leaders in the larger field of education even prior to entering the classroom."

At the Missouri conference, Trussell, Wright, and Ellsworth presented a session titled "Preparing for Contentious Issues," focusing on promoting civil discourse in classrooms. Ellsworth highlighted the significance of addressing contentious issues in social studies education, stating, "As social studies teachers, we cannot avoid them, nor should we. We know our democracy hinges on civil discourse around public policy issues, so we must be proactive in creating a classroom community that is conducive for such discussions."

Meanwhile, at the Kansas conference, Stallo and Ellsworth presented "Promoting Historical Literacy with Primary Sources," offering innovative strategies for teaching historical literacy through primary sources. The students expressed their gratitude towards Northwest and the School of Education for providing them with valuable learning experiences that will benefit their future careers as professional educators.

Reflecting on her experience, Trussell mentioned, "I was able to further practice and get comfortable speaking with educators or administrators who have more experience than I do. I was able to have networking opportunities to put my name out there and show how serious and invested I am in my education and career. Additionally, this opportunity allowed me to think more deeply about how to integrate discussion and civil discourse in my future elementary classroom."

Dr. Ellsworth, who joined the Northwest faculty in 2021, teaches undergraduate and graduate coursework related to curriculum, multiculturalism, social studies, and change management. She holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in social studies education from the University of Central Missouri and earned her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in social studies education from the University of Kansas.