At Retro Report, a Day of Learning and Professional Development for NYC Educators

Last Monday, over 30 New York City educators visited the Retro Report newsroom for a day of professional development and learning about the intersection of housing, segregation and injustice over several periods in United States history. The daylong event was a collaboration with New American History and the Social Studies team from the New York City Department of Education.


Retro Report Senior Producer Bonnie Bertram led a discussion about “Facing Eviction,” an hour-long documentary she made with PBS Frontline that chronicles the profound impact the coronavirus pandemic had on housing and evictions around the country.
Teachers asked Bertram about the reporting process, from how they decided to cover the cities depicted in the film to how they were able to get an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at people being evicted in real time.


Annie Evans, the Director of Education and Outreach for New American History at the University of Richmond, spoke about online and interactive tools for teachers, and suggested Bunk History, a curated aggregation of online resources; and American Panorama, a digital atlas of U.S. History.
The New York City Department of Education Social Studies team shared materials available for educators on the NYCDOE website, including the “Civics for All” comics.
In an affinity mapping activity, educators brainstormed ways to incorporate the resources into their own curriculum, and took away classroom-ready materials and Continuing Teacher and Leader Education credit.
CAROLINE WATKINS is the Audience Engagement Manager at Retro Report.
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