Education Professor Presents at National Conference

Dr. Amy Camardese, Westminster assistant professor of education, made two presentations at the National Council for the Social Studies national conference held Nov. 28-Dec. 2 in San Diego.

Camardese served as co-chair on the book selection committee for Notable Trade Books for Young People, a cooperative effort between the Children's Book Council and the National Council for the Social Studies. "Read Anything Good Lately? Elementary Level (K-6) 2007 Notable Trade Books" presented some of the 2007 selections.

"Each year I read approximately 140 books and evaluate them for selection on the list," Camardese said.

The second presentation, "Crossing Borders and Building Bridges through an International Twinning Program," is the result of a partnership between Westminster College and Western Galilee College in Israel. For the past two years, Camardese has been working with Yehuda Pelud from Western Galilee on research related to twinning (partnering) between middle schools in Israel and the United States.

"Students read a common book, such as The Bird on Island Street, then discuss it, using the computer to communicate," Camardese explained. "We find the students are learning much more than the content of the book; they are learning about each other's culture and establishing common bonds."

Contact Camardese at (724) 946-1783 or e-mail camardah@westminster.edu for additional information. 

Dr. Amy Camardese