The scheduled facilitators at the Ticonderoga Teacher Institute, this summer are certainly experts and scholars. I know I will learn a lot with their help.
Rich Strum, Director of Academic Programs
I met Rich Strum at last year's Mount Vernon Teacher Institute. Strum is Fort Ticonderoga’s Director of Education. He serves as Project Director for teacher workshops. Rich has twenty-seven years experience in the museum education field and has been at Fort Ticonderoga since 1999. He is the author of three books for young readers related to the American Revolution.
Tim Potts, Teacher Facilitator
Tim Potts is a middle school lead Social Studies teacher from Monticello, New York. Potts will be the Teacher Facilitator for the institute. He is a veteran teacher that has presented at the local, state, and national levels on innovative ways to teach Social Studies. He is also the current treasurer, past President of the New York State Council for the Social Studies, and is now on the board of the National Social Studies Supervisory Association.
Matthew Keagle, Curator
I am already familiar with Matthew Keagle through videos available through Fort Ticonderoga's website and Youtube channel. Keagle is said to be extremely competent as a leader in the museum profession and has a clear and passionate commitment to developing a premier comprehensive curatorial program that will bring to center stage Fort Ticonderoga’s world renowned collections through exhibitions, digital media, research, programming, and publications.
Dr. David Silbey, Cornell University
David Silbey will be the lead scholar for the week. Silbey is a senior lecturer at Cornell. He teaches courses on European history, modern military history, guerilla conflicts, and the role of popular will in waging war. He received his BA from Cornell and his PhD from Duke University. Silbey's first book, The British Working Class and Enthusiasm for War, 1914-1916, was published in 2005. His second book, A War of Empire and Frontier: The Philippine-American War, 1899-1902, was published two years later.
Nicholas Spadone, Director of Interpretation
Nick Spadone has several years of experience in historical interpretation and research into 18th-century military history. He joined the Fort Ticonderoga museum staff in 2014 and has since developed major initiatives in military programs, heritage breeds, and carpentry.
Miranda Peters, Director of Collections
Peters works to document, preserve, and make accessible the museum’s holdings. Under her leadership, numerous prestigious grants have been secured to expand the collection staff to undertake challenging projects, preserve the objects, and make them accessible to the world on a new online collections database.
Josh Mason, Museum Education Coordinator
Joshua Mason works with teachers and students of all ages, representing Fort Ticonderoga. Mason coordinates with reenactors and his fellow staff members to establish and execute educational programs that are age-appropriate, historically accurate, and engaging.
Keith Herkalo, President of the Battle of Plattsburgh Association
The Battle of Plattsburgh Association operates the War of 1812 Museum in Plattsburgh, NY. Keith Herkalo is the author of The Battles at Plattsburgh: September 11, 1814, the editor of The Journal of H.K. Averill, Sr, and the author of numerous historical articles in regional historical publications. His research was instrumental in the location and subsequent positive archaeological investigation of “Pike’s Cantonment”, the winter-1812 hut site of the American forces at Plattsburgh.
Brad Niles, Fort Plain High School
Brad Niles will make a presentation entitled How the Fort Ticonderoga Teacher Institute Changed my Classroom. Niles teaches in Fort Plain, New York.
I met Rich Strum at last year's Mount Vernon Teacher Institute. Strum is Fort Ticonderoga’s Director of Education. He serves as Project Director for teacher workshops. Rich has twenty-seven years experience in the museum education field and has been at Fort Ticonderoga since 1999. He is the author of three books for young readers related to the American Revolution.
Tim Potts, Teacher Facilitator
Tim Potts is a middle school lead Social Studies teacher from Monticello, New York. Potts will be the Teacher Facilitator for the institute. He is a veteran teacher that has presented at the local, state, and national levels on innovative ways to teach Social Studies. He is also the current treasurer, past President of the New York State Council for the Social Studies, and is now on the board of the National Social Studies Supervisory Association.
Matthew Keagle, Curator
I am already familiar with Matthew Keagle through videos available through Fort Ticonderoga's website and Youtube channel. Keagle is said to be extremely competent as a leader in the museum profession and has a clear and passionate commitment to developing a premier comprehensive curatorial program that will bring to center stage Fort Ticonderoga’s world renowned collections through exhibitions, digital media, research, programming, and publications.
Dr. David Silbey, Cornell University
David Silbey will be the lead scholar for the week. Silbey is a senior lecturer at Cornell. He teaches courses on European history, modern military history, guerilla conflicts, and the role of popular will in waging war. He received his BA from Cornell and his PhD from Duke University. Silbey's first book, The British Working Class and Enthusiasm for War, 1914-1916, was published in 2005. His second book, A War of Empire and Frontier: The Philippine-American War, 1899-1902, was published two years later.
Nicholas Spadone, Director of Interpretation
Nick Spadone has several years of experience in historical interpretation and research into 18th-century military history. He joined the Fort Ticonderoga museum staff in 2014 and has since developed major initiatives in military programs, heritage breeds, and carpentry.
Miranda Peters, Director of Collections
Peters works to document, preserve, and make accessible the museum’s holdings. Under her leadership, numerous prestigious grants have been secured to expand the collection staff to undertake challenging projects, preserve the objects, and make them accessible to the world on a new online collections database.
Josh Mason, Museum Education Coordinator
Joshua Mason works with teachers and students of all ages, representing Fort Ticonderoga. Mason coordinates with reenactors and his fellow staff members to establish and execute educational programs that are age-appropriate, historically accurate, and engaging.
Keith Herkalo, President of the Battle of Plattsburgh Association
The Battle of Plattsburgh Association operates the War of 1812 Museum in Plattsburgh, NY. Keith Herkalo is the author of The Battles at Plattsburgh: September 11, 1814, the editor of The Journal of H.K. Averill, Sr, and the author of numerous historical articles in regional historical publications. His research was instrumental in the location and subsequent positive archaeological investigation of “Pike’s Cantonment”, the winter-1812 hut site of the American forces at Plattsburgh.
Brad Niles, Fort Plain High School
Brad Niles will make a presentation entitled How the Fort Ticonderoga Teacher Institute Changed my Classroom. Niles teaches in Fort Plain, New York.
