Buffalo Teacher Center Courses Taught By Rich Pyszczek
Fall Course Offerings: Saturdays or Tuesdays
BPS/NYS History Day Course (Click Here)
Buffalo Public Schools History Day is a year-long educational program sponsored by the Buffalo Public Schools Department of Social Studies, encourages students to explore local, state, national, and world history. After selecting a historical topic that relates to an annual theme, students conduct extensive research by using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. They analyze and interpret their findings, draw conclusions about their topics' significance in history, and create final projects that present their work. These projects can be entered into a series of competitions, from the local to the national level, where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators.
NYS Archives Consider the Source Course (Click Here)
The New York State Archives is part of the Office of Cultural Education, an office of the New York State Education Department. The New York State Archives Partnership Trust is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to support education, preservation, and outreach programs not funded by New York State in order to make accessible the archives from 350 years of New York’s colonial and state governments.
New York has served as a leader in confronting social, economic and political issues of broad national importance. The New York State Archives holds many of the oldest and most important archival treasures in the nation. The Archives Partnership Trust was founded in 1992 to build an endowment and provide project support to enhance humanities programs, increase access to these outstanding treasures, and continue the preservation of New York's historical records. Since its founding, the Partnership Trust has supported exceptional projects and programs. These include the Research Residency Program, the Student Research Awards Program, history conferences, special exhibitions, public education programs, book signings and lectures, publications, teacher training institutes, preservation projects, and more.
PBS LearningMedia Course (Click Here)
PBS LearningMedia offers FREE educational resources for PreK–12 educators and students. Our goal is to enhance educator practice and equitable student learning through educational resources that are:
Our content creation is guided by:
Winter Course Offerings: Tuesdays or Wednesdays
The Library as an Educational Partner (Click Here)
Buffalo Teacher Center Professional Development Course, Winter 2023
The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (B&ECPL) consists of a Central Library, eight branches in the City of Buffalo and twenty-two contracting member libraries which operate twenty-eight facilities outside the City of Buffalo. The libraries serve as centers of information, education, culture and entertainment for the residents of Erie County. This course will allow BPS teachers to gain extensive knowledge of the many worthwhile B&ECPL programs that are offered year-round for their classrooms.
Course Location:
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Downtown(Main) Branch
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY 14203
Theodore Roosevelt and the Birthplace of the Modern Presidency (Click Here)
When Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office as the 26th President of the United States on September 14, 1901, he became the leader of a nation that had changed significantly in recent decades. The population of the United States had almost doubled from 1870 to 1900 as immigrants came to U.S. cities to work in the country's burgeoning factories. As the United States became increasingly urban and industrial, it acquired many of the attributes common to industrial nations—overcrowded cities, poor working conditions, great economic disparity, and the political dominance of big business. At the turn of the twentieth century, Americans had begun to look for ways to address some of these problems. (Source: The Miller Center)
How little has changed since TR’s time, as many of these issues are as topical today as they were during his presidency. In fact, a number of the most significant issues that remain very relevant today form the basis of the TR’s Site’s dynamic, immersive visitor experience and are at the core of our Project Citizen 2.0 Initiative.
Social Studies Web Tools Course (Click Here)
How can teachers build brief lessons with digital resources that inspire a high level of engagement while challenging students to interpret, analyze, synthesize and evaluate? Participants will explore various web based tools and view various examples of the use in the Social Studies classroom. Sessions will include exploring the Social Studies Framework, locating digital sources and incorporating project based assessments.
Project learning, also known as project-based learning, is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups. Because project-based learning is filled with active and engaged learning, it inspires students to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they're studying. Research also indicates that students are more likely to retain the knowledge gained through this approach far more readily than through traditional textbook-centered learning. In addition, students develop confidence and self-direction as they move through both team-based and independent work. In the process of completing their projects, students also hone their organizational and research skills, develop better communication with their peers and adults, and often work within their community while seeing the positive effect of their work.
IDM/Social Studies Toolkit Project Course (Click Here)
The Social Studies Toolkit Project is designed to put instructional and curriculum design tools into the hands of teachers and leaders in local districts. The Toolkit resources focus on implementation of the Inquiry Arc, as presented in The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards, including the four dimensions: (1) Developing questions and planning inquiries, (2) Applying disciplinary concepts and tools, (3) Evaluating sources and using evidence and (4) Communicating conclusions and taking informed action.
The Conceptual Foundations provides the intellectual foundation for the Toolkit project and specifically, the Inquiry Design Model. The Inquiry Design Model (IDM) is a distinctive approach to creating instructional materials that avoids over-prescription by highlighting key elements, offering pedagogical suggestions, and relying on teacher expertise and experience.
Written by New York State teachers for New York State teachers, the centerpiece of the Toolkit are inquiries that are provided for all K-12 teachers. An inquiry is larger than a lesson plan but smaller than a unit; they are not scripts or modules for teachers to follow. Rather, these inquiries set a curricular and instructional course that teachers can consider in light of the NY Framework. In this way, teachers must bring their professional expertise and knowledge of successful instructional practice into the inquiry.
CCLS Project Based Learning and Resources Course (Click Here)
Presented at the NYSHA October Teacher Conference 2013
Project learning, also known as project-based learning, is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups. Because project-based learning is filled with active and engaged learning, it inspires students to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they're studying. Research also indicates that students are more likely to retain the knowledge gained through this approach far more readily than through traditional textbook-centered learning. In addition, students develop confidence and self-direction as they move through both team-based and independent work.
Spring Course Offerings: Thursday or Saturdays
Buffalo History & Architecture Course (Click Here)
Today Buffalo, NY is more commonly identified with the crumbling infrastructure, abandoned homes and dwindling jobs that have defined the Rust Belt for the past 50 years. And for decades its architecture has seemed strangely frozen in time. The city’s rise began in 1825 with the opening of the Erie Canal, which opened trade with the heartland. By the end of the 19th century the city’s grain silos and steel mills had become architectural pilgrimage sites for many thousands of tourists each year, which saw them as the great cathedrals of Modernity. In their vast scale and technological efficiency, they reflected a triumphant America and sent a warning signal to Europe that it was fast becoming less relevant.
Explore Buffalo Course (Click Here)
If you love the City of Buffalo, are excited about the idea of learning more about our City’s fascinating history, and would love to share your passion for Buffalo with your students, then this course is for you! Explore Buffalo is a volunteer-driven nonprofit dedicated to sharing Buffalo’s history, architecture, and neighborhoods with learners of all ages. Through walking tours and lectures led by our specially-trained docents, you’ll learn about everything from Buffalo’s beginnings as a small village to our rapid rise to one of the most prominent cities in the country to the incredible renaissance happening today. You’ll also learn a variety of strategies for bringing your newfound information into your classroom and curriculum. Join us on this journey through Buffalo’s history!
Buffalo Waterfront History Course (Click Here)
Standing at the eastern edge of Lake Erie, Buffalo is home to a beautiful, exciting waterfront. At Buffalo’s historic Erie Canal Harbor, you can learn how Buffalo helped shape the country as the western terminus of the Erie Canal, tour WWII warships at the Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Museum, and attend hundreds of events throughout the year, from rock concerts to activities for kids. Then walk around the Erie Basin Marina, which features a national test garden and an observation tower with fantastic views of the city and Lake Erie. Along Buffalo’s Outer Harbor, you’ll find trails for hiking, biking and birding, the Buffalo Lighthouse, Seaway Piers, Times Beach, Tift Farm Nature Preserve and Gallagher Beach Pier.
History of the Erie Canal Course (Click Here)
The completion of the Erie Canal will do more to facilitate the development of the American West than any single act since Jefferson's purchase of the Louisiana Territory. It will just be a question of time before the territories and states in the American Midwest - Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin - suddenly enjoying enormous population gains, will begin to ship agricultural produce eastward. When that happens, Buffalo will become the great port of trans-shipment. Meanwhile, as hundreds of thousands of people abandon the East Coast for the Midwest, they invariably pass through Buffalo.
BPS/NYS History Day Course (Click Here)
Buffalo Public Schools History Day is a year-long educational program sponsored by the Buffalo Public Schools Department of Social Studies, encourages students to explore local, state, national, and world history. After selecting a historical topic that relates to an annual theme, students conduct extensive research by using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. They analyze and interpret their findings, draw conclusions about their topics' significance in history, and create final projects that present their work. These projects can be entered into a series of competitions, from the local to the national level, where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators.
NYS Archives Consider the Source Course (Click Here)
The New York State Archives is part of the Office of Cultural Education, an office of the New York State Education Department. The New York State Archives Partnership Trust is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to support education, preservation, and outreach programs not funded by New York State in order to make accessible the archives from 350 years of New York’s colonial and state governments.
New York has served as a leader in confronting social, economic and political issues of broad national importance. The New York State Archives holds many of the oldest and most important archival treasures in the nation. The Archives Partnership Trust was founded in 1992 to build an endowment and provide project support to enhance humanities programs, increase access to these outstanding treasures, and continue the preservation of New York's historical records. Since its founding, the Partnership Trust has supported exceptional projects and programs. These include the Research Residency Program, the Student Research Awards Program, history conferences, special exhibitions, public education programs, book signings and lectures, publications, teacher training institutes, preservation projects, and more.
PBS LearningMedia Course (Click Here)
PBS LearningMedia offers FREE educational resources for PreK–12 educators and students. Our goal is to enhance educator practice and equitable student learning through educational resources that are:
- Available to teachers and students at no cost for educational use.
- Relevant, accessible, and trustworthy.
- Intentionally designed to supplement classroom instruction.
- Representative of diverse perspectives and communities, including underrepresented and marginalized student populations.
- Responsive to needs, trends, and current events.
- Designed to promote and support effective practices in teaching and learning with digital media.
Our content creation is guided by:
- Effective practices from real classrooms
- Formative and summative studies
- Field-testing with educators and students
Winter Course Offerings: Tuesdays or Wednesdays
The Library as an Educational Partner (Click Here)
Buffalo Teacher Center Professional Development Course, Winter 2023
The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (B&ECPL) consists of a Central Library, eight branches in the City of Buffalo and twenty-two contracting member libraries which operate twenty-eight facilities outside the City of Buffalo. The libraries serve as centers of information, education, culture and entertainment for the residents of Erie County. This course will allow BPS teachers to gain extensive knowledge of the many worthwhile B&ECPL programs that are offered year-round for their classrooms.
- Session 1: Overview and The Library as a Resource Hub
- Session 2: Importance of Primary Sources
- Session 3: Exhibitions as a Learning Platform
- Session 4: Exploring Technology Tools
- Session 5: Why the Library? Course Wrap-Up
Course Location:
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Downtown(Main) Branch
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY 14203
Theodore Roosevelt and the Birthplace of the Modern Presidency (Click Here)
When Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office as the 26th President of the United States on September 14, 1901, he became the leader of a nation that had changed significantly in recent decades. The population of the United States had almost doubled from 1870 to 1900 as immigrants came to U.S. cities to work in the country's burgeoning factories. As the United States became increasingly urban and industrial, it acquired many of the attributes common to industrial nations—overcrowded cities, poor working conditions, great economic disparity, and the political dominance of big business. At the turn of the twentieth century, Americans had begun to look for ways to address some of these problems. (Source: The Miller Center)
How little has changed since TR’s time, as many of these issues are as topical today as they were during his presidency. In fact, a number of the most significant issues that remain very relevant today form the basis of the TR’s Site’s dynamic, immersive visitor experience and are at the core of our Project Citizen 2.0 Initiative.
Social Studies Web Tools Course (Click Here)
How can teachers build brief lessons with digital resources that inspire a high level of engagement while challenging students to interpret, analyze, synthesize and evaluate? Participants will explore various web based tools and view various examples of the use in the Social Studies classroom. Sessions will include exploring the Social Studies Framework, locating digital sources and incorporating project based assessments.
Project learning, also known as project-based learning, is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups. Because project-based learning is filled with active and engaged learning, it inspires students to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they're studying. Research also indicates that students are more likely to retain the knowledge gained through this approach far more readily than through traditional textbook-centered learning. In addition, students develop confidence and self-direction as they move through both team-based and independent work. In the process of completing their projects, students also hone their organizational and research skills, develop better communication with their peers and adults, and often work within their community while seeing the positive effect of their work.
IDM/Social Studies Toolkit Project Course (Click Here)
The Social Studies Toolkit Project is designed to put instructional and curriculum design tools into the hands of teachers and leaders in local districts. The Toolkit resources focus on implementation of the Inquiry Arc, as presented in The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards, including the four dimensions: (1) Developing questions and planning inquiries, (2) Applying disciplinary concepts and tools, (3) Evaluating sources and using evidence and (4) Communicating conclusions and taking informed action.
The Conceptual Foundations provides the intellectual foundation for the Toolkit project and specifically, the Inquiry Design Model. The Inquiry Design Model (IDM) is a distinctive approach to creating instructional materials that avoids over-prescription by highlighting key elements, offering pedagogical suggestions, and relying on teacher expertise and experience.
Written by New York State teachers for New York State teachers, the centerpiece of the Toolkit are inquiries that are provided for all K-12 teachers. An inquiry is larger than a lesson plan but smaller than a unit; they are not scripts or modules for teachers to follow. Rather, these inquiries set a curricular and instructional course that teachers can consider in light of the NY Framework. In this way, teachers must bring their professional expertise and knowledge of successful instructional practice into the inquiry.
CCLS Project Based Learning and Resources Course (Click Here)
Presented at the NYSHA October Teacher Conference 2013
Project learning, also known as project-based learning, is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups. Because project-based learning is filled with active and engaged learning, it inspires students to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they're studying. Research also indicates that students are more likely to retain the knowledge gained through this approach far more readily than through traditional textbook-centered learning. In addition, students develop confidence and self-direction as they move through both team-based and independent work.
Spring Course Offerings: Thursday or Saturdays
Buffalo History & Architecture Course (Click Here)
Today Buffalo, NY is more commonly identified with the crumbling infrastructure, abandoned homes and dwindling jobs that have defined the Rust Belt for the past 50 years. And for decades its architecture has seemed strangely frozen in time. The city’s rise began in 1825 with the opening of the Erie Canal, which opened trade with the heartland. By the end of the 19th century the city’s grain silos and steel mills had become architectural pilgrimage sites for many thousands of tourists each year, which saw them as the great cathedrals of Modernity. In their vast scale and technological efficiency, they reflected a triumphant America and sent a warning signal to Europe that it was fast becoming less relevant.
Explore Buffalo Course (Click Here)
If you love the City of Buffalo, are excited about the idea of learning more about our City’s fascinating history, and would love to share your passion for Buffalo with your students, then this course is for you! Explore Buffalo is a volunteer-driven nonprofit dedicated to sharing Buffalo’s history, architecture, and neighborhoods with learners of all ages. Through walking tours and lectures led by our specially-trained docents, you’ll learn about everything from Buffalo’s beginnings as a small village to our rapid rise to one of the most prominent cities in the country to the incredible renaissance happening today. You’ll also learn a variety of strategies for bringing your newfound information into your classroom and curriculum. Join us on this journey through Buffalo’s history!
Buffalo Waterfront History Course (Click Here)
Standing at the eastern edge of Lake Erie, Buffalo is home to a beautiful, exciting waterfront. At Buffalo’s historic Erie Canal Harbor, you can learn how Buffalo helped shape the country as the western terminus of the Erie Canal, tour WWII warships at the Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Museum, and attend hundreds of events throughout the year, from rock concerts to activities for kids. Then walk around the Erie Basin Marina, which features a national test garden and an observation tower with fantastic views of the city and Lake Erie. Along Buffalo’s Outer Harbor, you’ll find trails for hiking, biking and birding, the Buffalo Lighthouse, Seaway Piers, Times Beach, Tift Farm Nature Preserve and Gallagher Beach Pier.
History of the Erie Canal Course (Click Here)
The completion of the Erie Canal will do more to facilitate the development of the American West than any single act since Jefferson's purchase of the Louisiana Territory. It will just be a question of time before the territories and states in the American Midwest - Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin - suddenly enjoying enormous population gains, will begin to ship agricultural produce eastward. When that happens, Buffalo will become the great port of trans-shipment. Meanwhile, as hundreds of thousands of people abandon the East Coast for the Midwest, they invariably pass through Buffalo.
