7/27/2018 TMI Episcopal history teacher Kristian Marks joined colleagues from all over the country at a workshop on Technology’s Impact in American History, held June 27-29 at the U.S. Army History and Education Center in Carlisle, Pa.Subtitled “The Army and the Technology of Warfare,” the workshop explored how the U.S. Army developed new technology and promoted innovation as a result of changes in warfare throughout its history. The center’s instructors provided presentations on technology and history, offering ideas on how to present topics to students and how to use archival research in class. Visiting educators also spent time in the center’s archives, learning how to enable their students to analyze old documents and to use them in their own writing.

Marks said he plans to incorporate documents on the Carlisle Indian Industrial School – a federal-government attempt at cultural assimilation of Native Americans from 1879 to 1918 – and prominent women who worked in important positions in large organizations during World War I into future lessons on industrial development and the role of women in U.S. history.

“The National Council for History Education workshop in Carlisle, Pennsylvania not only provided me with new ideas on how to more effectively integrate primary source material into my class lesson plans,” said Marks, “but also offered an exceptional venue to garner valuable ideas and teaching techniques from other professionals and teachers. I hope that my gain as a teacher from this professional development opportunity will be passed along to those TMI students in my classroom.”

Marks has taught at TMI since 2016. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he retired with the rank of colonel after a 26-year career, most recently serving as Chief of Strategy and Plans for U.S. Army North, headquartered at Fort Sam Houston. He has taught previously at West Point and Ohio State University, where he earned a master’s degree. At TMI, he teaches Human Geography, AP Human Geography and History of the Military Art from 1914.