Steve Eichfeld of Niskayuna TA and Melissa Williams of Ilion TA walk the Columbia University campus during a break in their seminar.

There's not much that surprises in New York City, where all sorts of people do all sorts of things in all sorts of places.

So the sight of small groups of history teachers, storming off subway cars armed with video cameras and computers, didn't cause much of a stir in the mix of locals and tourists. They weren't exactly attention-grabbers as they fanned into various New York City neighborhoods — the Theater District, East Village, Times Square and other areas — taping, narrating and even "googling" on city streets.

But while these 30-plus history teachers may not have raised many eyebrows or generated many stares, for them it was the beginning of a whole new way to look at the past; sort of a "back to the future" in reverse.

For Melissa Williams, a member of the Ilion Teachers Association, it was a way to become a better teacher of American history and government back home at Ilion High School in Herkimer County, where she's taught for 12 years.

"Educators need to stay current, enhancing not only our students' knowledge, but our own knowledge as well," Williams said.

To that end, Williams spent a week doing what many NYSUT members do every summer: availing herself of professional development opportunities. For some, it's through the union's Education & Learning Trust. For others, it's through programs and courses offered by their school districts or local colleges. And, for Williams and NYSUT member Stephen Eichfeld, who teaches U.S. history and economics at Niskayuna High School in Schenectady County, it meant participating in a "digital history" seminar offered by the nationally renowned Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

The seminar — held at Columbia University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Teaching Center — taught teachers like Eichfeld and Williams to create Ken Burns-style videos that bring history to life in the classroom.

Using software such as Microsoft's Photo- Story and Apple's iMovie, seminar participants integrated graphics, text, narration, historical images and music to tell a story about the New York neighborhoods to which they were assigned, and then to produce individual digital documentaries that they'd bring back to their classrooms.

The seminar was presented by Steven Mintz of the University of Houston, one of the pioneers in the application of teaching history through new technologies.

Mintz challenged his summer students to "create a new history for a new century." He explained — though as veteran teachers, they already knew — that their classrooms were filled with a new breed of students: students who place a high value on interactivity, who prefer visual to textual communication and who perform best when presented with active, inquiry-based learning.

Eichfeld agreed: "We're all using technology more. As teachers, we need to embrace it and to reach a certain expertise, a comfort level. Our students are tech savvy."

"And we need to catch up," Williams added.

Sarah Bowman, Gilder Lehrman's communications manager, said Eichfeld and Williams are typical of the New York teachers she works with through the institute's many programs, seminars and exhibits.

"Teachers seem to have a natural passion and drive to learn," Bowman said.

While only two teachers from New York public schools took part in Gilder Lehrman's digital seminar, many others have participated over the 10 years the summer program has been available. Topics have included "The Worlds of Thomas Jefferson," "The South in American History," "The Great Plains: America's Crossroads" and "Lincoln," a program held at Gettysburg College that Williams attended in 2004.

In fact, both Williams and Eichfeld are true believers when it comes to professional development, in the summer months and throughout the year.

"Education doesn't end when you get that diploma," Williams said.

Eichfeld agreed, adding: "I love teaching but we're learners too."

— Frank Maurizio