Monthly Archives: February 2015

genealogy education, genealogy grad school

Grad School for Genealogists 3: ProGen Study Group

With generosity typical of the genealogy community, several genealogists responded to my Grad School post about homework with recommendations about programs that are challenging, rewarding, and also have homework! My next few posts will discuss these programs.

ProGenToday, we’ll begin with the ProGen Study Group, a 19-month small group study program that uses Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers and Librarians, edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills, as its text.

Angela Packer McGhie, former ProGen program administrator and now on the board of directors, said in an email, “In the ProGen Study Program the participants study one or two chapters of the book Professional Genealogy each month and then complete a practical assignment on the topic. This immediate application of the material is vital. The assignments are reviewed by the other members of the study group, who give feedback to each other on how to improve. Most of this is peer feedback, but the study group mentors now also give feedback to the group members on a few assignments such as writing research reports, proof arguments and family narratives.”

I was glad to hear that the study group mentors now give feedback. According to the ProGen Study Group website, each group is mentored by a BCG certified genealogist. While study group members are expected to be experienced genealogists and can certainly learn a lot from each other, having the mentor’s feedback on some assignments is a huge plus. In fact, the only complaint I’ve ever heard about ProGen is that so much of the experience depends on getting a good group that’s willing and able to give constructive and useful feedback on assignments.

So how does the program work?

First, applicants are expected to be experienced genealogists. Individuals interested in participating are asked to read the Frequently Asked Questions and look at the Lesson Samples on the website to get a clear idea of what the program involves. Then they fill out a checklist (click on Waiting List on the website to pull this up) to determine if they’re ready for the level of work ProGen involves. If they feel they are ready (including having 20 hours a month to devote to the program for 19 months), they can submit their application to be placed on the waiting list.

When I did the checklist the first time, it became clear to me that I did not have as much experience researching in repositories as was expected. So I set about remedying that gap in my genealogical experience and then applied once I felt ready. I soon received an email that indicated that I am now on the waiting list.

Three or four times a year, groups of 24 are organized from the waiting list. Each group is divided into three small groups of eight for the purposes of evaluating each other’s assignments in online discussions.

Cost for the program is $95 and need-based scholarships are available.

If your ultimate goal is BCG Certification, you should take note of this information from the FAQ page:

“Those applying for certification through BCG generally have broad experience with both research and educational programs. The ProGen Study Program contains assignments similar to the BCG requirements that may help applicants gain experience in the skills necessary to prepare a successful portfolio. Study group members that plan to apply to BCG need to be careful not to use any families or projects they would like to include in their portfolio for their ProGen Study Group assignments. While we practice the skills necessary, your portfolio must be your own work.”

Does the ProGen Study group program meet my (still evolving) criteria for Genealogy Grad School?

1. Expert instruction: Yes, the textbook, Professional Genealogy, is written by recognized authorities in our field, and the group mentors are BCG certified genealogists.

2. Advanced-level course design: Yes, the study group format is like a seminar course in which the professor is there to guide the discussion but a great deal of the learning comes from fellow students.

3. Not for beginners: Yes, the expectation is that applicants are experienced genealogists.

4. Homework: Yes, mostly peer feedback, but also some mentor feedback.

ProGen definitely looks like part of Genealogy Grad School.

Cheers!

Annette

book review, history for genealogy, sharing family stories, writing family histories

Book Review: Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West

nothing daunted 2Historical background helps us understand the time and place in which our ancestors lived and what their lives would have been like. Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West, by Dorothy Wickenden, combines a delightful read with a research story and valuable details about life in northwestern Colorado in 1916-1917.

Wickenden, executive editor of The New Yorker magazine, tells the story of her grandmother, Dorothy Woodruff, and Dorothy’s best friend, Rosamund Underwood, two Smith College graduates from well-to-do families. They were 29 years old and had “done” college and a European tour — and they weren’t ready to settle for any of the young men who were courting them. Through their Smith connections, they learned that a small community in Colorado was trying to establish a school and was looking for two teachers. With lots of enthusiasm — and no teaching experience — they applied for the jobs, were accepted, and set off for the farming and ranching community of Elkhead.

Their life and adventures in Elkhead during the school year of 1916-17 are fun to read about, and Wickenden takes time to tell us about the history of the area and the people who lived there, so the book provides valuable background on the area and the time.

Beyond that, however, she also shares the story of her research for the book, which was inspired when she discovered the letters Dorothy had written home to her family in Auburn, New York, during that time. For anyone interested in writing a family history, this book is an exceptional resource.

Website: http://www.nothingdaunted.com/

genealogy education, genealogy grad school

Grad School for Genealogists 2: I Want Homework

One obvious difference between grad school at a university and grad school for genealogists had escaped me till this morning. So far most of the genealogy education opportunities I’ve encountered don’t involve homework.

Sometimes a class will include practical exercises completed and evaluated during class time, but most classes, seminars, and webinars I’ve attended so far are lectures. While they’re usually packed with great information and illuminating case studies, it’s easy (for me, anyway) to say to myself, “Wow, I need to practice that,” but never quite get around to it.

I must admit it: I learn best when I have to apply the lessons I’ve been taught to an out-of-class assignment that has a deadline and that I know I will receive feedback on. In other words, I need homework!

Good to know as I put together my education plan.

So I either need to find opportunities that involve homework or (sigh) I need to discipline myself to create my own homework assignments. The only problem with the second plan is how to get feedback. Still working on that one….