Technology Integration: Social Studies

Social Studies is debatably the most considered 'boring' subject in school. Science can create cool experiments, Math is simply needed in almost everything that we do, and English has amazing literature that can be appreciated among anyone. Social Studies, on the other hand, has been an area where a student is required to memorize information that dates back to the beginning of time. Of course this subject is considered 'boring'. I have this burning desire to show students how learning history, politics, and economics is needed in order to maintain, or even rebuild our society.

The major question is how do we engage our students to spark an interest in things that have already happened? The chapter dedicated to Social Studies did an excellent job giving examples of technological advances that create a learning atmosphere that is wanted among students, not forced upon them.

Virtual Field Trips:
I really found this interesting. This is a great way to provide students to experience a "variety of cultures, sights, and events outside their own communities" (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.339). While having a classroom full of students it is not possible to be able to fly them across the world to visit a location to better their understanding. This is budget-friendly way to provide a cool experience of almost visiting the same area.

http://www.history.org/history/index.cfm

Adventure Learning:
This is a way for students to experience the virtual travels of explorers and educators travel throughout the world. Students would be in the life experiences of the people who witnessed it first-hand. Websites such as www.earthducation.com and www.polarhusky.com are ways for teachers to access this.

Digital Storytelling:
This is a process of "using images and audio to tell the stories of lives, events, and eras" by allowing students to "use personal narratives to explore community-based history, politics, economics, and geography" (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.340). It also makes students become sensitized to diverse perspectives and biases, increases their analysis and critical thinking skills, and compares/contrasts past and present events (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.340).

Advantages of Technology Integration:
There are clear advantages in technology integration. It creates an atmosphere for students to learn as if they were experiencing the situation first-hand. It engages students in the material that is required for them to learn. Technology has the potential to transform the learning experience for students. Having daily access to the internet gives students and teachers "up-to-date information that can change daily" (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.341). The programs such as the ones listed above are all advantages in relaying information to students that they might not be able to understand on their own.

http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-importance

Disadvantages of Technology Integration:
Of course there will always be disadvantages to technology. Maintenance comes along with technology. One of our videos explained how if every individual had a computer then maintenance would be impossible, especially within the school because if there is an update, new software, etc. then it would have to be done by the technologist at hand. The expenses could be overwhelming as well. Not every school has a budget that allows for large amount of technology in the classroom and not every student is in a financial situation where they would be able to invest in their own device.

This is a short article that explains the disadvantages of using technology in the classroom. These are the things that we must master in order to optimize our technology use for student's learning.
http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/tech/index.pl?read=136

M6 - http://t.co/tITkmu4L7T -- check out this short video on the classroom of the future!! #ED527UM

— Alex Strickland (@AL4Strick) November 18, 2013

Blog Reflection

http://stricklandalex.wikispaces.com/home

My peers told me to make sure I added information on the home page that was relevant to the activity. I was at first confused about writing too much on the home page, but now see that it is obviously needed in order to direct and welcome students. I added a small paragraph that makes the wiki feel slightly more welcoming. It was silly of me not to include this in the first place.

Module 5

21st Century Skills, including the ICT Competency Framework:

It is so important that teacher use technology within our classrooms. Technology has come such a long way and it is the way the new generation is engaged in the world. Our book explains how there are "three different levels of human capacity development: technology literacy, knowledge deepening, and knowledge creation" (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.21). These skills are considered needed in today's workforce. In order to prepare our students for these needed skills, we must begin using in-classroom techniques that provide such things. Integrating things such as flipcharts and interactive lessons is a great way to engage students with school criteria while also teaching them the skills of development in our world.

Technology Use Based on Problem Solving:

This section of our book really elaborates on how and why technology is so important in our classrooms. It explains how to motive/engage students, support their learning needs, and how we are preparing students for their future (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.25). Of course there is always a negative side to any situation presented, but I truly believe that using technology is such an important factor for our schools. One big reason I love the idea of utilizing technology in classrooms is because students are allowed to study their criteria in their own ways. They are able to understand it on whatever level they want. Each student is so unique and different in their own ways that this allows them to learn the actual material.

Constructivist vs. Objectivist:

I believe that using interactive lessons and flipcharts are a constructivists method. The book explains how constructivist "construct all knowledge in their minds by participating in certain experiences" (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.37).  Students are able to participate in these experiences using the interactive technology instead of writing down notes and memorizing test material which they are bound to forget the moment after the test is done.

Flipchart:

I chose a flipchart that I would use in my History classroom. http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-us/common/WebLink.aspx -- I really like this flipchart because it is extremely organized and easy to use. It explains the material well and gives lesson plans as well as resources for the students. It gives them an assignment, but also brings together a discussion at the end. This is great way to involve students in technology. It is easily accessible and I think kids would find it more interesting than a normal lecture. It is always important to engage to student in the material (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.25). 

M5 - Check out this website about technology integration! http://t.co/uQK88wMciD #ED527UM
— Alex Strickland (@AL4Strick) November 1, 2013

Blog 4

Social Studies Wiki

http://myglobal2009.wikispaces.com/home

I am in awe right now. This is awesome! I found this wikispace to use that is exactly like something that I would use in my classroom setting. The teacher has made the site to where students can access any unit that is being taught. There are primary sources that are directly linked to the websites. I can't wait to use something like this in my classroom. It's a great opportunity to "integrate the curriculum based on either grade level or inquiry-level" (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.257).

Widget #1

This widget is a cool little day by day history lesson. I think it would be a fun way to just be able to show a little piece of history that happened on the exact same day, years ago. It would provide a fun atmosphere in my wikispace that I would love to be able to create for students. The simple visual images of certain things can offer educational value that students can access at any time (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.239).


Widget #2

I think this widget would be a great way for students to easily view what it due every time they access the wikispace or blog. It would be a small reminder of their assignment and tests that are coming up. It is a great way for students to stay prepared and it is easy to manage and use (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.239).

Web Based Lesson:


http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/warofworlds/

This is a great website that has lessons on a variety of subjects. This one in particular is on the war of worlds which I could use for my History classes. Although there are many lessons online, finding the absolute perfect plan that fits the exact criteria a teach might be look for may be tough (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.257). There is also a website that allows teachers to create their own web-based lessons, but this is for the experienced. The book explains how it is not a research experience for those who do not know how to work it (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.258).

This is a cute video clip on why blogging and wikis are such a good idea in the classroom

M4 - Just reinforcing why blogs and online sites are perfect for the classroom http://t.co/BaMxl8Ktmi #ED527UM
— Alex Strickland (@AL4Strick) October 17, 2013

Module 3 :)

URLs - What do URLs tell you/students about websites? 

 The URL is usually split into three parts. You will always find the ‘http://’ which shows it is an internet address. Next you will find the domain which might tell you to what specific agency or business that the website belongs to or explains. The last part is the domain designator which “indicates the type of content one would find on the website” (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.217). This would be beneficial to students and teachers alike because the domain name and designator can tell them roughly what to expect from the website, thus decreasing search time.

 Search Engine - How can learning to use search engines help you/students find better information?
 Search engines provide people with a list of topics by the keywords they search for. This is very useful because it allows a person to find multiple websites with the given keyword. Having multiple websites can help a teacher or student find knowledge on a certain subject. The textbook gives examples of major search engines and metacrawlers, which use more than one search engine at a time to find what a person types in (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.219).

Internet Tools - Choose an internet tool that you could utilize in the classroom
 E-Portfolios would be a great example of an internet tool that I could use in the classroom. This will allow students to “organize, revise, and store digital assets they have created inside and outside the classroom” (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.224). This could be a great way to have students submit their work at the end of a semester. They could keep up with their work through their portfolios without having to worry about lost papers. This would be a great way to keep the students and myself organized.

 Favorite Websites
 I feel as though the website www.secondlife.com would be a fun way to allow kids to interact while learning. It is a free website which allows all kids to join at no cost. This is a great way for “fostering visual literacy, motivating students to develop writing and other communication skills (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.223). It gives kids an opportunity to become someone else and forget their problems in their own world. It could encourage them to enter a new world of learning while giving them “literally, a second life” (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.223).
 I also think wikispaces are a great way for students to develop and explore their own ideas. Teachers can assign students certain criteria for the students to meet, but allows them to show their own ideas to communicate with one another (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.224). www.qwiki.com could become am awesome sight because it creates a “human-like stroytelling approach to searching content” (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.224). I would love to use this in the classroom so I can engage students to want to learn and express their own ideas.
This teacher gives a great example of how she implements her wikispaces:

M3 - This is a great way example of how to implement wiki into classroom settings!! http://t.co/VLuhe06zKl #ED527UM

— Alex Strickland (@AL4Strick) October 3, 2013

Module 2 Blog Prompt

When I think about teaching History I wonder how I can get information across in the best way possible. How can I catch a student’s attention and engage them in a way they’ve never experienced before? Think about it. So many people are extremely visual. If you like something you see -if it entertains you- you’re more than likely going to revisit it again. You’re going to want to know more about whatever the case may be. The textbook says that “many educators believe the most important characteristic of hypermedia is its ability to encourage students to be proactive learners” (Robyler & Doering p. 176). Our videos explained how we need to use photos, not only clipart. The website www.shuttershock.com is a great collection of developmental resources. It is the most ideal website to find photos to use within presentations. Want to gain the attention of 13-18 year-old students? Then find images pleasing to the eye. Climb into their mind. Robyler & Doering explain how “hypermedia programs offer such varied options that most people enjoy using them” (p. 176). Students and teachers aren’t trapped in the one options of paper-writing-boredom to get their points across. Why not be eager to learn and teach? Multimedia helps with "segmenting, pretraining, and modality"(p.177). which helps the learner understand a more complex subject.

I chose the virtual environment as my multimedia authoring tool. The textbook gave the perfect example at www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2165.shtml - students use a software called Hyperstudio “to create a multimedia presentation” in which they explore the lives of immigrants through research (Robyler & Doering p, 193). This is the perfect way to make students interact with the subject at hand. In my classroom I want to make students be involved in the past to help them learn how people were thinking. It is also very important to teach kids the correct way to use multimedia. Robyler & Doering believe that “teachers should try to give students an opportunity to display their projects...to broader audiences” (p.185).

Here is a little article that just reiterates the positives of hypermedia in education! 

M1 - http://t.co/AejhCAQ9GB -- informative article on the positives of hypermedia in education!! #ED527UM

— Alex Strickland (@AL4Strick) September 21, 2013

Blog Prompt 1

How many times have you heard a child or young adult express their dreadful opinion of the grand subject History. I do understand and, at times, fully agree that History can be the perfect sleep-problem solution. It can easily knock a person out on a cold, hard desk for hours. This only adds to the reasons why I want to teach this so-called ‘boring’ subject. Instructional software is becoming an extremely effective way to reach students. While keeping their attention with these programs, we the teachers engage the children, which allows the chance for them to actually retain the information we are trying to relay. There are so many softwares online that I found to help students understand and retain information about particular subjects. At Playing History by Center for History and New Media - http://playinghistory.org/, students are involved with a simulation software that allows them to learn from debating in argumentative wars of actual Supreme Court cases to growing a law firm while understanding the Bill of Rights. I would love to use this within my classroom setting or for homework activities because it would make the learning experience hands-on and, hopefully, easier to understand. Congress for Kids by The Dirksen Congressional Center - http://congressforkids.net is a great resource for a tutorial software that provides a wide array of different learning situations throughout mini-games, quizzes, and short paragraphs on all subjects about the Constitution. This would make it ideal for students in my classroom when it comes to practicing the material we have covered before actual testing days. A part of the textbook explains how constructivists believe people “construct all knowledge in their minds by participating in certain experiences” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p.37). Social Studies Alive by TCI - http://tutorial.teachtci.com  is a tutorial software that gives students the ability to work through assignments and tasks at their own pace. I love this because each student is going to learn differently and it allows me to be able to assign things at home or in the classroom without rushing students to finish within a quick time frame. As a teacher I “can create presentation software reviews” in class as an easy way to show all students (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 132). It is important for our generation to take advantage of these software sources to better student’s education. Even as a teacher I need to take advantage of software tools such as Microsoft Excel to help me within my classroom to “keep club and classroom budgets, preparing performance checklists, and keeping gradebooks” (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p.125).  At Scribd - http://www.scribd.com/doc/26241993/Software-Support-Tools-Material-generators-and-Planning-and-Organizing-Tools there is a program that would allow me to generate my own puzzles and assignments in my class that would directly attain the information I am trying to get across. Integrated learning systems according to the text “offers a variety of instructional techniques in one place” which makes it ideal for both student and teacher (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 102). ILS should be a part of the “teaching methods and carefully be integrated into a total teaching program” (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 105). My short video that I tweeted about gives a great example of how a teacher has integrated youtube with his different teaching methods  - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a7NbUIr_iQ&feature=player_embedded. What a better time than to become involved in a new and great teaching style through instructional software! 

M1 - http://t.co/NbKsGh3vPq Flip Teaching! Short Video! Take a look. Different way of teaching! #ED527UM
— Alex Strickland (@AL4Strick) September 5, 2013

Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. (6 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.