My embedded concept map

EME5432 in a nutshell

http://www.mywebspiration.com/view/267708a31cbd (my colorful concept map)

This class has influenced me a lot; I am not just saying that! I came into this classroom the first week of class terrified of technology. I really thought that I could still be a really good teacher without implementing technology in my classroom; boy, was I wrong! This class has transformed the way I view technologically, specifically its role in the classroom. I am not saying that I feel totally comfortable with technology (is anyone ever totally comfortable with every single aspect of technology?!), but I am open to the idea and willing to learn even more. Technology provides so many incredible resources for teachers and students. My web-based application to research was VoiceThread, and I am definitely going to use it in my classroom! What an awesome way for students to collaborate on a project. I am probably going to use a lot of the web-based applications; right now I am looking at the Evernote application that I downloaded to my computer. It would be an absolute shame not to utilize all of these tools in my future classroom. In fact, it would be robbing my students of a fair education to ignore all of the technology that is out there. Unfortunately, as teachers, we will probably encounter some form of the Digital Divide. The most useful information I found from other teachers as to how to bridge the Digital Divide was to keep everything in the "Cloud," for example Google Docs. This allows students that do not have computers or internet access at home to still be able to save all of the information that they work on at school or from a library computer. I also plan on writing grants and holding fundraisers to acquire technology for my classroom.

Coming into this class I knew that, as a teacher, I cannot simply stand at the front of the classroom and lecture. This class showed me multiple ways to differentiate my instruction. I particularly cannot wait to use networked learning in my classroom. Networked learning allows students to take learning into their own hands and opens up their eyes to so many resources. With the teacher as a facilitator and moderator, the students go on a "scavenger hunt" of information. How cool is it that a high school student in Florida can gain access to a lecture by a Harvard professor?? I believe that students learn a lot more when they are the active learners, not the passive listeners. Technology opens up so many doors for students to practice meaningful learning. I also hope that I am able to implement my classmates' service learning projects into my future classroom. Service learning is great in teaching students both content and how to be effective, contributing citizens.

Social Networking. Endless possibilities. I already had a general idea about social networking before I began EME 5432 (who doesn't have a facebook?), but I had no idea how much it can help me professionally. Through reading teachers' bogs and, even more so, teachers' Twitter accounts, I have gained invaluable resources and tips for my future classroom (all of which I saved to my Delicious account, of course). I plan on continuing this Blog and my Twitter account when this class ends and I become a teacher. The technology is out there, and it's out there to help us; why wouldn't you take full advantage of that??

Obviously I am not a technology expert (yet); this is evidenced by the fact that I failed at trying to embed my concept map onto my Blog and just had to provide the link. I am, however, a technological convert. We live in a changing world, and we need to prepare our students for this. After all, isn't our main job as teachers to prepare effective citizens? Together, my students and I are going to learn and use so much technology!

Thank you, Professor Drexler, for showing me just how useful technology is, especially as an educator. If I were to take this class over again, I think I would try to come in with a more open mind. At first, technology scared me so much that I think I missed out on a little at the beginning. So, to all of you future EME5432 students, EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY!

Bridging the Digital Divide

Before taking EME5432 I probably would have said, "no, I do not think students need digital access to learn." However, I realize now that this would be a great disservice to my students in today's day and age. Although different classrooms will inevitably vary in regards to the amount of digital access that they posses, students need to be at least introduced to technology in order to be tomorrow's successful citizens. After all, isn't one of the main purposes of education to create effective citizens? It would have been perfectly fine for our parents, or maybe even ourselves, to lack technological access, but the same does not hold true for our future students. Students can learn the content perfectly fine without technology, but teaching the content is not our only job as teachers. Plus, technology does enhance the learning process greatly!!

If I find myself working at a school with very little digital access, I will write grants to gain such technology. A teacher that I volunteered for last year wrote a grant for a SmartBoard and his class; he said it was quite easy to do. I would also like to work with someplace, say Pizza Hut, and ask them if they would help me with "Technology Night." I would pick a night and a percentage of the proceeds earned that night would go to acquiring computers, or a SmartBoard, or a flip camera phone, or whatever I need, for my classroom. I obviously would encourage all my students and their families to attend; pizza + technology....who could resist?! If a classroom is equipped with technology, but not a lot, I would incorporate the technology as a "station" as part of a lesson plan. That way, every student would be rotated in to use the technology, but it would not be the focal point of the lesson.

I searched through a lot of teachers' blogs and twitter accounts in search of how they bridge the digital divide. While not a lot of them specifically talk about what they do to bridge the digital divide, a lot of them lament about it and how it provides such a disservice to students. Then it hit me: these teachers are trying to bridge the digital divide just by having these blogs and twitter accounts. It is proof that they are not a member of the (too large) group of teachers that are scared of technology and refuse to use it in their classroom. Message to teachers: it is completely normal to be afraid of technology, especially if you did not grow up with it. However, it is COMPLETELY unacceptable to deny your students the right of technology proficiency. My peers and I in the ProTeach program are taking the first step in bridging the digital divide just by taking this class!

Ariel Sacks is a teacher in New York who discusses the trouble of the digital divide in her classroom. She brings up two aspects of the digital divide: 1) that some students do not have access to the internet at their homes, which gives them an unfair disadvantage when completing specific assignments, like the audio of the book that Ms. Sacks created 2) Sacks discusses how the school does not allow mp3 players on school property, but they can be used for so many educational purposes! school administrations need to catch up with the times and realize that technology does not equal evil! Even cell phones will have some educational bearing one day, according to Dr. Packer (I agree).

A teacher told me, via Twitter (isn't Twitter cool?!) that, to bridge the digital divide, teachers should put as much information in the digital cloud (such as Google docs) so students do not have to save things to a specific computer. Thank you Kathy Schrock!

http://www.edutopia.org/digital-divide-where-we-are-today

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/will-the-digital-divide-close-by-itself/: this article discusses how 1) inconsistency in school contributes to the digital divide. For example, if one principal implements technology in his or her school but then leaves, so does the technology. and 2) how the digital divide will shrink as technology becomes cheaper

This teacher is raising money for a netbook for his sixth grade classroom; he realizes the importance of technology in today's classroom. Mr. R, the teacher, makes it easy for people to donate money online with just the click of a button. http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=319861&verify=1154803167

this website http://www.21stcenturychallenges.org/60-seconds/what-is-the-digital-divide/

deals with the digital divide in the UK, providing excellent facts and figures. It states "those being left behind with technology are being left behind across many spheres" --Martha Lane Fox, digital inclusion champion

http://teachers.net/gazette/SEP00/bracey.html this is a teacher-specific website concerning the digital divide, and how lack of technology puts students at a grave disadvantage.

this website http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/digital-divide-between

is one teacher describing the digital divide in a different sense; that students know a lot about technology and the teachers don't, nor do they care to learn. This teacher suggests, as a teacher who is proficient in technology and sees its importance, that we should slowly introduce our colleagues to technology, one baby step at a time. All too often, teachers remain set in their ways and do not even use the technology that they are lucky enough to have in their class!

I Want to be a Teacher Leader!

A teacher leader is not someone who simply stands in front of the classroom and lectures at students day in and day out just to get a pay check. A teacher leader is invested in the educational system and acts as an active participant and educational reform and decision making. Teachers are probably the most important part of a student's education; they either make or break it. According to Leadership for Student Learning: Redefining the Teacher as Leader http://www.iel.org/programs/21st/Reports/teachlearn.pdf, "teacher leaders seek challenge, change, and growth" (10) Any other professional, this study argues, is naturally in the leader position, but teachers, however, face many challenges in this area. Leadership for Student Learning argues that teachers need to be a part of the important decision making processes in their school; after all, don't these decisions affect them the most? Saying that there are very few genuine teacher leaders in today's schools, I hope to change that. I hope that all of us ProTeach grads become teacher leaders and help move the educational system in the right direction! We need to change the educational system from being mostly "top-down"--teachers need to be an integral part of administrative decisions in the schools. Many people view teaching as a "flat" career, meaning that you can't really advance and move up the ladder, as in so many other professions. Well, people need to take pride in themselves and WANT to advance in skill as a teacher; your future students will thank you!

Teacher Leadership Today http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/teacher_leadership_today/

is the center for teaching equality. This website has blogs and book reviews that deal with all things that involve teacher leadership. There are posts on all sorts of teacher leadership topics, such as "What Makes for a Great Teacher Leader?" and "More Great Start of School Advice." This website contains many great blogs, all written by actual teachers, and they offer great advice about how to become a great teacher leader. I think one of the key aspects in becoming a teacher leader is to be flexible and adaptable. Teachers that are set in their ways and have no intention of changing and learning because they have job security give the field of education a bad name. Teachers need to remember that THE STUDENTS are our main priority, and therefore we need to keep up with the times and be a part of the decision making processes in our schools.

Why do you think there are so few teacher leaders in schools??

Networked Learning=So Cool!

Networked learning is a really, really cool concept; basically it is a personal learning environment that empowers the learner to take a hold of the learning process. All too often, teachers are the focus of the learning process, merely lecturing the students who are supposed to simply sit and absorb the information (think chapter 2 of Pedagogy of the Oppressed/ banking pedagogy). The human network is so vast; we are all part of it! A networked student uses many tools. To name a few: websites, google scholar, social bookmarking sites, blogs, podcasts/iTunesU, VoiceThread, and Wikis. Students choose a topic (with guidance from the teacher) and sort of do a "scavenger hunt" for information. If someone's Twitter says something about the topic you are researching that leads you to a podcast by a Harvard professor which in turn causes you to research something on google scholar which shows that something you read on someone's blog was inaccurate...! ahh! Networked learning is fun and EFFECTIVE because it is the students that are doing the action/work. Taking action in one's work is so much more powerful than just sitting there listening (although that can be effective at appropriate times as well)! The teacher is very crucial in networked learning. They are not the "bank of knowledge" as is seen in traditional classrooms, but they are a facilitator and a motivator. The average student is not going to simply take it upon themselves to to correctly complete a networked learning assignment; sure students are curious about things, but they need a teacher to both encourage them and put them back on the path of knowledge if they somehow stray. Teachers can assist students with assessing the accuracy of things that they "stumble upon"--no pun intended, as that is also a technological aspect of networked learning. The teacher somewhat sets the end result for the students; it's up to the students to find their way. The teacher is an integral part of the whole process because, after all, it is GUIDED inquiry that builds critical thinking skills!

Both the teacher and the students, especially, need to exercise digital literacy in networked learning or else it will be completely ineffective. Students need to know how to navigate through things such as blogs, twitter, iTunesU, etc. They need to be able to evaluate and organize what they come across through their findings.

I will DEFINITELY use networked learning in my future classroom! As we all know, history is not black and white facts (as it is all too often presented); how great would it be for students to use networked learning to solve "history mysteries?" Or even just back up a historical claim with evidence they found through their networking. I really like how the students ultimately should share what they found through their research with others (sort of like a give and take relationship). What an amazing network we have out there!

While it might be difficult to give up some control in the classroom, 1) isn't our job to help the students learn as effectively as possible?? and 2) we still facilitate the students!

Through twitter, I found this thread about networked learning, and guess what?! Professor Drexler was one of the people that commented!

http://www.networkedlearningconference.org.uk/index.php/forum/topic?id=15

How would you use networked learning in your classroom??

Link to my Glog

Here is a link to my Glog, just in case =)

http://louisal87.glogster.com/Camelot/

Jack and Jackie

enjoy my Glog!!! I enjoyed making it!

service learning notes

Good job guys! =)

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AQJEW6pz0aDOZGM4ajQ2OTZfMHM3Y3FncWR3&hl=en

Service Learning Plan-Oral History and the Elderly

Oral History: Connecting Past to Present

Created by: Louisa Lord

Area of Service: supporting the elderly/nursing homes

Grade Level: Middle School (8^th Grade)

Subject Area: American History

Standards Met:

SS.8.A.1.1: Provide supporting details for an answer from text, interview for oral history, check validity of information from research/text, and identify strong vs. weak arguments.

SS.8.A.1.7: View historic events through the eyes of those who were there as shown in their art, writings, music, and artifacts.

National Educational Technology Standards:

Communications tools

Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.

Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

Research tools

Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.

Students use technology tools to process data and report results.

Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.

Multimedia Tools and Presentations

Plan scope and sequence of a project using project planner or storyboard

Use color, text, styles, sound, buttons and links that compliment the project.

Import a graphic, movie, and video to compliment the project.

Record and import sound from peripheral sources to compliment the project.

Evaluate multimedia projects effectively.

Operate a flatbed scanner, digital camera, video camera and accompanying software correctly.

Use a media display device (projector) to present project.

Guiding Questions:

How have times changed since the era in which the person you interviewed lived?

How are they similar?

How can we use the past to help us understand the present?

Why is important to study the past?

Goals:

Students will understand how the past shapes the present.

Students will learn about their own lives, as well as lives of people that lived in a different time period.

Students will appreciate the elderly/their stories in their community.

Unit Description:

All too often, people in nursing homes are often lonely and depressed. Their loss of independence can cause them to feel useless, which can lead to rapid deterioration. My service learning project is about combining history with making the elderly feel useful and appreciated.

Students need to brainstorm different aspects of their life that they feel are important. Students should focus on things such as: five things they could not live without, stories that they see on the news, what their parents talk about at the dinner table, what they are currently worried about, what they do after school, etc. Each student will be required to upload his or her responses to these questions (and any others that they come up with) on my class wiki.

As a class, we will travel to a local nursing home, and each student will be paired with a resident of the home (that gave their permission to be interviewed) prior to this assignment. The student will ask the person they are interviewing to think back to when they were around thirteen years old, asking them the same questions that they previously asked themselves, as well as general questions about the time period and place in which they grew up. Students will (with the person’s permission) film their interview.

Upon returning to the classroom, the students will research the time period in which the person that they interviewed lived. They will need to find out: who the President (or leader of their country) was during the time that the interviewee was the student’s age, any major crises that occurred during the time period, any technological innovations that were invented, or any major change that occurred. Students should write a two-page description about the time period/place in which their interviewee grew up, and transcribe it onto the class wiki.

The main activity for this lesson plan is for the students to create a vodcast/video podcast, in which they describe their lives, incorporating the answers to the questions (five things they could not live without, stories that they see on the news, what their parents talk about at the dinner table, what they are currently worried about, what they do after school, etc) that they wrote about on the class wiki. The students are encouraged to incorporate visuals into their vodcast. The student must upload the video that they took of their interview with their nursing home resident onto their vodcast (using iMovie). The student then must describe (on the vodcast) how his or her life is different than the person he or she interviewed, and how they are similar. The student must use critical thinking and “think like a historian” in order to compare and contrast the two time periods.

The pinnacle of this service learning project is the presentation of the vodcasts. The class will return to the nursing home and host a “viewing party” for the nursing home residents that participated in this project. We will view all the vodcasts, as we enjoy refreshments provided by our class. Not only will the viewing party be a bright spot in the elderly residents’ day, but they will also feel accomplished in that they played such a big part in the presentation. The goal of this project is to not only teach the students about history, but also to show the nursing home residents that their lives are important to young people of today.

Wiki:

The students will upload their data (information about their lives, as well as their interview with the nursing home resident/historical significances) onto the class Wiki so that the whole class can appreciate many different historical perspectives.

Internet:

Students will use various search engines (Google, Bing) to research the time period/place in which the person they interviewed lived. Students must verify that the sites they visit are legitimate.

Vodcasts:

Students will use vodcasts to showcase both the historical significance of their own lives as well the lives of the residents of the nursing home. Students and nursing home residents will view the vodcasts together at a viewing party at the nursing home.

Assessment:

Students will be graded throughout this assignment. They will be graded on:

- Their wiki post about their lives

- Their interview with the nursing home resident

- Their paper/wiki post about the time period in which their nursing home resident lived in when they were younger

- Proper utilization of vodcast comparing and contrasting their lives with those of the nursing home resident

- Proper etiquette when dealing with the nursing home resident

o The teacher will give the students specific guidelines as to proper etiquette prior to entering the nursing home

If the student successfully completes all of the above criteria, they will receive a grade of “Meet expectations.” If they do not meet all of the above criteria, they will receive a grade of “unsatisfactory” and will be expected to write a 10-page research paper on a time period of the teacher’s choice. If they go above and beyond, they will receive “exceeds expectations,” and I will use their project as an example for this service learning project in subsequent years.

Students must show an understanding of the importance of oral history throughout the completion of this unit.

Meets expectations:

-Students contributed to the class wiki at least twice: 1) their information and 2) the information that they learned from their interview/research.

-Students conducted an interview with a nursing home resident, acting in an appropriate manner and asking the specified questions

-Students created a vodcast integrating their own story with that of the nursing home resident

-the student made comparisons between their story and the nursing home resident

-the vodcast contains substantive, historical information

Unsatisfactory:

-Student did not complete one or more of the unit requirements

-Student acted in an inappropriate manner with their elderly counterpart

Exceeds Expections:

-Student completed all of the unit requirements

-Student’s vodcast showed exceptional creativity and grasp of technology

-Student demonstrated extraordinary insight into connecting the past to the present

-Student brought food or drink to the viewing party at the nursing home

Social Media and the Underground Railroad

It really is fascinating to think how social media has changed our world. I really liked Clay Shirky's analysis of how social media makes things less "top down," and more "bottom up." The example that he provided about the earthquake in China really spoke volumes about how social media affects major events; China's previous earthquake was denied by the government, but, with this earthquake, the government found out about it FROM its citizens, via image uploads, twitter, etc. What a crazy world we live in!

Imagine if social networking had been around during the antebellum period; how would this have changed things, specifically the Underground Railroad?

Social Networking would serve as a double edged sword for a slave wanting to escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad. On one hand, it would be much easier for slaves to communicate with each other on daily aspects of their lives, as well as specific details necessary for escaping to freedom (we are assuming that the slaves had access to the devices used in social networking, which probably would not be true; but hey, we are imagining, right?). If a slave wanted to escape on Thursday, he could text/tweet to his fellow slaves his plan, and encourage them to join him. The text/tweet could consist of code words, just as the songs that the slaves used to sing to each other as they worked in the fields held subliminal messages of freedom. I bet the Great Conductor, Harriet Tubman, would have been the number one trending topic on Twitter for quite a while!

Many times, slave families were tragically separated; social networking would provide an excellent way for these families to stay connected. A simple text after the day's work had been finished would provide loved ones with the comfort knowing that their family members had survived another day.

On the other hand, this form of technology could also serve as yet another way for overseers and plantation owners to brutally punish their slaves; imagine if an overseer got hold of one of his slaves cell phones and read his text messages. If the texts contained plans for escape, that would spell tragedy for the slave. Or even worse yet, what if an overseer read and MISINTERPRETED a slave's text/tweet?

While social networking technology could have definitely helped the slaves, it could have also greatly harmed them as well. Shirky describes how social networking can lead to change from the bottom up; do you think that slavery would have happened the way it did if the enslaved African Americans had access to social networking?

VOICETHREAD

How YouTube and Social Networking are causing us to understand ourselves differently

This video was really interesting, and made me think of social networking and technology in a whole new light. I thought the term "media ecology" was really interesting, meaning that the media is our environment. When Michael Wesch described how, when a new media is introduced, it creates new ways of relating to others; subsequently, it creates new ways of knowing and understanding ourself. That is an incredibly interesting concept; people adapt themselves to the different people that they are interacting with. When it comes to interacting with people through social media, especially YouTube, there are no constraints on how to act. It is just you and a webcam, or you and a keyboard. While most people are somewhat awkward with interacting with tons of people through interacting with no one (if that makes sense), it eventually encourages a sense of self awareness. This context collapse, although it is awkward at first, creates a situation in which you are free to experience things without fear. Wesch also explained that new forms of community (such as YouTube, facebook, etc,) create new forms of self understanding.

The implications that this new "media ecology" has are seemingly endless; students that are shy to participate in class can now participate through technology. A student that feels left out and not part of the "in crowd" at school, can feel a sense of purpose through their online community.

Social networking also gives students so much information at their fingertips, literally. Students can find out basically anything they want to know....without feeling embarrassed about asking.

Although it can breed a lot of hate, social networking stimulates so many positive things. Sometimes people do not feel comfortable expressing themselves (especially adolescents), so social networking provides a way to do so. Not only does social networking bring people together online, but it also can bring them together physically; how often have you been involved in a face to face conversation about a popular YouTube video? or a celebrity's tweet? or a friend's facebook status update? Although I use a social networking sight multiple times a day (facebook), I have never thought about its true social implications. Can anyone give an example of how social networking has helped them understand themselves better?

the Underground Railroad and iTunes U

I chose to research the Underground Railroad on iTunes U because it is a crucial aspect of any American History class. There is an abundant amount of podcasts available about the Underground Railroad for teachers to use in their classrooms. However, as learning moves towards more student centered instruction, podcasts alone will not suffice in an effective classroom. The podcasts that I found could be used as excellent supplements to a lesson on the Underground Railroad, but never as the main lesson. If I were currently teaching a lesson on the Underground Railroad, I would start with asking my students what they know about it. In fact, I would probably have them compose a KWL chart (what they know, what they want to know, and, eventually, what they learned). Then I might play a podcast about it (mostly I found video podcasts on iTunes U, which are better than regular podcasts). I would then proceed to assign my students this activity: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/slavery-us/activity/4167.html?detoured=1. Students will follow a simulation of the Underground Railroad to help them understand what the runaway slaves experienced; the worksheet that accompanies the simulation tests the students' understanding of what they have just completed.

Students can also use the internet to research the Underground Railroad, as demonstrated in this lesson: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/17/g35/quilts.html. This lesson pertains more to geography, because the students have to understand the dangers that the various terrains posed to the runaway slaves. The internet is also helpful in promoting inquiry learning for the students, which is crucial in any social studies classroom.

Students really need to understand the emotional and physical hazards that both the runaway slaves and people who helped the runaway slaves experienced. Simply listening to a teacher lecture or watching podcasts does not allow such comprehension; students need to use critical thinking to assess all aspects of the Underground Railroad.

How Service Learning encourages Inquiry Learning in Social Studies

The service learning lesson plan that I chose to learn about and critique involves history and theater, two things that interest me. This lesson plan is designed for an 8th grade history class, and is described as follows:

One of the needs of the History/Social Science is for students to make meaningful connections

between the past and the present. In addition, the subject springboards into developing a greater understanding of community and service-learning. This project developed as a result of a Cal Serve Workshop held in August 2002, designed in collaboration with Roger Huitric to be used as a service-learning project in itself, or as the initial step in completing the project “Heroes” by Roger Huitric. This project addresses History/Social Science Content Standards of Growth and Conflict regarding individuals who made a positive impact in American history. This project provided a service to the community by broadening students’ appreciation of the contributions adults of various ethnicities have made to society, and created a link between members of our

communities.

This project is based on an ongoing study that has students evaluating heroes from the time of

the Spanish conquistadors through President Wilson’s administration. Students discuss

characteristics of heroes, identify culturally diverse heroes influential to the history of America,

and give justification for their choices. Then, students completed a visual display of their chosen

heroes to include a photograph of the hero and a brief biography describing the heroic qualities.

The students presented the display to the school library, and a duplicate presented to the local

Community Center.

The goals of this lesson include raising community awareness of ethnically diverse heroes,

increasing student research and evaluation skills, and promoting a closer bond between all

groups in our community.

Some of the benefits of inquiry learning in social studies include: connect social studies lessons to daily life, student generated, sharpen critical thinking skills, stimulate student motivation and curiosity, promotes ownership and responsibility, and team spirit. This service learning plan is a great way to tap into the benefits of inquiry learning in social studies; by putting on plays, the students really connect to the social studies lesson. In this instance (historical heroes), the students really learn all about, and how to relate to, their hero. This lesson promotes critical thinking skills because the students have to understand more than just biographical information about their historical hero; they have to understand how their person fits into the greater historical scheme and affected history.

By putting on theatrical performances for the community, the students really gain a sense of ownership in their lesson. Not only do they know that they are putting joy into peoples' lives, but they obviously will be motivated to do the best they can do since they know people will be watching them! The fact that this service learning lesson will take a long time also promotes ownership because the students know that they are participating in something very important. Team spirit will be promoted because all the students have to work together to put on a great play about historical heroes.

Some challenges associated with social learning in history classes include: can be too student dependent, can be difficult to get full student participation, puts students in uncomfortable state of disequilibrium, and harder to find materials. I think for this service learning lesson it is crucial that the students know that although they are in charge of their individual heroes, the teacher is still the "stage manager" and will help them out when they need it. The teacher (me) will give explicit directions and guidelines for the students to follow (I will not tell my students how to act out their hero, but I will set specific guidelines). I am hoping that all students will be willing to participate since it will benefit the community as a whole. Although some students are shy and might not be willing to act out their hero on stage, they will be expected to write a script about their hero that one of their classmates can read for them (as well as their own hero). This lesson plan does not seem that materials will be hard to find;with the community involved, stage accessories should be easy to come by.

Students will spend time learning about their character through books and notes before the process of writing scripts even begins. Background knowledge is crucial for an accurate play. Students will brainstorm what they want to include in their play, because obviously they cannot put everything about the hero's live into this performance (this will sharpen critical thinking skills as well). As a class, we will discuss everyone's hero and why he or she chose them; this will be beneficial in making sure that everyone benefits from each other's research.

Most students enjoy history when it is relatable; people are relatable aspects of history. I will encourage my students to choose a hero that they either can identify with, or want to understand more about. History is also about creating effective citizens, and I think that this service learning lesson plan is a perfect way to do so and promote inquiry learning!

my service learning lesson plan:http://www.servicelearning.org/slice/index.php?ep_action=view&ep_id=114

Utilizing Technology to promote Inquiry Learning the in the Classroom

Inquiry learning is crucial in a history classroom because, as a subject, history is all about questioning the past and proving theories. By definition, inquiry learning is when students ask and answer questions that interest them; history research papers should be just that. History is not the sheer memorization and regurgitation of facts, names, and dates; rather it is students seeking out specific information in order to answer a broader question. One of the most important ways for history teachers to assess their students is to assign research papers. Research papers, where students use historical research to formulate a thesis, are excellent mediums for inquiry learning.

Angie's article, Where Do You Want to Go Today? Inquiry Based Learning and Technology Integration by Hester Owens and W. J. Teale, explains how technology is perfect for inquiry based learning. Internet databases, much like the ones that we used to find our articles, are great resources to promote inquiry learning. Technology allows the students to be able to find the answers to the historical questions that matter to them, thus greatly enhancing history classrooms.

If I was teaching a lesson on causes that lead to the American Revolution, I would have my students write a research paper where they had to both come up with a question concerning the causes, and answer their own question (provide a thesis). The students could use both my lesson and reputable websites to focus in on a narrow aspect (it would take a whole book to cover all the causes!) of pre -Revolution America, choose their thesis, and then use databases of scholarly articles to answer their own question. Technology provides a seemingly endless wealth of knowledge for students to canvass. This research forces the students to take ownership of their learning, because it is not simply the teacher imposing their knowledge on the students.

Obviously I would provide my students with a lesson on how to properly use the internet, because it can be a scary place! Finding false information would not be helpful in inquiry learning (while the inquiry part would still be there, learning needs to occur also)! I might ask my students to write me a paper on Martin Luther King, Jr and see if any of them use MartinLutherKing.org in their research--this would provide an excellent example of what NOT to do!

It would be a great idea for the students to post their finished research projects, complete with a full bibliography, on their class blog so that their classmates could read them. Hopefully, this would stimulate everyone to be interested in their peers' topics and then they could research the various theses on their own. In traditional classrooms, only the teacher gets to read the students' papers and this is a huge disservice to the class. One student might have thought of a question that another student would never have come up with on their own, but then subsequently researches. Inquiry learning focuses on the students' interests, and technology is a great way to satisfy their intellectual curiosities!

Can you think of another way to use technology to support inquiry learning in a history classroom? What about in a sixth grade classroom (my lesson was designed for high schoolers)?

Read the full article here: http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/hww/results/results_single_fulltext.jhtml;hwwilsonid=N1NTHXJSUYTZVQA3DIKSFGGADUNGIIV0

Edit: Hester, J, Owens, R, and Teale, W. (2002). Where Do You Want to Go Today? Inquiry- Based Learning and Technology Integration. Reading Teacher, 55(7), 616-625.

Technology as Applied to Meaningful Learning

Meaningful learning is obviously an essential part of education, consisting of the elements: Active, Constructive, Intentional, Authentic, and Cooperative. Constructive means that learning builds on prior knowledge, Intentional means that the student is actively seeking new knowledge, Active means the student is interacting and actually "doing the learning." Authentic means that the knowledge is genuine and helpful to the students, and Cooperative means students and teachers work together to achieve the end result. Meaningful learning has always been an important part of teachers' jobs, and now teachers can enforce it even more so using technology.

It was difficult for me to find student-created examples of social studies wikis, podcast, and blogs, but there was an abundance of teacher-created ones. Clearly, a lot of teachers are taking advantage of the great technological world out there! Technology is the future, and what better way to ensure that tomorrow's citizens utilize it than to use it in classrooms?? The blog I found was Ms. McCay's Social Studies Blog (http://mccleskeyms.typepad.com/mccoy/). She provided lots of interesting links that pertain to the class. This engages the Active aspect of meaningful learning. Similarly, the students' homework is posted on the blog, so they have to look at it in order to succeed in the classroom. This authenticates the blog for the students as well. The students know that when they view their social studies teacher's blog, they are there to gain information for the class (Intentional Learning). Ms. McCay (the teacher) and the students who view her blog work together to create a great atmosphere for learning social studies. Parents can also view the blog, helping the parent/teacher connection. This blog was an excellent place for the teacher to post social studies resources for her class. Rather than printing out a bunch of maps and primary source documents, Ms. McCay can put them directly on her blog. Students are more likely to log onto a computer and go to a blog than read out of a boring textbook.

The wiki I chose was an Eighth Grade US History wiki (http://woodward8.wikispaces.com/). I really, really liked this wiki. The graphics were amazing, which is good for catching students' eyes and making them interested. Something that really stood out to me was the flashing images of all the US presidents. This wiki was really helpful for the students because it had links to chapter vocabulary words and important dates. Students are much more likely to use this wiki than their textbook, and hopefully, students will be more interested in doing their homework. This wiki is Cooperative because it is a collaborative effort from the teachers and the students. It is Active because the students have to seek out what they want to learn by clicking on the links, thus also making it Intentional. If students feel that they have a part in creating something for their class, they are going to take ownership of it and hopefully put more effort into it. I really wish that my class had a wiki when I was in school because it seems like a really good idea. This wiki was Constructive in that you would have to have knowledge of the subject (US history) to be able to use the wiki.

Mr. Carmichael's Social Studies podcast (http://rustycar.podomatic.com/) had lots of great images concerning American history and government. This seemed to be the most technologically advanced of the three sites that I have found, so I think students would really enjoy it. I think podcasts are a really good idea because if a student does not understand something, they can look on the podcast and not feel embarrassed about it. Podcasts utilize all of the meaningful learning aspects.

Meaningful learning is much more important than rote memorization of facts. Education in the past dealt more with memorization, and not full understanding. Memorization does not equal learning; blogs, wikis and podcasts all help to contribute to meaningful learning.

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~rallrich/learn/mean.html

(Our readings helped me realize the origins of this URL....I know the tilde means that this is a personal page, and must be investigated further! However, the information matched up with http://prezi.com/s_e-eckiot4p/).

Why Should Technology be Integrated into Social Studies Classrooms?

Upon learning that I was taking a technology class for my Social Studies ProTeach program, I became a little nervous. Technology has never been my strong suit (DVRing my favorite television show is a big deal for me). I did not really know how much a technology class was going to help me be a teacher, after all, I learned a lot in high school without a SmartBoard, and even without a Twitter account!

The first day in class, however, completely changed my outlook. I am still definitely wary of technology, but I now see how necessary it is in our world. If I do not implement technology in my classroom, my students will be at a grave disadvantage for the future. Our world is changing, and technology is at the heart of this evolution. Technology also does not necessarily make school easier for the students, as I once believed. Forced to differentiate between legitimate and false information on the Internet, the students must use critical thinking skills with technology.

Simulation activities are especially useful in a history classroom, because it gives the students a unique glimpse into the time periods they are studying. Making history come alive for the students is crucial in making the subject interesting for the students; technology allows this to happen. Technology should not be viewed as something to be scared of, it should be seen as something that enhances the teacher and the classroom.

The National Council for Social Studies believes that technology is crucial in a social studies classroom. Social studies is designed to create effective citizens for the future, and our future is certainly technologically based. NCSS discusses how America's students live lives filled with technology, and that should not stop when they enter the classroom. Students can learn both important content and beneficial skills such as critical thinking through technological mediums (Blogs, Wikis, etc). Media literacy needs to be an integral part in every social studies teachers' classroom for years to come!